Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:13 pm  

Hope we get promotion this year & are back in the Championship in 2017 , because this Toronto scenario is a disaster waiting to happen .

How will the fixtures work out , will all clubs have play each other home & away , if not its unfair, have the RFL thought of this may be Baz could ask the club what they know !

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Fri Apr 29, 2016 4:17 pm  

This is ridiculous on so many levels, not least climate polution.
The logistics are totally flawed.
OK it may suit a very small number of fans with time and money to visit Canada, but for the rest, what's the point?

Surely it is better to up the game in this country.
There is no place for any foreign team in our leagues and that includes French teams.

I have stated that I will pack in watching rugby if this happens.
It's just a jolly for certain individuals.

All of domestic RL should condemn this and go on strike or refuse to play these artificially created and privileged teams.

RL can be international but leagues can't!

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:21 pm  

The current Championship One set up is unfair because all teams don't play each other home and away.

The RFL then try to vindicate this by not automatically promoting the top team at the end of the league season as they know the team may be top because they've had a kinder fixture schedule than their opponents, and not because they're the best team in the league. Top plays second for the first promotion place. It's quite possible that team three had a much harder run of games but they then have to rely on the play off system for teams finishing outside the top two in order to have a chance of going up.

In terms of fairness, it would make much more sense to have Championship 1 and Championship 2 with all teams playing each other home and away. The RFL probably believe the present set up allows the bottom teams (and fundamentally newer sides) to gain some experience of playing the more established sides, rather than just playing amongst themselves.

Is this trade off worth it? Personally, I don't think it is. A league is not a league unless all teams play each other home and away.

With regards to Toronto, at least they're not being fast-tracked into the Championship, or even Super League. That would be grossly unfair on everyone. If they get there, they will have had to prove they deserve it through their on-field performances, and not because of the size of their cheque book.

With regards to S/Os point about leagues being limited to sides from the same country, I think that top English football clubs would quite willingly accept a European Super League if FIFA would allow it. FIFA won't allow it as it contravenes their rules.

In terms of rugby, we're talking about a semi-pro level of the game, which does probably make international competition appear a step too far.

Looking at the much wider picture though, are we perhaps being a little narrow minded taking such a view? If rugby league did take off in Canada and possibly the USA, it could transform the international game and benefit rugby league hugely. The international game desperately needs more countries to be competitive at the highest level.

Having Toronto in the league will bring added publicity and interest to the game, so from that point of view it's a good thing. If Toronto give it a go and it doesn't work out, what have we (as a lower league club), and the sport lost? Possibly not very much.

But then again, under the present structure, we might only play them away from home and never see them at the Keepmoat, but then again, we might be in the Championship!

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Sat Apr 30, 2016 7:55 am  

Part time players will probably have to book holidays or take unpaid leave to cover some or part of the long weekend Thursday to Monday inc. The flight gets back Sunday but with jet lag .

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Sat Apr 30, 2016 11:57 am  

weighman wrote:

Part time players will probably have to book holidays or take unpaid leave to cover some or part of the long weekend Thursday to Monday inc. The flight gets back Sunday but with jet lag .

It'd be interesting to know what the players think. I wonder if the RFL asked for their opinion before allowing Toronto in?

My guess would be that the players would see it as an interesting challenge rather than a major problem. Spending a bit of time in Toronto, all expenses paid, sounds like a better idea than a long haul to Cumbria on a wet Sunday morning.

If players have to take unpaid leave, will the RFL compensate them? They ought to.

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Sat Apr 30, 2016 12:24 pm  

It just won't work ... Canada should develop their own leagues to generate interest and we could play international type games.
There is precious little interest in this country never mind in Canada or in Canadian teams.
This is not Xenophobia, but I have NO interest in Catalans winning the Superleague and I have NO interest in Toulouse winning anything either nor Toronto or Timbuktu ....
These teams are populated with some locals but are also populated by all nationalities.
They could be based in this country, no need for stupid travel distances and the associated high costs.
Have a Birmingham team, an Edinburgh team, a Glasgow team, anything but a team on the other side of the pond.

It is our game in this country, it makes more sense to generate interest here first.
It is madness ...

Yes it would have curiosity value, but that's it!

What makes a good rugby experience?
Obviously good rugby, but also a good crowd, a crowd with some opposition supporters .... banter!

So Toronto will come here presumably in one or two blocks and play all their away games at one go to save on costs and stupid pollution.*
They will have next to no supporters apart from a few relatives. Who can afford to come and stay here for weeks on end?
They can't play five games in a week and sod off back!
Similarly at their end, Toronto ... a few away supporters and those taking a holiday in Canada and fitting a game in.

Games will be sad dead affairs.
There is always rent-a-crowd I suppose.

* However they choose to play their games here, in blocks or individually, the costs will be massive ... who pays for that?

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Tue May 10, 2016 4:19 pm  

Paul Cooke's view on Toronto: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Paul-Cooke-Toronto-project-deserves-chance/story-29253881-detail/story.html

Paul Cooke's view on Toronto: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Paul-Cooke-Toronto-project-deserves-chance/story-29253881-detail/story.html

TVRe: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Tue May 10, 2016 5:24 pm  

Double Movement wrote: Paul Cooke's view on Toronto: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Paul-Cooke-Toronto-project-deserves-chance/story-29253881-detail/story.html Well fancy that ... someone in rugby sees an opportunity down the line for future employment and trips to Canada. Pessimists, often realists misnamed by the way, DO admit when they are wrong. In fact they fooking LOVE it when things work out better than they anticipated. So stick that in your pipe Paul then go crawl under your own stone ... INDEED!!! You don't have to live under a stone to know insulting the opposition is a poor way to persuade folk to agree with you. And in no way wins an argument. I hope the experiment works ... but it is SO artificial it can't without being subsidised at the expense of the majority.

Double Movement wrote: Paul Cooke's view on Toronto: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Paul-Cooke-Toronto-project-deserves-chance/story-29253881-detail/story.html Well fancy that ... someone in rugby sees an opportunity down the line for future employment and trips to Canada. Pessimists, often realists misnamed by the way, DO admit when they are wrong. In fact they fooking LOVE it when things work out better than they anticipated. So stick that in your pipe Paul then go crawl under your own stone ... INDEED!!! You don't have to live under a stone to know insulting the opposition is a poor way to persuade folk to agree with you. And in no way wins an argument. I hope the experiment works ... but it is SO artificial it can't without being subsidised at the expense of the majority.

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Thu May 12, 2016 3:40 pm  

This is just another reason why i don't bother any more.

Re: Promotion 2016/ Toronto in C1 in 2017 : Thu May 12, 2016 6:30 pm  

rupert bear wrote:

This is just another reason why i don't bother any more.

Oh yeah?
This being the main one I suppose?

rupert bear wrote:

As a former fan no longer attending here are a few thoughts.

I have been a rugby league fan since the mid eighties but I have stopped following the sport over the past year.
I used to follow the Dons home and away, go to finals and internationals etc.
As with many Dons fans I first became interested during the Sheridan era and really looked forward to a Sunday afternoon down at Tattersfield. The whole buzz and atmosphere under the old tin roof was great.
As time has gone by things have changed, the sport sold its soul to Sky and the whole SL closed shop, franchising, money troubles at virtually every club, inept administration by the RFL and cost of attending games has really put me off. The worst thing for me though over the past few years, and this probably relates to most of society and not just RL, is the general aggressive, angry attitude which now seems so common amongst opposing sets of supporters. By all means shout for your team, but do we need all the anger?
I have now started watching Doncaster Knights.
The main reasons for this are:
I can pay on the gate the full adult price of £10
Although the car park costs £3 there are often offers such as this weekend where if you arrive more than an hour before kick off it is free, obviously hoping early birds will spend in the bar and food concourse.
The quality of food and drink is excellent. The cow pie is grand.
It is a pleasant experience watching a sporting event without people falling out with each other over every refereeing decision.
Generally speaking RU seems to be more professionally run than RL.

These are my reasons for not attending any longer.