Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:04 am  

Taking into account all the above posts.IMO just can't see it working. Will fold after a few years. Cant knock.anybody for trying but just a gimmick. We are a northern sport rightly or wrongly and IMO should be investing more in the clubs up here.

Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:16 am  

hull2524 wrote:

Taking into account all the above posts.IMO just can't see it working. Will fold after a few years. Cant knock.anybody for trying but just a gimmick. We are a northern sport rightly or wrongly and IMO should be investing more in the clubs up here.

I don't think it's a gimmick, I think it's a genuine project by some motivated individuals. A gimmick would suggest it's purely being done for publicity, which might be true if it was engineered by the RFL rather than the Canadians.

May be it will fold. It's certainly ambitious, but it's at their own risk, no money is being invested by the RFL.

I agree that more should be done for clubs over here, but clubs have to help themselves too. But unfortunately there isn't a big pot of money sat there waiting to be invested.

Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:38 am  

Doom&Gloom Merchant wrote:

I'm not sure it is.

If you're following football as the model, with each country having it's own professional league then you're right, but even football recognises that there needs to be a higher level of competition across countries (The Champions & Europa league).

They do but these are a secondary competition to the national league comps.

In Rugby Union, the Super15 comprises of teams from SA, NZ and Australia, with sides from Argentina and Japan (I'm not sure if they've joined or set to join). Then there's the Celtic league with sides from Ireland, Scotland & Wales.

Again this is a secondary comp to the national leagues

Canadian sides compete together with American sides in a number of sports.

They have a big grass roots set of leagues in these sports

NZ don't have their own RL League, yet are more than competitive.

They have a big grass roots set of leagues in these sports

I agree, in an ideal world, each country has their own strong domestic competition, but I don't think it's necessarily vital to international competition/growth.

I'm not saying I know the answers to this but I do feel by 'implanting' a team that will no doubt be staffed by Aussies, kiwis and Brits I wonder if it will generate enough interest to start up a league or are we building walls before foundations.

Its similar to having an NFL team in the uk, it will be well supported but ultimately it will be a team full of americans playing for us.

Hope I'm wrong and its a raging success and I wont knock anyone for trying.

Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:42 am  

hull2524 wrote:

Taking into account all the above posts.IMO just can't see it working. Will fold after a few years. Cant knock.anybody for trying but just a gimmick. We are a northern sport rightly or wrongly and IMO should be investing more in the clubs up here.

Your right the Batley v Dewsbury Derby attracted over a 1000 fans massive potential there forget cosmopolitan Toronto lets invest in dying West Yorkshire towns

Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:53 am  

barham red wrote:

I'm not saying I know the answers to this but I do feel by 'implanting' a team that will no doubt be staffed by Aussies, kiwis and Brits I wonder if it will generate enough interest to start up a league or are we building walls before foundations.

Its similar to having an NFL team in the uk, it will be well supported but ultimately it will be a team full of americans playing for us.

Hope I'm wrong and its a raging success and I wont knock anyone for trying.

I get your point, and I largely agree with it.

There are domestic leagues in Canada, not strong leagues, but there is something there and it's been growing steadily the past few years. Maybe an elite side will provide a pathway for these players to aim for, maybe it'll encourage more people to pick up a RL ball, or get involved in their local side.

Certainly at the beginning it'll be full of Brits & Aussies, and that'll be one of the true tests of Toronto, to see if they can bring through home grown talent in time. Reading up on it, they certainly have this firmly on their radar.

It's blo0dy ambitious & I hope the investors are patient. It seems a million miles away from the Crusaders and London setups, so plenty to be excited about, but without the risk.

Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:54 am  

fun time frankie wrote:

Your right the Batley v Dewsbury Derby attracted over a 1000 fans massive potential there forget cosmopolitan Toronto lets invest in dying West Yorkshire towns

Problem is that although morally the right thing to do it doesn't make commercial sense to invest in areas that are dying, they're dying for a reason and very little will reverse that. New markets have to be explored but its how to do it that is the problem

Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 12:28 pm  

barham red wrote:

Problem is that although morally the right thing to do it doesn't make commercial sense to invest in areas that are dying, they're dying for a reason and very little will reverse that. New markets have to be explored but its how to do it that is the problem

I was been sarcastic

: Thu May 05, 2016 6:20 am  

For the games being played in Toronto, they are flying players out on a Thursday, with the game being played on a Saturday and the return flight home on a Sunday.

Re: : Thu May 05, 2016 11:20 am  

i hate pies wrote:

For the games being played in Toronto, they are flying players out on a Thursday, with the game being played on a Saturday and the return flight home on a Sunday.

I wish this news had been made available when the announcement was made, it would have reduced my stress no end.

Re: O/T toronto wolfpack : Thu May 05, 2016 5:40 pm  

I think this is a great move and shows how innovative and dynamic Rugby League can be. I am sure that other sporting organisations such as the NFL will be very interested in how this all pans out ahead of their own plans for teams playing out of Europe/England.

In the future it's not that crazy to think there could be global leagues for certain sports, especially as methods of travel becomes faster and more efficient. Also I am sure that the people behind the Toronto franchise have got sufficient funding in place along with the mayor putting his support into the project. With enough money to throw into it, they can acheive anything they want.