MancRL

Nobody is saying RL can't expand outside the North. But if it's to succseeed in Canada it must have A Canadian League. Even Football doesn't have a Global league. It has national leagues that feed into pan continental competitions like the Champions League.

I love the way everyone is buying into the spin and hype.

Don't worry too much. Toronto won't last more than a couple of seasons. I believe their are ten rich owners of the club. So that won't end well. I'm quite happy for expansion within Europe. But if the number of clubs keeps increasing, then there should be regional leagues. Starting with a UK North South League 1 feeding into the Championship. When RL posters on here start using words like "Global" and " it doesn't matter what the price of tickets are, as long as it's a sell out" then I fear for the future of RL....... these people would support a team of Polar Bears in the name of money and expansion I just think some of em just don't get what the spirit of Rugby League is. To me they are the KFC, Pizza Hut and Mcdonalds supporter But if Rugby League does go down the globalist route of rinsing mug fans of all their money. I'll be definitely bailing out of the whole circus.

What a fantastic post. There are even people on here who complain that Rugby League ticket prices are to cheap and should be increased, so they can attract a different supporter base (Middle Class) while at the same time pricing the working man from the game. Which has happened in football. Do we really want a situation like RU where people are paying extortionate prices for a ticket to a game of Rugby.

I'm not really talking about putting money into the Championship that isn't there. I mean raising the profile of the Championship, which in turn may attract more supporters and money in time. The best way to do this is by somehow convincing Sky to show a few live Championship games a season and a weekly or monthly magazine programme . If they could get ten live matches a season I believe this could raise the profile of the RL Championship if they were targeted games. But maybe we'll just have to agree to disagree on the Championship and its future.

If the Championship was funded and promoted correctly and certain standards were set. It could evolve into a de facto Super League 2. Where clubs not quite big enough for SL at the moment could have a good future.

Put more money and effort into the Championship. The RFL should be lobbying SKY, who I believe who hold the TV rights to start showing Championship RL games. A strong Championship is essential for UK Rugby League.

You lot are like a gaggle of excited, gigilly schoolgirls getting all giddy over a signed Justin Bieber poster......pathetic. Oh yeah, a Canadian gimmick club full of SL rejects and absolutely of no true benefit to the expansion of a Canadian grass roots RL system has got you all creaming your knickers....... Get a grip

How about the "Toronto Titanic" Because it'll go down somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic and never be seen again.

Salford and Swinton merge? It will never happen. There is no shortage of people-potential new supporters on the doorstep of these two clubs. The problem with Swinton is they've been on the road with no home ground to build a supporter base for the past two decades and more. Which means they've lost at least a generation of Swinton fans from the area and can't build a club until they've got their own long term stadium. Salford made a big mistake moving to the AJ Bell stadium. At this moment in time its location is holding them back. Even the neighbours Sale Sharks have seen a drop in crowds from 10,000+ at Stockport to around 6 or 7 thousand at the AJ Bell. I think if they can hang on at the AJ Bell until all the infrastructure around there is finished. Then they will see a steady growth in the numbers attending games. Salford having most of their games on a Friday night was the most stupid move they could make in terms of spectator growth, but they did this for financial reasons to save money. There is definitely a case for a West Cumbrian club But for Salford,Swinton,Castleford and Wakefield I think there are different solutions to their problems.

' Half Empty' is a Mancunian colloquialism. Well as far as I'm concerned And as someone else pointed out, you'll have one hard job keeping those who turned up to the England v Scotland game to remain for the NZ v Oz game. And it will get cold once it goes dark in November. I've purchased tickets for the London , Liverpool and Huddersfield games, and me only being interested in Manchester. (How will I cope) not the tickets I want, but I plan ahead so they'll just have to do. But the reason I'll not travel to Coventry is because the scheduling of the games spread over a very long day. And the over all cost of travel for the day is quite a lot. I booked two nights in Docklands, East London for two of us, it will cost £100.00 for the whole Hotel stay. So I get two days in London and the game as well. Even if they fill the Ricoh out with locals and Union supporters. I think many will walk away disappointed from this game, which will have a dead atmosphere because of a lack of understanding of RL. It's appears to me this Coventry game will do more damage than good for Rugby League.

Because I believe the RU Under20s world championship are being played in appropriately sized stadiums, so they'll come across well on TV because they'll be full. But the England v Scotland game could be just a few thousand and the NZ v OZ game could be half empty. We just don't know. It's a big gamble. But to ignore the fact that the UK media outside of London are based in Manchester/Greater Manchester is quite naïve ,with the BBC sport and many other having their headquarters there. So by having this RL double header in Coventry with bizarre KO times could turn into a flop. It could be full? due to WASPS marketing department, but in the long run what good are they to RL? Like I've said before. If they were going to take a International RL game to Coventry, it should have been an England v NZ or OZ game. But personally I would have held these Oz v NZ and England v Scotland games at Warrington and St Helens. But I still think getting into bed with RU clubs is not the correct direction RL should be going in the long term.

The mini Etihad was built, paid for and owned by 'Abu Dhabi United group'. The main Etihad stadium is owned by 'Abu Dhabi United' Group. The council have a nominal share in the stadium. Because ADUG always go round investing over a billion and are about to invest another billion quid in something they don't own. Sometimes, I can't quite believe how naïve some on here really are. But like I said over six months ago the RFU are cosying-up to the money men of the Middle East, who wield ultimate power in their countries. I predicted then, that they would do something and this U20's RUWorld Championship is their first step. They won't be happy until RL is all but gone. While we are having big RL internationals in RU stadiums like Coventry, the RFU probably can't quite believe how green RL is. And anyone who thinks the RFU believe Association football is their main competitor is wrong. RL is their main competitor. Their next move will be Summer RU. But this is just my opinion. It's not a conspiracy, it's just business to the RU bods. And that means knocking out you main competition, which is RL so that they can expand their product...... But we'll see, won't we.

I mentioned back on the day of the Grand Final how very impressed the RFU were with the Etihad, and more so the billionaire Arabs who own it. I said then they would be back, and they want a big presence in the North West of England and wanted at least one England international in Manchester every year. Well, this under 19s Rugby Union world cup is their first shot at taking on Rugby League in, or near the RL Heartlands. The fact they are using the mini Etihad should be ringing alarm bells at the RFL. But this won't register until it's to late. The RFU definitely have a strategy to move into the RL heartlands by stealth. .......But never mind Coventry and a RU stadium is the future of Rugby League. Well, they've (RFU) got their feet under the table with the Abu Dhabi money mob now. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/manchester-host-2016-under-20-rugby-9464035

If I'd have been in charge of the RFL. Hemel would have been the southern club I would focus on. Rather than try and get three Southern clubs up and running at the same time, as well the Broncos. They should have given Hemel help to develop their ground, what I believe they own. Which is a huge advantage for any club with long term professional ambitions. But if you are developing local players and junior players. And construting your own club house. Then you won't hear any criticism from me. Unlike a northern club not far from me who don't interact with the local community and have no interaction with local amateur clubs. play in another town. And it's not Swinton.