Other Canadian cities...

[Oxford]

I think its impossible to have a full time NA league any time soon,the players simply arent there.Some kind of development league would be good to help supply players to the major league teams.

CIearly money is all important but can you imagine a world series Toronto vs Melbourne Leeds vs sydney Toulouse vs NZ warriors London vs Canberra Montpelier vs Vancouver.

The SC would have to be up there with the NRL & RU but i dont think that would be a problem 

It's impossible to a full time NA League but SC would have to be with the NRL? I think you're mixing up improbable and impossible a bit there jpmc, changes in SC still have to be voted on by chairmen you know!

[Rascal Bongo Stork]

It's impossible to a full time NA League but SC would have to be with the NRL? I think you're mixing up improbable and impossible a bit there jpmc, changes in SC still have to be voted on by chairmen you know!

IF TO & TW get there though that starts to swing the vote

[Oxford]

IF TO & TW get there though that starts to swing the vote

Good point!

[Wellsy4HullFC]

"....the players simply arent there..." No, but the athletes are! And plenty of them who didn't find their place in the sports now available!

And that means plenty of gems to be found.

There are plenty of "physical" athletes all over the place, not just the US. But they don't have the skills, tactical knowledge or mentality to be an elite player and they can't get that overnight.

Some people just don't understand everything that goes into building an elite rugby league player. It's more than just going to the gym or throwing a ball around. Kids coming through the system have had years of developing an understanding of the game.

It will be at least a decade before you get anywhere near a handful of decent NA produced elite rugby league players. Until then, you've got to use a ready made supply from Aus, NZ and England. There aren't enough to go into a whole bunch of clubs at once. They've got to be drip-fed in otherwise they'll just crumble.

Talk of a whole host of NA clubs in the next few years is just ludicrous. We haven't even managed two elite French clubs yet and they actually play rugby league!

[jpmc]

It's impossible to a full time NA League but SC would have to be with the NRL? I think you're mixing up improbable and impossible a bit there jpmc, changes in SC still have to be voted on by chairmen you know!

The current Sl that we have now becomes defunct,the British game feeds this new NHSL with the players it needs as does the overflow of SH players from the likes of Tonga,Samoa & Fiji,think how liberating it would be for these players to not feel tied to the NRL

 

We move to a northern hemisphere SL with its own governing body like the NRL ,new clubs,new owners with real vision for the sport not just there own clubs.

 

Can you imagine the potential revenue to the TV companies from Europe,North America,Australasia & the UK for covering a proper league like this

[Oxford]

The current Sl that we have now becomes defunct,the British game feeds this new NHSL with the players it needs as does the overflow of SH players from the likes of Tonga,Samoa & Fiji,think how liberating it would be for these players to not feel tied to the NRL

 

We move to a northern hemisphere SL with its own governing body like the NRL ,new clubs,new owners with real vision for the sport not just there own clubs.

 

Can you imagine the potential revenue to the TV companies from Europe,North America,Australasia & the UK for covering a proper league like this

Really good points jpmc! The TV companies in particular would bring the press with them because they would have little choice!

 

I also think this has already been liberating for discourse on this forum, it's been really refreshing to see so many positive and excited posts, on this thread and the others related to the Wolfpack!

[Manfred Mann]

If there ever will be a successful movement of several North American clubs wanting to join Super League in the wake of a  successful effort by Toronto to rise into Super League (e.g. Montreal, Jacksonville, New York, Philadelphia) then we would have to come to terms with the fact that these new teams would require British, Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island players, who would be recruited from existing Super League clubs. Therefore several existing Super League clubs, thereby weakened, would have to be relegated to the Championship. Here I am thinking of the likes of Wakefield, Castleford, Widnes, Salford etc.,

 

This dependence by NA clubs on non-NA players would last at least 5, maybe more years, until NA juniors can be promoted from the NA junior systems that would need to be set up as a condition of eligibility for each NA club entering the UK leagues.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

If there ever will be a successful movement of several North American clubs wanting to join Super League in the wake of a successful effort by Toronto to rise into Super League (e.g. Montreal, Jacksonville, New York, Philadelphia) then we would have to come to terms with the fact that these new teams would require British, Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island players, who would be recruited from existing Super League clubs. Therefore several existing Super League clubs, thereby weakened, would have to be relegated to the Championship. Here I am thinking of the likes of Wakefield, Castleford, Widnes, Salford etc.,

This dependence by NA clubs on non-NA players would last at least 5, maybe more years, until NA juniors can be promoted from the NA junior systems that would need to be set up as a condition of eligibility for each NA club entering the UK leagues.

5 years is generous. They say it takes 10 years to build an elite athlete. You'd need more years to even build a system with enough players for them to develop in as well.

15 years minimum.

[Futtocks]

If there ever will be a successful movement of several North American clubs wanting to join Super League in the wake of a  successful effort by Toronto to rise into Super League (e.g. Montreal, Jacksonville, New York, Philadelphia) then we would have to come to terms with the fact that these new teams would require British, Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island players, who would be recruited from existing Super League clubs. Therefore several existing Super League clubs, thereby weakened, would have to be relegated to the Championship. Here I am thinking of the likes of Wakefield, Castleford, Widnes, Salford etc.,

 

This dependence by NA clubs on non-NA players would last at least 5, maybe more years, until NA juniors can be promoted from the NA junior systems that would need to be set up as a condition of eligibility for each NA club entering the UK leagues.

Or they could also recruit from the player pool in Australia. There are more players there, and only a limited number of places at the NRL clubs. 

[Bearman]

There are plenty of players available. The standard might not be at the very highest level.

In the short term a lowering of the standard wouldn't hurt the growth of the game in new markets so long as matches were competitive.

We have a fairly vibrant game in this country and clearly not all the players are up to NRL standard.

Gradually with the game growing it's player base the standard would improve. American Soccer is an example of that.

[Dave T]

Koukash not a fan of the effort in Canada, tweet from earlier...

Ok I do not like @TheRFL , but surely the money and time the sport is investing in Canada is better invested in Cumbria

[Futtocks]

Koukash not a fan of the effort in Canada, tweet from earlier...

Ok I do not like @TheRFL , but surely the money and time the sport is investing in Canada is better invested in Cumbria

He's missed the point as thoroughly as the anti-Toronto lobby on this forum has done so many times. For the 5,381st time, the money has been raised for one project and one project only. If Toronto are not included in the British league structure, that money will not appear at all in any other area of the game. It will simply not be invested into Rugby League at all.

 

I expected better from Marwan, to be honest.

[Dave T]

He's missed the point as thoroughly as the anti-Toronto lobby on this forum has done so many times. For the 5,381st time, the money has been raised for one project and one project only. If Toronto are not included in the British league structure, that money will not appear at all in any other area of the game. It will simply not be invested into Rugby League at all.

I expected better from Marwan, to be honest.

not sure why mate. Scarily some would love him in charge at the RFL.

[Bearman]

For the 5,381st time, the money has been raised for one project and one project only. If Toronto are not included in the British league structure, that money will not appear at all in any other area of the game. It will simply not be invested into Rugby League at all.

 

Can this please be added as a sticky to every thread about Canada?

[damp squib]

Can this please be added as a sticky to every thread about Canada?

You would also need to add a sticky to remind people that in the 21st century, workers are entitled to annual leave.

[Oxford]

5 years is generous. They say it takes 10 years to build an elite athlete. You'd need more years to even build a system with enough players for them to develop in as well.

15 years minimum.

I think you need to take a look at those players who came to League late and having never played the game in our sport's history!

 

But you're right about the long term goals that need to be set in order to produce enough good players! I do believe that the attitudes to sport in NA would stand them in good stead in our game.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

I think you need to take a look at those players who came to League late and having never played the game in our sport's history!

There are very few exceptions. You couldn't build a team out of them let alone a league.

Since rugby league went full time, how many have made the switch with success (I'll limit success to being in the squad!)? Gareth Thomas? Andy Powell? Liam Botham?Any others?

But you're right about the long term goals that need to be set in order to produce enough good players! I do believe that the attitudes to sport in NA would stand them in good stead in our game.

If the North Americans took to our sport, they'd bring a huge increase to our player pool. But that would be decades away.

People need to realise that quality players will not come over night. They might get a few that could look ok at League 1 and even Championship level. There'll be very few if any SL level for many years.

[Trailfinder]

Some people just don't understand everything that goes into building an elite rugby league player. It's more than just going to the gym or throwing a ball around. Kids coming through the system have had years of developing an understanding of the game.

 

I give you Tony Clubb and LMS as prime examples of your opinion. Both have the physical attributes as well as the stamina and an understanding of the game, but I'd say they lack some of the ball playing prowess other "northern" forwards may have. This is purely down to Clubby and Louis being "adapted" to the game over time, not growing up with it. 

It takes a decade or more to get to this stage and London (2 decades) are still to produce a half/hooker of note........yet!

 

League players don't grow on trees. I'd suggest football and Union are far easier games to learn!

[Manfred Mann]

Since rugby league went full time, how many have made the switch with success (I'll limit success to being in the squad!)? Gareth Thomas? Andy Powell? Liam Botham?Any others?

 

 

From Gaelic football:

 

Brian Carney. (1999 Gateshead Thunder) age 23

 

 

From rugby union:

 

Phil Hawthorne (St George 1968) age 24

Jim Lisle (South Sydney 1962) age 22

Michael Cleary (South Sydney 1962) age 22.

John Brass.(Eastern Suburbs 1969) age 22

Dick Thornett (Parramatta 1963) age 22

[Wellsy4HullFC]

Brian Carney.

Michael Cleary (South Sydney 1960s).

John Brass.(Eastern Suburbs 1970s)

Dick Thornett (Parramatta 1960s)

I'll give you Carney.

The rest are from a completely different era. I know RL was full time in Australia a lot earlier than over here, but they didn't train like they do now.

Carney is probably the most successful late-comer to the game.

[Tommygilf]

I'll give you Carney.

The rest are from a completely different era. I know RL was full time in Australia a lot earlier than over here, but they didn't train like they do now.

Carney is probably the most successful late-comer to the game.

RTS played union in Auckland schoolboys league as far as I'm aware. If anything the core skills are very similar, perhaps recruitment from Canadian RU which performed well at the recent world cup may be a good start?

[Evil Homer]

Interview with some talk about Montreal:

 

http://thelinknewspaper.ca/blogs/entry/pbht57-the-toronto-wolfpack-edition-ft.-eric-perez-founder-ceo

[Guest]

Eric Perez talks a good game, I'll give him that.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

Think he'll struggle to win the SL within ten years!

I like how he argues that Toronto need a natural rival, which is why he's championing Montreal. I've said this for years that expansion would work better if we try do it in pairs. Rivalry can be a huge attraction for sports fans. And an authentic rivalry.

I also like how passionate he is about it being Trans-Atlantic as well and not just being binned off as a separate Canadian conference. Yeah, in the future we may need a conference system but we'd need to keep cross-conference games going to keep that interest involved.

[The Daddy]

May as well start preparing now for a Montreal team in SL