Ryan Bailey signs for Toronto

[Big Picture]

19 hours ago, Tre Cool said:

Im very pro TWP but it would do no harm to stick a few more locals in the squad.  Even if just at wing.  They're so dominant and the level is pretty average. Blooding a couple of Canadian union players at this level would surely be better than Penky and Bailey and they're still gonna win.  Unless they're really after a crack at the cup too.

Absolutely, though they could just as easily be former gridiron players as Union players.  It's beginning to sound like Perez's statements about RL being the most Canadian game not known by Canadians were just so much marketing spin, because having Canadian recruits in their lineup would show the truth in those statements better than anything else could.

[Big Picture]

7 hours ago, damp squib said:

It has already been said multiple times by multiple Canadians on this forum that they don't care if the players aren't local. It's just not as big a part of sporting culture in North America.

Not being local is one thing, not being Canadian is quite another.  Some us aren't impressed by teams full of transient foreigners, whether it's in RL or other sports like baseball and basketball.

[MatthewWoody]

42 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Absolutely, though they could just as easily be former gridiron players as Union players.  It's beginning to sound like Perez's statements about RL being the most Canadian game not known by Canadians were just so much marketing spin, because having Canadian recruits in their lineup would show the truth in those statements better than anything else could.

Are Canadian players good enough to play at League1/Championship level? 

[MatthewWoody]

41 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Not being local is one thing, not being Canadian is quite another.  Some us aren't impressed by teams full of transient foreigners, whether it's in RL or other sports like baseball and basketball.

There's only 1 Canadian player playing for Toronto Raptors at the moment. 
It's not that they're not following the team...

[Tre Cool]

3 hours ago, The Parksider said:

Jeez grow up a bit.  It's only the idiots that make that accusation

Do you really think Canadian social RU players will make Championship level RL players, or that International Canadian RU players will give up playing in the RU World cup to play CC1?

So there's no genuine Canadian rugby players below the international squad but above "social" level? Not 1 Canadian kid that's fast enough to stick on the wing who can catch and tackle who isn't playing in the national union team? Seems unlikely to me.  To give them the benefit of the doubt i think it's likely that, as others have said, they don't see it as a big factor in drawing support in their sporting culture and aren't too bothered.

[Big Picture]

33 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

Are Canadian players good enough to play at League1/Championship level? 

I haven't seen them play, so I can't assess that.  If they aren't going to bring any Canadian recruits through at this level, when will they bring them through?

[Big Picture]

32 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

There's only 1 Canadian player playing for Toronto Raptors at the moment. 
It's not that they're not following the team...

Clearly some will follow them despite that.  I am not among that group.

[MatthewWoody]

3 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

  If they aren't going to bring any Canadian recruits through at this level, when will they bring them through?

You have to ask them. 
I'm just saying it's not that you bring a player to a level he doesn't belong because it's Canadian and magically people will follow the team. 
It's not hot it works, imho. 
Of course they have/will have to build around the TW with Youth, Academy etc., but this is more a long-term problem (money, too expensive to have all non-produced players etc.) rather than decisive to attract people at the games. 

[TheReaper]

7 hours ago, The Parksider said:

The analysis appears to say that they like the actual game itself (over Union) and will pay to watch it over Union.

I don't know about that... CRL did get some crowds of about 7000, yes, but they haven't kept that up. While Canada RU was over 20,000 for Ireland and 22,000 for Maori ABs, at much higher prices.

3 hours ago, MatthewWoody said:

I think it all comes to how you organize the event, your activity etc. 
Games between local club/rep team can be held before TW matches, women's games etc. 
A lot can be done to involve local players, but you cannot simply pick and throw an amateur player into a professional game to attract the interest (?) of local people. 

Brantford Broncos (ORL) are playing White Plains Wombats (USARL) before the TO home opener.

3 hours ago, The Parksider said:

Jeez grow up a bit.  It's only the idiots that make that accusation

Do you really think Canadian social RU players will make Championship level RL players, or that International Canadian RU players will give up playing in the RU World cup to play CC1?

There is the CRC provincial team the Ontario Blues, picked from the top club players in the province. The CRC teams is where the national team does it's domestic selections from, and usually players last stop before getting signed overseas (usually after getting noticed in an international game). Their games have been cut down the last few years due to funding. I'd be approaching some of those guys, saying hey you might not be quite cracking the national team, but you can still make some money playing here. Heck half of our national team guys are still domestic and not getting paid to play anywhere.

[Kris]

The name of the game is to win the league full stop

Bed in players for the second year and set roots down to start to develop players in the years ahead from across the Americas - that was the stated aim - not just Canada

The Wolfpack have come from nothing in a very short space of time - stop being so exasperated that they haven't got any local talent in a game that is still unknown to the overwhelming majority of the Canadian population

As a business t will work - the rest will follow - and the rest will be a fully functioning north American league

It takes time - chill out and enjoy the rugby - they are very good and next year will be tested - I am more worried about the easy wins but there you go

 

 

 

[Odsal Outlaw]

Personally I think they should be blooding some Canadians, but that aside, will winning by 80+ at home every game actually be entertaining? It's nice now and then but RL is at its best when it's competitive.  They need to entertain locals to retain the interest, winning by 80+ won't do that. Playing a few locals creates some stories and brings the scores down.

[Oxford]

Ryan Bailey signs for Toronto

Which just goes to show even TWP aren't perfect.

7 minutes ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

Personally I think they should be blooding some Canadians, but that aside, will winning by 80+ at home every game actually be entertaining? It's nice now and then but RL is at its best when it's competitive.  They need to entertain locals to retain the interest, winning by 80+ won't do that. Playing a few locals creates some stories and brings the scores down.

It also plays a riskier game with their clear goals and targets if they blood some Canadian players.

[Dummy Half]

1 hour ago, Kris said:

As a business t will work - the rest will follow - and the rest will be a fully functioning north American league

 

Sorry but the TWP are not a business in the slightest. I'm not sure what to describe it as but making a profit is about as far from achievable with the model they are working with as it's possible to get. To establish a league in Canada will require more people with sufficient wealth to cover the losses for 5 or 6 other Canadian teams and then where do they play? Do they also join CC1 and work their way up?

TWP are not a precursor to a domestic Canadian league, how can they be?

[MikeFletchersBarmyArmy]

Have the Toronto team actually been to Canada yet?

currently do we have a team where none have actually set foot in Canada.

[MikeFletchersBarmyArmy]

3 hours ago, MatthewWoody said:

Are Canadian players good enough to play at League1/Championship level? 

Having watched league 1 games for many years I would be pretty shocked to find there are zero standard players of League 1 quality in Canada. 

Have you watched many league 1 games to give you a different perspective?

[MatthewWoody]

12 minutes ago, MikeFletchersBarmyArmy said:

Having watched league 1 games for many years I would be pretty shocked to find there are zero standard players of League 1 quality in Canada. 

Have you watched many league 1 games to give you a different perspective?

I was just asking, though I've seen some League 1 match over last years. I've seen the quality of International players who play League 1 football at club level find it hard to believe there are many (?) players of that level in Canada or places where rl is not very developed.

If there are, then it's a mistake by TW not involving them, of course. 

 

[MatthewWoody]

1 hour ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

Personally I think they should be blooding some Canadians, but that aside, will winning by 80+ at home every game actually be entertaining? It's nice now and then but RL is at its best when it's competitive.  They need to entertain locals to retain the interest, winning by 80+ won't do that. Playing a few locals creates some stories and brings the scores down.

Not sure it'd work/create passion having people actually finding out those scores are kept down by local players who are not good enough.

It's involving club/footy fixtures, which I'm happy to hear of, on gameday the way to reunite TW and the local rl scene.

Of course a work at Youth level has to start.

[Sco77]

On 9 April 2017 at 2:38 AM, RSN said:

For this level he will be an exceptional signing. 

Any other club in the league would be very happy to have him. 

He won't get them to being a super league side, but a short term payday and getting over the part time players in league 1 it's a great addition. 

He won't be at Toronto for more than a couple of years. 

You still have to be able to run and tackle at this level. He showed during his short spell at Warrington that he had no ambition or desire to improve his fitness, and he was on a pay as you play contract!

He is gonna think by being in League 1 he can party all night and still play, that is how deluded and unprofessional he is, plus he will no doubt drag other players into his ways with him. 

I don't see a single positive about the signing, particularly in a team that is trying to attract a completely new audience to our sport.

I wouldn't want him anywhere near my team, even if he was paying ME. Although I am as always happy to be proven wrong.