Ryan Bailey signs for Toronto

[The Parksider]

15 minutes ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

The difference in standard evident so far should be encouraging them to have a Canadian at least on the bench and getting game time in comfortable victories in my opinion.  

The two or three players in the squad that seem to have a Canada connection appear to be essentially adopted Canadians. That's fair enough, no criticism.

There are senior League lads of which nine Toronto based lads appeared for Canada RL 2015. The question is do any of these lads even come up to CC1 standard. If any remotely did and played they'd just be called the "token" Canadian(s).

I've no doubt it's vital to just win at all costs and get out of CC1. Then the build towards SL begins.

[Tre Cool]

1 hour ago, The Parksider said:

The signings ARE the venture. 

SOME of the signings you noob

[Odsal Outlaw]

32 minutes ago, The Parksider said:

The two or three players in the squad that seem to have a Canada connection appear to be essentially adopted Canadians. That's fair enough, no criticism.

There are senior League lads of which nine Toronto based lads appeared for Canada RL 2015. The question is do any of these lads even come up to CC1 standard. If any remotely did and played they'd just be called the "token" Canadian(s).

I've no doubt it's vital to just win at all costs and get out of CC1. Then the build towards SL begins.

Agree, but I think a token Canadian is important at this stage. The very best Canadians could surely learn and develop and give a 'nice' accent for post match interviews.

[GUBRATS]

58 minutes ago, The Parksider said:

The two or three players in the squad that seem to have a Canada connection appear to be essentially adopted Canadians. That's fair enough, no criticism.

There are senior League lads of which nine Toronto based lads appeared for Canada RL 2015. The question is do any of these lads even come up to CC1 standard. If any remotely did and played they'd just be called the "token" Canadian(s).

I've no doubt it's vital to just win at all costs and get out of CC1. Then the build towards SL begins.

Call them ' token ' or whatever , it would still be better than none 

And yes I understand the win at all costs approach ( certainly with PR at the helm ) but if they cant fit them in now , there wont be any when ' building towards SL ' , will there ? 

[Markski58]

23 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

Whether he lasts small minutes is neither here nor there.  At this level he will gain ground, defend hard and thus could be a good move all round.

Whether he's successful there or not, this just underpins Torontos attempt to ensure promotion isn't derailed.  A winning Toronto is the goal, whoever they're faced with and results are better PR than buying a Cameron Smithesque player.

I could not disagree more - he is nothing short of a thug and as his game has diminished his thuggery has not. He is a bad example to any young player. I saw him sent off aged 17 when he "knocked out" the Australian school boy stand off and he has never changed, other than to get worse.  Toronto will win all of their games by significant margins with more than 50% of a championship winning team, plus a drugs cheat just returning from a two year ban.

[The Parksider]

5 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

Call them ' token ' or whatever , it would still be better than none but if they cant fit them in now , there wont be any when ' building towards SL ' , will there ? 

No there won't, the calibre of players they will need to recruit won't come from Canada unless it's Canadian RU internationals who probably come nearest with the physique and skills?.

Some of those lads have been on the same pitch as senior RU nations.

[Lowdesert]

43 minutes ago, Markski58 said:

I could not disagree more - he is nothing short of a thug and as his game has diminished his thuggery has not. He is a bad example to any young player. I saw him sent off aged 17 when he "knocked out" the Australian school boy stand off and he has never changed, other than to get worse.  Toronto will win all of their games by significant margins with more than 50% of a championship winning team, plus a drugs cheat just returning from a two year ban.

So no strong views then?

[DavidM]

They definitely need him to strengthen them , they only won 82-6 

[Steve Fox]

What is the working visa status for any Canadian players who Toronto would like to include in games in the U.K.?

[Lowdesert]

9 minutes ago, DavidM said:

They definitely need him to strengthen them , they only won 82-6 

Maybe he should have gone to Keighley.  They won 84-6.

[DavidM]

10 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

Maybe he should have gone to Keighley.  They won 84-6.

They'll get him on loan when he can't get in ...

[Futtocks]

8 hours ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

The difference in standard evident so far should be encouraging them to have a Canadian at least on the bench and getting game time in comfortable victories in my opinion.  

If they get through the 'away' tranche of games with few (or no) setbacks, then maybe they'll blood a few North Americans at home. Who knows?

[Bob8]

9 hours ago, The Parksider said:

I'll give you that - a good post.

However "converted RU players" which I agree are their main hope will not be the Jonathan Davies's, Martin Offiah's and Scott Quinell's of this world. Canada's RU game isn't a major sport as is English RU. It may be the talent search will be amongst "social" players.

I doubt few of them will convert to even top championship level. The euphoria over this venture appears to have collapsed into reality.

There's still the salary cap to consider, the SL clubs have agreed to up the cap - a win for the "Rebels". But wether the cap will go to £2.1M in the Championship (It could "go" back to £300K you never know, although Toronto would be finished at that) we shall have to see.

Whether SL clubs keen to bring in more talent to SL will allow Toronto to keep talent out of SL, and in the Championship remains to be seen.

Help me out, Parky. Find the post where I said TWP were deffo going to be a complete 100% success all the way. 

As that is the assumption of what you write, you should start posting again once you have found that.  

[daz39]

Brilliant signing, as is Penkywicz, these 2 could be the difference between winning by 80 points every week rather than only 70 !!

Bet those back in Canada can't wait to see all their potential homegrown talent ripping it up in front of them and create a massive wave of RL interest there 

[Tre Cool]

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.

[henage]

Few wolfpack players at Underbank v Dockers .

[The Parksider]

12 hours ago, Futtocks said:

If they get through the 'away' tranche of games with few (or no) setbacks, then maybe they'll blood a few North Americans at home. Who knows?

They've already signed up the squad. Why would they sign local amateurs who play for fun, and leave professional lads who signed to play sitting about? They'd be quite angry.

[The Parksider]

13 hours ago, Bob8 said:

Help me out, Parky. Find the post where I said TWP were deffo going to be a complete 100% success all the way. 

As that is the assumption of what you write, you should start posting again once you have found that.  

My reply you quote was to Low Desert's good post - see above. Not your post Bob. Please post as you wish and not instruct me how and when to do so.

Please also feel free not to join the mob and equally assume I don't want Toronto to succeed. I'd like to discuss the difficulties they have and how to overcome them, but as soon as one raises difficulties then it's shout him down time, and as with you assume what I think. 

[The Parksider]

11 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.

There appears to be a few local amateur RL teams playing for fun, I can't see the purpose of plucking players out of them and shifting full professionals to one side to put them in the team as "Token" Canadians?

Those pro's who signed to play would be quite angry, and even at third tier semi pro-level it still has to be a level well above amateurs on the local park playing for fun.

[The Parksider]

16 minutes ago, The Parksider said:

double

 

[MikeFletchersBarmyArmy]

Looks like their aim is to humiliate teams beating By 100 points rather than winning by 40 points while developing homegrown players.

it appears they have a very poor/lazy scout network that can't be bothered to find any Canadian players.

[damp squib]

Just another reminder for everyone that Toronto are level on points with Barrow after four league games. If we get to the latter third of the season, Toronto are 20 points clear and they still haven't played a Canadian then you might have a point.

It's very easy to say Toronto should do this or that but none of you have millions of pounds on the line like they do. If you think eighty point victories this early in the season guarantee promotion have a look at the scare Toulouse got in the League 1 final against Rochdale despite dominating the league.

[The Parksider]

13 minutes ago, MikeFletchersBarmyArmy said:

Looks like their aim is to humiliate teams beating By 100 points rather than winning by 40 points while developing homegrown players.

it appears they have a very poor/lazy scout network that can't be bothered to find any Canadian players.

Your assuming the Canadian Rugby league game has quality players to scout? There's three very small amateur leagues in Canada whose teams certainly won't even be up to NCL standard. There are amateur RU players to look at. The top RU players may be to a standard, but do they want to turn to RL now.

What drives Perez isn't the amount of talent, it's the crowds RL games can draw. RL games draw crowds in Canada and Toronto Wolfpack are set to draw big opening crowds.

[MikeFletchersBarmyArmy]

But do those crowds come in to see Canada internationals because it is their home country & their home countrymen?

[damp squib]

3 minutes ago, MikeFletchersBarmyArmy said:

But do those crowds come in to see Canada internationals because it is their home country & their home countrymen?

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.