New York City & Dublin to join the league?

[Alffi 7]

47 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

Nigel Wood finds all this very exciting and his job is to get the clubs to accept, who will largely be opposed.

How long will the opposition last if they have a TV deal to wave under their noses?

[Bob8]

33 minutes ago, Oxford said:

So is it idle gossip or real ?

Is there something more substantial than hearsay?

As I said I want this to be true but can find little to back it up. If I'm to rely on the Daily Mail for TGG news and tittle-tattle we're in more trouble than I thought.

 

It was reliable, second hand gossip when I got it.

It is third hand from a stranger on the internet when you get it.  

I take no offense at you treating it accordingly.

[Bob8]

8 minutes ago, Alffi 7 said:

How long will the opposition last if they have a TV deal to wave under their noses?

What if it is a TV deal that you are certain to miss out on?  What is the benefit to Halifax or Leigh?

[JonM]

1 hour ago, Oxford said:

So is it idle gossip or real ?

Is there something more substantial than hearsay?

As I said I want this to be true but can find little to back it up. If I'm to rely on the Daily Mail for TGG news and tittle-tattle we're in more trouble than I thought.

As I previously said, put aside the dubious environment the story finds itself in. The man who wrote it has bona-fide TGG expansionist credentials and has got himself a job on the Mail sports desk.

[Oxford]

35 minutes ago, JonM said:

The man who wrote it has bona-fide TGG expansionist credentials and has got himself a job on the Mail sports desk.

And there are people who don't believe in miracles!

I must admit my prejudice about the Mail blinkered me to the byline.

[Manxmanc]

I think we're all looking for scraps of information at the moment.

This is from an article dated 28th August 2017, indicating that Eric Perez has referred to a second Canadian team joining the league. There are some inaccuracies in the article, but it's a titbit.

Quote

And another Canadian team will be joining the RFL league in the next season, he says.

 

[Bob8]

1 hour ago, Manxmanc said:

I think we're all looking for scraps of information at the moment.

This is from an article dated 28th August 2017, indicating that Eric Perez has referred to a second Canadian team joining the league. There are some inaccuracies in the article, but it's a titbit.

 

That was Montreal.

It was planned from the start.

[DoubleD]

On 29/08/2017 at 6:13 AM, Bob8 said:

Very well.

It does seem from the idle gossip I overhear that the original plan was for Toronto, followed a few years later by Montreal (assuming Toronto was Proof of Concept).  

Argyle had a five-year funding plan for Toronto, so far it has exceeded expectations.  However, five years to prove TWP as a Super League clubs does mean they are in a hurry.

That Toronto has exceeded expectations means the concept has attracted more potential alternative backers than expected.  Particularly in New York, which means that New York has overtaken Montreal.

Nigel Wood finds all this very exciting and his job is to get the clubs to accept, who will largely be opposed.

Wanted to respond to this yesterday but have very poor wifi here in Yosemite. I'm hearing the same things as you Bob and I'd say there's more substance to it than to call it idle gossip. The biggest challenge New York bid has is to find a suitable venue. The other one is to convince the other clubs. Nothing will happen in 2018 but 2019 is a serious possibility 

[Oxford]

5 hours ago, DoubleD said:

The other one is to convince the other clubs. Nothing will happen in 2018 but 2019 is a serious possibility 

Surely this puts it still in the arena of hearsay and nice possibility than realistic event.

And I can't shake the idea that even if it's up in the air football would have made more of a media splash deliberately and concertedly. Why would you hide a big news item away when you're a sport struggling for media coverage especially when it's a story already out there. I think this more than anything else is why some of us end up remaining sceptical when we could be celebrating!

[DoubleD]

32 minutes ago, Oxford said:

Surely this puts it still in the arena of hearsay and nice possibility than realistic event.

And I can't shake the idea that even if it's up in the air football would have made more of a media splash deliberately and concertedly. Why would you hide a big news item away when you're a sport struggling for media coverage especially when it's a story already out there. I think this more than anything else is why some of us end up remaining sceptical when we could be celebrating!

No ones hiding it away anywhere but there's still some important details to sort out before it can become a reality. Given the success of Toronto and the willpower and influence of the people behind this, I would say it's firmly in the realistic rather than hearsay camp

[Bob8]

33 minutes ago, Oxford said:

Surely this puts it still in the arena of hearsay and nice possibility than realistic event.

And I can't shake the idea that even if it's up in the air football would have made more of a media splash deliberately and concertedly. Why would you hide a big news item away when you're a sport struggling for media coverage especially when it's a story already out there. I think this more than anything else is why some of us end up remaining sceptical when we could be celebrating!

I think you are right to hear what DoubleD and I write as internet gossip, as by the time it reaches you that is what it is.  Our sources are more reliable, so we have a little more trust.

We have to accept that most clubs do not want expansion and have to be persuaded.  It is palatable of it is throwing a bone to those at the bottom developing the sport, but if it gets more serious and threatens existing clubs in an way, the reaction will be different.  The suggestion that Manchester Rangers would undermin the existing (/non-existant) Manchester market is clearly absurd, but is enough to deny a very heavily funded club supported by some key people.

Consider then the once ridiculous scenario of the top flight being the big five (whoever they happen to be at the time) plus Catalans, Montreal, New York, Toulouse, TWP with barely space for any others.  The sport would be far bigger, it future more secure than ever, but smaller Super League clubs would have to come up with new ways of paying the bills and throw their old models out entirely.

[Oxford]

40 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

No ones hiding it away anywhere but there's still some important details to sort out before it can become a reality.

 

36 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

I think you are right to hear what DoubleD and I write as internet gossip, as by the time it reaches you that is what it is.  Our sources are more reliable, so we have a little more trust.

I am not doubting both of you but the skimpiness of the sources!

[DoubleD]

10 hours ago, Oxford said:

 

I am not doubting both of you but the skimpiness of the sources!

I'm sure you'll hear more official/concrete information in the next couple of months 

[Oxford]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

I'm sure you'll hear more official/concrete information in the next couple of months 

It needs a huge press conference, all singing all dancing, trumpets, lights camera action,..........

No doubt it'll come out in drabs and dribs .... oh hum!

[DoubleD]

1 hour ago, Oxford said:

It needs a huge press conference, all singing all dancing, trumpets, lights camera action,..........

No doubt it'll come out in drabs and dribs .... oh hum!

You need to understand the amount of opposition there is to it. They need to play it careful until/if they accepted so can't make a song and dance about it yet. It's like a game of chess atm. There's still some finer details to put in place, the ground being the biggest imo.

If they get accepted, im sure there'll be the same bonanza as the Wolfpack 

[Kris]

If you read the article and the accompanying hoo-haaa about NY its a bid backed by a consortium of which Argyle is only one member

Which suggests to me the US RLWC tournament backer is one of those at least - its the media capital of half the US - the other half is in LA.

Which also suggests the consortium will have serious cash to splash - I don't think Argyle would bankroll it, so the other members must have their own funds

Now that would be a great news story - who are these grey figures in 'the consortium'

NY soon to be 4 amateur teams, a bit of cash flying around, cheap international flights from Manchester - sounds like the Toronto model all over again

I know there are all sorts of opinions some valid some not IMHO BUT

Has anyone thought this is a made for TV sport being picked up for pennies by North American operators that know how to sell a game and profit from it - my concern is that at some point a handful of clubs in  our top league will be dictating the future of this sport and they wont even be in the same continent let alone country

The RFL are playing with the big boys financially and if they can make it work in the US and Canada it brings into play Jamaica at least if not the fledgling interest in central and southern America

Perez new strap line is about a sport with no borders

Mascord came out with sport isn't fans anymore, its TV and big business

Combine those two views and RL, a better spectacle on TV than a number of other sports and very tribal to boot, could conceivably take off big time in countries where there is no social baggage - great stuff

But we are very limited here, a kindergarten unless we can keep pace with such global developments - extremely ironic, master and apprentice etc

We are on the journey now, no going back, onwards and upwards

 

[Copa]

The Wolfcast podcast has interviewed Martin Vickers from the Wolfpack. He said British based sponsors have invested around £250,000 into the Wolfpack. A large range of companies too. Shipping, publishing and recruitment companies are some examples he provided. They all want exposure in North America.

Not bad for a new club in the third tier.

[Manxmanc]

 

I see Ryan Burroughs has been tweeting that a professional New York team will be joining in 2020.

https://twitter.com/burroughs21

Another ###### bit, but I'm becoming more confident that things are definitely happening behind the scenes.