Ricky Leutele signs for Wolfpack

[dixiedean]

Just now, fairfolly said:

I will ask the same question as some posters seem to think they are already in S.L. Have they been informed they are definitely in S.L. or like the rest of the Championship and the final 8,s do they have to play for it and qualify? 

We don't know, as the RFL won't tell us even what was discussed last meeting.

No wonder rumour, conjecture and fake news fly around.

Would imagine if they had been told, the proverbial would hit the fan big time if they didn't qualify.

However, with this and Tomkins to Catalans, it really is no surprise people are adding 2 and 2.

 

[John WP Fan]

3 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

If I were a British player (or indeed a decent but not top-class overseas one) approached by Toronto I'd think carefully before signing on the dotted line. With money apparently no object, it's clear that you can very quickly become expendable there. There has been a massive turnover of players there already this season...with two NRL centres signed in the last few weeks, where does that leave Greg Worthington? And with Matty Russell signed and rumours about Luke Briscoe being approached, the likes of Higson, Kay and Pownall might struggle to get on the field.

I know it's a squad game and that change is inevitable as a team progresses up the ranks, but the revolving door does seem more active at Toronto than most.

Very true. There is a lot more turnover on our squad, because we are aiming to go from being dominant in L1 to being competitive in SL very quickly, and that's an unusual and ambitious trajectory. Every player on the team knows that, and yes, some of them won't remain on the team when they do earn their way into SL. Those that don't make the SL squad will still have had a great experience along the way, and will have been fairly paid for their contributions.

[DavidM]

Is this a dynamic , especially financial , that must keep moving up quickly ? What happens if they don’t ( through on or off the pitch ) don’t go up this year 

[Krzzystuff]

49 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

I will understand the resentment if Toronto buy their way to trophies in the years ahead (Wigan says hi) but the more high quality players in Super League, the better 

It will make the comp better as a whole.

The established powerhouses will need to strengthen to keep the upstarts at bay. Reading the article Leutele was being courted by other NRL clubs, not SL but NRL...so why is a Championship club beating NRL sides and SL sides aren't eve trying? SL clubs will need to react and hopefully it benefits the game as a whole in NH. That or they try and ruin it just so they can hold on to little bits of power. 

[paulwalker71]

3 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

..where does that leave Greg Worthington? And with Matty Russell signed and rumours about Luke Briscoe being approached, the likes of Higson, Kay and Pownall might struggle to get on the field.

Nobody seriously would expect those players (often ridiculed as being 'Leigh reserves') to be part of the first choice 17 as and when Wolfpack get into SL

Uniquely, TW are trying to go from what is basically a part-time development league (with a few traditional clubs) through to the elite level of SL in a couple of years. There are going to be players coming in and going out along the way! 

[fairfolly]

JWP. I have never said they are being treat differently.I asked a simple question (tongue in cheek) obviously.Why do some posters on this forum seem to think they are already in S.L. next season.I fully admit they will be favourites but how many times have you seen favourites fall.?For what it is worth,I hope they are,it is time that S.L. had a radical shake up.I hope Toulouse or London or Fev.or anybody else for that matter also make it.For my twopenneth it is time they got rid of the dead wood and let some other clubs have a go.

[Krzzystuff]

12 minutes ago, fairfolly said:

I will ask the same question as some posters seem to think they are already in S.L. Have they been informed they are definitely in S.L. or like the rest of the Championship and the final 8,s do they have to play for it and qualify? 

OMG you like beating a dead horse don't ya? Nothing is changing this year. SL clubs cant agree first of all and SKY won't be approving a change at the moment either. So next year 4 SL teams are at risk of dropping and 4 Champ teams have a shot at promotion.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Some fair responses to my comment. Will be interesting to see whether the frequent additions and subtractions cause any issues with gelling and/or team spirit, though to be fair, they have done all right so far.

[DavidM]

4 minutes ago, Krzzystuff said:

It will make the comp better as a whole.

The established powerhouses will need to strengthen to keep the upstarts at bay. Reading the article Leutele was being courted by other NRL clubs, not SL but NRL...so why is a Championship club beating NRL sides and SL sides aren't eve trying? SL clubs will need to react and hopefully it benefits the game as a whole in NH. That or they try and ruin it just so they can hold on to little bits of power. 

I think the answer may lie somewhere in that original tweet announcing his signing 

[dixiedean]

3 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

If I were a British player (or indeed a decent but not top-class overseas one) approached by Toronto I'd think carefully before signing on the dotted line. With money apparently no object, it's clear that you can very quickly become expendable there. There has been a massive turnover of players there already this season...with two NRL centres signed in the last few weeks, where does that leave Greg Worthington? And with Matty Russell signed and rumours about Luke Briscoe being approached, the likes of Higson, Kay and Pownall might struggle to get on the field.

I know it's a squad game and that change is inevitable as a team progresses up the ranks, but the revolving door does seem more active at Toronto than most.

Where does that leave those players? Probably where they are now. At a competitive Championship side or struggling SL one.

Just unlikely to be Toronto.

[fairfolly]

Krzzy. Where have you heard that next year (2019) four championship clubs will be playing the four bottom teams in S.L. for their places in S.L. As far as I am aware no decisions have been made for this year yet,or if they have they have not yet released it.If they have I stand corrected but the last I read was that S.L. had made no decision yet on how the formation for next season was going to be.

[dixiedean]

If TWP get promoted. Big IF at this point.

I honestly would not be surprised to see Thurston and Cameron Smith in SL next year.

Which would really shake things up.

[John WP Fan]

18 minutes ago, fairfolly said:

JWP. I have never said they are being treat differently.I asked a simple question (tongue in cheek) obviously.Why do some posters on this forum seem to think they are already in S.L. next season.I fully admit they will be favourites but how many times have you seen favourites fall.?For what it is worth,I hope they are,it is time that S.L. had a radical shake up.I hope Toulouse or London or Fev.or anybody else for that matter also make it.For my twopenneth it is time they got rid of the dead wood and let some other clubs have a go.

Sorry, it was not clear to me that you were asking tongue in cheek. You sounded the same to me as those who have been seriously asking these questions over and over.

[John WP Fan]

21 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Is this a dynamic , especially financial , that must keep moving up quickly ? What happens if they don’t ( through on or off the pitch ) don’t go up this year 

If they don't go up this year (and that certainly is a real possibility, though I have my hopes up), they will keep at it and try to get promoted in 2019. Their original goal was to get to SL within 5 years; they seem to be well ahead of that pace right now, but of course nothing is certain until they actually do it. I am confident that Argyle's funding is secure and will give them the time they need if necessary.

[CanaBull]

I don't think anyone with more than a passing knowledge of RL expects TWP to go straight into SL.  Sure, there's plenty of hopes, dreams and ideals, but until that result is definitely in the books, it's always going to be a tough nut to crack, regardless of the form in the Championship.  It could easily come down to a single brainfart that decides it.  Oh goody, good job we don't do that too often eh?

Personally I was expecting at least two seasons in the Championship, but the ambitious recruitment may prove me wrong.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

1 hour ago, DavidM said:

Are they playing by the same rules as everyone else ?  

Good question, DM, and - to be honest - like Dave T, I don't know the answer.

An interesting perspective on this is presumably employment law - and more specifically, variations in it - in the various jurisdictions covered by a single club sporting competition.  Currently, in SL, there is one set of laws that will appertain - that of the EU - albeit with courts within France and England possibly putting a different spin on any matters that require their attention.  Next year, post-Brexit,  that will become two - the EU for Catalans and England for everybody else.  Does that have any implications which the RFL has not yet thought through?  Again, I confess I have no idea, but I would hope that the question has at least been asked within the office corridors of the RFL.  Toronto in the SL would add in Canadian law.

What I assume (but again, it is merely an assumption on my part) is that nobody can run an international, sporting competition and dictate rules of employment that all clubs in it must follow, even though they are contrary to the established law of the land in one or more of the countries which host clubs in that competition.

[fairfolly]

Wiltshire, Good question,we have already seen players stopped from playing in the U.K. but being allowed to sign and play in France.Next year,as you say,there will be a lot more questions need answering.

[dixiedean]

12 minutes ago, fairfolly said:

Wiltshire, Good question,we have already seen players stopped from playing in the U.K. but being allowed to sign and play in France.Next year,as you say,there will be a lot more questions need answering.

One springs to mind right away. Will French players need to be on the Overseas quota if they play for an English club? If so, will we see many of them let go? Which would strengthen Cats and Toulouse.

[fairfolly]

Will the quota be legal in France or Canada.Will it be that Catalan,Toulouse or Toronto only be allowed the same quota of overseas players as the English clubs.I am not even sure of what the quota is now,do we still have Kolpak players classed as new development or what.I know a few years ago it was decided to reduce overseas players year on year,has the ever happened or does nobody care anymore.Is London still classed as a development team or not?Who knows.

[Futtocks]

42 minutes ago, John WP Fan said:

Sorry, it was not clear to me that you were asking tongue in cheek. You sounded the same to me as those who have been seriously asking these questions over and over.

That is an increasingly common problem with this forum - when a gag post is almost indistinguishable from a genuinely paranoid "we fear change" rant, we sometimes have to guess how to react.

[Oxford]

1 hour ago, John WP Fan said:

Where does all this paranoia come from?

Where to begin?

[DavidM]

6 minutes ago, Oxford said:

Where to begin?

Brexit is always a good start , whatever the issue 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

Fairfolly and Dixiedean raise good questions.

My hope would be that somebody at the RFL is quietly getting on with the business of spotting all the questions, such as those raised by FF and DD above, and seeking meetings with senior civil servants from the relevant department(s) to discuss them.  Such work is necessarily low profile and may need an element of confidentiality, at least initially.  It also won't make headline news: the chance to write "Red Hall top brass seek meeting with civil servants of at least grade 5 level seniority" is not likely to excite John Drake et al!  But just a short word of reassurance somewhere from the RFL would be, well, reassuring!

I anticipate that various employment sectors will plead special circumstances.  Some will be low-key but necessary (seasonal veg pickers on the Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk fens, for example) [well, 'necessary' if you want roast spuds and two veg with your roast beef and Yorkshires on a Sunday!]  Others will be high profile; that will include various elements of entertainment, including sport.

Politicians being politicians will want to be loved and popular; there will be no sudden ban on foreigners in soccer's Premier League, you may rest assured; nor is the RFU likely to sit idly by and not engage its friends in high establishment places.  As part of its work on this, the RFL should be monitoring what those two other sports are exploring.

[Cameron Highlander]

22 minutes ago, Oxford said:

Where to begin?

Please.........do enlighten us.  Regarding the paranoia.

[dixiedean]

55 minutes ago, fairfolly said:

Will the quota be legal in France or Canada.Will it be that Catalan,Toulouse or Toronto only be allowed the same quota of overseas players as the English clubs.I am not even sure of what the quota is now,do we still have Kolpak players classed as new development or what.I know a few years ago it was decided to reduce overseas players year on year,has the ever happened or does nobody care anymore.Is London still classed as a development team or not?Who knows.

I think the NRL TV deal has succeeded in reducing Overseas players year-on-year very well!