18 Aug: Qualifiers: Toronto Wolfpack v Hull Kingston Rovers KO 7.30pm (UK Time) (TV)

[Old Frightful]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

What is it they say about if your mother's sister had a pair of gonads she would be your mother's brother.

Bit of cross city rivalry in that statement me thinks, or are you just dangling the rod again to catch a Reed fish?

Bit of both mate but it night be wasted as our friend has me on ignore I think.

[DavidM]

4 hours ago, Just Browny said:

Both times I have seen this guy he has been hopeless. I am stunned by the idea that this bloke has played 150-odd NRL matches.

I don't know if it was a case of Toronto being insufficiently 'creative' - there are one or two unimaginative SL sides who get on just fine. The problem was more the inability to cause any disruption in the Rovers defence, with honest duffers like Buchanan, Emmitt and Paterson running the ball in, getting cuddled to the ground and playing the ball to a set line. When you start throwing the ball around in front of a set line, you either make no progress or, worse, you get picked off like Toronto did in the first half by Hall. Ackerd and Dixon showed what can be achieved in the 2nd half. 

Watching him for the dragons he was one of the worst half backs you’ve ever seen getting to that level

[Lobbygobbler]

This result could be a good result for London. Had TWP won I think they would have got 10 pts as I could have seen them winning their other home games.

perhaps now London can be the top placed non-SL club?

[CanadianRugger]

I was actually thrilled about yesterday for the simple reason we were able to see a competitive game at Lamport.  

It was a competitive match and either team could have won.  Toronto will regroup and hopefully comeback stronger.  

I hope we achieve promotion though as I find watching the bottom six of the Championship absolutely dour.  

[Omott91]

Crowd 7,540 not bad and beats a few NRL crowds this year.

[John WP Fan]

4 hours ago, Bomb Jack said:

So much for the TWP fans saying they'd win 7/7 and would go unbeaten!

None of us had any thoughts that that could happen. We all knew the Qualifiers would be a tough battle, and while we hope for promotion and think it's quite possible, we know every game will be difficult and we might not make it. We LOVE having competitive games that we don't necessarily expect to win!

Maybe one poster was going over the top to provoke the flatcappers, but no fan here seriously thought we would sail through.

[fcl]

5 hours ago, Omott91 said:

Crowd 7,540 not bad and beats a few NRL crowds this year.

Maybe 4000 

[henage]

HKR highlighting some good coverage from the game yesterday from the two local papers . Positive stuff 

[Kayakman]

Congrats to Hull KR on the win yesterday...I'm just gutted for what its worth.

[Captain Survival]

I believe TWP will be disappointed but not disheartened by the game.  They did not play their best game and it had nothing to do with the opposing club IMHO.  I think it was more the player mix - whom they played.

I saw nothing in this game that changed my mind about Mccrone, Sims or Lussick that I posted earlier in this thread.  McCrone lacks creative playmaking ability, I don't see what I need from Sims either as a Prop or as Captain, and Lussick is not living up to the hype as a beast who can forge out those extra yards most carries like FFMM who would drag 3 guys an extra 5 metres every carry and make them pay the price as well.  I think Jack Bussey gets more out of a typical ball carry then either Sims or Lussick.

Despite what I thought was maudlin play they still took it to HKR far more then the latter took it to them.  But TWP passing, for the 2nd in almost as many games, was rather shoddy and they paid the price and it ended up being the diff maker.

IT should be noted TWP played 2 men short of 17 for most of the game due to injury.  Losing both halfbacks and already having lost 2 excellent wingers previous to this game (with both these out for the season) means that Matty Russell and Mason CB as well as Chase Stanley are really going to have to step up big in some of the next games.   The team is heavy on props but light on fleet of foot creative players - we better hope Blake and Ryan can come back.  This could be a factor in their placing in the top 3 vs having to fight it out in the MPG.

I see some comments above about Rowley but in game, its not the coach, but the team capt and the asst coaches who make or break the game.  The time for adjustments from Rowley is at half time, and I thought TWP started the 2nd half better then the first.

IF the team really does possess fortitude, they will come out of this stronger.  It certainly is an exciting Super 8.  I feel for Halifax and hope they throw a surprise at someone but even if they get skunked in the 8's they should be proud.

I was underwhelmed by the ref.  Very underwhelmed.

I saw some business on the forum about the lines on the field.  I shook my head in amazement - an issue beyond trivial.  If we are going to worry about something trivial it should be the fact that every time a game in the UK is broadcast we are treated to the verbal spectical of countless fans shouting " Your a f##$ing C#$t" and other such abusive language.  The chances of hearing that in a Toronto crowd vary from Nil to None.

Why are people in some other threads not thinking Toronto is not working to grow the game when they are in fact sponsoring stuff left, right and center over here?  They will never do an Academy at least on this side of the pond as its not how sports are developed here.  Right now they are working to grow the overall profile so that young people will take an interest.  They have done a number of youth activities and  I think are close to getting a small junior league up and running, on top of several more notable sponsorships at the adult level.  More people then ever before are not going "who" when I name the team in a conversation.

Sorry, I could only comment on one thread and then I have to boogie so I crammed it all in this one.

[TMF]

14 hours ago, Captain Survival said:

I believe TWP will be disappointed but not disheartened by the game.  They did not play their best game and it had nothing to do with the opposing club IMHO.  I think it was more the player mix - whom they played.

I saw nothing in this game that changed my mind about Mccrone, Sims or Lussick that I posted earlier in this thread.  McCrone lacks creative playmaking ability, I don't see what I need from Sims either as a Prop or as Captain, and Lussick is not living up to the hype as a beast who can forge out those extra yards most carries like FFMM who would drag 3 guys an extra 5 metres every carry and make them pay the price as well.  I think Jack Bussey gets more out of a typical ball carry then either Sims or Lussick.

Despite what I thought was maudlin play they still took it to HKR far more then the latter took it to them.  But TWP passing, for the 2nd in almost as many games, was rather shoddy and they paid the price and it ended up being the diff maker.

IT should be noted TWP played 2 men short of 17 for most of the game due to injury.  Losing both halfbacks and already having lost 2 excellent wingers previous to this game (with both these out for the season) means that Matty Russell and Mason CB as well as Chase Stanley are really going to have to step up big in some of the next games.   The team is heavy on props but light on fleet of foot creative players - we better hope Blake and Ryan can come back.  This could be a factor in their placing in the top 3 vs having to fight it out in the MPG.

I see some comments above about Rowley but in game, its not the coach, but the team capt and the asst coaches who make or break the game.  The time for adjustments from Rowley is at half time, and I thought TWP started the 2nd half better then the first.

IF the team really does possess fortitude, they will come out of this stronger.  It certainly is an exciting Super 8.  I feel for Halifax and hope they throw a surprise at someone but even if they get skunked in the 8's they should be proud.

I was underwhelmed by the ref.  Very underwhelmed.

I saw some business on the forum about the lines on the field.  I shook my head in amazement - an issue beyond trivial.  If we are going to worry about something trivial it should be the fact that every time a game in the UK is broadcast we are treated to the verbal spectical of countless fans shouting " Your a f##$ing C#$t" and other such abusive language.  The chances of hearing that in a Toronto crowd vary from Nil to None.

Why are people in some other threads not thinking Toronto is not working to grow the game when they are in fact sponsoring stuff left, right and center over here?  They will never do an Academy at least on this side of the pond as its not how sports are developed here.  Right now they are working to grow the overall profile so that young people will take an interest.  They have done a number of youth activities and  I think are close to getting a small junior league up and running, on top of several more notable sponsorships at the adult level.  More people then ever before are not going "who" when I name the team in a conversation.

Sorry, I could only comment on one thread and then I have to boogie so I crammed it all in this one.

Good post captain, but your last paragraph shows the concern all RL supporters have for expansion. You say TO is sponsoring  stuff left, right and centre in Canada, but then you say they will never do an academy because that's not how sports are developed there. Point is, that's exactly how sports are developed here in UK and the rest of the world. Not just RL, every sport. If you are hoping young people will take an interest, well, that's just a hope. And if they do, how many years are we talking about, 10/15? That's not a plan. it's a pipe dream. If TO's way forward is just buying up talent from England and Australia/ NZ etc, you have no future. I've supported TO from day one but if your MO doesn't include progression from youth to first team, you deserve to fail. Maybe that's why people are thinking Toronto is not working to grow the game as you state.

[Loup]

Toronto FC has an academy, launched it in the club's 4th year and had players in the top team within 6 years.

[Captain Survival]

6 hours ago, TMF said:

Good post captain, but your last paragraph shows the concern all RL supporters have for expansion. You say TO is sponsoring  stuff left, right and centre in Canada, but then you say they will never do an academy because that's not how sports are developed there. Point is, that's exactly how sports are developed here in UK and the rest of the world. Not just RL, every sport. If you are hoping young people will take an interest, well, that's just a hope. And if they do, how many years are we talking about, 10/15? That's not a plan. it's a pipe dream. If TO's way forward is just buying up talent from England and Australia/ NZ etc, you have no future. I've supported TO from day one but if your MO doesn't include progression from youth to first team, you deserve to fail. Maybe that's why people are thinking Toronto is not working to grow the game as you state.

Hi TMF:  btw I always read your comments with interest on the rare occasions I have been able to visit the forum.  I see your constant contributions down in the TWP threads and as a fellow fan thank you for your general positivity.

My understanding is TWP is working to have RL Rugby officially recognized by the govt organizations that sanction amateur sports and direct the govt funding portion of sports that are sanctioned.  Once that occurs then the high schools and universities can commence RL teams and insurers would be willing to recognize RL leagues more easily and underwrite them for insurance.  The Canadian way typically (I am not saying written in stone but more the standard practice) is for our athletes to come up through the University system and then turn pro.  Upon turning pro they sometimes go to a farm team (a semi pro team) and sometimes they go direct to the big leagues.

As Loup said below Toronto FC has an academy.  I had also forgotten that in Quebec their are a couple of colleges which are focused on hockey, there is a golf academy out in British Columbia, a college in Alberta which focuses on volleyball, and most likely a few other ones here and there - they are the exception.  But most pro athletes here come through the university system - in fact in some NA pro sports its almost a prerequisite that one have graduated from university in order to be eligible to turn pro.

Perhaps TWP may look at an Academy, I am not in a position to rule that out.  But I suspect they more likely want to encourage the post secondary system to create an RL league, and perhaps one or two of the post secondary schools focus their sports program (with some extra funding of course...) on developing RL players.

They do have a lot of irons in the fire.  They are sponsoring even union events, virtually everything that touches on RL, Rugby in Jamaica (Canada has strong connections with the country), etc.

I do not think anyone needs to fear they are just sitting on the sidelines with their thumbs in their butts.  It will take a bit of time to turn more of the Canadian psyche to RL, but it is noticing it more every day and I think that will pay great dividends as TWP become more entrenched.

6 hours ago, Loup said:

Toronto FC has an academy, launched it in the club's 4th year and had players in the top team within 6 years.

Hi Loup.  Thank you.  I grew up in a non-soccer environment (the 60's and 70's in Eastern Ontario) and never took to the sport and so am completely oblivious to all things soccer to this day.   I don't think I had even heard of it until post university.  So I am completely out of touch although of course I know Toronto FC exists.