Reports suggest Toronto Wolfpack not guaranteed SL place

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, Krzzystuff said:

Well let's win on the field and go from there. Its certainly frustrating but not in our control as fans (or anti-fans) in any way. I'll go with the thinking that common sense prevails.

 

Hopefully.

[Damien]

11 minutes ago, SL17 said:

Clubs have paid bonds and been relegated a year later.

Who?

We were actually talking about fees anyway, not sure why Harry changed it to bonds in his post.

[Clogiron]

37 minutes ago, Krzzystuff said:

Well let's win on the field and go from there. Its certainly frustrating but not in our control as fans (or anti-fans) in any way. I'll go with the thinking that common sense prevails.

 

Common sense and Rugby League administration, there's two strange bedfellows.

[Damien]

Just now, SL17 said:

Leigh.

Have you any links to that?

Was it a fee or a bond? Like I said we were actually on about fees.

[Kayakman]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

You know what K'man, if I was you because you are getting so angry I would campaign for a North American league of your own, if I considered I was at a place were I could sense I wasn't wanted I would do the honorable thing.

Well I don't know if us taking over everything is the right answer but after observing what has been done in the past it would be hard not to make things better.   We just might have to take the whole thing over Harry; but I'm not sure if you are right on this.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

The way Robert Elstone is treating Toronto Wolfpack is appalling, imagine how much we’d regret it if David Argyle takes Toronto into the Rugby Union Championship and then Premiership.

Toronto have paid travel costs and taken no funding for 3 years, if they gain promotion on the field to become a Super League club they are entitled to Super League funding.

My favourite conspiracy theory is the one where David Argyle takes Toronto Wolfpack into Rugby Union. 

[Oxford]

34 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

Common sense and Rugby League administration, there's two strange bedfellows.

Must be a swinger's party for that to ever happen.

[Manx RL]

7 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

My favourite conspiracy theory is the one where David Argyle takes Toronto Wolfpack into Rugby Union. 

It’s a sneaky one having recruited so many rugby league players 

[Smudger06]

6 hours ago, Dave T said:

I'd suggest the costs of meeting any SLE demands would be far, far lower than anything like the above which would cost tens of millions per year. 

Even the full might of News Corp ended up signing a peace treaty with ARL in the end. 

[Dave T]

11 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Its honestly stupid. Why do the clubs feel entitled to this money? 

That whole situation is stupid. If Leigh (or anyone else) come up next year to replace Toronto, why arent there certain guarantees necessary for them to be promoted? In that case there would be a literal and direct cost to their promotion. 

When Elstone came in, he said that Toronto hadnt been a planned part of expansion. He has had a year knowing they were likely to be promoted. He has had a year to come up with a plan. Why hasnt he?

The whole situation is so poor its absurd. There is also the politics of the situation and if I were Gary Hetherington or the championship chairmen looking to even a few scores there is an open goal for them

I would have more respect if they just said sorry you are not coming in, Canada isnt part of our SLE plan. 

But this relaxed bumbling around approach is a joke.

[GUBRATS]

Giz a job , I can do that 

[Kayakman]

2 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

You know what K'man, if I was you because you are getting so angry I would campaign for a North American league of your own, if I considered I was at a place were I could sense I wasn't wanted I would do the honorable thing.

Harry I've just come back from a nice hike in the woods with the black lab.  It is a beautiful evening for a wood walk...the sun is out and pleasant, the woods full of life.  The leaves are starting to change and there are more brilliant reds this year than most....looking forward to a great show of colour this year.  There are delicious and large wild apples everywhere...I tried bites from 6 different species on this walk today.  My favourite is what is known as the 'White Apple', very rare.  The most famous Canadian species is, of course, the delicious MacIntosh.

Anyway I thought about your post long and hard during the walk; thought everything through long and hard...the crickets were chirping and I was a' thinkin! 

Now your post (a little mean spirited I might say; you surprised me a bit there with the poor attitude Harry)....anyway your post could not have been more wrong in that:

Wait for it.

Here it comes, your gonna hate me,

Almost there.

Wait for it:

For you to be done with Toronto..well...just plain foolish BECAUSE:

"Who would save RL in the Northern Hemisphere then Harry Stottle?  Who would be left to save you then?"

 

WE ARE COMING BROTHERS!!!!!!..WE ARE COMING IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS!!!!!

LONG LIVE LEAGUE!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Oxford]

Sshhhhhhhhhhh!

Say this very quietly

"AS the debate continues over whether Super League should increase to 14 clubs, chief executive Robert Elstone believes one related question has already been answered: that there are enough good players to cover such a rise."

Sshhhhhhhhhhh Don't wake him up.

This could provoke a 20 page response!

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/super-league-now-strong-enough-to-expand-1-10000291

 

[marklaspalmas]

40 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Giz a job , I can do that 

Ah, but do you look like Graeme Souness?

[Manxmanc]

Euro-American League

If there was a rejection, wouldn't it be interesting to speculate about a beefed up championship with a new name? Dare I suggest a  Euroamerican League?

Initially invite 10 teams - on current placings, those below. (A promoted team hasn't been removed, to avoid discuss being unduly bogged down with naming actual teams)

London Broncos

Toronto Wolfpack

Toulouse Olympique

York City Knights

Featherstone Rovers

Halifax

Manchester Swinton Lions

Bradford Bulls

Sheffield

Leigh Centurions

Thereafter, a new team could be added for the next 4 years. 

With input from the billionnaire owners of TWP and their numerous business contacts, you couldn't bet against a strongly supported competition.

There is some idle speculation here, but who is to say that some owners haven't thought about this kind of thing.

 

[GUBRATS]

Just now, marklaspalmas said:

Ah, but do you look like Graeme Souness?

No , but I can lay bricks like ' Yosser '

[AlanE]

4 hours ago, Kayakman said:

I'll try to calm down but it is just wrong.  Think about it...Toronto forgoes its 1/12 share of the money so the other teams can travel, hotels, etc.   Why isn't it divided 12 ways instead of 11?   Doesn't Toronto have these costs also and much more?...we don't even get a proper cut of our own money which we are forced to give due to the blackmailing....its just plain wrong and turning your head the other way to pretend it isn't happening is even worse.....I don't believe in giving in to bullies and I never will no matter what Dave says.

Hey Kayakman - welcome to the real (?) World of Rugby League in the UK. As you know, I'm dead against expansion into North America - but I'm also in favour of fairness and equality - and there doesn't seem a lot of that around in this instance!

[Kayakman]

20 minutes ago, AlanE said:

Hey Kayakman - welcome to the real (?) World of Rugby League in the UK. As you know, I'm dead against expansion into North America - but I'm also in favour of fairness and equality - and there doesn't seem a lot of that around in this instance!

Tell me, "What can we do to win you over to our side?" -you seem like a reasonable person.

[TIWIT]

This thread alone shows the interest in TWP. Super League would be insane to ignore them. They're new. They're exciting. They're different. Just the sort of things Super League needs to revitalize itself.

So of course they'll slam the door in TWP's face. I fear Super League has no interest in any of those things.

[Smudger06]

17 minutes ago, Kayakman said:

Tell me, "What can we do to win you over to our side?" -you seem like a reasonable person.

Cut all ties with Union & Establish a stronger working relationship with CRL. Come up with a strategy to establish confidence in your longevity. 

[Kayakman]

32 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

Cut all ties with Union & Establish a stronger working relationship with CRL. Come up with a strategy to establish confidence in your longevity. 

Done...done...and done.

Look Fellas!!!   Got me two new converts to RL Expansionism...THERE IS HOPE YET!!!

[ojx]

3 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

My favourite conspiracy theory is the one where David Argyle takes Toronto Wolfpack into Rugby Union. 

At least Rugby Union embraces new markets.

[CanadianRugger]

10 minutes ago, ojx said:

At least Rugby Union embraces new markets.

I'm ok with TWP being excluded from the television money provided it is used by the other clubs to offset costs from travel expenses, visas, accommodations, etc.  

I personally think that's a fair trade off.  This has never been done before and we should have a trial period to see how it works.

As for scheduling.  I believe it should be played in blocks, not fussed if it's 2 home 2 away or 3 home 3 away etc but it needs to be a reasonable number that takes player welfare and unreasonable expenses in to consideration.

I think this will be a good trial run season and 2021 will probably see big changes happening anyways.  I'm guessing the league expands and Championship + League 1 merge or some sort of amalgamation occurs.

 

[The Parksider]

13 hours ago, Kayakman said:

I'll try to calm down but it is just wrong.  Think about it...Toronto forgoes its 1/12 share of the money so the other teams can travel, hotels, etc.   Why isn't it divided 12 ways instead of 11?   Doesn't Toronto have these costs also and much more?...we don't even get a proper cut of our own money which we are forced to give due to the blackmailing....its just plain wrong and turning your head the other way to pretend it isn't happening is even worse.....

TWP pretended they would bring some of their their own NA players to the game to expand the playing pool, and bring their own paying TV deal to expand on the SKY contract which is for English clubs. If anyone is angry and needs to calm down it's level headed fans here constantly fed all your phoney baloney about a squad of English mercenaries being somehow the future of Rugby League here.

By Perez's own measures the whole thing has failed including the idea that it can only work if enough phoney clubs join the league here to make it Transatlantic. if you want to point to one big fat pretence look in the mirror. This silly situation needs to end somewhere because by Perez's own measure and words, and by those of top SL bosses , sending 30 lads to Canada to dress up as Canadians isn't in any way "expansion".

12 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

This whole thing that overseas clubs should recieve preferential treatment is a load of sh-ite, they asked to join our competition not the other way round, whatever rules, bonds or structures our governing body wish to employ they either comply with or Cough-off, their decision. 

TWP asked to join the RFL back around 2015 and no matter how many inventions people come up with they never asked Superleague if they would be able to ultimately join them. A few years back Toulouse asked four SL chairman over to France to ask the SL bosses if they could in time join SL and they were told YES, but TO had to develop players - which they are doing, and they had to look to a French TV deal which Elstone has said they are trying for along with Les Catalans. If there is any travesty of justice it will be a genuine expansion club who has worked towards Superleague for years doesn't come in because 30 expensive mercenaries from here pretending to be a Canadian club - a place they don't play RL and are interested only in RU, manage to pip them in a one off match.

9 hours ago, Dave T said:

I would have more respect if they just said sorry you are not coming in, Canada isnt part of our SLE plan. But this relaxed bumbling around approach is a joke.

TWP are the complete joke, and as usual you forget the real facts which is SL have been working with Toulouse for years with a view to TO adding French players to the player pool, and looking to bolster the French International team, and along with Catalans improving on a paying French TV deal. The reason Superleague said nothing was they were never asked, instead Nigel Wood let them in the Championship because he was lined up for his RLIF job and could not personally say no to TWP who presented themselves as "expansion" and qualified that by boasting of all the players they would convert from grid iron and all the TV riches they would bring.

They brought nothing at all themselves, but are set to ruin very real expansion into France planned some years ago and after a lot of hard work in Toulouse they are all ready to go. I know you won't answer my posts, that's because you can't answer them, and again I am bang on right here...... 

7 hours ago, TIWIT said:

This thread alone shows the interest in TWP. Super League would be insane to ignore them. They're new. They're exciting. They're different. So of course they'll slam the door in TWP's face. I fear Super League has no interest in any of those things.

I thought their promise was to attract new players to the SL pro-pool, and new money to the SL TV deals of which they have failed on both counts. This post alone shows how insane all this phoney baloney is. Even TWP themselves set their success criteria as players and TV money and your now switching it to...

TWP 2019 application to join Superleague- what we will bring to the game:-

1, Excitement

2. Differences

3. Newness

What utter nonsense you people get away with. Toulouse have been working hard for years to become a worthy entrant to Superleaue and achieve real expansion of the Anglo-French project all under the guidance and support of SL bosses. 

22 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

You’ve changed your tune, Parky!

It a shame you never changed your tune MOK. You always did sit on the fence like so many others because there was always this nagging doubt that TWP might not be phoney baloney and may actually be the future of RL here. I've pointed out for 3 years probably 1,000 times that they won't produce any players or bring us a TV deal and just watch this thread as that clear reality is again ignored as people start feeling sorry for the $$$Billionaire Argyle beause the poor thing won't get a cut of the TV deal.

To me the TWP trick was always to get into the game here by the back door i.e. the RFL, avoid any contact with Superleague, and use Argylles $$Billions to smash their way past skint Championship clubs to get to the top of the Championship then dare Superleague to refuse them entry on the basis if they did there would be a shedload of bad publicity from thousands of people who don't actually realise they aren't really a North American club and the game will never take off there since the World cup was pulled.

Lets see how it goes but if TWP are refused entry all those thousands of people who don't look closely and think they are "expansion" including many members of the press and TV journalism, will slaughter the SL bosses as parochial and backward thinking. This is why it may need TWP to actually come into Superleague and under the glare of of the cameras let those people find out that all they are is what the SL bosses say they are, an English SL club based in Manchester pretending to be Canadian by playing out of a stadium there (when it's not snowing). It's absurd and....

All at the expense of a real expansion club in TO. An utter tragedy if it's allowed to happen.

[TboneFromTO]

10 minutes ago, The Parksider said:

sending 30 lads to Canada to dress up as Canadians isn't in any way "expansion".

Well Parkey, hate to burst your bubble...that's kinda how the country started (so is really very on brand)

News flash: country of immigrants doesn't care where athletes are born - more news at 6