A Q&A with Toronto Wolfpack CEO Bob Hunter

[Total Rugby League]

The first of our Christmas Advent Calendar of treats on TotalRL.com...

https://www.totalrl.com/a-qa-with-toronto-wolfpack-ceo-bob-hunter-2/

[Damien]

Interesting:

The big challenge at BMO Field being a grass pitch, two teams already exist there and having come from that organisation, the sensitivity the Canadian Football damage to the pitch for an MLS team, it exists all the time. The Australia game is intended to be quite late in the season for both teams, so hopefully we can do that.

[Kayakman]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

Interesting:

The big challenge at BMO Field being a grass pitch, two teams already exist there and having come from that organisation, the sensitivity the Canadian Football damage to the pitch for an MLS team, it exists all the time. The Australia game is intended to be quite late in the season for both teams, so hopefully we can do that.

I caught that too...will not be missing that game no matter what.

[GUBRATS]

In truth , not much in that interview we didn't already know 

[Man of Kent]

On 02/12/2019 at 21:38, Damien said:

Interesting:

The big challenge at BMO Field being a grass pitch, two teams already exist there and having come from that organisation, the sensitivity the Canadian Football damage to the pitch for an MLS team, it exists all the time. The Australia game is intended to be quite late in the season for both teams, so hopefully we can do that.

Not sure of the practicalities of this. Toronto’s season is highly likely to end on 11 September and the first Kangaroos Test is on 31 October.

It might be so late in the season that the Toronto players are on the beach...

[Kayakman]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Not sure of the practicalities of this. Toronto’s season is highly likely to end on 11 September and the first Kangaroos Test is on 31 October.

It might be so late in the season that the Toronto players are on the beach...

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!!!!!    What date do the SL playoffs start on?...Toronto will be there!

[Kayakman]

16 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

In truth , not much in that interview we didn't already know 

That is because we haven no hidden agendas...our aim is simple, our goal clear....Super League domination!

[Kayakman]

21 minutes ago, SL17 said:

Here we go again......

Thats right!...we intend to keep serving up those championships and claiming dem dere trophies!

Yahoo!!!!   Lord Almighty!!!!!  Sonny Bill is playing for the Wolfpack...who would have believed it!!!!

[Tommygilf]

8 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Not sure of the practicalities of this. Toronto’s season is highly likely to end on 11 September and the first Kangaroos Test is on 31 October.

It might be so late in the season that the Toronto players are on the beach...

I'm sure most will come back to face the Aussies. Leeds fortunately were in the GF the last time this happened against the kiwis. Perhaps they'll organise some post season games at Lamport to keep them ticking over?

[Man of Kent]

7 hours ago, Kayakman said:

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!!!!!    What date do the SL playoffs start on?...Toronto will be there!

17 September.

Looking at your mediocre squad and fixture list - 18 rounds out of 29 away from Lamport and no game in Toronto until roughly three months in - I cannot see how the Wolfpack has any realistic chance of making the Top 5.

I’d be more worried about relegation, to be brutally honest.

[Man of Kent]

23 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

I'm sure most will come back to face the Aussies. Leeds fortunately were in the GF the last time this happened against the kiwis. Perhaps they'll organise some post season games at Lamport to keep them ticking over?

Seems a lot of faff after a long, hard season.  

I’m sure I read another piece where Martin Vickers was talking about playing Australia in Bristol or London or some other non-heartland area. There’s a lot of hot air about with Toronto and hard to know what is genuine.

[Tommygilf]

9 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Seems a lot of faff after a long, hard season.  

I’m sure I read another piece where Martin Vickers was talking about playing Australia in Bristol or London or some other non-heartland area. There’s a lot of hot air about with Toronto and hard to know what is genuine.

There's also a lot of putting their money where their mouths are. SBW and even their very existence being proof. Like I said Leeds would have had the same potential problem in 2015 when playing a warm up for the kiwis.

[Kayakman]

4 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

17 September.

Looking at your mediocre squad and fixture list - 18 rounds out of 29 away from Lamport and no game in Toronto until roughly three months in - I cannot see how the Wolfpack has any realistic chance of making the Top 5.

I’d be more worried about relegation, to be brutally honest.

You coming over for a game?

[Man of Kent]

3 hours ago, Kayakman said:

You coming over for a game?

Seriously considering it, Kayak, but after watching a TV chef touring northern Catalonia last night I’m veering towards a week in SW France taking in Toulouse XIII and the Dragons. Can’t beat fresh fish grilled on the Mediterranean quayside! 

[Kayakman]

26 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Seriously considering it, Kayak, but after watching a TV chef touring northern Catalonia last night I’m veering towards a week in SW France taking in Toulouse XIII and the Dragons. Can’t beat fresh fish grilled on the Mediterranean quayside! 

How about catching a nice big salmon right out of the lake, cleaning it on the shore and then smacking it onto the grill.   Can't beat that my firend!

[TheReaper]

20 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Not sure of the practicalities of this. Toronto’s season is highly likely to end on 11 September and the first Kangaroos Test is on 31 October.

It might be so late in the season that the Toronto players are on the beach...

I took it to mean late in the season for TFC and the Argos.

[TIWIT]

I think Hunter is being incredibly diplomatic in discussing the TV deal. Sky isn’t paying TWP anything for their games (which is of course the choice of the other 11 clubs in Super League, not Sky) but are supposedly wanting an arm and a leg for those rights from TWP. Who will of course have to produce those games at their own cost and then allow Sky to air them back in England. Those rights should be more or less equal to the 1/12th share that TWP are not receiving.

Sky is supposed to be the broadcast partner of Super League. It certainly doesn’t seem that way. In fact, it looks like they’re out to make as much money out of the current deal as they can any way they can, which doesn’t bode well for future contract negotiations over TV rights.

[Kayakman]

13 minutes ago, TIWIT said:

I think Hunter is being incredibly diplomatic in discussing the TV deal. Sky isn’t paying TWP anything for their games (which is of course the choice of the other 11 clubs in Super League, not Sky) but are supposedly wanting an arm and a leg for those rights from TWP. Who will of course have to produce those games at their own cost and then allow Sky to air them back in England. Those rights should be more or less equal to the 1/12th share that TWP are not receiving.

Sky is supposed to be the broadcast partner of Super League. It certainly doesn’t seem that way. In fact, it looks like they’re out to make as much money out of the current deal as they can any way they can, which doesn’t bode well for future contract negotiations over TV rights.

Time to play hard ball....and the other clubs better be on board to present a unified front instead of acting like starving calves on the empty teat of Toronto.

[Dave T]

25 minutes ago, TIWIT said:

I think Hunter is being incredibly diplomatic in discussing the TV deal. Sky isn’t paying TWP anything for their games (which is of course the choice of the other 11 clubs in Super League, not Sky) but are supposedly wanting an arm and a leg for those rights from TWP. Who will of course have to produce those games at their own cost and then allow Sky to air them back in England. Those rights should be more or less equal to the 1/12th share that TWP are not receiving.

Sky is supposed to be the broadcast partner of Super League. It certainly doesn’t seem that way. In fact, it looks like they’re out to make as much money out of the current deal as they can any way they can, which doesn’t bode well for future contract negotiations over TV rights.

I'd like to think Sky would be reasonable on this one. If they could effectively get content for no cost to them, I suspect they will make a deal, I think that is similar to what happens with Catalans. 

Does a Canadian broadcaster currently cover SL? If they do (and have paid for it) then they may need paying off, but surely their deal is pittance. 

Where it becomes complicated I suppose is if TWP then sell to a Canadian broadcaster and make a fair amount, Sky will want their share, as they own those rights. 

As it is unlikely there is any real value IN Canadian rights right now though it should be a deal that can be done without breaking the bank. 

[Damien]

I find it odd that Sky should hold the rights in Canada and the US.

[Michael1812]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

I find it odd that Sky should hold the rights in Canada and the US.

Me as well and how does that match up with Sportsnet showing it on TV in Canada. Did they pay Sky?

[TIWIT]

Maybe Sky thinks the Wolfpack will make some significant TV sales to the Australian/NZ market and want a cut of that. Either way, Sky wants TWP's money. Pure greed. A true broadcast partner would want the game to get more exposure, making it a more valuable product. The way Sky is operating makes me think they have little long-term interest in the sport.

[Damien]

1 hour ago, TIWIT said:

Maybe Sky thinks the Wolfpack will make some significant TV sales to the Australian/NZ market and want a cut of that. Either way, Sky wants TWP's money. Pure greed. A true broadcast partner would want the game to get more exposure, making it a more valuable product. The way Sky is operating makes me think they have little long-term interest in the sport.

Again those markets should be nothing to do with Sky.

[TIWIT]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

Again those markets should be nothing to do with Sky.

It does if TWP makes money from them. Then they'd want a cut. And they must think TWP will which is why they want more up front now from them.

[Damien]

5 hours ago, TIWIT said:

It does if TWP makes money from them. Then they'd want a cut. And they must think TWP will which is why they want more up front now from them.

Sky do not own the rights there so what they want is irrelevant.