welcome to the club

[gateman]

It looks to me who ever wins and gains entre to super league this time its going to be to the deritment of ouur game, the powers that be will see TV as the thing thats going to boost our game, being a person that watches games played at every level this is were the players come from if Toronto do win there is nothing below them i cant see teams springing up in Canada for a very long time i hope i am wrong, Cumbria is a different Kettle of fish

[HuddsTigers]

Cumbria is irrelevant in this discussion for the simple fact that it’s such a huge area without decent travel links. There’s also no one with money willing to finance one of the clubs to the top, nor are the fans willing to join together to support a joint Cumbrian team. It isnt that the game is leaving them behind, it’s that there is no one with the money or willpower to drag the area forward. Clubs like Newcastle, York, Toronto have all caught up or become better.

If fans are that arsed perhaps they should get off their backsides and support them instead of Whitehaven and Barrow pulling in just 800 fans.

[the machine]

Cumbria is irrelevant in this discussion for the simple fact that it’s such a huge area without decent travel links. There’s also no one with money willing to finance one of the clubs to the top, nor are the fans willing to join together to support a joint Cumbrian team. It isnt that the game is leaving them behind, it’s that there is no one with the money or willpower to drag the area forward. Clubs like Newcastle, York, Toronto have all caught up or become better.

If fans are that arsed perhaps they should get off their backsides and support them instead of Whitehaven and Barrow pulling in just 800 fans.

:clap: :clap:

[flow]

Cumbria is irrelevant in this discussion for the simple fact that it’s such a huge area without decent travel links. There’s also no one with money willing to finance one of the clubs to the top, nor are the fans willing to join together to support a joint Cumbrian team. It isnt that the game is leaving them behind, it’s that there is no one with the money or willpower to drag the area forward. Clubs like Newcastle, York, Toronto have all caught up or become better.

If fans are that arsed perhaps they should get off their backsides and support them instead of Whitehaven and Barrow pulling in just 800 fans.

I think the game needs a strong team in leeds lol

[Adelaide Tigurrrr!]

Cumbria is irrelevant in this discussion for the simple fact that it’s such a huge area without decent travel links. There’s also no one with money willing to finance one of the clubs to the top, nor are the fans willing to join together to support a joint Cumbrian team. It isnt that the game is leaving them behind, it’s that there is no one with the money or willpower to drag the area forward. Clubs like Newcastle, York, Toronto have all caught up or become better.

If fans are that arsed perhaps they should get off their backsides and support them instead of Whitehaven and Barrow pulling in just 800 fans.

Spot on HT.

People bagging Toronto seem to forget that they have only been around for 2 years unlike Cumbrian clubs and other struggling clubs that have had over 100 years to get it right.

Teams like Cas over the years have just relied on a local businessmen to bankroll them and other sports have left us behind when it comes to sponsorship and TV deals. If we stay as we are then the game itself will get less money and we will end up semi-pro as we were back in 1995.

As for away fans it is up to Cas to fill the stadium with their own fans. I follow Adelaide Utd and except when Melbourne Victory rock up with around 300 supporters - it is an 8 hour drive to Adelaide from Melbourne - for all other home games some teans only bring 20 or 30 supporters.

[St Albans tiger]

I think the idea that some mega TV deal is coming in North America is simply madness. Do people honestly believe that TV companies are waiting to give toronta and super league a deal over baseball and ice hockey.

At best it will be something like a Canadian premier sports, hardly espn prime time.

[Burratha]

One of my mates went to Toronto with Hunslet £800 for 5 days its a bit out of the reach for most of our fans

Just out of interest, how does that compare to Catalans?

[StevieTheTV]

It cost about £350 for me this year @ Cats.

I will go to Toronto at some point. If I can afford next season then I will go, if not, it's no biggie.

Catalans away will always be a definite for me, its a great weekend.

[gateman]

its been said that the Cumbrian teams attract only a few supporters some of you old fans like myself may remember gates of 500 at Weldon RD when were, bumping along at the bottom of the league its only when the likes of the CAS H bombs came along that the support started to pick up ,

[Kenilworth Tiger]

I'd love it to be Toulouse - really easy to get to and a great city

[steadygetyerboots-on]

I think Toulouse is the most attractive proposition at the moment, but simply because of Catalans already being in SL. A second team in France is imperative & should generate further interest in talent pool, audience & sponsorhip. It couldn't come at a better time either with Catalans having won the Challenge Cup this year. You only have to look at the impact of France winning the football World Cup in 1998.
SL has to strike while the iron is hot & the prospect of a French derby would really enhance the game & bring us nearer to a professional French domestic league.

[StevieTheTV]

I think Toulouse is the most attractive proposition at the moment, but simply because of Catalans already being in SL. A second team in France is imperative & should generate further interest in talent pool, audience & sponsorhip. It couldn't come at a better time either with Catalans having won the Challenge Cup this year. You only have to look at the impact of France winning the football World Cup in 1998.
SL has to strike while the iron is hot & the prospect of a French derby would really enhance the game & bring us nearer to a professional French domestic league.

This :clap:

[gateman]

with the fixtures this weekend I would put my money on a Toronto v London million pound game, but there again I must be one of the worst tippers on this forum

[StevieTheTV]

If the results go this weekend how i think/hope they will,

Leeds to beat Toronto by 3 scores. Toronto end up on -1 points difference.
Toulouse to beat Salford by 1 score. Toulouse end up on +6 points difference.
Hull KR to beat Widnes by 3 scores. Hull KR end up on +23 points difference.
London to beat Halifax for 4 scores. London end up on +14 points difference.


I think the table will end up like;
Leeds 12pts
Hull KR 10pts
Salford 8pts
London 8pts
Toulouse 8pts
Toronto 8pts
Widnes 2pts
Halifax 0pts


I think at this moment, Toulouse would bring more to SL than Toronto as outlined by Steady earlier on. Plus, it would be interesting to see how Argyll and Perez deal with the disappointment, would they reduce funding / walk away??

[Hepworth7]

How sick would you be Stevie if all those results went the way you're predicting,get down the bookies fella!Just a case of if the Whinos turn up against Toronto.

[noxandrattles]

I think Toulouse is the most attractive proposition at the moment, but simply because of Catalans already being in SL. A second team in France is imperative & should generate further interest in talent pool, audience & sponsorhip. It couldn't come at a better time either with Catalans having won the Challenge Cup this year. You only have to look at the impact of France winning the football World Cup in 1998.
SL has to strike while the iron is hot & the prospect of a French derby would really enhance the game & bring us nearer to a professional French domestic league.

also if fixtures work out right could mean a week in south of france to see 2 games

[steadygetyerboots-on]

I think Toulouse is the most attractive proposition at the moment, but simply because of Catalans already being in SL. A second team in France is imperative & should generate further interest in talent pool, audience & sponsorhip. It couldn't come at a better time either with Catalans having won the Challenge Cup this year. You only have to look at the impact of France winning the football World Cup in 1998.
SL has to strike while the iron is hot & the prospect of a French derby would really enhance the game & bring us nearer to a professional French domestic league.

also if fixtures work out right could mean a week in south of france to see 2 games

How did I miss that?! Ring the RFL!

[Squaddie86]

I think Toulouse is the most attractive proposition at the moment, but simply because of Catalans already being in SL. A second team in France is imperative & should generate further interest in talent pool, audience & sponsorhip. It couldn't come at a better time either with Catalans having won the Challenge Cup this year. You only have to look at the impact of France winning the football World Cup in 1998.
SL has to strike while the iron is hot & the prospect of a French derby would really enhance the game & bring us nearer to a professional French domestic league.

also if fixtures work out right could mean a week in south of france to see 2 games

How did I miss that?! Ring the RFL!

If only the RFL (Or more accurately, Super League Europe) had the kind of intelligence to organise the fixtures so teams play Tolouse and Catalans away in subsequent weeks...

Itd be incredibly easy to sort, would cut costs for teams, and allow travelling fans (particularly in the summer months proper) an opportunity for a bumper holiday - oh and give a potential extra revenue stream for clubs partnering up with travel companies.

But this is the organisation that has ditched the best part of the 8s (the middle 8s) and kept the worst part (meaningless loop fixtures)... so such thinking won't even cross their minds.

[Spanishtiger]

Unfortunately very true squaddie

[HuddsTigers]

One point I disagree with is that it would cut costs for clubs. Surely it would be more expensive.

Teams fly out on one day and come back the next mostly. If you play teams back to back, it would cost teams more in hotel costs including players and support staff. You also have to hire out training facilities. Then add on to that travel costs from Perpignan to Toulouse.

It’s much cheaper for the team to fly out, come back and then fly out again the following week.