2019 championship & league one..

[deluded pom?]

SONNY BILL’S NEW SUITORS

Could Sonny Bill Williams bypass a rugby league farewell in Australia and head to the Super League?

There’s already been talk of Williams signing with promotion hopefuls Toronto Wolfpack, with owner David Argyle telling foxsports.com.au SBW joining the Canadian club would be “bigger than Beckham”.

But now it has emerged that Williams is receiving interest from another club overseas.

According to League Weekly, the Dragons want to bring the 33-year-old back to the South of France where he enjoyed a stint with union side Toulon.

It helps that head coach Steve McNamara knows Williams well from his days as assistant of the Sydney Roosters.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/ex...e/news-story/77325b9d748b5a9509e43a642a2918b5

I doubt SBW could actually understand McNamara. I’m from Hull and struggle to understand him at times myself.

 

[adamkungl]

Will there be any actual Frenchmen playing in the dragons team??

7 played in Barcelona.
3 others played Super League at other clubs this round, who have all come through the Dragons.

 

[Walter sobchak]

7 played in Barcelona.
3 others played Super League at other clubs this round, who have all come through the Dragons.

SBW takes the spot of a Frenchman.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Reports suggest that 1 North American team will be approved this week for the 2020 season and the other for the 2021 season. My money’s on Ottawa for 2020 and New York for 2021 if at all because this bid still worries me.

 

[Foreign Legion]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/montreal-and-vancouver-could-follow-ottawa-in-to-rfl-set-up/

Ottawa have been given the green light to join League One from as early as next season, and Eric Perez says Montreal and Vancouver could soon follow.

Perez, who was one of the consortium behind the launch of the Toronto Wolfpack and is still a shareholder, purchased the Hemel Stags licence and has had the relocation approved.

They could join the league in 2020, but may wait until 2021.

A report on CBC in Canada, said: “Perez says he expects rugby league to spread to more Canadian cities, saying he has already been contacted by groups in Montreal and Vancouver.

Perez said: “This could be a big thing for Canada.

“It’s at our discretion … Better to do it right that do it rushed.”

Perez also says he hopes to introduce Canadian talent via the Ottawa team, and could create a new Canadian cup competition so they can face the Wolfpack even when in separate divisions.

The RFL confirmed that the Ottawa bidhad gained approval from clubs and would, with a bit of work, be able to participate in 2020.

Another bid from New York has been encouraged to work towards entry in 2021.

 

[Walter sobchak]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/montreal-and-vancouver-could-follow-ottawa-in-to-rfl-set-up/

Ottawa have been given the green light to join League One from as early as next season, and Eric Perez says Montreal and Vancouver could soon follow.

Perez, who was one of the consortium behind the launch of the Toronto Wolfpack and is still a shareholder, purchased the Hemel Stags licence and has had the relocation approved.

They could join the league in 2020, but may wait until 2021.

A report on CBC in Canada, said: “Perez says he expects rugby league to spread to more Canadian cities, saying he has already been contacted by groups in Montreal and Vancouver.

Perez said: “This could be a big thing for Canada.

“It’s at our discretion … Better to do it right that do it rushed.”

Perez also says he hopes to introduce Canadian talent via the Ottawa team, and could create a new Canadian cup competition so they can face the Wolfpack even when in separate divisions.

The RFL confirmed that the Ottawa bidhad gained approval from clubs and would, with a bit of work, be able to participate in 2020.

Another bid from New York has been encouraged to work towards entry in 2021.

I favour Canadian franchises over US franchises if I’m being honest.

Let’s have Montreal and Vancouver next forming a North American super league conference.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Other exciting news in the leagues outside of super league is that apparently Toulouse Olympique will be moving into the stade Ernest-Wallon and it will be getting a serious upgrade turning into a 40,000 capacity stadium.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

10 years ago we'd have all laughed at the thought of all these teams playing RL at any level, a dream.
I'm all for expansion and hope it continues.

 

[Walter sobchak]

10 years ago we'd have all laughed at the thought of all these teams playing RL at any level, a dream.
I'm all for expansion and hope it continues.

It’s like a snowball effect. The Toronto Wolfpack have spawned Ottawa and I’m sure many more businessmen in North America will sit up and take notice of both clubs especially the Wolfpack if they reach super league for the 2020 season and they will want a piece of it for themselves.

The transatlantic aspect is a huge selling point for these moneymen and consortiums.

 

[Walter sobchak]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/montreal-and-vancouver-could-follow-ottawa-in-to-rfl-set-up/

Ottawa have been given the green light to join League One from as early as next season, and Eric Perez says Montreal and Vancouver could soon follow.

Perez, who was one of the consortium behind the launch of the Toronto Wolfpack and is still a shareholder, purchased the Hemel Stags licence and has had the relocation approved.

They could join the league in 2020, but may wait until 2021.

A report on CBC in Canada, said: “Perez says he expects rugby league to spread to more Canadian cities, saying he has already been contacted by groups in Montreal and Vancouver.

Perez said: “This could be a big thing for Canada.

“It’s at our discretion … Better to do it right that do it rushed.”

Perez also says he hopes to introduce Canadian talent via the Ottawa team, and could create a new Canadian cup competition so they can face the Wolfpack even when in separate divisions.

The RFL confirmed that the Ottawa bidhad gained approval from clubs and would, with a bit of work, be able to participate in 2020.

Another bid from New York has been encouraged to work towards entry in 2021.

Vancouver would be awesome but I’d really love to see RL think outside of the box and go with Halifax Nova Scotia. A decent sized city of just under 500,000 people with no major sporting teams in any of North America’s professional sporting competitions.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Vancouver would be awesome but I’d really love to see RL think outside of the box and go with Halifax Nova Scotia. A decent sized city of just under 500,000 people with no major sporting teams in any of North America’s professional sporting competitions.

You can just relocate the Halifax licence and keep the name

For all offended Halifax fans out there, I'm joking

 

[Pommy]

Other exciting news in the leagues outside of super league is that apparently Toulouse Olympique will be moving into the stade Ernest-Wallon and it will be getting a serious upgrade turning into a 40,000 capacity stadium.

What size crowds do they get? Playing in nicer large stadiums doesn’t do Australian clubs any good.

 

[deluded pom?]

I favour Canadian franchises over US franchises if I’m being honest.

Let’s have Montreal and Vancouver next forming a North American super league conference.

A Canadian SL conference surely?

 

[Walter sobchak]

You can just relocate the Halifax licence and keep the name

For all offended Halifax fans out there, I'm joking

Halifax(West Yorkshire) v Halifax(Nova Scotia) would be an interesting match up!!!

 

[Walter sobchak]

A Canadian SL conference surely?

Absolutely. Maybe have a token US franchise of say Boston or Philadelphia.

 

[adamkungl]

What size crowds do they get? Playing in nicer large stadiums doesn’t do Australian clubs any good.

It really does though.

As for Vancouver, I came in here all ready to claim it was a dangerous overreach or at best a pipe dream.
But it turns out the fight time from Manchester is only 1.5 hrs longer than Toronto.
So I guess it's theoretically feasible.

I think it's key that there is a long term picture of what the elite competition should look like though.
Adding too many teams from all over willy-nilly without a very clear goal is a 1 one ticket to collapse.

 

[Pommy]

It really does though.

As for Vancouver, I came in here all ready to claim it was a dangerous overreach or at best a pipe dream.
But it turns out the fight time from Manchester is only 1.5 hrs longer than Toronto.
So I guess it's theoretically feasible.

I think it's key that there is a long term picture of what the elite competition should look like though.
Adding too many teams from all over willy-nilly without a very clear goal is a 1 one ticket to collapse.

You think having tiny crowds playing in big stadiums is doing clubs good?
12,000 in ANZ?

 

[hutch]

You think having tiny crowds playing in big stadiums is doing clubs good?
12,000 in ANZ?

Every team that moved to anz increased their crowds significantly. Yes, 80k is way too big for club games and anz is horrible to watch rugby league at, but dogs, Souths and tigers averaged far more there than at their suburban grounds when they moved.

 

[adamkungl]

You think having tiny crowds playing in big stadiums is doing clubs good?
12,000 in ANZ?

Every club that moved from a suburban park to a proper stadium increased their crowds and revenue significantly.

 

[Pommy]

Every club that moved from a suburban park to a proper stadium increased their crowds and revenue significantly.

Have other crowds stayed equal? Say panthers and sharks?
ANZ is the biggest reason I’ve stopped attending as many games. I will go to Gosford in August for certain but I doubt I will be going to ANZ son Saturday night.