Championship and League 1 2018

[deal.with.it]

Here’s the video. Great interview.

 

[deal.with.it]

Straight to the point. No BS

 

[Dakink]

That 5 Live is pretty good. Downloaded a heap of episodes to listen too.

 

[roughyedspud]

We just put 102 on west Wales...poor sods

 

[adamkungl]

Top 6 Championship remains red hot..

Toronto clinched the 1st place League Leaders Shield with another easy win.
Leigh got up and don't face any other top teams for the remainder of the season so should win every game from here. Which means huge pressure on Featherstone, Halifax, Toulouse and London.

Toulouse and London drew and Halifax beat Featherstone.

Toronto 37
Toulouse 29
Halifax 29
Featherstone 28
London 27
Leigh 26

Still to come:

R21
London v Halifax

R22
Featherstone v London
Halifax v Toulouse

R23
Toronto v Featherstone

 

[adamkungl]

London edge out Fax to get into the top 4. All other favourites win as expected.

Toronto 39
Toulouse 31
Featherstone 30
London 29
Halifax 29
Leigh 28

Two to play... Toulouse need to win one of their last 2 to be safe.
London, Featherstone, Halifax and Leigh all can not risk dropping a game.

R22
Featherstone v London
Halifax v Toulouse

R23
Toronto v Featherstone

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Its great that Toronto is moving up so quickly

 

[adamkungl]

Its great that Toronto is moving up so quickly

For me what they could possibly inspire in the game is worth more than simply a successful expansion into North America. Other team owners, old and new, should look to them for what can be achieved with some modern thinking and serious attention to marketing.

The biggest lesson Toronto can offer is not that the game can take off in Canada or the US or wherever, but that they key to doing so is pure marketing and fan experience.
I don't think any NRL team has as much buzz about their game day experience as these guys do.

If they can do it, why not London? Why not Dublin or Edinburgh, Paris or Lyon? Hell why not Manchester?

 

[jim_57]

For me what they could possibly inspire in the game is worth more than simply a successful expansion into North America. Other team owners, old and new, should look to them for what can be achieved with some modern thinking and serious attention to marketing.

The biggest lesson Toronto can offer is not that the game can take off in Canada or the US or wherever, but that they key to doing so is pure marketing and fan experience.
I don't think any NRL team has as much buzz about their game day experience as these guys do.

If they can do it, why not London? Why not Dublin or Edinburgh, Paris or Lyon? Hell why not Manchester?

This is pretty much spot on in my opinion, too often in Rugby League ideas are dismissed as impossibble because "we tried Paris/London/Perth/Wales/Adelaide once, didn't work" even though most examples were just shit attempts or killed by Super League. It's an easy cop out for Rugby League to stay in it's little box.

Toronto have changed the ball game somewhat in that they were in one of the most random places you could think of for a Super League team 5 years ago, but they're making it work so far. Who's to say we can't have another similar example pop up now there is an example to follow? Montreal? Boston? Paris? Barcelona? Berlin? Moscow? Tokyo? All pie in the sky stuff, but all just as possible as Toronto Wolfpack ever were.

 

[adamkungl]

Who's to say we can't have another similar example pop up now there is an example to follow? Montreal? Boston? Paris? Barcelona? Berlin? Moscow? Tokyo? All pie in the sky stuff, but all just as possible as Toronto Wolfpack ever were.

We should add - the caveat here is that doing what Wolfpack are doing requires some serious bank.
And the downside is this kind of model of expansion will take a long time to produce any grassroots results, ie. new player development.
Toronto's financial model is geared 100% towards getting to Super League ASAP, there's no money for investing in the local Leagues.

 

[jim_57]

We should add - the caveat here is that doing what Wolfpack are doing requires some serious bank.
And the downside is this kind of model of expansion will take a long time to produce any grassroots results, ie. new player development.
Toronto's financial model is geared 100% towards getting to Super League ASAP, there's no money for investing in the local Leagues.

Pretty much, any big expansion effort is going to require a David Argyle style backer and probably an Eric Perez style promoter to stand a chance. Of course there are 'organic' attempts like Toulouse, North & West Wales, London Skolars, Coventry Bears etc, both types have their merits and there should room for both.

I have no real issue with a team like Toronto gearing everything towards Super League, any similar team will have to do the same thing to survive once the initial gloss wears off. There are people working on the ground in Canada and the Wolfpack is hardly going to hinder their progress you would think. It would be great to see TWP really help the local scene when/if they are established a little more.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

that's the sad thing - you see lots of comments from parents about how their kids admire the wolfpack and then go on to play union because there is no league option setup for them to participate in.

 

[Perth Red]

This is pretty much spot on in my opinion, too often in Rugby League ideas are dismissed as impossibble because "we tried Paris/London/Perth/Wales/Adelaide once, didn't work" even though most examples were just shit attempts or killed by Super League. It's an easy cop out for Rugby League to stay in it's little box.

Toronto have changed the ball game somewhat in that they were in one of the most random places you could think of for a Super League team 5 years ago, but they're making it work so far. Who's to say we can't have another similar example pop up now there is an example to follow? Montreal? Boston? Paris? Barcelona? Berlin? Moscow? Tokyo? All pie in the sky stuff, but all just as possible as Toronto Wolfpack ever were.

Like anything money can make anything happen. Lets not kid ourselves that Toronto have any RL sustainability beyond what the owners are pumping in. They are doing a great job but its dependent on the cash they are putting up front. Be interesting to see if they get promoted if they can come up with even more cash to keep them competitive at a SL level, its unlikely their crowds will grow much as they move up unlike UK teams.

If a Twiggy Forest type decided he wanted a SL team in Moscow it would happen as you can buy a SL place due to promotion system. NRL doesnt have that door open so no multi millionaires falling over themselves to invest in a new venture here.

 

[Stallion]

Like anything money can make anything happen. Lets not kid ourselves that Toronto have any RL sustainability beyond what the owners are pumping in. They are doing a great job but its dependent on the cash they are putting up front. Be interesting to see if they get promoted if they can come up with even more cash to keep them competitive at a SL level, its unlikely their crowds will grow much as they move up unlike UK teams.

If a Twiggy Forest type decided he wanted a SL team in Moscow it would happen as you can buy a SL place due to promotion system. NRL doesnt have that door open so no multi millionaires falling over themselves to invest in a new venture here.

Think the Toronto Wolfpack can grow their crowds?

 

[Leigh Howlett]

Poor old South Wales Raiders had another 100 score against them, any RFL assistance to grow the game?.

 

[Leigh Howlett]

Think the Toronto Wolfpack can grow their crowds?

They need a better Stadium but seem to rely on visiting fans to make up their crowds, with promotion to Super League brings the TV REVENUE!..........

 

[jim_57]

They need a better Stadium but seem to rely on visiting fans to make up their crowds, with promotion to Super League brings the TV REVENUE!..........

Toronto? What?

 

[Stallion]

They need a better Stadium but seem to rely on visiting fans to make up their crowds, with promotion to Super League brings the TV REVENUE!..........

If Toronto Wolfpack gain first division status that should be a good promotion angle for marketing. Top flight status is always much more attractive .

 

[Leigh Howlett]

Toronto? What?[/QUO

From little things big things grow!, Paul Kelly 1989!, Wolfpack needs a Stadia to grow with them!

 

[deluded pom?]

They need a better Stadium but seem to rely on visiting fans to make up their crowds, with promotion to Super League brings the TV REVENUE!..........

More people turn up to see TWP in the UK (irrespective of where they are from) than turn up at Lamport supporting the away team.