They've set up their own partnerships with broadcasters. Premier Sports show it over here and CBC Sports in Canada. Catalan too have their own broadcasting deal I believe. Can other Championship sides do similar? No idea. Most SL clubs have their own TV Platform too. I think Ultimately the RFL own the broadcasting rights.

I'll wait to see how the crowds hold up but 7000 is pretty impressive.

Away support will have been minimal.

It's five times what we got on Sunday, playing Bradford who'd've had to travel about 15 miles.

If we return to franchising, a lot of folk will be looking at the oblivion of a permanent life outside $uper£eague very soon. Sheffield aren't going to match their crowds, neither are Fax, Fev, Salford, Widnes and a couple of dozen other clubs.

The owner of their club is a complete bell end who uses incorrect terminology which irks me a great deal. then there is all the spiel about record scores and humiliating other teams who are generally hard working lads who have to pull on overalls the day before/after. Hope they crash n burn.

Stop sitting on the fence and say what you mean

It is easier for Toronto when they have a rich backer who can fund everything, they are the darlings of the RL, the new kid on the block with that novelty factor and they have a winning team. How can you compare that with clubs at Championship and League 1 with no money, losing teams and on life support???

Unfortunately, that's exactly what you need for success.

Totally agree Griff.

If only it was us I hear everybody saying. I wish them all the best and I'd love for us to be in their shoes with a big cash injection. People might moan, the same with Salford and Leigh, but without that money the game would be in a much worse position.

eggsbloodyzactly

I think there's a lot more to it than they got a "big cash injection".

Don't forget this all started with one, passionate RL fan who had a dream to kick start RL in Canada. I don't think he's a particularly rich guy, but he managed to build a 10-person consortium of investors, along with key corporate contacts.

From there He's set up some brilliant partnerships; the 3-year sponsorship with AirTransat, broadcasters in the UK and Canada for example, the marketing around Toronto has been excellent.

Why can't other clubs be inspired by what he/Toronto have achieved? To just go "ahh well, they got loads of money" is a defeatist attitude. If RL had just a couple more people with the will and drive that he has, our sport could go to the next level.

Agree with this to be honest , people are soon quick to put Clubs down that are trying something new the comment re` Salford asking fans to print posters off is a prime example . I think in some cases the Clubs have the same staff for too long with no injection of new ideas they are just regurgitating old ideas all the time . Well as everyone knows if you do " same old " you get "same old" ,does the RFL give seminars with ideas on how to increase your crowds or is that actually too much to ask.

I cannot wait for a Toronto v Toulouse Challenge Cup final, it will give every school child in London the chance to claim a free ticket to Wembley, and it'll be super for the Toronto fans to watch the final while eating their breakfast, gives them the rest of the day to get jobs done and have a lovely day out, maybe a trip to the lakes or up the CN Tower again.

I love RL but to me its like trying to sell a draughts set to Gary Kasparov, then offering him money 'just to take it'