Quote: SmokeyTA "That's half the league you've listed as uncompetitive. People proclaim the system and admitting the expansion clubs at the bottom as the way to do it but last year the teams who finished top of league 1 and the championships record was played 37, won 34, drawn 2, lost 1. The bottom 3 teams in League 1 won only a game each. That isn't a healthy competition.
The question would be what are they going to learn I league 1 that they A) can apply in the championship and SL and B) that they couldn't learn in the championship and SL.
If we accept the inherent in sustainability of a transnational/transatlantic club in a semi pro league, we have to ask what on earth the benefit is of putting them there even temporarily'"
4 out of 16 is hardly half? Plus there are NCL Premier sides that are arguably better than half of the League 1 sides anyway. They are there to promote expansion for the game and are doing a decent job of it, if they become really competitive then that is a bonus.
1. Logistics. If Toronto rise through the leagues as predicted it will get harder and more expensive to take teams over. For now they are taking 7? teams over there (in League 1, teams play each other once). In the Championship they will have to take 11 plus any playoffs. Cheaper to take the likes of Oxford over than say Toulouse or even Bradford (number of staff etc).
Also in terms of logistics this league is pretty much Semi-Pro. So they will have jobs too. If the proposed Thursday-Sunday stay in Toronto works then this can be applied to Championship part-time teams too. And maybe the full-time teams, if there is jet lag issues. The full time clubs may decide to spend an extra few days in Toronto so possibly a week stay. This can be sorted out with sponsors, hotels etc for the package deals Toronto are doing.
2. Exposure to Lower Standard. The whole point of Toronto is to expand the game into North America. They are the pinnacle, the standard setter if you like? What is the point in putting them in SL, having 100% of their team English/Aussie and doing it that way? At least in League 1 they have the opportunity to blood some North Americans (Burroughs has already made his debut). When they play their home games they will be winning and the crowd can get behind their home stars such as Ngwati, Bain and Jacks. They wouldn't get a sniff in SL and may suffer heavy losses in their first season in existence if they were up against Cas, Wigan etc.
The thing with putting Toronto in SL is it can go two ways:
1. Fall on it's backside like Crusaders. Yes Crusaders got in the playoffs but there was no sustainability. They developed a handful of Welsh players which was good but you see more of it now in the lower league with North Wales Crusaders and South Wales Ironmen (who have just become the longest reigning professional South Wales RL team ever).
2. Be a success like Catalan. Catalan's first season was littered with foreigners with some French coming through. They finished bottom in their first season but have since gone on to bring through loads of French players to the point where even top English sides are getting them.
But that was with no relegation or having exemptions. Let Toronto start from the bottom and work their way up. Hopefully they will develop talent from over there in the next two years then if they do make it to SL it will be well deserved and they will have earnt it. Plus their North American players should have a firm grasp of the game by then by playing against (progressively harder) opponents.
Sorry for the long reply haha! If it helps, for the record I am all for franchising (IF IT IS DONE RIGHT, unlike last time).