I'm in. Some great stuff happening up there, most interestingly for me is the success at increasing participation numbers via the creation of a number of amateur clubs over the past few years. The below map was from the 1st of Jan, and since then a new club has popped up in Hexham. 16 junior clubs feeding into Thunder is a pretty handy catchment.

I've read thousands of daft posts. As we organise for providing SKY with a viable game that meets what they want, they will get dafter and dafter!! ANYWAY a quote on topic.......

"Dave Rotherham, the RFL’s Interim Chief On-Field Officer, saidNewcastle Thunder to produce a 15-team Reserve Grade competition from 2020. Newcastle also submitted a thorough application which stressed the quality and quantity of their player supply through their established Academy structure. We will continue to support them, and other clubs, as we monitor the return of the structured Reserve Grade competition next season – which as stated previously, is seen as a vital step in the talent and performance pathway, developing high quality players for Super League and England".

Once in Superleague they will offer a pro-career to North East rugby lads London and Newcastle look good for 2022, viva expansion!

What SL player has Toronto produced?

Can we make this thread about London and Newcastle and not be suckered in by Steph trolling?

"Paul Grimes answered a newspaper advertisement and joined Leigh from Newcastle RUFC in the late 1960s. A real powerhouse second-rower, at well over six foot and 16 stones, he won a Challenge Cup winners medal with the Hilton Park club in 1970/71 and was a member of the successful BBC2 Floodlit Trophy winning outfit in 1972/73. Paul moved to Salford in 1973, but returned to Leigh shortly afterwards and was later sold to Whitehaven for £8,000 in 1979. St.Helens signed `Grizzly` Grimes as a prop forward in November 1982 for £12,000 and the big Geordie became a firm favourite with the Knowsley Road faithful before his transfer to Workington at the start of the 1984/85 campaign......

Chris Thorman's first rugby club was Wallsend Eagles where he played with his younger brothers, Paul and Neil, as a youngster. He was discovered by a scout and sent to regional camps and other rugby league trials. Playing for [North East U16] more and more scouts discovered the potential the young man had. At 16, he made his professional début playing for the Sheffield Eagles. Thorman scored the fastest hat-trick of tries scored from the start of a match in 6 min 54 sec while playing for Huddersfield Giants against Doncaster Dragons In 2004, Thorman made a highly anticipated move to NRL side the Parramatta Eels before leaving Australia and signing with The Huddersfield Giants.

His representative honours include 1 game for Yorkshire, 1 game for England "A" and 2 games as England captain.[2] Thorman captained Huddersfield in the 2006 Challenge Cup Final at stand-off half back against St. Helens. In June 2007 Thorman was called up to the Great Britain squad for the Test match against France. In June 2012, Thorman announced to be joining Super League's Huddersfield Giants as an assistant coach at the end of the season. On 3 May 2019, Thorman was appointed head coach at Workington Town, following the departure of former boss Leon Pryce.

The North East has already produced two legends - lets not be sidetracked by the trolling.....

That's good isn't it,Donnyman?

2 excellent examples of what can be achieved in an area prior to all those community clubs being formed,and a Thunder Academy.

I do hope that hasn't ended the talent progressing.

Fantastic motivation for Toronto.