I'm not against New York on the principle they actually play RL in the USA, plus they ask properly to join and that includes asking SL, and not doing TWP's trick of ambushing Wood just as he was about to leave the game here, and was in no position to refuse with an RLIF job just lined up for him.

For me Wilby must know the SKY ENGLISH TV deal is likely to drop down and Superleague is likely to be 10 clubs only 2022. So how do those actual facts square with any overseas clubs being a part pf a smaller English TV deal and league even Catalans? Equally note that TWP's investment in future players that could grace 2022 is a 36 year old past it moneygrabber who will be pushing 40 by then. TWP aren't geared up to be part of the 2022 Superleague (which is my main point) so the likes of NY and Ottawa aren't going to spend a penny apart from racking up "likes" and "eyeballs" on social media when they are highly unlikely to offer us anything more than TWP who offer nothing anyway.

I'm off to buy League Express and League Weekly where I may find some news on the Transatlantic League Locky and Sadler are looking forward to, but 80% of their readership are not.....

No idea whether Wood was ambushed or not but I'm struggling with the leap of logic that follows. Why couldn't he have knocked them back?

How can I help?

New York and ottawa will be joining league 1 in 2021 and folau is pretty much nailed on to be joining New York

Ignore the bitter expat. He has proven countless times he has no idea what he has talking about.

We have been told this plenty of times, but as it stands we have the Ottawa bid leader sat in Bradford and the NYC club flogging bobble hats. Nothing else.

...so says the ANZAC Press, but little information from the UK press, which is odd, given he'd be playing in the UK competition.




Troll
Troll
Insult

Standard fare from JeaBron. You seem particularly "catty" tonight Stephanie.....cheer up lass.

With a view to doing what? It's pretty much nailed on Superleague will be heading for a 10 club English league by then, even Catalans would be lucky to still be in it. Once again let's just forget the facts, and the main fact is we only have Professional RL clubs because we have SKY and SKY only benefit from English people buying the subscriptions and supporting the advertisors etc etc. Which particular clubs will SL bosses sacrifice for New York, Ottawa and TWP to be in Superleague? Can you not grasp English SL clubs aren't going to sell each other out and ruin the SKY contract?

But I'm not having a go at you if you just don't get it, it's people like Lockwood and Sadler who peddle the dream, refusing to make any honest analysis of the situation, who whip up this "expansion" stuff.

You should do. It's nowt more than a troll who is attempting to get a rise out of fans of clubs like Wakefield and Leigh. It's even started having a go at London, which will be difficult given it and its other troll collective have been pro London for ages, but they want to get a rise out of me.....


It's 5 Days since the ANZAC press ran with this story, 2 since NYC (one of the 3 current people associated with the imaginary club I suppose) refused to answer a question put to them by total facist RL journalists (sic).

The more pertinent question will be put to the RFL......as in, "are you prepared to have an outspoken homophobic religious zealot as the poster boy for the game in NYC? Given the NRL/ARU/AFL have all said no, so are we going to accept such a person for the sake of a couple of column inches?

I don't think I can open a closed or malicious mind, all I can do is use my reply to point out the realities for those with open minds and good hearts. Each silly post that suggests clubs with no substance or alleged clubs that can only talk about what they will do in the future, or above all any post that refuses to acknowledge SKY don't want a Transatlantic League, does deserve a courteous, fact based reply.

Not because these people will see the light of day or change their minds, but because the idea of expansion is something we have all craved for and grasped at for decades and too many great RL fans actually want to believe this stuff, better to explain it than attack those who cheerlead it, and in any event the RL press cheerlead it to death as does your hated TotalRL.com. There's no discussions on there, they live the American dream every day despite the facts. and despite the first fan poll on this that places 4 out of 5 fans unimpressed by the American Dream.

RL journos often complain of not being able to get answers or interviews out of the RFL or Superleague, but realists like us equally don't get answers from the Journo's and RL rag editors who seem to cheer everything NY, Ottawa and TWP do? No searching questions, no analysis, just praise for this new dawn. Do they also "want to" believe" this stuff?? Perez sat there a few years ago and said "we will bring you new players and TV deals" McDermott stood there a few weeks ago and said sorry, we won't bring you new players and TV deals. Yet no comment from the RL rags. Weird!!

What they should have done with all of them including France when they wanted to join is can you make sure you have a TV deal what sky can use has well the deal should be for 2 yrs or more if not you can not join the competition

Although Catalan came straight into SL (not having to work their way up etc), Toronto have come through League 1 and the Championship.
At what point could they or should they have negotiated a TV deal ?
Should this have been done on a what if basis or should they wait until they have the certainty of promotion.
Also, what happens should they get relegated at the end of next season.

It's up to SL (or whoever does the negotiating) to "sell" the idea of a having a Canadian (or French side in the comp).

Unfortunately, this concept is fundamentally flawed, as there is little or no interest in Canada for paying a subscription to watch Rugby League.
This may change over time but, the "dreamers" who say that there will be increased opportunities for selling a TV deal are just deluded.

There was more chance in France, as the game isn't just played by Catalan and there is a healthy competition in their lower leagues but, in Canada, there is nothing and almost zero interest, although sports fans will watch just about anything but, they wouldn't be prepared to pay extra to watch RL.

1. Eric Perez was chasing a paying TV deal from the minute he started TWP in 2016. He chased a deal to show his grid iron trialists trying to be RL players, after that he's been chasing a deal for TWP to be shown and had no interest whatsoever. He admitted in the end TWP can't get a North American paying TV deal unless there are professional level games between at least five North American clubs. That this won't happen led mcDermott to recently go public and admit and confirm there will be no NATV deal.

2. If they get relegated then that's the end of the road for their SL ambitions. They only got promoted on an agreement with the RFL that SL would not block promotion in the current period of the TV deal. If TWP went down 2020 and won the championship 2021 that agreement would have lapsed by then.

3. The English Superleague and their negotiator Elstone do not want to "sell" overseas sides?????? Why do you say this??

4. French RL is simply not healthy. Les Catalans haven't improved the French test team it's as bad as ever and Les Catalans have even more non-French lads in their side now than when they started.

Again if you are worried Superleague is going to sell Wakefield Trinity out check this with Mike Carter and he will put your mind to rest, also don't read anything produced by Danny Lockwood, John Drake or Martyn Sadler who all got so excited and drawn in by Perez that they nailed their colours to the American dream but can't bring themselves to admit they got that all wrong, and took it out on Mr. Axe to grind..

I'm not sure about not "wanting" to sell overseas sides but, they sure as hell cant.
Confirmation of this was that "we" didn't "promote" Toronto and Toulouse at the last reshuffle.

I presume that Toronto dinn't "want" a slice of TV cash as they were confident of getting some kind of deal in N. America.
Without any TV revenue as a foundation for their income, they become ever more reliant on their consortium emptying their pockets even faster.

I'm not sure that their business model would be acceptable for any other RL side in the UK (or France) but, I guess they too are chasing the dream, it's certainly not gradual improvement, more boom and bust strategy, lets all hope that it's not the latter.