It was always going to be thus. You can't compare them to Catalans, where there was a thriving league scene, just at a lower level. As for Cumbria, you've had over a hundred years to establish a big club and still not managed it.

Interesting, squad numbers I mean. I saw an article the other week where they were moaning slightly about having only used 22 players this year. I thought that sounded incorrect especially since they signed a couple mid season

As long as you pay for their flights over Morecambe Bay and the stay in Barrow.

£130,000 !!! What on earth !

I reckon its the other way around, they have started at the top by signing players one division above the current standard, hence the big 50, 60, 70 point scorelines. Next season they will have a decent squad in the championship that could compete in super league albeit at the lower end.
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Its what happens in about 3 years time will grass roots grow or will they be digging more deeply into the shallow UK player pool, or even worse sign up some of the best players in Superleague from the top clubs, if they can pay out £130k for Westerrman I reckon they could be offering quite a few players £300k to £400k for the 2019 season on an expansion style dispensation salary cap.

Is Westerman the most expensive player in SL history, I make that nearly 400k in transfer fees for him.

Good solid player, but not sure he is worth this much, must have a good agent.

Well Fielden's transfer was £450k in 2006 which is nearly £600k today. Tomkins (albeit transferred to the NRL) was £700k.

Stuart Fielden was 450k IIRC?

They can have average Westerman, Jamie Acton has re-signed for us.....

I used to follow the ice hockey early 90s and if I remember right it was 3 imports rule? It then went to 5 and it was a better spectacle as these mostly Canadian imports were superior to the local lads for obvious reasons.its increased over the years to I think 11 imports and the wealthier franchises had 12/13 imports and stood down 2 each week.Became sterile and the imports blocked off British lads pathways.Rules were changed so the roster had to have so many UK players in it but the teams then signed up youngsters on pittances and put them on the bench and used them to sit out penalties. It's a little similar to our game and I'd like to see Canadian players playing alongside real quality imports same with Catalans .Westerman is a quality player in his prime but there are a lot of UK plodders over there and bearing in mind grid iron and ice hockey are massive over there I'd suggest there will be far better Canadian atheletes who could do the job?

That great "dispensation salary cap" that you've just made up.

he means total, bit weird to think in this day and age, 3 moves, 3 big transfer fees paid.

I doubt anyone else has moved clubs for a fee three times

Here's a conversation for you - "paul, I want to get Toronto in the Superleague in 5 years" "ok, in Championship 1 I need Championship players to win it. In the championship, I need super league players to win it. If thats the case, I'll get you into Super league in 3"

Not sure why people have an issue. If I had a business and had the chance to be multinational in 3 years, I wouldn't P**s around in the markets of Barrow selling socks for a pound, thinking of what could have been. Toronto have 23 players in their squad this year. If you compare their squad to Wigan's then the salary cap seems very very insignificant.

To put into perspective what North America thinks of sport - the Blue Jays signed Bautista on a 5 year deal for 65 million dollars, circa 11 million dollars a year. £7 million pounds. our cap is £1.825 million FOR A TEAM. They laugh at our cap but believe our sport is brilliant. Another Canadian team, then New York, then Chicago etc etc. In 5 years the North American league will be asking Wigan, Leeds, Saints to join their league. At this time, the fact that Swinton, Halifax and Bradford founded the league will mean very little.

£135k for Westerman? Don't get that.

Take Melbourne as an example of an expansion side - in 20 years how many genuine Victorians have come through & played for them?

I'm sure TWP would love to see genuine Canadians playing for them, in fact they did this year in Quinn Ngawati (plus a handful of other North Americans are in the squad). But it does take time for those grassroots structures to develop & yougsters to come through. You only have to look around at some heartland SL/Championship clubs who've been around for 100+ years and note the lack of talent they bring through.

I believe Perez said he wanted an academy within 3 years, so that's something. They also had "The Last Tackle" this year, which enabled them to trial a number of North Americans.