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What you on about it’s Noble who’s moaning you can’t expect to play the qualifiers how you want to play them

Brian, you 'whinging old grandad' nobody asked you lot to join our league. But I agree, you should be playing in a Canadian League. The RFL did obviously not think travelling might be a problem for Toronto. They knew it would be for the (championship/league 1) away teams, but they don't care about them

So TWP have beaten Halifax, the lowest ranked side in The Qualifiers, get the Champagne out, your as good as promoted

You've still got to beat London, Toulouse and at least one SL club and possibly win the MPG, it's as good as in the bag.
I know that you're new to this but, have a look at Leigh and Bradford's recent history in getting through this comp, there is certainly no guarantee of success.

I'd be shocked if they weren't promoted but they'll be absolutely nowhere near winning any trophies once they get into Super League.

Is that the same 'potential' I keep getting told that London and Sheffield have had for the last 38 and 34 years respectively?

Not doing your sums, wrencat. If you'd read the article, you'd have noted that Noble claims it will cost "not far short of 300,000 pounds" for Wolfpack to participate in the Qualifiers, not to ferry and accommodate the Wolfpack alone.

You'd have further noted that the two Super League teams travelling to Toronto have demanded business class flights and four star hotels. This is still on the Wolfpack's tab, as they agreed to pay the travel costs to get to Super League. Add up those costs for the squad and the coaches and support staff - the SL clubs are the ones running up the tab.

By the way, visiting teams didn't stay in a glorified bunk house. They stayed in clean and new student accommodation, not a Dickensian workhouse. But never let the facts stand in the way of a good story, eh?

I'll tell you what they have brought. They've brought more energy, enthusiasm and excitement to this sport's supporter experience since the days of Bullmania. They've brought a higher media profile than to the sport than any non-SL club since the switch to summer, and more than most SL clubs in their respective SL existence.

They've also, in the space of two years, started generating crowds of 7-8k from nothing (anyone who wants to respond to that with "those are inflated numbers" needs to prove it). At a time when crowds across the heartlands are going south, Toronto has introduced this game to a brand new audience.

I realise for some that whatever Toronto do will never be enough to satisfy them, but in the space of two years they've achieved more than what many heartland clubs have achieved in their entire SL existence. Growing a new audience from scratch, creating an event, and buliding a media profile. Instead of asking "what are Toronto doing?", we should be asking why every heartland club isn't doing this.

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Well if you play in a competition thousands of miles away there’s a chance you may incur some extra cost I can’t believe this is a shock to some at Toronto

It’s like he’s only just realised that Toronto is 3400 miles away.

It was their choice to come and play in this league(s). Why should the format be changed to suit one particular team? The format is the format, there are home and away games and in no other sport I can think of do one team get an advantage by playing chunks of games at home and chunks of games away to make it easier for them either financially or for player jet lag. If they can’t afford the flights over then they need to re-evaluate what they’re doing; if their players are bored of Duty Free then they need to re-evaluate what they’re doing.

NZ Warriors have to travel between 1400-2000 miles every other week and they don’t complain.

If you can’t stick to the format then stick it, create your own league.

(And I’m pro-expansion!)

They have incurred all the travel and accommodation costs for all the visiting teams for two seasons and given them a day out at Niagara Falls. And now footing the bill for some Super League teams to live high off the hog. It's not a shock, but it does look as if SL is taking advantage.

Most of us don''t care love.

Sense at last. I can't believe anyone didn't think there would be issues for a team from that side of pond to play in British Rugby League.

According to the teams who had to stay there they were no better than hostels.

How exactly have they brought more energy and enthusiasm to the supporter experience? What higher media profile?

This is from a Leigh fan who is good mates with assistant coach Paul Anderson....who told him the following info following Leigh's game @ Toronto in June.

1. The squad stayed in basic student accomodation quite a way of the the city and had no immediate training facilities. Unlike Toronto who were staying directly in the city.
2. There was a 3G pitch next to their accommodation that they could not use & had to get a coach for 40 minutes to a separate training facility that was resembled the rucks up Plank Lane, Leigh
3. In Toulouse & Catalan they were provided with 3 meals. I saw a picture of the sh** breakfast (one meal!) that their accommodation provided.
4. Following the match they were provided with flights back to the UK. Well, Glasgow to be precise & then a coach to Leigh.