You do realise how incredibly pompous you sound - go change a spark plug in someones Micra and chill a bit.

The level of contradiction here is unbelievable.

First of all, it's the RFL's task to sell tickets for Wembley, the same RFL that have taken us down the N. American route.
I'll gamble that they (the RFL) still dont have a contingency plan for the time when London reach the GF. Just like Catalan getting to Wembley, they just hope / assume that it wont happen.
And, great, we invite more overseas clubs to join "our" league and those additional clubs will only be invited into the cup on the assumption that they wont have the audacity to get to the final - the publicity surrounding Red Stars inclusion, whilst at the same time "excluding" Toronto was a bloody disgrace.
So. we invite a further 2 sides to join, knowing thet they cannot run an academy and cannot enter the "blue ribbon" cup competition, effectively cherry picking just which parts of our game they would like to join - it's fundamentally wrong.

I know there are huge logistical issues, especially with cup and play offs etc but, that is part of what I've been banging on about.

As for their academies, should they ever have them.
When and where will they play or, are they excused because of the prohibitive additional costs in playing any meaningful games and what happens to the big 4/5, who will have no opposition for their own academies, other than playing lower league opposition, which over a period of time will have a negative effect on the quality that makes it through to the first team.

This brings us back to player numbers.

Effectively, for the next 10 + years, these new N. American clubs, while stuffed with cash, are mopping up players from Aus and the UK but will not be in a position to put anything into the player pool for the foreseeable future.

It wouldn't be allowed for clubs over here to do this but, Mr Wood's wet dream can do as it pleases.

Lets assume that in 5/6 years time, we have Toronto, New York, Catalan, Ottowa and Toulouse all competing in SL, having replaced 4 of the existing clubs, who themselves would no longer be able to run full academies and reserve sides.

There is zero evidence that any TV deal would be enhanced by their inclusion, although if they dont take a slice of TV cake, that may mean more for the surviving UK sides - maybe this is part of the "masterplan" so why are we so desperate for their inclusion - it will at best, reduce the game in the UK and at worst, thoroughly destroy it.

It only sounds pompous to someone who brags about being stupid.

And I'm not a mechanic.

I dont think that they could possibly start a whole league.

What does seem a little strange is that there is a competition in the USA already. A conference north and conference south and as an outsider, one can only assume that Perez & Co dont want anything to do with that competition, which is on their doorstep.
Maybe one of the expansion "dreamers" can explain why they are "starting afresh" when there could be opportunities to build on what's there ?
Maybe what they have now is a "pop n crisp" competition or perhaps their are politics preventing something happening.
However, if you consider that Jacksonville is a suburb of New York, you could think that there would be some conflict in starting up a "new" side in New York.

With the amount of money they have piled in they could certainly improve that one as you say.

Yes, you are quite correct. You really have gone on to contradict yourself quite a bit! Let's start with this
Here's the first contradiction.
Earlier, you said that the new clubs were picking and choosing. Now you're blaming the RFL. You've changed your argument completely. How dare you accuse someone else of contradiction when doing this so obviously!

If we're going down the blaming the RFL for being ridiculous route (when discussing the Challenge Cup situation), then you will find no argument from me and the majority of people. It's a disgrace how they handled it. That's nothing to do at the clubs.

I've no issue with them deciding the Challenge Cup is a British only competition, but make it clear. They can go and form a separate cup competition if necessary.
The RFL's failings to promote their own game should not be blamed on the overseas clubs. I can't imagine London pulling in any different, and even Salford I can't imagine taking many.


Now you've contradicted yourself again. You've immediately flipped back to saying the clubs are cherry picking. No, they're not. They're being excluded with unfair conditions attached to them that aren't attached to others. They refuse to follow them and have chosen not to take part. Their choice. Our loss.

You do realise there are other clubs - traditional clubs - in Super League that don't run an academy, don't you?


The failure of the RFL to market its showpiece games should not be a reason to exclude others. There are several clubs currently in SL that I'd fear would see just as low an attendance in the Cup Final. What are the RFL going to do then? Only let in the big teams up north?

This isn't a problem with the overseas clubs. This is a problem with the powers that be.


No idea. They may have their own local academy league or feeder system. How they choose to produce players is their prerogative.


I'm beginning to think you don't know what the academy league looks like?

There are 3 non-SL teams in the academy league - Bradford, Widnes and Newcastle, as well as a merger Hull academy. There is no Salford academy team in this league and hasn't been for 3 years. Catalans no longer play in this league, using their reserve team in the French league instead this season.

The quality of the first team does not necessarily affect the quality of the academy. The big SL clubs can, and still do, play lower league clubs' academies. One would assume in your hypothetical situation, this would continue.


They are providing more opportunities for these players. As long as the other clubs are still producing players, the difference coming through will be zero.
If other lower league teams can run academies at present, there is no reason why it cannot continue; especially if there would now be more money in the game.


What wouldn't be allowed? Teams to enter without an academy?
The fact I've just told you it already is happening means this is demonstratively nonsense.


They don't run reserve sides anyway.
And again, some don't run academies.
And further still, again there are lower league clubs that run academies in the SL academy league and have done for a number of years.

So, why wouldn't they be able to run academies outside of SL when they can currently?

It's also in New York which just happens to be the area under discussion regarding setting up a new team not in Florida as you seem to think, maybe it's time to go and hold the wife's hand.

Don't read it then. I'll live.
But if you've got nothing to contribute, why are you bothering to post? Nothing more boring than a person making noise with no purpose.