What puzzles me about sky is that they are investing this money but unless you are a subscriber to sky sports channels Rugby League is probably an alien sport to most people. If sky advertised the sport & extolled its virtues more widely on its full spectrum of channels then RL would probably be more attractive to the general public & advertisers in general.

I just don't know mate, I only have a one man business. I don't know anything about SKY airtime and it's value. Do they make more showing their own advertisment for Superleague or do they make more selling that TV slot to a commercial customer? I can't think Rugby league is alien, in my experience anyone who likes Rugby per se knows the other code exists even in Cornwall and vice versa. Anyone who may want to tune in to English RL probably already does.

Over in Canada TWP have to let people into Lamport on free tickets, or alternatively put both the Rugby game and the Beer Festival onto one paying ticket. It was interesting when people started to look closely at the terraces at Lamport during games that announced 6,000 attendances. The crowd looked awful thin for 6,000, but this was excused because according to TWP fans the rest of the crowd were in the beer tents.

When I went to Headingley for the double header, I went into the south stand beer and food hall at half time and it was packed (or should I say Wolfpacked ) As soon as the TWP and Leeds players emerged it completely emptied. It appears when TWP are at home the people in the beer tents don't bother when the games on. Still people will still shout about 9,000 crowds. Steph always puts this at the bottom of her posts. "9,000" fans.

She forgets to put 4,500 in the beer tent and 4,500 in for free!!

Now where have i heard that before? I'm not allowed to say,the antagonistic troll is well protected.

Thanks for your intervention. My bad, I did notice Mr. Capdouze had not posted for weeks, and took the "newcomer" at his word. but yes, his reply to me and his reply to you is unmistakable. Anyway attendances at the games at Salford and Wigan have dispelled the myth about how attractive and glamorous TWP are, but I do think the performance of their players at Wigan was highly commendable - albeit they are highly paid and may well have been reminded of this by McDermott on the orders of Argylle.

But as is the way of these forums nobody will admit they were wrong, and the current idea to excuse their struggles is that they are "finding their feet" and are currently disadvantaged by playing "away" every week

Really? Superleague is currently a league with a 10 club English content.

Should Leigh be promoted, Superleague will have another English professional club that will (1) run a player development system to expand the player pool and will (2) attract more English fans to subscribe to the TV deal and expand that income and (3) see hundreds of Leigh fans attend away games and expand attendances. Those first two factors are the definition of expansion accepted by Toronto when they joined the RFL, and say an average of 500 travelling Leigh fans will expand attendances here significantly.

So your incapable of debate if you cannot accept those three simple facts the first two accepted by Mr. Argyles club, facts that were accepted by Mr. Perez and later Mr. McDermott when he accepted that TWP would not be adding any quality North Americans to the player pool. (don't start being silly quoting Ngwati) nor adding any money to the TV deals....and whilst in SL not bringing any away fans- with attendances so far dispelling the stupid made up myth that TWP will attract a big following here..

Leigh for Toronto will see Superleague expand it's M62 footprint in terms of paying TV viewers for SKY....
Leigh for Toronto will see Superleague expand it's M62 footprint in terms of pro player development here....
Leigh for Toronto will see Superleague expand it's M62 footprint in terms of travelling fans expect 3,000 at Wigan

Whoever you are you adopt exactly the same pose most so called expansionists take that if some rich guy finds 17 players from Leigh, take them to Mali in Africa, and dress them up in Timbuktoo shirts then takes Wigan's Superleague place that is "Expansion" It's not, it's ridiculous as is the crazy idea of flying two teams out to Canada at great cost to pretend they play and watch RL in Canada in any number. Get back in yer beer tent.