Good luck to Newcastle Thunder (if & when this season continues) or if not, hope they can stay around for 2021.

Yes the academies are terrible
Good one.

If we have a 12 club top flight with six overseas clubs (which will never happen SKY must have at least 9 English clubs) there is no way English clubs outside Superleague are going to pay out £300,000 a year to run foundations and academies to help stock a Transatlantic league they can never be part of. Currently Mr. Perez has been shouting about grass roots development in Ottawa but he's shouted about this for 10 years. Now Wilby has revealed an NY investor in Mr. Scanlan but again how much will the gentleman be investing in player development?.

And when RL is only played at top level in Hull, Leeds, Huddersfield, Wigan, St.Helens and Warrington how many spectators will the game lose, how many schools will turn to union? how many amateur clubs will shut their doors. The fact is going Transatlantic will kill the game here. Yes we want expansion...and so grasp it in Newcastle. Grasp it in London and look to Wales for the future. Yes I know we have failed in Wales since 1907 but Canada RL died in 1960 and despite a small revival around 1980 there's been very little grass roots RL since and four years of TWP has done nothing.

It's so important to remember when Celtic Crusaders came along. Love them or hate them the Junior game in Wales exploded with their inclusion.

Donnyman,
It does seem fatuous to use Newcastle Thunder as an example when you are simply continuing your tirade against Canadian/North American clubs.

I don't recall you having a go at Shane Richardson or Kath Hetherington when they were in charge of their first year at Gateshead Thunder.

The progress to Thunder having an academy has been due to persons outside of the club;in the first instance.Certainy independent of the club despite a number of club owners.

The sam can be said about development in south Wales of the youngsters;independent of the Crusaders club owner in Bridgend.

The 'great' heartland clubs,have,in recent years,had to be dragged,kicking and screaming,to have reserve sides,to continue the pathway of youngsters still interested in playing the sport.

There are far more important concerns for clubs starting off in the professional/semi-professional ranks.

I think academies are good ideas - just as well the governing body does,or those independently run heartland clubs would NOT consider them.

Perhaps we should emulate what some other European soccer clubs do and have the best coaches coaching the youngest players.

Even with academies,over the past years,this country lags behind.

Perhaps the overseas clubs,and players will catch up - they ain't too far behind as it stands.

Not true at all. Very quickly after both Celtic Crusaders and Gateshead Thunder started they inspired RL people locally to support and develop Rugby league grassroots and this was in the face of opposition and competition from Rugby Union and soccer. Simple as.

If we want expansion regardless of preferences about where it should be, it can only be measured playing wise by grass roots growth, and commercially by the ability to underpin a paying TV deal. we have London and Newcastle who can do the old 1-2-3.

1. Rich owner
2. Can underpin a TV deal with fans paying TV subs
3. Can develop players.

That's the point of the thread, anyone who wants viable and effective expansion can get behind these two clubs London and Newcastle. I hope you are "in"

How are London viable when they have gone bust about 309 times and produced one super league player in 30 years? Toronto have produced the same number of SL players in 3 years

please give us the dates to the 309 times yer cock wobble

The owner is wealthy enough to do so, equally London Broncos have a wealthy owner who reduced his cost base accordingly and AFAIK Mr. Lenegan still get's involved with the Broncos so they are well looked after now.

It's important in a league where all the owners have to put money in at times they get on together, and that they work to the same business plan of serious player development and maximising TV appeal. More SKY dishes in London and Newcastle will be most welcome and this would be an obvious way to try to maximise the 2022 deal. Sadly if there are any concerns for "staying around" they lie in Perpignan.

One Super League player?? That has got to be one of your daftest posts ever and that's quite an achievement even for you.

I've read thousands of daft posts. As we organise for providing SKY with a viable game that meets what they want, they will get dafter and dafter!! ANYWAY a quote on topic.......

"Dave Rotherham, the RFL’s Interim Chief On-Field Officer, saidNewcastle Thunder to produce a 15-team Reserve Grade competition from 2020. Newcastle also submitted a thorough application which stressed the quality and quantity of their player supply through their established Academy structure. We will continue to support them, and other clubs, as we monitor the return of the structured Reserve Grade competition next season – which as stated previously, is seen as a vital step in the talent and performance pathway, developing high quality players for Super League and England".

Once in Superleague they will offer a pro-career to North East rugby lads London and Newcastle look good for 2022, viva expansion!

What SL player has Toronto produced?

Can we make this thread about London and Newcastle and not be suckered in by Steph trolling?

"Paul Grimes answered a newspaper advertisement and joined Leigh from Newcastle RUFC in the late 1960s. A real powerhouse second-rower, at well over six foot and 16 stones, he won a Challenge Cup winners medal with the Hilton Park club in 1970/71 and was a member of the successful BBC2 Floodlit Trophy winning outfit in 1972/73. Paul moved to Salford in 1973, but returned to Leigh shortly afterwards and was later sold to Whitehaven for £8,000 in 1979. St.Helens signed `Grizzly` Grimes as a prop forward in November 1982 for £12,000 and the big Geordie became a firm favourite with the Knowsley Road faithful before his transfer to Workington at the start of the 1984/85 campaign......

Chris Thorman's first rugby club was Wallsend Eagles where he played with his younger brothers, Paul and Neil, as a youngster. He was discovered by a scout and sent to regional camps and other rugby league trials. Playing for [North East U16] more and more scouts discovered the potential the young man had. At 16, he made his professional début playing for the Sheffield Eagles. Thorman scored the fastest hat-trick of tries scored from the start of a match in 6 min 54 sec while playing for Huddersfield Giants against Doncaster Dragons In 2004, Thorman made a highly anticipated move to NRL side the Parramatta Eels before leaving Australia and signing with The Huddersfield Giants.

His representative honours include 1 game for Yorkshire, 1 game for England "A" and 2 games as England captain.[2] Thorman captained Huddersfield in the 2006 Challenge Cup Final at stand-off half back against St. Helens. In June 2007 Thorman was called up to the Great Britain squad for the Test match against France. In June 2012, Thorman announced to be joining Super League's Huddersfield Giants as an assistant coach at the end of the season. On 3 May 2019, Thorman was appointed head coach at Workington Town, following the departure of former boss Leon Pryce.

The North East has already produced two legends - lets not be sidetracked by the trolling.....

That's good isn't it,Donnyman?

2 excellent examples of what can be achieved in an area prior to all those community clubs being formed,and a Thunder Academy.

I do hope that hasn't ended the talent progressing.

Fantastic motivation for Toronto.