Ah, so the new N. American clubs are doing us a favour, by protecting the RL player pool
For N .America to have any chance of working, they have to be able to contribute players to the sport.
Can you suggest how and/ or when this could actually happen or, will they simply overpay for the talent nurtured by Aussie and English clubs ?/

I stopped to think that and so have the SL bosses so we ain't going down that route. That's a "fact"...

However your enamoured with the French route as somehow you think that if Catalans replaced Widnes that would not be a bad thing? Look back and you will find Catalans DID replace Widnes. What about if Toulouse replaced Wakefield then? How about Avignon replacing Castleford?

I could then see Leeds United building a new ground to welcome thousands of new fans from Cas, Wakey, Ponte and Fev to the Premier League.

But the French bring so much to the game here. Unlike Toronto Wolfpack they have a TV deal, unlike Toronto Wolfpack they have an academy and reserves to develop players, unlike Canada they have an International side to play Great Britain annually...... Oh hang on......

Sorry mate - they have none of these things.

Mikel Simon has retired so that will make their first team almost all Anglo-Aussie, Remy Casty won't be long either......

Quote: Ornery Optimist "Unlike the Gateshead Thunder expansion at the back end of the 1990's,where the RFL parachuted in a side full of Aussies - again working from the top down - Toronto/North America may take less than the 3 decades the north east has taken. There already seems to be a start with at least one individual on social media indicating the right mindset,regularly. rlThey're On Their Wayrl'" But that's not really true is it, Having had trials at Toronto he's ended up playing for Shaw cross at dewsbury, wonder if he stood outside their club house with a cardboard sign hung round his neck like he did at Cleveland Brown's demanding a game. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwmUAIFBHPf ... e=ig_embed Fair play to him hope he can find a club but at 28 years old time is passing by quickly

Quote: Ornery Optimist "Unlike the Gateshead Thunder expansion at the back end of the 1990's,where the RFL parachuted in a side full of Aussies - again working from the top down - Toronto/North America may take less than the 3 decades the north east has taken. There already seems to be a start with at least one individual on social media indicating the right mindset,regularly. rlThey're On Their Wayrl'" But that's not really true is it, Having had trials at Toronto he's ended up playing for Shaw cross at dewsbury, wonder if he stood outside their club house with a cardboard sign hung round his neck like he did at Cleveland Brown's demanding a game. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwmUAIFBHPf ... e=ig_embed Fair play to him hope he can find a club but at 28 years old time is passing by quickly

Quote: snowie "But that's not really true is it, Having had trials at Toronto he's ended up playing for Shaw cross at dewsbury, wonder if he stood outside their club house with a cardboard sign hung round his neck like he did at Cleveland Brown's demanding a game. So much isn't true on here thanks to a few fishing for reactions, but when it comes to New York it's true they have now shifted their plans to 2022, leaving the question are the Ottawa Aces for real? If so this lad should be chasing Mr. Perez for a game. At the very least Mr. Perez could sign him as a figurehead to show the aces are open for business and planning for 2021. One man does not make a team you say? https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/ca ... tawa-aces/ Bob Jowett leads the amateur game in Canada and provides a run down of the RL activity across Canada. With Perez committing to an element of home grown players in the Aces squad Jowett surely can find Eric a number of capable Canadians to join the squad, then what about some of the USARL lads some of whom featured for Toronto Wolfpack in their early days? Some USA talent who did not feature for TWP popped up for the USA World cup team and although well beaten, this was against top class players in which the USA lads gave their all and were not disgraced. Surely Mr. Perez needs to get in there quickly before New York sign them for 2022? If clubs like south/West Wales, Gloucester and Oxford can compete in Championship One then Ottawa can with the pick of North American talent. If the Aces are not for next season (and certainly not for Jan/Feb/Mar) they could look to some summer games 2021 for trials for 2022. What they cannot do now there is no P&R is to wait for Hull.K.R. to be relegated and pinch all their players like TWP did with Leigh.

Quote: snowie "But that's not really true is it, Having had trials at Toronto he's ended up playing for Shaw cross at dewsbury, wonder if he stood outside their club house with a cardboard sign hung round his neck like he did at Cleveland Brown's demanding a game. So much isn't true on here thanks to a few fishing for reactions, but when it comes to New York it's true they have now shifted their plans to 2022, leaving the question are the Ottawa Aces for real? If so this lad should be chasing Mr. Perez for a game. At the very least Mr. Perez could sign him as a figurehead to show the aces are open for business and planning for 2021. One man does not make a team you say? https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/ca ... tawa-aces/ Bob Jowett leads the amateur game in Canada and provides a run down of the RL activity across Canada. With Perez committing to an element of home grown players in the Aces squad Jowett surely can find Eric a number of capable Canadians to join the squad, then what about some of the USARL lads some of whom featured for Toronto Wolfpack in their early days? Some USA talent who did not feature for TWP popped up for the USA World cup team and although well beaten, this was against top class players in which the USA lads gave their all and were not disgraced. Surely Mr. Perez needs to get in there quickly before New York sign them for 2022? If clubs like south/West Wales, Gloucester and Oxford can compete in Championship One then Ottawa can with the pick of North American talent. If the Aces are not for next season (and certainly not for Jan/Feb/Mar) they could look to some summer games 2021 for trials for 2022. What they cannot do now there is no P&R is to wait for Hull.K.R. to be relegated and pinch all their players like TWP did with Leigh.

It now looks like Toronto will not finish the season so it says in the mirror so if so do we get Leigh or the other french side

Would love to see Leigh in the top flight, their fans deserve it not forgetting a mention to Derek Beaumont whose thrown his hard earned at it enough times.

You just beat me to that although I posted it as a new Topic. I am sure the answer to your question if TWP pull out would be that Superleague just plays out the remaining fixtures. It can't be fair on a Championship club to fill in although I am sure Mr. Beaumont would take promotion now!! But he would need assurance there'd be no relegation!!

As for promotion from the championship being on if there's an empty place, it's well overdue Leigh's turn. Give the club a break!!

While agree with what you've posted about ambition and a willingness to learn to just adds to the debate about around allowing new clubs not to produce their own talent it should be mandatory that there is something in place

I fail to see why there is so much Catalans bashing in this thread (albeit i am biased).

Surely the important thing is the game in this instance, and people are playing and watching the game in the area of France?

Ok we would all love more French players in the team, but then when there are people complain that they should be spread out across Superleague to improve the French national team and decrease reliance on Catalans for it.

We went more French under Fraysionous and that hardly went well so its just a fact that (for now) etrangers are needed to keep Dragons competitive.

I think that the more important issue there is Elite 1 and the issue of it being played across the winter and the level of competitiveness.

I remember when Escare came into the Dragons first team after having played domestically all winter. People then wondered why he had a slow start to his second season.

Got to agree with you here Jimmy far too much unwarranted and unnecessary Catalan bashing, all the rest of super league or maybe with the odd exception are maxed out with imported players so where's the difference, without getting further into the debate about franchising and promotion and relegation, if it were franchising maybe Catalans would be able to bring in more French players and less mercenaries which in turn would satisfy those intent on detracting they're efforts.

It's important for French Rugby League that they are in Superleague. It's important for English Rugby league big names like Widnes and Bradford return to Superleague and that expansion clubs like Newcastle get into Superleague and London get back there.

Your bias is obvious mate so your honesty does you proud. The fact is the official reason to include France in SL was to enable France.v.GB tests to return. Return they did BUT due to a lack of French talent they died again. It's important to acknowledge this and give Catalans place back to an English club.