No need to be bitchy ! So if Hull FC were based in a small town, owned their own goround (imagine that) attracted around 700 fans, but had no backer, and were in championship one, you'd be 'all for' WORLD EXPANSION wouldn't you! Folk like you make me laugh, all the 'expansion lovers' are 95% fans of teams who have only ever been in Super League...."we're alright jack, and all that !" How many other UK Sports 'FEEL THE NEED' to have overseas teams in their domestic leagues ? It's not ground breaking, it's pathetic. Catalan Dragons are having an amazing season so far, but when France play England next time around, they will have no chance of winning (as per usual)'. That's progress for you. Hopefully in a few years, Canada will be able to beat the Chad 'national team'!

Quote: Budgiezilla "No need to be bitchy ! So if Hull FC were based in a small town, owned their own goround (imagine that) attracted around 700 fans, but had no backer, and were in championship one, you'd be 'all for' WORLD EXPANSION wouldn't you! Folk like you make me laugh, all the 'expansion lovers' are 95% fans of teams who have only ever been in Super League...."we're alright jack, and all that !" How many other UK Sports 'FEEL THE NEED' to have overseas teams in their domestic leagues ? It's not ground breaking, it's pathetic. Catalan Dragons are having an amazing season so far, yet when they England next time around, the French team will still get 'thrashed'. That's progress for you. Hopefully in a few years, Canada will be able to beat the Chad 'national team'!'" Chad do not have a 'national team' but last year Canada were able to draw with a Jamaica side that had a large number of Championship players such as Omari Caro, Joel Farrell and Wayne Reittie. www.rlef.eu.com/wcq/report?RLE00000665 BTW the Toronto team was unanimously voted in by the rest of the League One clubs.

Quote: Budgiezilla "No need to be bitchy ! So if Hull FC were based in a small town, owned their own goround (imagine that) attracted around 700 fans, but had no backer, and were in championship one, you'd be 'all for' WORLD EXPANSION wouldn't you! Folk like you make me laugh, all the 'expansion lovers' are 95% fans of teams who have only ever been in Super League...."we're alright jack, and all that !" How many other UK Sports 'FEEL THE NEED' to have overseas teams in their domestic leagues ? It's not ground breaking, it's pathetic. Catalan Dragons are having an amazing season so far, yet when they England next time around, the French team will still get 'thrashed'. That's progress for you. Hopefully in a few years, Canada will be able to beat the Chad 'national team'!'" Chad do not have a 'national team' but last year Canada were able to draw with a Jamaica side that had a large number of Championship players such as Omari Caro, Joel Farrell and Wayne Reittie. www.rlef.eu.com/wcq/report?RLE00000665 BTW the Toronto team was unanimously voted in by the rest of the League One clubs.

There is a club in Hull which fits my description perfectly. Like Leigh, they're small time and contribute the square root of fk all to the sport. And Hull FC haven't always been in Superleague. 1997 was one of my most memorable seasons in fact.

The sport has to at some point move forward, and they wont do with badly run, small clubs holding the good ones back. If Leigh or any other club feel threatened by it, then it's time to up their game.

So what you're really saying is that your scared that Toronto or another expansion team is going to overtake your team and make it harder for your club to reach SL?

Wouldn't that be an "as long as we're alright Jack!" attitude?

Most just want to see the sport do well and become bigger and IF Toronto can be a success then North America offers so much potential and money to make the game bigger that RL should at least try and give this a chance. Nothing in reality is lost if it doesn't work, but if it does then the sport can gain potentially quite a lot.

Being Bitchy once again (re Hull KR). OK Einstein, where do the RFL 'draw the line'. Their are probably nearly 20 clubs in the bottom 2 leagues who average under gates of a 1000 speccys, and produce bugger all talent for Sooper League clubs (unlike Leigh of course). Do they gradually replace them with any City in Europe with a financial backer....and see how it goes.
p.s. How can Leigh Centurions 'up their game' expert ?

Finishing higher than 8th in the Middle 8 would be a good start.

Who are Toronto replacing? If any cities come along with a financial backer and a viable business plan then they should be accepted, and if that means we get a league full of bigger and better teams than Leigh then that's great news for the sport and everyone involved.

You realise that Toronto aren't 'replacing' anyone don't you? They're being added to League 1, to compete with existing clubs.

You've just completely nailed the argument. 20 clubs attracting less than 1000 speccies to games (to use your figures), yet you'd turn one away that could attract thousands, open the sport to a new market, produce players, attract investment? Bizarre logic.

This venture will fall flat on its ars3 within the first six months.

Good thing you support a wholly sustainable club that has never run into instability or financial problems.

I do, but where 'will it end'. Toronto are being given preferential treatment as regards the 'salary cap'. I know they are not REPLACING any team, but different rules because they are from a BIG CITY in Canada. Even Toulouse didn't get that help (I don't think so anyway). We are very different pal, I'm used to visiting Rochdale, Hunslet, Oldham, Whitehaven, & York etc. Admittedly I would rather see one of those clubs get back to the 'big time' rather than a new 'franchise with loads of money' get in SL. Remember 'Cougarmania' when Keighley used to get gates over 6K, obviously you know that will never happen again. This is my final post on this topic, just wonder what other clubs in their league will make of it next season, when it actually happens.....

Errr probably one of our biggest competitor in Rugby union feel the need to have a league including Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Italian teams

American Football has for several years played games at Wembley with the view of eventually having a British team in their league....will American Football be a joke when they do that or is it only when RL tries it?

I think by far the most worrying thing about this development is I find myself agreeing with Headhunter and SmokeyTA. If that can happen, I think anything is possible.

I do love the accusation of an "alright Jack" attitude from SL fans when it is quite clearly some fans of small-town clubs that are basically saying "we don't want you in because you'll take our spot and make it harder for us to get to the top." THAT is an alright Jack attitude!

What will happen to the clubs of smaller towns? They will not be replaced. They will still be in the system. They will just find their level. If a big city club wants to join the league and can be backed by investment (you know, money that the game didn't previously have until these investors came along), let them.