Quote: mapleyther "Perez is talking nonsense about the duration of flights from Toronto to the UK. I have been flying back and forth for 18 years and it has NEVER been 5.5 hours. Its usually 6.5 one way and 7.5 the other (because of tailwinds). Even if you accept 5.5 hours, he's not adding on the massive amount of time you have to add on the extra time of getting on and off the plane, check-in, security and all the rest of it, not to mention the real possibility of flight delays.
Where I do agree with him is the amateur nature of the opposition they will be facing. It's not their (the clubs) fault but highlights the folly of putting a full-time team in Champ 1. People ask why they have to hire such a strong squad this season, but imagine the difficulty of hiring journeymen players for just one season, then get rid of them all when (if) you get promoted. You'd effectively be starting all over again, even if you could hire the team in the first place.
I think also part of it is "well, if you won't let us in higher up, we'll just make a mockery of the competition in this first season" and a bit of two fingers going on. To me, if they were going to back this Toronto project at all, it should have been with both barrels - get them in the Championship from day one. As usual, the RFL have wimped out and compromised.'"
I actually think starting at league 1 will be a benefit long term to them. Like you say, hopefully Perez doesn't plan anything based on a 5.5 hour flight, because he's in for a shock. The time difference isn't insignificant either (I was always particularly knackered after flying home from Canada, so how will they be feeling for every away game). Think they'll learn a lot of lessons about what's involved with being a transatlantic team without a detriment to on field results, which could be off putting to fans in the first year.
