Really disappointed to lose these two players, they have been important this season and we were still no quite there, like others to say about wanting to return home and join a club on the other side of the world, is a big let down.

A shame that the club or player or both had to bull us.

But Akers is not leaving to go live in Toronto

So just tell the truth! Ackers is taking a great career opportunity that allows him to spend a bit more time (not a great deal more) up North. I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with the released on compassionate grounds bull. You might believe that Ackers completed a deal from start to finish with Toronto one day after his release. I don't.

I don't think anyone thought he asked to be released to go work in b and q he was released because he wanted to be closer to home.
Playing for london he spent Feb to Sep in london with the odd break here and there. Playing for Toronto Feb to Sep he will spend at least half that time at home with his family, can't see what's wrong with that.

These Northerners are rather prone to a bout of homesickness... And they call us the Southern Softies.

Lol problem is when you move between wigan Leeds Hudds etc you don't have to up sticks and move house. To play in london it's not really commutable is it? Upping sticks and moving the family lock stock is financially a massive ask for a rl player or any of us whippet strokers to manage. Remember we lost Paul Sykes because of the same reason many years back, his family were still up north.
Re Toronto, anyone know how they run things? Has anyone said they will get the grouping of games like last season? Do the squad decamp to Toronto as a whole group for that 4 weeks? Where do they base themselves when in the uk
I know as the season went on the accommodation for the visiting teams dropped in standard, some clubs complained being in what was student accommodation at the end.

Now you have an understanding of how Toronto do business..

Im hearing Toronto are setting up a 'home' with academy etc in Manchester

Lots of people upsticks and move for work maybe they have more backbone and stick it out. He knew what he was getting into when he signed up. I hate liars and people thinking they can take you for a ride or that you are an idiot so whoever lied be it him or the club I hope you are proud of yourself. London fans are a great set of people and do not deserve to be treated this way by anyone

Depends what he was getting paid. If its just enough to survive whilst your family is 200 miles away would you do it.

Yes lots of folk upsticks and move 200 miles, usually most in a career move, not that many will do it when they are on the sort of contracts rugby league players are on.
Can't see what the big deal is, the bloke needed to be back up north, he got offered a job by a club that he will spend twice as much time there than at london, stop being so sensitive, it's like the bloke has killed your kitten or summat

He shared a house with 4 other players, so I assume they all paid or none of them did, but the others didn't find it so difficult they needed to leave.

Plummy, have you spent much time living like that? With 3 other blokes in a share of a house? Sometimes you just want to go home to yr family not 3 other blokes you work with.
Does it really matter where he has gone or why he wanted to go anyway?
Why is Willy Barthau not getting lambasted in the same way?
I would not be surprised if there was a get out in the contract anyhow

You miss my point. I left St Helens when I was 18 to go to Uni. I moved to High Wycombe when I was 21. I lived in shared digs for at least 10 years, and during that period I paid the same rent as my fellow sharers. 29 years later I still live down south, during which time I have hated my job, loved my job, etc, but at no point did I feel sufficiently 'home sick' to warrant walking out of a contract. I know we are all different but frankly its pretty weak.