Looking forward to some imaginative media postings as the new team is not within 10 miles of the M62. Go on, say it, Rugby League hasn't been the same since Dereck Turner retired.

I'm sure it's further north than Toronto so they won't be playing at home till April at the earliest.

Spreading the game is good. Whether eventually having three overseas clubs (Catalans, Toronto and Ottawa) in a league of twelve is sustainable is a moot point. If they expand, they need to expand the league, because you have got to retain your existing support as well. Would I be interested in a Toronto versus Ottawa game? Played in Canada, if well-supported, possibly, out of interest. Played in Bradford because neither can play until April? Probably not.

Spreading the game is good but done in the proper way. Just creating a team from what will probably be non Canadian players, is in my view, the wrong way to do it. Why don't they start their own league ?- ok wouldn't happen overnight but what's the alternative? Like Toronto signing players obviously on big contracts and out of their depth in SL. Their only hope of survival is more non Canadian signings.
Might come good eventually but god forbid the day,if it ever comes, where there are a mixture of American teams, French teams and perhaps a couple of British teams in SL - one of which in all probability won't be WT - would you be happy with that?

The playing in Bradford would be very interesting.
It's almost as though the RFL are looking for a tenant to play in their empty stadium

Even though the geography and logistics are utterly crazy (just as they are for Toronto), the idea of having a new club over there, using the existing UK/Aus playing pool, isn't actually expanding the game.
They HAVE to be in a position to develop AND FIELD some Canadian players.

It's only a few years ago that some of the bigger clubs in SL were advocating a cut in league numbers to 10, most notable Leeds and in particular Jamie Peacock, although he quickly changed his mind when he moved to KR and now, we are trying to swap our UK clubs for pseudo Canadian clubs, it's utter bloody madness.

The thought of genuinely expanding RL into a new country should be applauded but, while the new clubs will indeed be Canadian / N. American, it's in name only and I have been told that, in a cruel twist of irony, Toronto (and maybe Ottowa) struggle to field Canadian players because they are based in the UK, making it nigh on impossible for Canadians to get a work permit to work in England. How utterly daft can it get

I bet they will do most of their training within 10 miles of the M62

Love to know what the club thinks about these Canadian clubs and what they think it's doing to the structure of the game

I don't disagree with any of that. Last thing I want is to see the top flight consisting of overseas clubs and a smattering of English clubs. I was talking about a broad approval of spreading the game, but it has to be done differently, and is perhaps the weakness of one-up, one-down P&R, because we can end up in that situation by big money backers buying their way in.

The hardcore expanionists bemoan the M62 corridor, but let's face it, that's where the excitement is. Sport is built on rivalry. There are many issues facing the game, but I don't think that two small industrial towns, Castleford and Warrington, serving up a great game for the TV audience is one of them.

We need to reconsider franchising, BUT not limit it to twelve teams. If another club can make a business case to be in, and that it will benefit the game, you don't look at which club to throw out to accomodate it, but look at how to include the club by expanding the league. The downsides to franchising as it existed before was the three-year cycle and keeping it interesting near the bottom.

Promotion and relegation weakens the league because you can't expand the league just because, say, Ottawa are about to get promoted, but when Featherstone are, you leave it at twelve. There is a risk that league's attraction becomes its downfall, because a few money-men in North America want to expand it, but end up doing so by creating a league that people aren't interested in as much.

And New York and what about Valencia, it could be an interesting cup run potentially. Don't think my Metro card will cope

It's ok, the new sides will probably be able to cherry pick which competitions they take part in.
Mind you, if they are based in far away Bradford, there shouldn't be too many problems in them (Ottawa) taking part

I'd rather see the RFL/SL/whoever is running things these days expand out gradually. Doncaster have a decent base, help them improve and get better. Work on Donny, Sheffield, York then get into Cumbria and build up Newcastle.

After that hit the Midlands etc.

Now there's an idea......!
You're right the place to try and expand is here first and foremost, but it would have to be done in a better way than previous attempts because clubs in Kent, Cardiff, Mansfield and Carlisle struggled from the beginning and folded Probably because they didn't get enough help.
It can be done though because London have survived!

Give it a rest . Spend time and money developing the game in regions within the uk and Ireland.
Belfast Dublin Glasgow Edinburgh for starters.
New clubs that can be given assistance in development and not rushed in to forming a club based on media headlines. The international game could also threive with home internationals in a few years time.
The rfl seem to think the games got an endless stream of players who can not waite to pull on a shirt and start playing.
Our international games not acheiving anything productive.

I'm all for expansion, but only if done in the right way. I think if we want bigger and better coverage, we have to.

Having said that, I'm not convinced that having foreign sides in our leagues is healthy. Given all the money that America pumps into sport, I think the likes of TW and Ottawa would serve the sport better, headlining an American super league. I also think the same with the likes of Catalan and Toulouse etc. Maybe a continental super league. Could maybe have a four way world club challenge.

As for expansion through the UK, I think the RFL have been guilty in the past of rushing new clubs along, and moving on to new projects without helping the new clubs to become stable both on and off the pitch. Maybe the RFL should employ a team of people that specialise in such as finance, marketing and coaching etc, and this team are based in the development areas, and move about,but not until their current area is stable.

Absolutely.
Rugby League and it's quest for the silver bullet

There is potential to do something in N .America and Toronto's efforts in getting decent numbers through the turnstiles has been very, very good.
However, now that they are spending only marginally more than the other sides in their league (as opposed to 3,4,5 times as much, they have been found wanting.
Their squad is way too small in number and there is literally nothing underneath.
If they continue to pick up a few more injuries, they may actually struggle to name a 21 man squad

I'd love to know what the long term vision is for all of this - assuming that those running the sport actually have a (long term) plan ??