Looking likely that he’ll be playing super league next season but at 34 is it just a publicity stunt or do they see him as the messiah that will keep them in super league

Right up there with Willie Mason. Lets just make sure the in goal areas are well watered.

Seriously costly publicity stunt, definitely a gamble though at 34 but nonetheless gets RL in the news and Toronto

Absolute quality player, even now but, those numbers are ridiculously huge.
One bad tackle and it's an awful lot of cash sitting in the stands.

Brilliant news for RL. Brilliant for Toronto and brilliant for SL. The most recognizable Rugby player in the world playing for Toronto in SL. This will get media coverage, Toronto will get fabulous marketing opportunities and have an iconic player to help spread the RL word in North America, the largest sports market. People will pay to watch him play. He is a fabulous signing. The only concern is the total lack of marketing ability in RL / SL to make the most of this fabulous opportunity, after all RL / SL marketing departments seem unable to communicate with national newspapers, TV or Radio. I also doubt that they have the expertise or ability to engage the sponsorship opportunities that SBW brings with him.

I imagine there won’t be anymore marquee spots left for them. So will they spend the rest of their salary cap on some promising young Canadians?

Not sure that the RFL and/or SL have any business directly with a clubs playing staff, however good they are, They could hang on the coattails of Toronto and catch a bit of glory by default but they're not footing the bill for Sonny Bill Williams are they. He's there to make a name for Toronto first

Of course they will!

Don't agree with any of that and I seriously doubt anyone in Toronto has ever heard of him. Don't get your enthusiasm tbh.

Do you not think Toronto should be using that money to create junior leagues to create future stars of their own, If not then what's the point in them?

Toronto in SL Is the most exciting, marketable, positive thing to happen in RL for years, typical of RL fans to knock it and simply look for negatives and we wonder why RU has left us for dead. SBW, perhaps the greatest Rugby player ever, wow what a signing, what a statement of intent I am genuinely excited to see him play, not since wanting to watch Wally Lewis, Ray Price and Jonathon Davies have I had such an interest in seeing one player take to the field.

I actually agree with your enthusiasm, to a point.
However, his "star" is on a downward trajectory, with his peak having been 18 months / 2 years ago.
As you say, he is THE most recognisable RL player and will be a great watch in SL but, even taking into account the ability of Toronto's marketing people to make the most of this, the spend just looks way over the top.

You would have to say though that, the future success of RL in N. America wont rest on his shoulders and is utterly dependent on them being able to establish junior RL and to help increase the player pool for the sport and not just be able to field a side of all stars on a Saturday evening.

If they go the "mercenary" route, we will ultimately swap a "heartland" club for an overseas club and actually lose a chunk of junior development with the emergence of each new side.

What a waste of money, seriously. Even if it is good publicity for the club/game it is a very short sighted investment for me, but more fool them.

For that money, they could have there pick of 3 or 4 current top Aussie internationals that would really have made a difference to there team.

Yes, okay, he has been a world class player, he wasn't even deemed a top performer in his last stint with Sydney, he was completely outshone by Cordner and even that was a few years ago....We have heard all this before - What a signing Trent Merrin was - Has he been any better than Arona? The world class Kevin Locke at Salford, what happened there? He ended up at Belle Vue 4 month later... Todd Carney? Greg Bird?

Billy Conway and/or Nigel Bell would have sorted him out.

I'm looking forward to seeing him play in a league where perhaps he will face the least difficult challenge of his career. Robbie Hunter-Paul described it as a "game-changer". I wouldn't go that far. He was a rugby league player first of all, and has dipped in and out during his career. In reality, it is newsworthy but not huge news, given his age. He is banking a fat cheque as a pension by seeing out his career where it started, albeit at a lower level.

Arguably, it does UK league harm, as we are only good enough to get him at the end of his career, whereas the NRL and others got him at his peak. It shows us a bit second-rate, particularly if we are frothing at the idea of getting someone so old.

The biggest effect might be on the players around him, rather than what he does on the pitch, so maybe a good move, if they have the money to spend.

I presume it is also Canadian dollars, which makes it less than it first appears.

Waste of brass for me