Maybe they decided that it wasn't worth watching "small time" oppositions with hardly any away fans at the game.

I am deliberately taking the p1$$ here but, I think that would be how it would be viewed if this had happened in the heartlands.
The whole thread is just boring, with mainly Leigh fans bemoaning anything that clubs outside Wigan achieve.
Regardless of the crowd, ground, price of beer, venue, home fans, away fans, cost of getting there etc, etc, this was an excellent result for Toulouse and its starting to look like the top 3 in The Championship will now be Toronto, Toulouse and Fev, plus, either Leigh or London and it will be interesting to see which of these can mix it with SL opposition.

If everyone stopped being so bloody negative about anything new, we could all get on with enjoying "The Greatest Game"

Cool story bro.

remember when saints palyed at widnes? which is closer than markham is to toronto, they only managed around 6k average, can we moan about their 4-5 thousand missing fans then?

I think that Toronto have to be the favorites this year as they seem to be steadily building their performances as the season goes on. Toulouse are a really good outfit but may struggle if injuries hit home. London are very inconsistent which will hurt them in the middle 8's. I hope that Leigh make the 8's but it is still looking tough with the run of fixtures we have over the next 6-7 weeks. One thing is for sure though, the gap to super league is closing because some of the standard on SKY this year has been shocking from some teams. My prediction- Toronto to get promoted. What will happen with their home middle 8's games?

They will play them at their home ground, Lamport Stadium, Toronto.

Oh dear...Sir Kevin Lebron Jean ! We won at London Broncos 40-30.







Care to comment, thought not !

My point was that this team that is carrying the hopes of the expansionists was giving their supporters a chance to see a Championship game in the flesh, after being starved of live action, albeit 25 miles away from there normal ground. Some fans may have been nearer to the alternate venue, but 4000 couldn’t be bothered.

Toronto will sort out their ground and fan attendances before the end of the season.

The little blips that the Leyther gang like to point to are not going to stop Toronto from being promoted to Super League if they can beat the weakest SL club in the middle 8s.

It is really only Toronto and Toulouse who have a realistic chance of being promoted. London looked a possibility a few weeks ago, but less so now. Leigh are all hot and cold and will not have a chance of promotion because even if they make the Middle 8s they will not beat any of the four SL teams in the Middle 8s, nor will they beat Toronto or Toulouse in that contest.

Leigh are on a good run at the moment. Some tough games to come but don't rule them out.

I think they still have 2 games against Toronto, plus others against the top 4 and if they win those, they would be well set going into the Middle 8's
It's 4 from 6 and with London on the slide, Leigh will very likely make the top 4.
Although London is supposed to give SL some kind of national profile, in terms of support and genuine SL credentials, they are miles behind the other sides.
Fev are always gallant contenders but, I cant see them ever becoming an established SL side and we have seen just how difficult that task is with Leigh and KR.
The current structure, which condemns any promoted club going through the middle 8's "lottery" the following season, makes it really tough for any promoted side to gain a proper foot hold in the top flight.
It's going to be interesting though and assuming that Toronto play their home games at home, they have a really tough challenge ahead of them and they shouldn't be allowed to play their games en bloc, which will be another interesting decision for those "running" the game.

Any promoted club could avoid the middle 8s by finishing 8th or above, not an easy task but they could do it. It is the inability thus far of newly promoted sides to finish above 9th that leaves them contesting the qualifiers.

Regarding Toronto and the post split fixtures IIRC they played all of their home games, followed by all of their away games in the League 1 8s last season so I would envision them doing the same again. That would give teams going to Toronto at least 3 weeks to sort out logistics, time off work (if part time) etc.

I guess that could disrupt other clubs' home and away fixtures in the play offs Mike? It would be somewhat daunting to fit in trips to Toronto, Toulouse & Catalans - which could happen, depending on final placings!

TBH if Toronto's ground isn't up to SL standard, I don't see why an exception should be made for them. As for Toulouse, I'm not sure where they are playing, but when I went last year it left a lot to be desired, especially access.

It would take a miracle to gain promotion and then finish 8th (or above).

Most, if not all, promoted sides, only have a nucleolus of players capable of the step up to SL an even fewer of "top 8" quality and with established clubs being able to sort their squads out before the MPG, the promoted side starts "too far behind the 8 ball" and IF they stay in SL at the first attempt, it would be a brave owner that was so sure of making the top 8, that they were confident enough to properly strengthen their squad.
Although KR have some very good players in their first team squad, there just doesnt look to be enough depth to get them anywhere near 8th and they will be back in a battle to survive and right now, you wouldnt back against them being in the MPG as Huddersfield and Catalan both look to have improvement in them and if Widnes can get a few players back, even they may be strong enough to avoid the MPG.
The one unknown here is Toronto, who MAY be happy to spend big (assuming that they aren't running out of cash ??).

Really? In them $h!t holes.

With regards Toronto last year, it was the other way round. They played there 3 away games 1st, then the 4 home ones.

With regards promoted clubs not staying up. Recruitment is hard when you don't know which division you're going to be playing in till September. By then the better players have joined other clubs, and your left in a stick or twist situation of either relying on the players who got you out, or players who aren't what you wanted/needed in the first place. But have experience.

The biggest problem for me is a club will have put together a squad of around 28 players to get themselves out of the championship,the problem then is those players will be on 2 or 3 year contracts and the club has no chance of changing those players.
Those players "should they get the club to the SL"will probably be on large pay rises,the salary cap then come into play should you wish to add to the squad.

You are correct, I did know that and meant to write that but for some reason I wrote it the wrong way about.

With the system in place any team gaining promotion has to be better than at least one SL team to finish higher or win the MPG. Both Leigh and Hull KR were better than 2 incumbent SL teams when winning promotion so aren't as behind the 8-ball as those clubs that won a Championship GF to go up (as they weren't necessarily better than any SL incumbent). Recruitment of players of the required standard is always going to be tough as players won't risk stepping down into a largely part time Championship. The statement I originally responded to said that promoted clubs were condemned to the middle 8s by the system. I acknowledge it is not easy but there is a way to avoid the qualifiers, the system doesn't condemn them to the bottom 4. Realistically the aim of a promoted club will be to finish in the top 3 of the qualifiers or as last resort win the MPG. It has ever been thus with relegation with a team needing to finish 1 place above the drop zone.

Sorry, but IMHO Toronto should play Home and Away alternate weeks when it comes to the qualifiers. The Only logistics can be sorted NOW by their sponsor, reserving seats now....it would be totally unfair on the rest of the competition if the wolfpack were permitted to play in blocks, especially as their opponents in Toronto would all be fresh of the plane.....but no doubt their imaginary 7k average and their imaginary TV deal and their imaginary "raising awareness" and their imaginary global sponsors flocking to SL" will see a competition dying o it's knees throw another "hail mary" to get them into SL......

....If Argyle and the sponsor wont fork out for this, then truly the emperors news clothes will have been revealed.

I agree with you there. With a combination of bad decisions in games and by the officials plus injuries being the reason were down in the middle 8's. The first year up is always about staying up anyway you can. Then you look to improve year on year like Wakefield (who were in the 1st mpg) have done for example. It like taking baby steps, stay up, get better players and keep improving.
This system (which I like other than the mpg game),is okay. . Leigh proved that promotion from the championship is achievable, Rovers need to prove that once up you can stay there.should we achieve this, then it is an inspiration to other clubs. And they know they can also be that team that goes and stays up.Though I would have the top 4 in the middle 8'school go to sl.

Although im in favour of Toronto i tend to agree with the bit ive underlined,im not really sure 7 other clubs should be disadvantaged for the sake of one club,just doesnt sit well with me.

Surely we are entitled to take account of the weather in Toronto. You just can't play rugby league there outdoors in February or March. Even April is iffy. Please cut the Canadian boys a bit of slack.

Think they're on about the M8s here young man - surely it can't be problem that time of year as well, or would it be too hot for them then

The Qualifiers......clue is the other 7 teams bit and the fact that it was UNDERLINED.............are played in August and September.

Secondly, the "Canadian boys" don't actually have any Canadians......they are Leigh rejects with a Liberal smattering of ANZACS.

There is no reason other than fiscal that Toronto aren't able to play Home and away alternate weeks in the Qualifiers. As for the start of the season, maybe they should apply to join the NRL then instead of getting preferential treatment.....every team should be made play Home and Away alternate weeks.....if they can't play at home, then they should give up the their home advantage for those rounds, but the scenario this season is farcical with 10 teams all getting off the plane to face a fresh and acclimatised Toronto......Argyle needs to be told to show us the money or just forget it, because as it stands next year they'll bring nothing more to SL than Crusaders, PSG or London ever did......

The theory of what you are saying is correct.
However, there is a world of difference in competing with the bottom 4 in SL in a short sharp burst and competing with the whle of SL week in, week out and if/when those 50+ point reverses start to come in, even the "good" players become less than average.
To make it into the top 8, not ony would any promoted side need 6-8 good new players, they also have to gel and in regards to the overseas players, which Toronto and Toulouse will have plenty, those new "overseas" players have to avoid the dreaded home sickness, which seems to worsen just as soon as their new club get a few thrashings.
As I said, just about impossible to make the top 8.
Therefore, the best that a promoted side can hope for is to scrape through year 1, with a thinnish squad, pray for good luck with injuries and then try to improve their squad during the following season.
This is a major, major flaw with the current system.
However, should Toronto (and Toulouse) manage to get well into the mix and one or both actually gain promotion, there would be a new structure on the cards very quickly indeed.