This is an interesting post.

But why do clubs need any "incentive" to have an academy? It was having an academy that saw Leeds start to win lots of trophies, why Wigan & saints continue to be dominant and why Warrington more competitive since they improved their academy? Surely Noble & McDermott know Toronto are handicapped with no academy and the best players preferring to play along the M62 not jumping in and out of planes? Salford made the grand final with no academy I know, but the TWP squad as it stands shows you why Noble wants the rules changing so that he can buy the best players academies here produce, because TWP will never have an academy.

Beyond the obligatory half a dozen players the NRL don't want TWP are comprised of players who originate from academies in Wakefield, Warrington, St.Helens, Widnes, Wigan Bradford and Hull who in the end weren't good enough for Superleague. TWP were unable to recruit anyone before they had won promotion, now there's no decent players left so they pulled the SBW stunt. Is it the case TWP just want the cap changing so they can be The Manchester City of Rugby League? Good for the game? Thoughts??

Toronto would need to base their academy side in the UK (maybe they could rent Odsal

) as trying to play in Canada would be nigh on impossible.
However, as for attracting players, apart from being massively behind existing SL clubs in terms of recruitment, Toronto should have plenty of "pull" in attracting players that want to be based in a major City ?? It would certainly be different to living in Wigan or Wakefield.

It's not really that much different in Manchester.....

Wow!! What an interesting thought, TWP buy up all the best young amateur players in England to play as TWP academy out of Odsal. Is there any salary cap for Academy players?? If not all the best English junior players can be signed by TWP on massive contracts. I wondered what Mr. Perez was up to, now you have let the wrencat out of the bag!!

Seriously if something like this comes with Mr. Argylle buying Odsal and making it the Wembley of the North, and getting Bulls back on track as an SL club, which would be him giving massively to the game here, I'm certainly 100% on for that. It would be brilliant for the game.

Well it was Brian McDermott who as London Broncos coach said that London's inability to compete at the top level was because good players did not want to sign for Broncos and go live in relative isolation in London one of the worlds most iconic cities, they much preferred to be based along the M62. I aren't sure what the NRL players at M62 clubs do outside of playing but I would certainly hazard a guess they socialise with fellow imports at other M62 clubs. I can understand Toronto is a vibrant city but so is London, Manchester and Leeds the constant flying must be unbearable?

They don't live in isolation though as they live in the UK, most around the M62 corridor! They've hardly done constant flying the last few years either. Last year probably 8 Atlantic crossings.

You are Leon Pryce and I claim my £5

Manchester or Toronto...…………..well, the answer isn't Manchester.

To be fair..... Nah, your right.

Now thats an event i would attend........ SBW et al parachuting into the grand final to the theme of dambusters...... GLORIOUS!
Imagine the ratings..... BT sport would be in like flynn

The point is the TWP players don't live in Toronto, they spend far more time in the UK at home and in Manchester.

Has anyone told sonny?
I know 2.5 a year is good...... But Manchester????????

There's nowt wrong with Manchester. One of it's selling points is it's only 20 miles from Wigan. (Same goes for Liverpool too!)

Oh aye SBW knows, in a article he said he'd been asking where are the nice places to live around Manchester because he's getting a house, he'll fit in well with all the multi millionaire Man city and united players and other sports men and businessmen in the The Golden Triangle.

Hate yo tell you this shifty, but those footballers all live in leafy Cheshire not Manchestaar.

Nice one Mr. Dog, you got me!! This is the weird thing about this so called expansion, in the end it will be several squads of 20 odd professional RL players all from England, and down under living and training along the M62 flying out to Canada a handful of times a year to play some "home" games. When Toronto and New York, or later Montreal and Ottawa play each other the two pairs of teams will each be on the same Aeroplanes! Let's hope they don't carry on any on field "disagreements"onto the plane returning to Manchester!!



Whilst that's going on the useless Wakefield Trinity will be playing the useless Huddersfield in the part time championship before 2,000. Equally the useless Hull.K.R. will be on 2,000 for the visit of Salford in the championship. These crowds happened last time they met in the Championship. I can understand "expansion" if there are more players & TV money, but if these NA teams are players from here and down under just masquerading as expansion then how do we keep the interest going amongst fans here, or get kids to bother playing anymore in Castleford, Huddersfield Salford and West Hull?? How do we continue to get a SKY TV deal if disgruntled people don't buy Subscriptions anymore from these places?

Pro expansion, a hatred of Wakefield, new user..

Place your bets as to who it is.

Who, Donny? I think you've read him wrong Roy

Apologies Roy, you haven't quite [i"got me wrong"[/i. It is more that I have misled you. I'm pro expansion in the way that London Broncos and Newcastle Thunder operate investing in their player development and academy systems. I love Wakefield, I first saw them about 1972 when I got the bus up to there and was dropped off outside Belle Vue and saw Terry Crook, Dave Topliss, Neil Fox. Mick Morgan and David Smith in action, superb players.

I was being sarcastic about the so called expansionists who believe that Toronto and other proposed clubs who won't ever develop players to "expand" the playing pool or find TV deals to "expand" the broadcast revenues, should be allowed to replace such as Wakefield and Huddersfield who they view as "useless" just because they are at the lower end of the table.

Roy, Donny talks a lot of sense, good at sarcasm to.