Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:36 pm  

With the unsurprising news that Toronto have been denied entry to SL next season and a possible place being made available can anyone see us being in the mix if the opportunity becomes available?

I realise that we are in the doldrums at the moment and have been for years but could there be a back door reprieve for Bradford becoming available?

Any thoughts?

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Mon Nov 02, 2020 6:51 pm  

Not a chance. It will be an 11 team comp. Its an old boys club. Elstone on a reported £400k a year. He's not going to do anything to upset the status quo. That means making sure the clubs are OK. An 11 team comp means no relegation and extra central funding.

Tomorrow expect the usual guff to be trotted out "we don't have the time to get a champ team into SL" the clubs have another free ride in SL with extra cash in their pocket.

Elstone was supposed to have been brought in to take SL forward. Im not sure he's done anything at all to improve SL. Just making sure the more vulnerable clubs have a more secure SL sport. Still...free pizza.

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Mon Nov 02, 2020 7:11 pm  

See this saddens me. Rugby League is a great sport and is has enough detractors without us worsening it from the inside.

With the exception of the Catalans the expansion to other areas outside the heartlands have been an embarrassing failure.

Time for it to become a 16 team top flight with top four play offs and a two down two up system in place.

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:14 am  

They should really be giving as much support and opportunity as they can to Toulouse. That's your expansion club right there.

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:29 am  

Depends on the influence Nigel still has and to be fair I'd prefer to fight to get back in.

The treatment of Toronto echoes the treatment of Omar Khan. Any club with the potential to outgrow/perform a 'hand to mouth' SL club out will be shut out. The waggons have been circled and I think the SL clubs will look at clubs that won't affect the chummy status quo.

You'd say Leigh should be set with their stadium and set up etc but the chance they'll be able to out perform a low SL club is too great so I guess they'll look at a club that will not pose a threat.

I honestly think it's time the RFL split completely with a more sustainable comp of us, Widnes, Toulouse, Newcastle, Coventry, London, Leigh, York, A club from Cumbria, the two welsh clubs and a couple of others. Approach C4 or C5 for overage - even if it's only one game a week plus highlights. Try build from smaller foundations and concentrate on developing the clubs base in their areas.

It's already a more 'national' league and if we want expansion it's the only way I can see it happening whilst the protectionists are allowed to run the game.

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Tue Nov 03, 2020 11:04 am  

1. I doubt we'd be able to provide the proof of funding required to run a full time structure at a loss.
2. I doubt we'd last a year without going bust without the funds to run a full time structure at a loss.
3. Do we really want to run at a loss given what's happened over the last few years?
4. We haven't earned the right to be anywhere near the reckoning on the pitch which would bring the game into disrepute and we'd end up as everyone's most hated team again.

Given all that I reckon I'll stick a tenner on us being club number 12.

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Tue Nov 03, 2020 12:41 pm  

Maccbull_BigBullyBooaza wrote:

1. I doubt we'd be able to provide the proof of funding required to run a full time structure at a loss.
2. I doubt we'd last a year without going bust without the funds to run a full time structure at a loss.
3. Do we really want to run at a loss given what's happened over the last few years?
4. We haven't earned the right to be anywhere near the reckoning on the pitch which would bring the game into disrepute and we'd end up as everyone's most hated team again.

Given all that I reckon I'll stick a tenner on us being club number 12.

It wouldn't surprise me if Bulls were picked as team 12 due to RFL owning the lease at Odsal, they would rather have Bulls back at Odsal paying the 70k per annum rent. I don't think we are ready for SL.

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Tue Nov 03, 2020 1:42 pm  

bulls2487 wrote:

It wouldn't surprise me if Bulls were picked as team 12 due to RFL owning the lease at Odsal, they would rather have Bulls back at Odsal paying the 70k per annum rent. I don't think we are ready for SL.

Yeah 70K per annum plus the cost of repairing Odsal to the level it can get a safety certificate financed through advanced central funding payments in the belief we'll sell 20K season tickets in 2022

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Tue Nov 03, 2020 3:32 pm  

Aren't Sky demanding a 12 club competition for next year?

I think whoever takes it will be setting themselves up for an almighty fall. I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't all sorts of conditions and reduced funding etc.

They will shaft who ever goes up. Why share the rapidly diminishing pie with underlings? They only need us for players....

Re: Toronto and our chances of SL invite : Tue Nov 03, 2020 4:56 pm  

Yeah I'm quite happy just continuing to build in the championship. Got some good kids coming through again who we're actually holding in to. In 2 years I think we will be ready to have a good crack at getting into SL. Never know, if things fall into place this year, we might even earn it on the field which is how it should be. There's not a Toronto, no one coming down and just one good team going up.

Toulouse or London for me. York can be an outstanding SL team, but like us probably best just continuing to build and be ready in a couple of years. Let's not forget they played 3 lost 3 earlier this year.