I wouldn't say "a few others".



Outside the really rather small world of RL forums most people liked the idea but could not see how it could work. On the issue of a "Millionaires plaything" in reality that is what most English SL clubs are as the SKY deal and bits of other sponsorship doesn't quite match the money needed to go professional.



A Millionaire has at least a total wealth of £1 Million and so there are maybe Millions of these people. For a North American club to be able to exist in Superleague it needs tens of £Millions short term and hundreds of $Millions long term, after all didn't Argylle run up a £13,000,000 deficit in just three seasons and a bit??



It's a $Billionaires plaything, and of course not a single North American Millionaire let alone $Billionaire ever materialised after Uncle Eric blagged his way in on top of the proposed World Cup in America. Once that went TWP went and now the $Billionaire has an "in" at Melbourne Storm in the NRL.



The bottom line for Ottawa and New York was on the day Ralph Rimmer launched these clubs for the Championship, you didn't see any rich owner at all being introduced as the supremo like David Argylle was. They are more phoney than TWP were......................

For maybe the "Millionth" time I refer people to Eric Perez's interview on You Tube wth Dave Woods when he set out the criteria for success for Toronto Wolfpack.



That was that they would produce North American professional players "pretty quickly" .........and........wait for it.......









Bring in North American TV deals.......



I can't see them where are they??









Anyway it's still there on you tube, to face reality you have to first of all wake up from your dream.... As for proof, [uit's not up to me to prove anything[/u. let those who say TWP was a success prove to me and others that players were developed and TV deals were signed and delivered??

[i"Before the meeting, Super League executive chairman Robert Elstone had commissioned an 'independent' report into LiVolsi’s business plan and the commercial opportunities - Canadian broadcast and sponsorship market - available to rugby league in Canada at this time or in the foreseeable future.That report's conclusion was that operating a team in Canada would not produce material incremental revenue in the short or medium term.[/i



Note the conclusion Superleague came to not just on Toronto, but on Ottawa as well, that they would bring nothing to the game here.



It would be absurd in 2022 that Ottawa would somehow be allowed into the league structure with a view to doing a Toronto all over again

But it's ok for Bradford to take a Super league place without providing any evidence of any backers?



This is why your posts lack any credibility.

There is no way that a N. American club could come into the Championship without an offer to fund ALL travel for competing sides when the fixtures are over there.

For me, N. America never did fit with The Championship (or SL) and never will - purely on the grounds of logistics.



My hope is that there are enough people that like our sport to want to build on RL that is already played over there but, how many times do we have to see these clubs, built as an oasis in the RL desert come and go - it does the sport no favours whatsoever.

There was always going to be teething issues and Super league showed that they weren't in it for the long haul allowing the lowest denominator to dictate the sports direction. Absolutely no sport should be run like this.



Added in Elstone who just picks and chooses when to be involved, it's no wonder the sport is where it is, whether you're a fan of the Toronto decision or not.

Best see Argylle - he had the money to develop the game but would not even pay the $10 to join Bob Jowett's Canada RL.

Sorry mate but, that is absolute nonsense.



Toronto had NO MONEY, it's that simple and it's wrong for Wilkin or McDermott to blame others for this situation.

Their big money backer abandoned ship, simple as that



How on earth do you equate Toronto not getting back in with "allowing the lowest denominator to dictate the sports direction" ??



I do agree about Elstone, who seems uncomfortably close to Saints and Wigan but, equally, he shouldn't need to be involved in every minor detail of the game, others are employed for those things.



The lack of strategy for the game is certainly something that needs addressing. However, the agenda for the game is driven by the top 4 clubs, not the little guys at the bottom of the pile.

Do you really think that Salford, Wakey and Cas etc are driving any of the agenda for the game

Did you expect lights and glory, once they became SL’s problem?

Well done for calling that nonsense out....

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/sa ... om-ottawa/ another player signed from ottawa, can't be many left

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/sa ... om-ottawa/ another player signed from ottawa, can't be many left

Hopefully Ottawa can start to rebuild a squad of players again by the middle of next year.

Well the Wikipedia listing has 17 Ottawa players on there and they haven't taken Luckley off yet (they do seem to be good at updating things - even rugby league) so there ARE many left in limbo the same way Toronto left all their players in Limbo. The Toronto contracts were null and void so there may be several ex-TWP players still to find a new club along with the possibly 16 ex-Ottawa players.



As Ottawa were "deferred" (a better way of saying thrown out

) it seems the Ottawa contracts will now be null and void hence Luckley can come back and play for a proper club. Expect all the other players to start "coming back" (not that they went there in the first place

) as the real clubs in the Championship tentatively look to recruiting players for a 2021 re-start.

Hopefully they can take the hint and jog on.

I don't think that Ottawa being thrown out of the Championship next year, and as a result all the players contracts being null and void, and as a result Lockley being the first to sign for a club in England as opposed to never-never land is a hint. The whole thing fell through when:-



1. Toronto were thrown out

2. The business analysis told us North America was a waste of time

3. Ottawa were thrown out of the Championship for good

4. And a little bit of "PR speak" was used to hide this.



Still it's something for those who still crave a North American domination of Rugby League to hang onto.

lets hope players remember this next time with the players being left out without a club and had left employment to do so

down to 13 last time I counted as the trio Dec O’Donnell, Calvin Wellington and Jake Moore was picked back up from workington link was a couple pages back

As usual, drawing a long bow.

They only pulled out due to Covid.

Quote Donnyman="Donnyman"I don't think that Ottawa being thrown out of the Championship next year, and as a result all the players contracts being null and void, and as a result Lockley being the first to sign for a club in England as opposed to never-never land is a hint. The whole thing fell through when:- 1. Toronto were thrown out 2. The business analysis told us North America was a waste of time 3. Ottawa were thrown out of the Championship for good 4. And a little bit of "PR speak" was used to hide this. Still it's something for those who still crave a North American domination of Rugby League to hang onto.'" It seems Wokey Warrington consider there is some potential for North America https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/ne ... onto-vote/

Quote Donnyman="Donnyman"I don't think that Ottawa being thrown out of the Championship next year, and as a result all the players contracts being null and void, and as a result Lockley being the first to sign for a club in England as opposed to never-never land is a hint. The whole thing fell through when:- 1. Toronto were thrown out 2. The business analysis told us North America was a waste of time 3. Ottawa were thrown out of the Championship for good 4. And a little bit of "PR speak" was used to hide this. Still it's something for those who still crave a North American domination of Rugby League to hang onto.'" It seems Wokey Warrington consider there is some potential for North America https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/ne ... onto-vote/

Thanks for that hopefully they can all get back into the game here in time for next season's championship re-start.......



In the end you have to ask why, as Toronto failed to find a single cent of NATV money or bother to try to develop one North American player (save Nqwati whom they used as a "token" North American) Perez went running off to Ottawa to pretend the "Aces" were up next. The launch of Ottawa for the press, introduced an empty shirt, rather than a few beaming rich Canadian directors.



How did these lads fall for it? didn't they have canny agents? Why did Rimmer fall for it?? Whatever happened to proof of funds let alone proof of directors??









I'm quite sure that Perez's tactic to stop Toronto being thrown out was to line a second club up thus making it a much bigger deal for Superleague to throw them both out. Two NA clubs chucked out would have been a bigger headline, and bigger bad publicity for the game.



Elstone was of course smart enough to "defer" Ottawa until 2022 to counter the tactic, but if anyone wants "proof" (which would be ironic in the fantasy world of NA expansion) that Ottawa are dead meat read the less headline grabbing analysis of the value of North America to Superleague. The value was calculated as erm Zero..........



For me the bottom line was it was all phoney nonsense and what I found pleasing was that after Elstone did the deed it was all pretty much forgotten about.....

I think you'll find Elstone has nothing to do with clubs in League 1,or The Championship.His remit is Super League having been brought into the sport by dysfunctional,M62 Super League clubs who benefited from money they obtained after RFLofficials negotiated for it.

Surely you recall Elstone allowing Toronto Wolfpack into Super League but then electing to blame the RFL for allowing the club into the sport - what with your obsession on all things Canadian.

It's not a hint and Elstone was right in there plunging in the knife....................



[i"Super League executive chairman Elstone said clubs were concerned by “the aggressive revenue targets on which the financial forecasts are based” and an independent committee concluded that a Canadian team would not be beneficial to the league"



"Elstone said: “The board accepts that the decision to reject Toronto Wolfpack’s application will divide the game’s fans but, on the evidence presented to us, it would not be right for the development of the competition for Super League to accommodate a team in Canada in 2021.[/i



Maybe by 2022 a Canadian team will be beneficial to the league.

How I dunno





Anyone

There's not going to be a next time as Elstone (above) nicely shut the door to any future Perez invention...........



We are better off discussing which English clubs may get the door shut on them 2022 as SKY monies dry up for many......

Latest: "The business group that runs Lansdowne Park's commercial sector and owns the sports teams that play there may not survive without some immediate help from the city, according to a report released late Wednesday.



The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the various revenue streams of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG). Restaurants struggle to host diners, and "for lease" signs hang at stores in the commercial area it runs. Gathering limits mean the teams it owns — the Redblacks, Ottawa 67's, Ottawa BlackJacks and the Ottawa Aces — can't sell tickets to fans. No concerts or other events can be held at TD Stadium until next year."



The "City" have apparently given that help, but the most interesting thing is the "sell tickets"



OSEG can't be opening the gates for fans to walk in for nothing nor giving away freeby tickets if Ottawa return. They are deep in debt, whilst Argyle was deep in $$Billions.



Running costs for TWP were about £30,000,000 in their three and a bit years in the game here. That's a hell of a lot of tickets for OSEG to sell.......