Broncos are not alone in being reliant on a wealthy owner propping the club up, like it or not it's how it is. Do folk think the SBW Toronto effect will actually work to raise the profile of the game to a higher level or will it just end up with spiralling costs of clubs trying to outdo each other AKA leeds and talk about Ford. Marwan tried to buy success, was salfords 19 season anything to do with that. Lots of folk on here knock DH personally I think he has been sensible with the way he has chosen to spend.
I see 2020 as being make or break for Toronto. I always thought that bringing a Canadian team into a European based RL competition was madness. A lot of smoke and mirrors TWP, I believe. We will see next season if there is any substance to the club. If they continue to pay costs of teams to play in Toronto. Costs of playing home games away, until the weather allows games to be played in Canada will be significant. It will need real commitment from David Argyle. In the long run, I cannot see it as being sustainable. Canadians love winners. In 2020 wins will become harder to come by. Although financially the income from home fans may not matter too much to the club. The momentum that has built from knocking teams over on a regular basis will be lost and I fear interest in this novel sport will wane. I stand ready to be proved wrong.
Bostwick wrote:I see 2020 as being make or break for Toronto. I always thought that bringing a Canadian team into a European based RL competition was madness. A lot of smoke and mirrors TWP, I believe. We will see next season if there is any substance to the club. If they continue to pay costs of teams to play in Toronto. Costs of playing home games away, until the weather allows games to be played in Canada will be significant. It will need real commitment from David Argyle. In the long run, I cannot see it as being sustainable. Canadians love winners. In 2020 wins will become harder to come by. Although financially the income from home fans may not matter too much to the club. The momentum that has built from knocking teams over on a regular basis will be lost and I fear interest in this novel sport will wane. I stand ready to be proved wrong.
Really? The Leafs haven't won a trophy in 52 and are still the biggest sports club in the country. The Argos went 30 years without winning a trophy at one stage. Raptors took 25 years to win anything. TFC were horrific for their first decade. All of these clubs still draw support - crowds, sponsors, investors, media, etc - and the latter 2 were also 'imported' sports.
What TWP are doing is different to clubs in this country, they are entertaining people. Everyone I've heard from who has visited has said what a great day out it is. That's how they're hooking people, by entertaining them with an array of activities. Becoming ardent RL fans will come with time.
But, in a more general point, the game as a whole had better hope that TWP works because if not we're just set for more of the 'managed decline' we've seen over the past decade. There is a generation of fans, administrators and owners who see nothing more than RL sticking rigidly to 'tradition' (whatever that actually means) and allowing the rest of the sports world to move on to bigger and better things. Those who see the game as theirs, as being played between local towns and villages, and are distrustful of outsiders, have held sway of a decade now and they've damaged the game enormously. They've turned English RL into a feeder for the NRL and rugby union. We need TWP - and Toulouse, and others - to work or else the sport is in trouble.
There has been a lot said, and a lot of critisism on this forum about london being a rich mans toy. My worry with TWP is its reliant on a rich man and his dream. What happens if or when he does not get the success he wants, will they still be getting the 10k through the gate after a few losses at the hands of saints wire etc? Folk happily have a dig at DH for his financial model running London. Are toronto any different? Spending big to buy a winning team is not a given, marwan is evidence of that, my fear is other clubs aka leeds feel they have to make the big statement big money signing. I am not fully convinced the toronto effect is going to be that great, unless it's what gets the new tv contract. We shall see
Joined: Mar 09 2002 Posts: 5130 Location: Twickenham
northernbloke wrote:There has been a lot said, and a lot of critisism on this forum about london being a rich mans toy. My worry with TWP is its reliant on a rich man and his dream. What happens if or when he does not get the success he wants, will they still be getting the 10k through the gate after a few losses at the hands of saints wire etc? Folk happily have a dig at DH for his financial model running London. Are toronto any different? Spending big to buy a winning team is not a given, marwan is evidence of that, my fear is other clubs aka leeds feel they have to make the big statement big money signing. I am not fully convinced the toronto effect is going to be that great, unless it's what gets the new tv contract. We shall see
I don't really see the much comparision between us and TWP. I think the respective owners have very different priorities.
What is the aim of any club? The only difference between the two is the amount of money to spend, you are not suggesting that TWP owner is making the investment thinking he is ever getting it back! So the basic priorities are the same, sporting success, it's just the level of success they can afford to fund. So LB as stated by some, a rich mans play thing. TWP a rich mans plaything
northernbloke wrote:What is the aim of any club? The only difference between the two is the amount of money to spend, you are not suggesting that TWP owner is making the investment thinking he is ever getting it back! So the basic priorities are the same, sporting success, it's just the level of success they can afford to fund. So LB as stated by some, a rich mans play thing. TWP a rich mans plaything
One of them (from what he's said anyway) wants to build something and leave a legacy. The other wants a team he can watch with his mates.
Interested to see where DH has said he funds the club because he wants a team he can watch with his mates. If that's yr view that's fine., not a lot going to change that view. Personally I think DH spends his money because he loves the game and wants to be like any other owner. Any owner of any sporting club does it because they want to be stood next to a team capt holding a cup or a plate or any trophy puff there chest and say I did that. Some get to do it at Old Trafford, some at toronto when they get promoted. Others do it at ince rose. But aim is always the same, look what I achieved!
Ok so on a sustainability point of view, to maintain or succeed in what he wants or thinks he can achieved any idea what the plans are to move TWP to a suitable stadium in order to sustain the outgoings. It's not that different
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