Geoff. What do you think of franchise system that was in place a few years back?

How are the RFL letting teams die? It’s not the RFL that fund teams, if you go into pro sport it’s up to you to make sure you can afford it! Catalans came about because Bernard brought two teams together and stopped em in fighting.
Why is RL in Cumbria on its knees, it’s not the RFL it’s the haven, town bloody mindedness. Do a Catalan pool resources bring the fans together, bring the clubs together, it will never happen but really it should.
Expansion can happen but it needs people to make it happen
It’s 1000 miles from Manchester to Perpignan
What has distance got to do with anything anyhow?

Toronto came along with the money, with a plan, and with the desire.
Who else is doing that? Toulouse are one. Anyone else? Nope, Oxford were meant to be part of the whole Bristol re launch re birth whatever! That seems to have gone quiet.
It’s not a defence of the RFL, they have in effect turned there back on the south, especially with development which is a travesty
But
Where else is there anyone trying to expand the game?

I was told at Workington that Cumbrian Rugby's decline is totally due to the RFL giving all the development money to London Broncos, starving Workington of finances, thus its decline.
This comment was echoed in the Whitehaven program when we played them a few weeks later.
So the sports decline is our teams fault.

London lost a lot if not all of its development teams if im not mistaken. Didn't sport England pull the money

northernbloke wrote:Bosty, what’s ice got to do with it!? Do they get more ice than normal? Itsmeagain, so you agree, the Canadians know how to deal with snow, ergo it’s should not present any problems. As for taking warm clothing on a flight, 1000s manage it every year, and nothing stopping folk wearing the big coat, when it’s 7 deg in Manchester airport maybe that’s even a good idea. The reason they didn’t play first half of the season in Canada this year was nothing to do with weather! It seems the Wolfpack themselves see weather for early season games as an issue. Argyle is quoted in the Guardian “We’ll be playing some of our early‑season home games in other cities across Europe that people will enjoy. We’ll be taking Super League to major European cities that haven’t seen it before: what’s not to like?” Let's hope he is counting his chickens here.

northernbloke wrote:Bosty, what’s ice got to do with it!? Do they get more ice than normal? Itsmeagain, so you agree, the Canadians know how to deal with snow, ergo it’s should not present any problems. As for taking warm clothing on a flight, 1000s manage it every year, and nothing stopping folk wearing the big coat, when it’s 7 deg in Manchester airport maybe that’s even a good idea. The reason they didn’t play first half of the season in Canada this year was nothing to do with weather! It seems the Wolfpack themselves see weather for early season games as an issue. Argyle is quoted in the Guardian “We’ll be playing some of our early‑season home games in other cities across Europe that people will enjoy. We’ll be taking Super League to major European cities that haven’t seen it before: what’s not to like?” Let's hope he is counting his chickens here.

Hey Northernbloke, there is me thinking that you knew everything and you ask the question. What has ice got to do with it?
4G pitches and ice do not go together. If you have been to North America in late Winter the temperature changes can be quite large. It can rain and suddenly the temp drops and it freezes. It can happen very quickly and it would make playing rugby on their pitch impossible. Ice is more of a problem than snow.
How would it be if a team flew out only to be told the game was off. No they will not start playing home games until late spring.

Hey bosty, it’s interesting though, they still manage to play football in March in Toronto, wonder how they coped.
It’s Canada, they know how to deal with ice and snow, only issue is freezing rain which is unusual in the area.

Did you read that Guardian article ? They are looking to play early season games in Europe.

Copenhagen....colder than Toronto in Feb.
Argyle comes across as your usual aussie bartender......no idea of anything other than spending his cash and givin' it the big "I am".....he shouldda bought salford