Alex2201

It is the amount that a Super League team gets in central funding from the RFL.

Alex2201

I missed the game but read the report. Quite the result away at Leeds. I honestly thought that they would get rolled over and be playing the million pound game away. Im actually glad that it is in Toronto as it adds a bit more sparkle to the event. We are off down the pub to watch it as my cable has thrown a wobbler ......I'll manage

Alex2201

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/39520864

Article on the BBC talking about the wages in SL and NRL

Gordon Barlow

Thanks for the link, Alex. Much appreciated. Gosh, I didn't realise the pay-gap between League and Union was so great in England. I've no idea of the corresponding gap in Australia, but it's probably less, because Union is the minority code there.

Gordon Barlow

Half-time at Toronto, as I type this, with no tries yet in a very scrappy game. Whoever wins, I hope they invest their million pounds in some more disciplined players.

JamesM

That was an absolutely brutal game of Rugby to watch.

The Wolfpack's total lack of flair finally catching up with them in a game where they were odds on favourites.

Credit to London who absolutely nailed every tackle and pulled of the upset.

Back to the drawing board for Toronto. It's very frustrating to miss out on the Super League. I'm not sure I'll renew my season ticket next year because it's one up one down. The Super 8 for me contained all the excitement and whilst the Wolfpack were found out during it the games were close and exciting and seeing teams like Salford and Leeds was awesome.

The new promotion/relegation I think will not benefit the game in the long run.

Gordon Barlow

I've just been watching Australia v Tonga (on TV), played in Auckland with 26,000 Tongans in the stands - or 26,000 supporters, more likely, since Wikipedia says the entire population of Tonga is only 100,000! It's a bit of an uneven match, although the Kangaroos will know they've been in a fight.

As I reported in an earlier post, I've only recently returned to Rugby League after 50 years or so without, and what English commentators call "the modern game" is still a bit new to me. Can anybody answer these questions please? When did they start using tees for kicks at goal? And when did they first allow trainers and water-boys to run onto the field of play? (And what's the penalty - if any - if they ever accidentally get in the way?)

Gordon Barlow

I just now caught the last 20 minutes of last year's Challenge Cup final, on Sky Sports USA! Better late than never, eh? A bit scrappy, those 20 minutes: Catalan were pretty much out on their feet, and hung on only by the skin of their teeth. (Mixing a couple of nice metaphors, there...) Nice to see the Dragons come good, though. Against the odds, I would guess - was it? Did anybody here see the game live?

Gordon Barlow

James, this Wikipedia entry for the Toronto Wolfpack might interest you - and (who knows?) maybe one or two of the 17,000 viewers of this thread. A shame the team didn't make it to the Super League last year, but they have to earn their way. Good luck to them, and I hope Sky Sports USA lets us see some of their games this year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Wolfpack

Gordon Barlow

There's a bit of an argument on one of the other threads as to which Rugby code gave birth to American/Canadian "gridiron" football. Here's what I posted about it: The two Rugby codes have each changed quite a bit since they split, but I would say that "gridiron" is more likely to have developed from Rugby League than Union. In League, as you will know, each run with the ball ends with a stoppage in play, whereas in Union there's a ruck with no stoppage.

Does any visitor to this present thread have any thoughts on the matter?

Gordon Barlow

I've just watched the NRL's opening game (I think it was!) on Friday night from Sydney. A good tough game, with more illegality than I'd like to have seen. The refereeing wasn't quite up to scratch, and the linesmen are still only calling one in three forward-passes... But nobody's perfect, right? Does anybody else prefer NRL to Super League, besides me?

Alex2201

I have not had a chance to watch any NRL yet this season but I am hoping the Bulldogs avoid the wooden spoon. As for NRL vs Super League much to my annoyance my Canadian Mrs does! I am convinced its because the Aussie lads are better looking with better tans There is still a gap in the overall quality in favour of the NRL however I think that the top clubs in SL and NRL would compete on an even footing

We have just been back to the UK for a few weeks and went to watch Warrington v London Broncos. This was the first live game that the Mrs had been to and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was despite the one sided score line.

We are looking forward to going to see Toronto v Bradford next month

Gordon Barlow

In general I'd say that's right, but the World Cup Challenge in February - between the Australian and the British champion clubs - was extremely tight until the last few minutes. Wigan's defence was far superior overall, despite the result. There are good and bad games in both leagues - and good and bad refereeing decisions, too! Far too many forward-passes are allowed, IMHO, and "knock-ons" are ruled to be knock-backs more often than they should be. Sigh...

I hope your Toronto team does better this year than last. (Yes, I know Windsor is not Toronto; I used to spend weeks in Windsor on the audit of Kaiser Jeep, way back when. But I don't suppose Windsor has its own RL team - or does it?)

JamesM

Toronto- Bradford was a good game of rugby league.

The Wolfpack not back in town now till June.

The only stadium in the world where a kicker can hit a streetcar. Video by yours truly!:

Alex2201

I seem to remember that getting the loudest cheer of the afternoon We enjoyed it. We thought that Bradford's kicking game let them down a bit. Decent showing from their fans too. We were sitting on the same side roughly by the halfway line and were surrounded by Bulls shirts.

Do the Toronto fans always make those daft howling sounds?