The 18th Man Column: Fans split on Ottawa and New York outfits

Plans have been revealed for clubs in Ottawa and New York entering the British rugby league competition. Are you sceptical, excited, opposed... or something else?

Robert Kenyon: Opposed until Toronto become self-sufficient with regards how they produce players, have a loyal paying fanbase and the club is sustainable financially.

Otherwise what happens if the owner gets bored or loses his money or suffers ill health, it’s all depending on one person and I’d rather a club like Widnes or Halifax be in the Super League before an Ottawa or New York.

Though their names sound sexy, and people will want them in the Super League because they’re more fashionable than Barrow or Batley, they’re not producing players.

There’s no youth set up at all, no amateur game in the area, no history, no foundations so they’d just be another Paris St Germain rather than a Catalans.

Fair play to the owner for putting his money in, I get that if they sign big names then they’ll attract better sponsorship but they need to at least put down some foundations at least, to ensure the survival of the club long term, otherwise I’d rather have your flat cap sort of clubs in Super League.

Jess Foxley: I am excited by the prospect of Ottawa and New York, I’m a great fan of expansion and the more people across the world that know about our great game, the better.

It opens up so much opportunity in these areas! It can only be a good thing, can’t it? A future Man of Steel could be sat in Ottawa or New York right now!

Alex Graham: Introducing a new club from another continent with next no rugby league history or playing pool will naturally create scepticism.

However, if rugby league is to grow they’re steps the sport must take.

I’m very pro-expansion and excited for transatlantic team introductions, especially if New York are announced too, but it’s all a waste of time if not planned strategically long term, with acceptance that it take literally decades to create amateur playing pools in those regions.

Not only that, lucrative TV and sponsorship deals will be negotiated based on clubs guaranteed being playing in the top competition. For those reasons, if rugby league is serious about expansion, Super League must scrap promotion and relegation.

Jon Lyon: I seem to be in the minority, and therefore seen as anti-expansion but I still think it is ridiculous to have teams from such a distance away competing in our league.

Would the NFL let an English team compete in their competition?

I very much doubt it. I’m glad there are investors willing to put their money into our game but let them start slowly and build it up across the Atlantic, not leapfrog historic clubs over here just because they’ve a lot more money thanks only to unsustainable cash injections. What happens when the investors become bored or can’t afford it anymore?

Should Toronto Wolfpack be exempt from relegation while they settle into Super League?

Robert Kenyon: No, no other team would be, so why should they?

Widnes have been dealt a bad hand over the years with the advent of Super League and then when Catalans came in.

With regards Toronto, I think they’ve learnt a valuable lesson there in how to spend money on a squad. Whoever has organised the wage structure at Toronto is probably the type of person to spend all their holiday spends in the airport before they’ve gone on holiday.

I could see why they’d need salary cap dispensation with the exchange rates and cost of living if the players and their families were living in Canada but they’re not, they’re living in the UK.

I’m not an anti-expansionist, I’m pro-sustainable expansion, and Toronto need to go and hire themselves a sports/economical mastermind-type figure to sort the wage structure and get a competitive squad in place that will see them stay up, they already have a good coach.

Jess Foxley: I definitely feel they should be exempt from relegation.

You can’t give Catalan the opportunity to build like they did and become a competitive Super League side and NOT give Toronto the same treatment.

Toronto need time to build and bring home grown players through, like Catalans have been able to do relatively successfully.

Alex Graham: I find it ridiculous that Toronto don’t have at least a five-year exemption from relegation.

They’re a three-year-old club, a six-hour flight away from the nearest playing pool, and the only professional rugby league team on the continent.

The concern for relegation will force the club to focus and invest mainly on Super League survival opposed to having the peace of mind so that they can invest in player production and long-term planning even if they finish at the bottom of the ladder. If we’re serious about gaining long-term benefits of expansion, we have to build our top competition strategically opposed to a pointless promotion and relegation system, which only benefits limited small-village clubs like Featherstone and Leigh.

To do that, Super League needs strong leadership and, although I was initially supportive of Robert Elstone, I’m starting to question if he’s simply a mouthpiece for a club voting system with insular agendas.

Jon Lyon: Most definitely not. If that was going to be a consideration then it should have been done before the season started, it would be extremely unfair on other Super League teams to change the goalposts halfway through the season.

Toronto got promoted off the back of signing a lot of Championship players or Super League players at the back end of their careers, with a few exceptions. They were good enough (eventually) to get promotion but never likely to do anything more than struggle. Having paid over the odds for them, and SBW, Toronto are through their own fault left with a ridiculously small squad lacking Super League quality that can’t possibly cope.

If they get relegated, they have only themselves to blame.

Closer to home... after six rounds and five wins, which Wigan player has impressed you the most?

Robert Kenyon: Mon ami, Bevan French. The lad’s pure class, he’s sold more dummies than Mothercare and he’s quicker than a very quick thing.

I am still a massive Zak Hardaker fan and at first I wasn’t best pleased that he’d been shifted to accommodate French, but you just can’t argue with his performances, he’s very dangerous attacking wise.

Jess Foxley: Obviously, Bevan French and Jackson Hastings are everyone’s stand-out players so far and I can’t disagree, they are very special players and have added something completely different to this Wigan side.

But personally I’d like to pick Liam Farrell.

To me, Farrell is one of the most underrated players in the Super League.

He is solid every single week and I can’t say I’ve ever seen him have a bad game.

He is so passionate, and I absolutely love watching him play.

Alex Graham: Tough question to answer. It’s brilliant to have Jackson Hastings on board. He has settled immediately in cherry and white but, being the reigning Man of Steel and a marquee player, it could be seen as expectation.

I think Sam Powell has now successfully made the full transition from halfback to hooker and has started the season very well, as has Liam Farrell who, along with Powell, will fancy his chances of becoming the next Wigan captain when SOL retires.

However, the most impressive player has to be Bevan French.

He’s a one-in-a-decade type player and can unlock defences from out of nowhere. To see him and full flight is why we pay our money to watch.

Hopefully we’ll witness him at Wembley and Old Trafford in 2020.

Jon Lyon: It’s very tough to single one player out. Farrell has been in top form, Partington is playing big minutes and looks indefatigable, Harry Smith makes a difference every time he plays, and French looks unplayable at times, lighting up matches when a forward battle is developing. But I’ve been most impressed with Zak Hardaker.

To lose the full-back jersey must have been tough after being our best player last year.

His attitude has been fantastic, though.

He leads the kick chase with such intent, everything he does is with an aggressive commitment.

He also seems to have developed into a real leader, encouraging everyone around him, showing great enthusiasm.

If he plays like this all year then he could be vying with French for the Man of Steel award.