Gareth Walker's Column: April 30

fevnut's blog is absolutely delighted to have received permission to bring you a regular column from Gareth Walker.

Gareth is a top rugby league journalist who has one very exceptional distinction. He chooses to write about matters pertaining to the Championship and League One.

Although this blog is devoted to Featherstone Rovers it is always good to read opinions about matters relevant to us, but not specifically about us. We hope you enjoy reading Gareth's column each week.

Wolfpack in the spotlight

IS the assembly of Toronto Wolfpack’s high profile squad bad for League One?

It’s a debate that has intensified over the last seven days following their most recent signing in prolific Huddersfield halfback Ryan Brierley for an undisclosed fee.

It’s not as if the Wolfpack probably needed Brierley’s services to secure promotion to the Championship this year. All of the early indications are that they will breeze through the competition - although they should, and will, be wary of second-placed Barrow Raiders.

It’s the hugely one-sided scorelines that have caused discussions, most recently 82-6 at Doncaster and 80-0 in North Wales, where they led a staggering 60-0 at half-time. Toronto also won 76-0 at London Skolars in their opening league game.

But those critics appear to have overlooked games at Whitehaven and Keighley, which finished 10-24 and 21-48 respectively, with the Cougars in front by two scores just after half-time.

And that’s not to mention the Challenge Cup slog at amateurs Siddal which finish 6-14.

Once the RFL had decided to push ahead with this boldest of projects, it couldn’t win with which competition Toronto were placed in. 

Put them straight into the Championship and there would have been at least as many moaners over undeserved fast-tracking. 

Dropping them immediately into Super League would have caused as much social media outrage as the upcoming General Election, among rugby league fans at least.

So it’s in League One where they start, and although it looks unfair from the outside, it should also be noted that any club could have spent what Toronto are doing, if they could raise the relevant funds. The salary cap being the same across all three divisions sees to that.

In the positives column, the Wolfpack have brought valuable television exposure to the third tier, which should be welcomed by other clubs and their sponsors.

And then there is the opportunity for players and fans to make the most unlikely of away trips to Canada. Some in the sport have long bemoaned the lack of such overseas opportunities for players in the sport, and this provides a major experience for lads that sacrifice a lot to play at this level.

There was never going to be a fool-proof solution to including Toronto in the British competition, and this time next year they could already be shaping up to face Super League opposition in the Qualifiers.

The likes of Brierley, Craig Hall and Ryan Bailey will surely be more suited to that level, but in the meantime, it seems beneficial to focus on the positives of their inclusion rather than highlighting any negative.