Page 28 - Rugby League World (February 2020)

TORONTO WOLFPACK

RLW PREDICTS: 10th

Toronto Wolfpack are the new boys on Cunningham will give them another option
the block and their arrival in Super League in the halves after his move from London
certainly adds a whole different flavour to and Brad Singleton offers them some
the competition. punch up the middle and some much
We’ve got pretty used to seeing lower needed Super League experience.
league teams heading over to Canada to Heading out the door for the Wolfpack are
play them and now every team in their Ashton Sims, Nick Rawsthorne and Bob
division is fully professional, this aspect Beswick.
should run smoother. There’s no doubt that they have plenty
Their idea of taking early home games of players with top flight pedigree. Their
on the road is a good one and they’ve backline is a quality one with Gareth
managed to avoid playing home games in O’Brien at the back, Ricky Leutele and
big blocks. Chase Stanley in the centres alongside
Their approach to marketing has been a wingers Liam Kay and Matty Russell but
breath of fresh air in the sport but it’s not they lack depth there at the moment.
the off-field stuff we’re worried about for Darcy Lussick, Anthony Mullally and
the Wolfpack. Gadwin Springer are the big boys in their
Looking at their squad, we’re not sure pack. Jon Wilkin and Bodene Thompson
they’ve strengthened enough to really have been there and done that in their
kick on in Super League. careers in the second row and that
Their squad was a class apart from the experience could be crucial in Toronto’s
rest of the Championship and we’ve got quest to establish themselves in Super
to remember how well London Broncos did League.
last year but in reality, it’s a very similar Blake Wallace has been one of their most
Toronto team this year to the one in the captivating players over their entire
Championship last year. history. It will be interesting to see how
They’ve added Sonny Bill Williams but he copes in a Super League environment
some will say his best years on the pitch after excelling all the way up through
are behind him and that the money spent League 1 and the Championship with the
on him is with other things in mind. James Wolfpack.
STAR PLAYER COACH
2020 SQUAD:
1 Gareth O’Brien
2 Matty Russell
3 Chase Stanley
4 Ricky Leutele
5 Liam Kay
6 Joe Mellor
7 Josh McCrone
8 Adam Sidlow
9 Andy Ackers
10 Anthony Mullally
11 Andrew Dixon
12 Bodene Thompson
It had to be Sonny Bill WIlliams didn’t it? It was a real coup for Toronto Wolfpack
13 Jon Wilkin
He’s the most high-profile player to play in when they replaced Paul Rowley with Super
14 Darcy Lussick
Super League and his signing has brought League-winning coach Brian McDermott.
15 Gadwin Springer international media recognition to the sport. The former Bradford player started his
16 Tom Olbison It remains to be seen just how much of coaching career with Harlequins in 2006
17 Blake Wallace an impact on the field Williams can have. before moving to Leeds Rhinos in 2011. He
18 Brad Singleton He hasn’t played Rugby League since led the Rhinos to four Super League titles
19 Gary Wheeler 2013 and is now well into his 30s but in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017 as well as
his impact on the field isn’t really why two Challenge Cups in 2014 and 2015.
20 James Cunningham
Toronto signed him. McDermott was able to lead the Wolfpack
21 Sonny Bill Williams
Nevertheless, Williams will be hoping he into Super League in his first full season
22 Greg Worthington can produce some of the best form of with the club and you can’t think of many
23 Hakim Miloudi his career to help the Wolfpack avoid an more qualified than McDermott to help
immediate return to the Championship. the Wolfpack stay in Super League.

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