Toronto Wolfpack has been gearing up for just their second season in their history in a league where, - if they replicate last season's stunning form - has the possible prize of Super League at the end of it. Many pundits and supporters have been tipping the Wolfpack to reach the top four of the Championship and potentially push on into the top flight. Optimism around the club has been great, with a number of stars such as Joe Westerman and Josh McCrone joining the Canadian side in a bid to boost their Super League hopes. Yet, the news that Ryan Bailey, Fuifui Moimoi and Dave Taylor have all left the club "by mutual agreement" while taking part in a training camp in Portugal, could shatter Toronto's chances.
What and why
Just over a fortnight until Toronto's much-anticipated clash with Leigh and Toronto are in turmoil; Fuifui Moimoi was the club's first major signing and played a key role in their emphatic League 1 promotion in 2017, while Dave Taylor and Ryan Bailey were recruited as experienced forwards to help the Wolfpack's promotion bid.
The Toronto club issued a very brief statement on the departures:
“Fuifui Moimoi, Ryan Bailey and Dave Taylor have left Toronto Wolfpack by mutual agreement.
“The club thanks the players for their efforts and we wish them well in their future careers."
Meanwhile, head coach Paul Rowley has stated that he cannot comment on their departure for "legal reasons" which has since sparked a whole host of rumours as to why the forwards are no longer at the club.
Doomed to fail?
It's a cruel blow for the Canadian club, which has just recently helped Bailey through a landmark case against UK Anti-Doping and whose owners have been desperately trying to piece together a side that can trouble those at the top of the English game.
Though Toronto has been making waves in Canada, they have been hit by a tirade of criticism from many supporters in the UK whom have pointed to the lack of an actual Canadian team, coach or base (they will live and train in Manchester for the first half of the season) and are nervous about the potential expansionist repercussions on smaller clubs.
And, the fact that Toronto's home ground, Lamport Stadium, is undergoing a pitch renovation, means that the Wolfpack will play all their away games in the first half of the season as well as their home fixture against Halifax in England - a game which was supposed to take place in Canada on April 28. Despite sauntering through League 1, Toronto is now struggling to maintain a Super League-quality club. And, with the recent news knocking the club for six, any more bad news could signal disaster for Toronto's goals in the near future.
