TORONTO — The Toronto Wolfpack can make history and take a significant step towards their goal of Super League promotion Saturday when they host the Widnes Vikings.
The transatlantic rugby league team, which started life in the sport's third tier last year, looks to record its first-ever win over Super League opposition. A Toronto victory, coupled with losses by London Broncos and Toulouse Olympique, would assure the Wolfpack of being at least in the so-called "Million Pound Game," with the winner securing a spot in the top-flight Super League.
With two games remaining in the Super 8s Qualifiers, Toronto has beaten three fellow second-tier Betfred Championship sides and lost to two Super League teams. Widnes has lost four of five.
The visit by Widnes, another Super League side, prompted a post-practice talk Friday from Wolfpack director of rugby Brian Noble, an iconic former rugby league player and coach.
"I just kind of asked them to look around at each other and recognize that we're a good team," said Noble. "That our performances over the last six weeks have been sketchy. And that's the nature of the opposition that comes and throws things at you.
"And that's why we're involved. How exciting is it? People will literally swap limbs to be where we're at."
A loss Saturday could relegate Widnes to the Championship.
"I keep hearing how desperate Widnes are," said Noble. "You best believe one of the things I reminded our blokes of was 'Do you know what? I think we're pretty desperate ourselves.'
"We worked really really hard from a blank piece of paper 2 1/2 years ago. And to get to where we are at the moment, it's just so thrilling."
But Noble acknowledged Widnes will be very motivated. "It's do or die for them. Livelihoods are at stake."
The Super 8s Qualifiers pit the bottom four teams in the Super League against the top four in the Championship (which Toronto topped with a 20-2-1 record),
After a round-robin competition, the top three sides earn Super League status. No. 4 faces No. 5 in the Million Pound Game scheduled for Oct. 7 to see who joins them. Salford Red Devils, Leeds Rhinos and Hull Kingston Rovers currently hold down the top three positions with Toronto fourth.
The promotion and relegation system will change next year with a simple one-up and one-down format.
Toronto (3-2-0) has already beaten Halifax, London and Toulouse. It lost to Salford and Hull with a game at Leeds still to come.
In other Saturday games, London (2-3-0) hosts Salford (4-1-0) and Toulouse (2-3-0) entertains Hull (4-1-0). On Sunday, Leeds (4-1-0) plays at Halifax (0-5-0).
It's a team with a rich history that has fallen on hard times of late.
The Vikings (3-20-0) finished last in the Super League and lost its first four Super 8s Qualifiers before beating Halifax 26-12 last weekend to snap a 17-game losing streak.
"The thing with rugby league is that you get given opportunities to go to places like this," veteran hooker Lloyd White told the Widnes website. "So as a group, we're going to embrace the trip and enjoy it, take it all in, and then try and get the job done on Saturday."
Toronto has only lost seven of 57 competitive matches (48-7-2) over two years, with four of those setbacks at the hands of Super League opposition. The Wolfpack lost to Salford last year and Warrington this year in Ladbrokes Challenge Cup play.
The only other losses have come to York City Knights in League 1 play last year and London and Featherstone Rovers in the Championship this year.
The Wolfpack reputation took a hit this week with news that forward Jack Bussey had been suspended 10 games — eight for biting and two for a high tackle — after incidents in last Saturday's 13-12 win over Toulouse.
Toronto was proactive, however, announcing that Bussey had been sent home prior to news of the suspension.
Toronto coach Paul Rowley said a remorseful Bussey had accepted responsibility for his actions.
"No club condones that," said Rowley. "But it was an error of judgment by Jack and he's learned the hard way."
Toronto has ties to Widnes with assistant coaches Simon Finnigan and Kurt Haggerty both having played there, as has forward Jack Buchanan.
Rowley, a former England hooker, knows Widnes coach Francis Cummins from touring Australia with him as a young player.
"It's rugby league. Everybody knows everybody," said Rowley. "There's a story no matter who you play."
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
