Super League needs big city teams in finals, not small towns from northern England, says Brian McDermott

Toronto Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott says big city teams are needed for Super League to attract broadcast and commercial deals in the future.

Speaking to Sky Sports after his side’s 24-6 win over Featherstone secured promotion to the top flight, McDermott emphasised the progress the Wolfpack had made and says they are vital for the sport to grow.

He said: “Toronto is a mega sporting city – they’ve got the Raptors (basketball), the Maple Leafs (ice hockey), the Blue Jays (baseball), they’ve got Toronto FC, the Argonauts (Canadian Football) and we’re part of that.

“We hope to have a higher profile now we’re on a higher stage. It’s just a fantastic story.

“Super League needs to be able to sell a final to some potential investors or a TV deal which says it’s going to be competed for by big city teams because in five years’ time if the Super League or the Challenge Cup finals are still competed for by small towns in the north of England – Featherstone are a magnificent story and so are Salford – but who are we going to sell that to is the interesting point.

“If we’re competing for a final In five years and we’re sat around a table with the TV deals and the mega sponsors and we’re saying one of our teams starts with Toronto and the other name of the team starts with London or Barcelona or New York, that’s how the game grows.

“I know there’s a few people opposed to us being in the comp but we can’t please everybody.”