This Toronto Wolfpack team is real
Rugby squad is the best outside Super League
The evidence is overwhelming. There is no further need to reserve judgment.
Even at the midpoint of the regular season it is abundantly clear the Toronto Wolfpack is the best team outside Super League, and likely better than some of its incumbents.
If we needed any further proof, the 2019 Summer Bash ended any conjecture. The much-anticipated top-of-the-table clash with Toulouse turned into another one-sided canter for the Wolfpack.
A seven-try seaside romp told its own tale. Toronto's ball handling, quick breaks, and precise execution were a clear demonstration of the Wolfpack's ability to find another gear and perform at a different level.
There is now nothing and no one to stop this team. Barring a meltdown of seismic proportions in the second half of the campaign, Toronto will finish first in the Betfred Championship as it did in 2018. The size of the target on the Wolfpack's back is shrinking with every victory.
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Toronto is stacking up wins for now and for the future. Head Coach Brian McDermott understands the psychology of what lies ahead. The mental test will be just as big a challenge as the physical one at the end of an exhausting season.
When the promotion playoffs roll around McDermott and his players cannot afford any reservations. He will want to remind his team of its collective capacity to meet and beat the best head on.
Conversely, Toronto's rivals will have reason to doubt. Dominant teams in any sport simply don't let up. They rarely make mistakes, and when the errors occur there is an underlying strength that prevents them from being thrown completely off course.
Will Wolfpack lose another game?
Will the Wolfpack lose another game? It is entirely possible and it could happen as soon as Friday. The Sheffield Eagles, currently third in the standings, has a game in hand on all its rivals. Home advantage is probably the Eagles' best chance to reduce the deficit and enhance its own credentials.
Thereafter the Wolfpack should be on Easy Street. Eight of its final 12 regular-season games take place in Toronto. Lamport Stadium has become the archetypal fortress, partly due to the enthusiastic home support and partly due to the jet lag that adversely affects visiting teams, often in the second half at The Den.
Finishing first, however, guarantees nothing. The Wolfpack found that out in the cruelest fashion seven months ago when they stalled in the Million Pound Game. The London Broncos celebrated promotion to Super League, but the party's over. They have won only four games since and are in grave danger of rapid relegation.
It is a vivid illustration of what the future holds. The message is loud and clear. There is no doubt Toronto is too good for the Championship, but the next question is obvious. Is it good enough for Super League?
McDermott doesn't need to have an answer. Not yet.
He has a proven track record of success coaching at the highest level. He knows exactly what sort of player he will need for the Wolfpack to make a go of it in Super League. Tough choices will have to be made for the good of the club.
The players that get you there are not necessarily the characters who can sustain you. Promotion heroes may have earned the right to get a chance at the elite level – but some are simply not equipped to bridge the gulf in class.
You can be sure McDermott is evaluating individuals on a game by game basis, not just for the 2019 run in, but for his long term plans. It is a protracted and private juggling act. McDermott must keep a buoyant group focused on winning for the time being.
So long as he can keep those balls in the air, the Wolfpack will follow his lead.