Toronto Wolfpack's road to the Super League about to get a lot tougher

It was fun while it lasted, but playtime is over.

It is about to get deadly serious if the dream is to become reality. The Toronto Wolfpack is getting set for its toughest stretch of the season.

Everyone enjoyed the overture. Players and fans alike were thoroughly entertained at the home opener. Heck, even the weather co-operated in what became a relative stroll in the sunshine.

Now it gets interesting. Really interesting.

During the merry month of May, the Wolfpack will face all its major rivals. In the space of three weeks, Brian McDermott's team will tackle Bradford, Toulouse and Sheffield in three different locations on two separate continents.

Toulouse remains the only team to beat the Wolfpack this season. It wasn't even close. Toronto was sent packing from France with its tail firmly between its legs. The two will meet twice more in the regular season and the outcomes could decide which gets the easier path on the road to promotion.

The Sheffield Eagles are no slouches. Despite a comprehensive defeat to the Wolfpack in London, they are different animals on home turf. They recently gave Toulouse a lesson, cruising to a 44-16 victory and will be keen to exact revenge against Toronto.

Bulls on a charge

But first things first. The Wolfpack are getting set for an upswing in the quality of opposition.

The Bradford Bulls are warming to their task. They have won five on the bounce to force themselves into the playoff equation. They have also advanced in the Challenge Cup and face a mouthwatering tie against perennial rivals Leeds in the Round of 16.

The Bulls are a team on their way back from the brink. It's not that long ago Bradford could justifiably claim to be the best club on the planet. Three times in the space of four years, the Bulls beat the best Australia's NRL could muster to become World Club Challenge winners.

But Bradford's story is also a cautionary tale of what happens when someone forgets to mind the shop. Despite its glittering trophy cabinet and powerhouse reputation, the Bulls crashed in 2012 – crippled by huge debts.

Relegation from Super League followed two years later. The Bulls, who were a mainstay of rugby league's elite for four decades, are trying to find their way back.

The glory days are long gone. The club that celebrated numerous trophy hoists in the early 2000s was brought to its knees by financial mismanagement. The uncertainly persists – Bradford has entered administration on three separate occasions over the last seven years.

Familiar foes

There are strong connections between the Wolfpack and the Bulls. They have never faced one another in a competitive game but relations run deep.

Brian Noble is synonymous with Bradford. The Toronto Director of Rugby was born and raised there, played for the club for nearly 15 years, and as coach led the team in its golden era.

McDermott spent his entire playing career with Bradford. He was part of the Noble's all conquering team before hanging up his boots in 2003. There can be no doubt Big Mac's subsequent coaching success owed much to Noble's influence.

The Bulls' game in Toronto will also be a special moment for Wolfpack forwards Adam Sidlow and Tom Olbison. Both men spent significant time with Bradford before the old club was finally liquidated in early 2017. Sidlow suddenly found himself on a plane to Canada while Olbison moved onto Widnes.

Bradford is an historic club, climbing its way back up rugby's ladder. Toronto is a club with no history, trying to force its way into the upper echelons of the game. There is no time like the present for the old and the new to get acquainted.

A demanding schedule awaits both – just the way it should be.