Toronto Wolfpack on a break they may need — but definitely don't want

And, breathe.

Almost a third of the way through their third season, it's time for the Toronto Wolfpack to take a back seat. Relax, unwind and let the body recover from two months of relentless wear and tear.

Loose-forward Jon Wilkin said it best following their win over Halifax.

"Too much water kills the plant in sport, and we've been heavily watered over the last eight weeks," he joked.

However, there is no doubting the importance the team attached to a convincing performance going into the break.

Wait. What? A break? Shouldn't the Wolfpack be entering the Rugby League Challenge Cup on the weekend? Yes, they should, but this season they are not competing.

Depending on who you believe, Toronto was asked to withdraw, or was simply ejected from the oldest, most revered competition in the world of rugby league.

The Challenge Cup dates back to the dawn of the game. It was first contested in 1897 and with the exception of two World Wars, it has been a fixture ever since. It is a competition that is open to all registered clubs – even the amateurs.

Not this year. Neither the Wolfpack nor Toulouse are taking part. The Canadian team and their French counterparts are both non-starters after refusing to put up a financial bond in the unlikely event either should reach the final.

The Rugby League got burned last year and it doesn't want a repeat in 2019. The Challenge Cup Final is the League's big day out in London and is the sport's principle revenue earner in terms of ticket sales and broadcast rights.

Dragons' win was a financial loss

Average attendance for the final fluctuates but generally attracts a crowd of around 80,000 fans to Wembley Stadium. Not last year. In 2018, French team Catalans Dragons reached the annual showpiece where they became the first non-English team to lift the coveted trophy.

It was a triumph for the expansion of the game beyond its traditional borders. Not at Rugby League Headquarters. The attendance barely cracked 50,000 – the lowest since the final returned to the new Wembley in 2007. Or to put it another way, there were nearly 40,000 empty seats.

The league isn't taking any chances this time. All its overseas franchises, including the Cup holders themselves, were asked to guarantee they would cover the cost of any future financial shortfall. Toronto and Toulouse declined; the Dragons will defend their trophy.

Ashton Sims did not mince his words.

The big Wolfpack forward tweeted: "As players…we are disappointed not to be involved in the 2019 Challenge Cup. Just for clarity, we never chose to withdraw from the competition."

I am, thus, assuming the Wolfpack would rather be playing. Every club wants it shot at glory in the unique atmosphere of knock out competition. Giants of the game are thrown together with the newcomers and the minnows. Cup upsets form part of every sport, and as fans we never tire of them.

The league's caution is understandable. Clearly it wants to maximize revenues on that one day in the year when casual fans will either watch or buy tickets. But to demand financial guarantees up front from a mere handful of teams is short sighted in the extreme.

Shutting out a new audience

What happens next year, or the year after? At the current rate of ascent the Toronto Wolfpack and perhaps Toulouse will be Super League outfits in the next couple of years. As such there will be a greatly increased chance of them reaching Wembley.

Will the league treat them differently when they are in a real position to win the Challenge Cup? And more importantly will the league understand the importance of showcasing their sport to an entirely new audience?

Countless North Americans, who have never heard of the Challenge Cup Final, might be introduced to the game and embrace an historic event if and when the Wolfpack gets a shot at rugby league's Holy Grail.

In the meantime, Jon Wilkin is on vacation. So is his coach. Bran McDermott won the Challenge Cup on multiple occasions as both player and coach. I am certain he wants another crack at it. I am assured patience is a virtue.