TORONTO — After the end of a Toronto Wolfpack practice this week, Fiji international forward Ashton Sims puttered around the Cherry Beach playing field on a bike with some tunes emerging from deep in his backpack.
A Harley-Davidson would seem more fitting for the chiselled six-foot-four 245-pound man-mountain, given his shoulder-length hair and array of tattoos. But the bike works, considering the Wolfpack digs in Toronto are a college residence a short ride away from Lamport Stadium.
Like the Australian-born Sims, Scottish international back Matty Russell is new to the rugby league team this year. The 25-year-old is starting to feel at home already in Toronto.
"I've explored it near enough every day," said Russell, who makes his home in Wigan, some 40 kilometres from the team's English training base in Manchester.
"I had a ride through the city on my bike, had a good look around, CN Tower. It's lovely. I'm loving it."
Russell cites the friendly nature of Torontonians.
"It's a breath of fresh air really, because sometimes in the U.K. people aren't as friendly as that."
In just their second year, the Wolfpack are an unlikely success story. In essence they are a team whose Toronto home games are away from home — like Russell, the roster of largely British and Australian players and their families live in the rugby league hotbed that is the north of England.
The players landed in Toronto last week for a two-month stay — an eight-game home stand squeezed into one block because of renovations to Lamport in the first half of the season. The Wolfpack's one home game to date — a 62-14 win over Swinton Lions — had to be played at Fletcher's Fields north of the city because Lamport wasn't ready.
It is now and the Wolfpack, who top the second-tier Betfred Championship at 13-1-1, welcome the third-place London Broncos (10-5-0) on Saturday. London is the only team to have beaten Toronto in league play this season, registering a 47-16 win on Feb. 25.
Toronto has won 11 straight league games since. London arrives having lost two of its last four.
Wolfpack coach Paul Rowley says his team deserved to lose to the Broncos back in February, calling its defensive effort "embarrassing."
"If we approach the game like we did last time, we'll get the same result," he warned. "It'll certainly be a test of our character, our mentality and our approach.
"We intend to put on a far better performance than we did last time, whilst having the utmost respect for the capabilities of London ... It's all set up. It's got the ingredients of a good one."
While in Toronto, the Wolfpack players live and play together — with a dietician providing breakfast and dinner each day. After practice, they can usually be found en masse grabbing lunch at a nearby restaurant patio.
In Year 2 of the franchise, families are joining them — especially now that the team has a longer stint here. Russell was delighted this week to learn that his eight-month-old son Tommy had just got his passport. Tommy and partner Chloe are due over in a week for a stay of at least a month.
"She's so looking forward to it," said Russell. "It's really exciting."
"Being here for the longer block, I think people are actually unpacking the bag this time and filling the fridge," said Rowley, who is expecting visits from his wife and two boys as well as his father and brother. "It's good, we've got familiarity.
"The settling-in period's not as long. I guess it's only the new lads that are excited and looking around the city a little bit more. Yeah, it's home (away) from home."
In a bid to help players adjust, the Wolfpack recently made former Australian and Samoan international Reni Maitua, who came out of retirement in late February to play for Toronto, the team's player welfare manager.
His job is to support Wolfpack players “in overcoming any challenges both in and away from being a professional sportsman.”
Toronto's sales pitch to players has revolved around establishing the sport of rugby league in North America while looking to climb the ladder into the top-tier Super League — experiencing another part of the world en route.
The players seem genuinely happy to be here, an emotion that clearly showed last season. After each game at Lamport, the Wolfpack players circled the stands to shake hands and take selfies with fans. If one of the supporters in the end-zone beer gardens passed them a beer, it was quickly disposed of.
The well-stocked Wolfpack, who earned promotion last season by topping the third-tier League 1, continue their winning ways. Off the field, their challenge now is to recreate the good crowds of last year without giving tickets away.
Jack Bussey is out with an injury and fellow forward Darcy Lussick may not make it back from a shoulder issue in time for the Broncos game. Adam Higson is a long-term casualty while hooker Bob Beswick is suspended.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press