Toronto boss Brian McDermott insists the Canadian city is exactly the right place for Sonny Bill Williams to take rugby league's appeal global.
New Zealander Williams was unveiled by the Wolfpack yesterday as the two-time Rugby World Cup winner becomes the highest-paid player in the history of either code.
McDermott explained that owner David Argyle stressed the lure of Toronto to him - telling of how a top NRL club had asked the Wolfpack supremo to invest in them - simply on the strength of the Toronto name.
And ex-Leeds coach McDermott believes the signing of Sonny Bill will make the world sit up and take note of Super League.
"Leeds, Wigan, Hull, St Helens - they are all big clubs," he explained. "And if something happens there - it's big in Super League. But it's not big around the world.
"I don't think any multi-millionaire that wants to get involved in the sport on a significant level is going to get excited if Salford win the Grand Final. Or Featherstone get promoted.
"Within the sport - it's brilliant - and I don't want to trivialise it. On a coaching level - go and look at that. But it is not exciting to people around the world.
"What Toronto are doing is making people around the world take note of Super League.
"There were a billion eyeballs on the World Cup semi-final. How many of those people are now clicking on one of the biggest players in the world and where he has gone to?
"They may have no interest in Super League whatsoever - but they are now going to do that.
"I don't want to put words into David's mouth - but if Sonny is an OK player - he'd probably be happy with that. Because he is paying for Sonny's brand.
"Everyone is cool with that because it absolutely works."
