There are 14 semi-pro teams in USA already you moron, and I'm talking about potential, whichever country is furthest along the line currently is irrelevant.

You mention the big four sports in America, yet France faces perhaps an even bigger issue given the popularity of football and union over there. The American football season is very short (5 months approximately), and plenty of fans of that sport have little or no interest in the other 3. Rugby League is a game that will and does appeal to them. It's, fast, physical and very simple. There is a gap in the market for it. Not to mention the huge potential player pool compared to France.

The best thing we could do from an expansion PoV is get it played in colleges. There are tonnes of good high school football players who don't make it to college standard but would make decent rugby league players. Likewise there are plenty of good College players who don't make it to the NRL who may well love the chance to play professional sport.

The 14 American teams are amateur not semi-pro. Do you know the difference? Since you are a complete imbecile, I guess that you don't.

In that case I better go back and see my old amateur clubs. I'm obviously due some back payments.

France is a dead duck internationally. The French had their opportunity to develop an elite player pool through a full-time SL side, and have instead chosen to pack it with mediocre Aussies and Islanders chasing a big pay day.

The French "elite" domestic competition remains no better than Championship One standard, played in front of dwindling crowds by players not good enough to get in the Catalans squad.

If we think RL is a long way behind soccer and Union in this country, in France it's tenfold.

I feel a bit sorry for David Collier. I'm sure he's come into the job with all sorts of enthusiasm and bright, shiny ideas. However, in much the same way whoever heads up the RFL finds themselves hamstrung by the self interest of the SL clubs with the tail wagging the dog, whoever heads up the RLIF will be bashing their head against the brick wall that is the NRL with its typically Australian insularity.

Good luck, you're going to need it.

This is the same bloke took international cricket away from the masses by selling the England matches to SKY, right?

Cricket is in the same boat as RL. It can't exist without Sky's money. In RL's case it's selling the domestic league games, in crickets case it's selling the international test matches. Without that money from internationals they'd struggle hugely to keep the County sides going.