Fantastic attendance at a great event game and hopefully one that is repeated this year to keep up interest. Were you aware that 4 of the starting 13 that day, together with another 3 on the bench were born in France.

Now, to be crystal. In 2006, although the club itself was relatively new, Rugby League in the region was in decent shape (12k to the domestic final) and they had the chance to pick from at least a dozen clubs to nurture and grow the pathway for French players, all with no need to pay transfer fees. They were also exempt from relegation for 3 years to give them a chance to "bed in".

14 years later and they are as reliant on imports as they were in 2006 when they defeated Wigan in front of 11,000 fans except now they don't get 11,000 gates at their home ground.

This thread started with a list of London players and highlighting that the vast majority were London trained. At the end of 2006, London were also "re-born" after nearly going under. At the time, they were a team that had no local players that I can recall, but who had finished in a play-off spot. London now have very little reliance on antipodean players and have started to benefit from the conveyer-belt of talent started back in 2007. French Rugby League on the other hand has gone backwards, with 2k attending their domestic final in 2019.

I'd say that a London side packed with London born and trained players is far better for the game than 30k curious Catalonians at a one off event.

As I say. I hope they return to Barcelona again this year and we see an increase on the gate, but somehow, I can't see it as having been anything more than a one off event like it was in 2009 when Wire played in Spain. 10 years between drinks is a long time for all those Rugby Mad Catalonians.......especially if it is to watch a French side with fewer than 37% French Players.

Bucks Fizz must have had a preminition about Walt

1. THREAD DRIFTED BY THE TROLL AGAIN

2. No.
I work in the realms of fact and statistics.
You are strangely absent from the thread regarding how to assist French RL BTW. You did post 2 references to Wakefield that were stranglely removed and replaced with a singular reference to a "pit village", but you've made no comment on how to help?
It's almost like you're a troll????

Instead, you infect this thread about a local side full of local players and make unfounded and unsupported claims at to what would happen if Toulouse don't bottle it again this year.

To reiterate. 1,100.....less a few dozen, bothered to attend the final play-off game of 2019 in France and fewer than 2,000 bothered with the french domestic final.
I understand with you being French that some things might get lost in translation, but surely, given the precise nature of many of your posts, you have some grasp of the fact that French RL is bu99ered and Toulouse in an English Comp is not the answer...especially when their playmaker is a Cook Island International, born an Australian and still not good enough for the NSW cup!

If you are the expert on all things French RL, please feel free to post in the correct thread and not the one about the progress made in London over the last decade whilst Catalans have gone backwards.

Back on thread.
London's 2nd string, featuring 18 London based players lost recently to Coventry, whilst the First Team Squad with 15 London trained plaers that day fell to Hull FC, by 4 scores to one.
33 Londoners across the 2 squads with the academy as well...that's more cockneys that the French have French players in their international Squad

I am not dreaming.

The requirement of any new team from abroad into Superleague was never attendances.

It was and remains develop SL players and bring in local TV money, That's exactly what Superleague asked of Toulouse when they re-entered the game here with a plan for SL.

It was what was expected of Toronto and it was what Perez promised on behalf of TWP as well.

Catalans attendances are irrelevent, they were supposed to bring in French TV money and nurture the best French players to create a competetive French International side.

All three clubs are sadly - yes sadly - complete and utter failures who cannot be allowed to replace clubs in Superleague who do develop quality pro-players and do get a TV deal.

This is all very simple stuff to understand if people have the goodwill and mental capacity to understand and accept.

All three clubs are total failures failures on the criteria for success - New players and TV money - and would destroy Superleague if they were all allowed in in 2022..........