That all you got time for Tabby? Shows how hard it it to run as several on-line persons all at once.

I suggest you drop the "Tabby" character, Gav Wilson has already "doubted your sincerity" shall we say and suggested TRL isn't the place for you.

I think your better than that just shouting "xenophobia".

Ian Lenegan in 2015 went to Toulouse as a guest of the club with other SL chairmen. Lenegan was supportive of Toulouse for Superleague and in the main after dinner speech he told them so, but added that TO needed to [i"Work towards developing French players capable of playing at SL level and finding a French TV deal".[/i

Fev and Leigh would also be expected to have player development systems in Superleague too, albeit as English clubs they would underpin the TV deal anyway.

Eamon McManus was also supportive of Toulouse when he lambasted Toronto Wolfpack. He felt two French clubs would create a classic derby, he felt that would [i"open up new avenues with French Broadcasters"[/i This was all at a time when the SKY TV deal was massive.

But that deal has been slashed and the problem will be if there is no French TV deal, and if Toulouse turn up at their first Superleague fixture with only the odd one or two pro French players, then English clubs will be asking Lenegan why has he let them in when they have not met the criteria Lenegan on behalf of Superleague set for them, something Toulouse did not argue against.

You can try to belittle Featherstone and Leigh as "Village clubs" and extol the virtues of a major city club, but the fact is playing in a big city doesn't guarantee growth - see London Broncos lack of success in our of biggest city, see the success and longevity of leigh and Featherstone based in pit villages.

While the M62 supporters plead poverty and await a bit of communication from those putatively in charge of the sport,over in France it is all positivity. https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/10/12/rob ... d-cup-bid/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemeehal ... by-league/ The M62'ers meanwhile,wash daily in their own misery - reliant on their power grab.

While the M62 supporters plead poverty and await a bit of communication from those putatively in charge of the sport,over in France it is all positivity. https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/10/12/rob ... d-cup-bid/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemeehal ... by-league/ The M62'ers meanwhile,wash daily in their own misery - reliant on their power grab.

That's what Catalans do, they have 11 major imports and add to that the half dozen real quality French players for their first team squad, with the rest of the roster being the very best young french lads of potential. Morgue shows up well and he's in, which has been great to see.

Thus Les Catalans have established themselves as a major French SL club that is a conduit for the relatively few talented French players their game produces. Sadly it leaves Toulouse no quality French talent to sign (Casty is of course retiring).

Catalans presence in Superleague has become very much a plus for the game, and this is despite the number of top French players reducing since 2008 when a Catalans first team side contained Raguin, Bosc, Pellow, Casty, Munis, Duport, Kattabi, Olima, Guisset, and Fakir .......

Catalans Dragons and the reduction in quality french talent over the years leaves Toulouse nowhere to go really in terms of building a second French Superleague side, and a season of defeats will do nothing to boost interest in the grass roots game there either. You cannot say look what catalans have done and seriously predict Toulouse can do the same.......

No it can't be? can it? Your not......................Snowy said you weren't?

Ive again no idea who you think I am, but I repeat...I post here as orbageman and I don't post on trl.
You are an anti expansionist zealot.....you really are

I hate people that post stuff just to wind other people up.

Toulouse were expected to bring a tv deal? (WTF Leneghan has to do with dictating rules who knows)- Wakefield and castleford promised a new stadium 10 years ago and we are still waiting..... Toulouse have at least another 5 years grace then. Some clubs are developing young players better than others regardless of their position in the table. Some without an academy at all, many championship sides are developing excellent part time players some going onto SL. What about all the homegrown leigh players in their side ....... erm. Where's the parity here?

It speaks volumes that you talk about Lenegan letting in Toulouse. Lenegan hasn't "let them in" he's Wigans chairman - not the chairman of superleague, and is strongly against SL rejoining with the RFL. in reality what he thinks about Toulouse in SL is worth just as much (or little) as every other club owner!
And please note, I'm not belittling Fev and Leigh AT ALL I'm just pointing out the rather bizarre expectations that many fans put on a team that happens to be outside of the UK. Expectations that don't match those put on those other clubs either currently already in SL or who potentially could be. other than the fact its a club outside the UK there is no reason for this - so could the reason just be xenophobia because i cant see any other rational argument

I respect your opinions. Not sure why the old academy card has to be
played? Is this solely a M62 corridor thing? No it’s not. The M62 corridor is supported by community clubs. You can’t have an academy without it. So let’s stop the hype of academies.

The current situation with Toulouse is they have contracted players into next season. Without paying them off they can’t buy. Would you like the rules changing to accommodate that?

That highlighted in bold is exactly the reason why we cannot expect too much of Toulouse. Lets be honest, some of their players are getting on a bit, and whether we like it or not, SL week in and week out is a completely different beast.

Good luck to them though. they will need it. I just hope the game in general gets the break it deserves and gets people week in and week out through the turnstiles in all divisions because lets be honest, all we did last year was polish a turd ! It was a terrible season !

I appreciate how hard your job is and how subtlly some people will appear to post normally then fit in a personal attack on someone's favourite club or on that person themselves. (as you can see above in the post that deliberately names me to get that reaction......)

So do you mind if I report that??

"Xenophobia" being the deliberate wind up

Lenegan was the Chairman who opposed the RFL with the backing of the big clubs, that led to those clubs taking over Superleague and taking over negotiatons for this next TV deal and also taking most of the SKY money.

Lenegan and his fellow chairmen assumed the final say on letting "guest clubs" joing Superleague.

The RFL didn't step in and say "we are in charge" Wood and Rimmer just let them do that...............

Any idea then why it appears that they have hamstrung themselves putting everything into promotion?