I guess in 1947 those record crowds were "locals", but today with a car and a handy motorway supporting your favourite club is easier to do at a distance than queuing for local trams......

Sorry atmosphere and Huddersfield should not be mentioned in the same sentence

As Snowey said it's not the X word........

We know Superleague was launched as a European competition that TO tried to join, but Paris got the nod. We know Paris failed and TO still didn't get the nod as the "Superleague Europe" title indicated they should have done. But what's in a name. Years on including a great win over the "cup kings" Widnes TO still didn't get the nod when Les Catalans did. It may be by then the criteria for entry may have included a rich owner and Bernard has been just that.

The TV deal thing was highlighted when this last deal just ending was negotiated and SL took the stance that French clubs were "guests" of Superleague and not members. Indeed Gausch did not disagree and didn't vote on that last deal. Gausch has understood the need for French SL clubs to try to get French TV deals from French TV channels and ultimately French subscribers. He also understands he can't and (AFAIK) doesn't) really argue he is "entitled" to a penny of the SKY money.

So the fact is as it stands TO are guests. As guests they have been allowed to take a Superleague place by invitation effectively.......That is very kind of Superleague, and it was also kind of Featherstone not to complain that they have more of a right to an SL place than Toulouse regardless of results and regardless of more SKY subs being collected by SKY in Featherstone than in the whole of France .

I'd add how much it will cost TO to come and play here isn't anything to do with Superleague either, I don't think London Broncos got an extra travel allowance either . Asking the English clubs to sub French guest clubs travel isn't fair, they didn't have to let them in, and you may not find Toulouse disagreeing which is perhaps the key point. As for the future if we dreamed of an Anglo French league of big clubs that would certainly need a big French TV deal. As per McManus SKY must have at least 9 English clubs to get the subs in.......

So the bottom line is unless the two big French clubs can (1) use their SL membership to boost the number of quality French players and (2) Use their status as Superleague clubs to attract a French TV deal to add to the English one, then there will be no Anglo-French league of big city clubs..........

Fair enough on your first point, on your latter point since when was support for any club, RL or soccer ring fenced??

Plenty of fans will travel to Wigan from Manchester, from Liverpool to Saints, or from Chester to watch Wire.

Leeds attract fans down from York, Wakey from Barnsley etc etc.....Wigan Wire and Saints are big names in Rugby League and attract sizable crowds from a wide radius.

Yes and equally Catalans fans come from a wide catchment area just as Toulouse fans will. Many will go to both.

I’m not ring fencing- I’m pointing out you were!

** Ahem.Cough.Cough ** Calling Donnyman. https://www.totalrl.com/lenagan-welcome ... er-league/

** Ahem.Cough.Cough ** Calling Donnyman. https://www.totalrl.com/lenagan-welcome ... er-league/

I'd change that to some

I'll take that call and bow to your superior experience......

However I can't accept the gushing tribute Lenegan makes in the Rugby Leaguer to TO after Superleague spent weeks trying to argue for 2x10 that would have shut them out. It's way over the top and doesn't really hide the fact that Mr. Beaumont's Leigh was much preferred to Toulouse as proven by Mr. Lenegan actual action of flagging Leigh in for this last season just gone without a thought for a second French club in SL.

Maybe TO can redeem themselves in his eyes by finding that Elusive paying French TV deal, and playing as many French players as possible (which could still mean they go down anyway and Leigh finally go up to stay.....................)

To be clear, you are saying he is liar based purely on your previous misconception and baseless theory that he didn't want Toulouse?

Wow.

Because it would be extra money wouldn't it. IIRC French fans can't subscribe to SKY so they need someone like Bein TV to provide a deal from French subscribers.

Less English clubs means less English subscribers........

The word is '"fewer" and I'd like to see the documented proof of this theory that you are peddling as fact.

rlIn the fiscal year 2020, the British pay TV operator Sky's advertising segment had income of 1,440 million British pounds.rl which accounted for about 11% of their income. Sky have 13,000,000 subscribers in the UK with another 10,000,000 in Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany........the average viewership for a SL game in the UK is under 200,000. rlSky lost 198,000 subscribersrl in the second fiscal Quarter this year...by your logic, that's because Leigh were relegated and replaced by Toulouse 3.7412109375:5