Catalans has been a smashing success in Super League. It has built a solid hard core of around 7,000 supporters, with a soft core of 1,000 - 1,500. It has built a player roster that enables it to compete at the upper tier of the competition. It has uncovered lots of French talent, from Thomas Bosc and Remi Casty among the now older players, to Morgan Escare, and Eloi Pelissier among the younger players. Most interesting it has developed a previously marginal mid-career semi-pro French Elite 1 player, Kevin Larroyer, into a top class Super League professional talent.

Toulouse has the potential to be even more powerful. This is because it has access to so much more than Catalans in terms of financial resources, and pools of playing talent and spectators. So long as it starts out with a good Australian coach, it can build a playing roster that will keep it off the bottom of the Super League table from the start, and within five years become a talent recruiting, high performance powerhouse. In other words, by 2020 it should be challenging Wigan, Warrington, Leeds, Catalans, etc. for the top spots on the Super League ladder. There is little doubt in my mind that Toulouse will become a Super League glamour team within a short space of time.

Won't removing us once do for you




I'm not against the idea of Toulouse coming in, if they are ready to do so.

Indeed, they're also older than Workington, Whitehaven, Sheffield, Doncaster, and of course London.

Somebody has drunk too much wine and eaten too much cheese

Or like Leeds did pre Caddick, or Bradford have just done or Hull KR or Huddersfield Barracudas or Hull Sharks (Lloyd days) Wigan after Maurice or Widnes pre Stobart or shall I go on....

...the problem with you and your ilk is your very short and selective memories.

Silly person

Yup I guessed that, should have been clearer

I think you'll find that Leeds paid their debts, unlike Wakefield.

Of course they did.

Of course, that’s what Leeds do, pay their debts.

Ah yes, up pops Smokey. To prove a point without actually proving it!

What point would you like me to prove? I agreed with you, Leeds paid their debts.

No you didn't. You only proved you are the dullest poster on here. Something you do time and time again.

Its not the local board for local people over here sweetheart, unlike the wakefield board there are actual real life other people here and your little band of morons get pulled up when they are making things up.

Truth hurts eh? Nice little outburst.

May I suggest some time away from the computer? Try the real world for a bit.

You can suggest whatever you like, you can do it on the Wakefield board, as many people will read it on there as will care about it here.

Great comeback...

But what about Toulouse? Isn't that the real issue?

Anyway, lets move passed Wildthing’s playground insults, and weird Wakefield bitterness. Leeds paid all their debts by the way.

Toulouse. Big, rich city, rich rugby history and RL history, great attendance sows great potential. Wonderful opportunity for the game. Maybe when fans of RL stop being so negative and pessimistic about the game, the media will too.

Leeds were taken over by Caddick, they didnt go into administration and emerge as a different company like Wakefield, Bradford etc. Leeds Cricket, Football & Athletic Company Ltd was incorporated in 1889 and remains the company that runs the rugby league team and owns the assets.
There was a deal done with Tetley's to provide funds up front to help pay off the largest debts in return for years of main sponsorship. But it was only in the last few years that Leeds finally became debt free. They are reaping the benefits of that now with profits of £600k IIRC in the last accounts.

If indeed Ian Lenagan, Eamon McManus, Mr Moran, and Mr. Hetherington did go to Toulouse and did give Toulouse the green light, then we can assume that it is a done deal.

It will be a rare day for Super League fans' rejoicing if the accession to Super League of Toulouse is announced in July. In the midst of such bad news emanating from London, Toulouse will be a ray of hope for the growth of our game.

I would note that the Bentley brothers, both of whom have played for France, have signed up for Toulouse, so they must be confident that there is a good future there.

Jean, thanks for answering my questions earlier.

I thought you had to be granted a license to enter Super League in 2014, so how can a team be announced in 2013?

Toulouse can not be in SL in 2014, The Licensing period is done until 2015 when the new restructure will be here, Toulouse will simply be put in SL 2 or Chapionship as everyone already knows it as.

Thats it, Nothing else to see here, Move on.

I haven't seen bumtwitching like this since the last time someone picked Leeds in the Club Call.

I think that the RFL is announcing Toulouse's bid in 2013 to give it more time to prepare, including more time to recruit French and especially foreign players. That would be consistent with the advance warning given to Catalans back in 2004.

It would also give the club more time to renovate its stadium, and bring it up to Super League standards. Mind you I think that plans restricting the new structure to 10,000 seats is a big mistake, as the nearly 15,000 attendance last weekend suggests that big crowds will show up in Toulouse for big rugby league events. They had better leave space for further expansion of the stadium in the future. If Toulouse should become a powerhouse they could well expect big clashes (e.g. against Catalans, Leeds, Wigan, St Helens, Warrington, Hull FC and Bradford) to attract 12,000-15,000. Do they really want to have to transfer all these matches to Ernest Wallon? Moreover they cannot always guarantee that 19,000 capacity Stade Ernest Wallon will be available at late notice for a heavily subscribed event.