I agree, possibly a French club in NL1 is a bit premature. However a second French club in SL in 2012 is about right (?) if development over there continues at the current rate. Therefore somewhere between now and then it would be worth investigating the option of a French club in NL1. I think a French club in NL1 could do alot of good for the French game and also for the cache of NL1. TO can afford to investigate this option, other French clubs could not.
So while things are not right/perfect now, they won't be for the next three years, and then the chance to try a french club in NL1 will have passed.

Sorry … how is the RFL subsidising clubs' travel costs for an expanded competition with an international element not money "pent on the current NL clubs and the competition itself"

My opinion is that the international element of NL 1 [ so no money being spent on NL 2 clubs ] will not help the current NL 1 clubs in any way , be that financially or the profile of the competition

The bulk of the money spent will be going to the french club and they will benifit much more than the current NL 1 clubs

My opinion , you disagree no problem

Too early to make a good prediction about how they're going to do - it's five months until NL1 (or whatever it will eventually be called) starts. The current squad looks pretty weak to me, but they have several months to make further signings. It's also a pretty young squad on the whole and they've already started training. Six months of pre-season training could see significant improvements in some of those players and they should certainly be very well-drilled, no need for the squad to 'gel' come March/April.

Only if the French club is a travel company. Which is where the bulk of the money spent will be going

Yes but what does a French club in NL1 really achieve? A French club in SL it's easy to see the benefits of, but the massively increased costs for an entire league seems to more than offset the smalle benefits of one club playing in a slightly higher standard of competition, despite not being too good to play in their current competition

It could be another case of RL trying to run before they can walk, but it could well be the implementation of a vision to make the NL1 comp a genuinely interesting comp - and get TV revenue for it.
I think that this is a bit of a Crusaders issue "they can only try this now, even if they are not really ready" as opposed to a Catalans "they are ready now" issue.

2 Things

1 st , the NL clubs have the chance to recieve £ 100,000 each per season ' central ' funding from the RFL for the next 3 seasons but this is not attached to any revenue the NL's earn via TV exposure [ we are told ] , Are we suddenly to believe that having Toulouse in NL 1 will result in TV companies throwing cash at us ?

2 nd , if the NL's are that uninteresting that the inclusion of a mid/lower club from France is the best the RFL can come up with to generate interest in the competition then they are truly b0lloxed

in three years time maybe so, maybe sky will pay that £100k per season and the £100k currently coming from the RFL can go to the amateur game

In three years time Toulouse will get a SL franchise , so how will they help to get additional SKY support then [ that is if SKY are not already paying ]





All irrelivant , just history

maybe so, maybe another french club without SL ambition like Pia or Lezignan will take their place? maybe along with a Scottish/Irish side? maybe these things were discussed with sky prior to the last deal being signed?



how would you be looking to judge what Toulouse did in the French Elite other than what they did in the french elite?

Quite probably , the RFL's lack of being able to see what is in front of them has no limits

I have no wish to judge Toulouse on thier past present or future , they are a French club and should stay a French club until the organisation known as SLE wants them in thier competition

They should not be foistered on the clubs in our second tier and the money it will cost having them in our second tier could be better spent

I also have no wish to get involved with any more pointless arguments with people like yourself

how do you know this is the case? how do you know the RFL havent spoken to sponsors and the £100-£200k it will cost to trasport a team to france (or vice-versa) only came in to the game to do specifically that?

when the RFL is giving each club in the NLs £100k from their central fund (of which the vast vast majority will come from SL or the international game) they dont really have the right to complain when the RFL wants something back from it do they? especially when that something will cost the NL clubs nothing!

maybe the RFL is only putting Toulouse into the NLs to prepare them for SL, even if we discount any possible benefit to the NLs, for a £100k a team and their travel costs paying, i doubt we would see the NL clubs complaining