I'm not sure you can decide Catalans have failed based on one international friendly.

true, it does highlight the catalans club biggerst problem though, that none of the key positions are taken up by french players when they play a full strength side.

having backup players at club level being starters at international level is going to make it difficult for them to progress

Escare at full back.
Bosc in the halves
Pelissier at 9 (interchanging I know)

Was just a bad game, it happens.

but none of the three named are starters,

webb
pryce
henderson

start there

The master plan of bringing a French team into S.L to improve the national game is really progressing.

Give it another thirty years & they may be able to compete on the International stage.

Have patience corridor boys.

I did watch it. I'd never claim to be an expert. I'm critical of France because the standard was well below what France are capable of, and I hope that this brings home to them that there are no pushovers in the WC. I'd imagine some people would have agendas against the USA because this team may be considered to be spitting in the face of the US competitions and the internationals they've had over the past few years with Canada/Jamaica. Obviously it's working for them though, and I'm happy that they seem to be gelling well in defence, hopefully this means that they won't be the whipping boys of their group like I feared when I saw the teams announced.

At least Remi Casty is off to ply his trade in the NRL.

The road to international recovery has to start somewhere.

I really doubt any of the people complaining on this thread know anything about that.

Looking back there really aren't many complaining for the hell of it. But yeah, in retrospect you're almost certainly right.

It won't get any publicity in USA because the RFL forgot to sell the TV rights to the WC to a TV channel in the USA.

So the WC will not be seen in the USA and noone in the USA will know that the rugby league WC is on.

Big Nige scores another brilliant success in international development!

so I suppose England with all their key positions filled with so such talent, not to mention the excellent 'back-up' players available is tickety boo then ?

or maybe we should simply take the warm-ups for what they really are....warm-ups ???

there are many reasons why the USA won that game, motivation being the no.1 for me but when you have a negative thinking coach in charge then maybe you get what you pay for ?

Have the French ever been motivated for anything?

Utter disgrace.

Now you know why 7 major Super League clubs want the RFL to stop its mad, ill considered reforms of Super League and give the clubs more say in the process.

These same clubs, and their owners or CEOs, also want to do something about the failure of the RFL to attract naming rights sponsorship -- to either Super League or the World Cup. This despite hiring as Chairman an empty suit named Brian Barwick to attract such sponsorship.

The complete failure of the RFL under Wood-Barwick on the financial front is paralleled by the fiasco of not getting the WC games telecast in the USA, and heaven knows where else.

erhh drinking, love-making and eating