A huge part of the rationale behind introducing a French club to the competition right from the outset (and the reintroduction of one after the disaster that was Paris, not to mention the calls for a second one based in Toulouse) was that it would improve the French player pool and enable them to be more competitive on an international level, rather than playing in their part-time domestic competition.

Otherwise, why are the Dragons in SL and not playing in Le Championnat?

Are we now accepting that has failed, and their presence is basically to provide fans with a jolly weekend away once or twice a year?

Thats a fair summary. This is a big season for Shaul. With Rankin gone full back is his. We know he's good under a high ball and an excellent broken field runner, but he needs to add a couple more strings to his bow now. Likewise Sneyd. He was ok last season, but he needs to find consistency.

In the backs, Logan is still learning, and Carlos/Fonua could be inspired signings or could flop, but they all have ability.

As for the guys over 30, I'm not that worried. Pryce, Ellis, Pritchard and Mini are imo the only key players that fall into this category. Ellis has question marks over him given his injury, Pryce could be a concern but will be ably covered by Abdull. I'm not worried about the others.

Because they are a full-time club and that isn't a full-time competition. I'm not sure what your point is here, this is like asking why Leeds aren't playing in League One, or the Pennine League.

Again, not sure what you're talking about here given that Catalans have probably produced more players than any other SL club apart from Wigan over the past few years.

It's strange that people don't ever ask what the 'point' or 'purpose' of any of the English SL clubs is. Some of you people have very strange ideas.

its because they see the game as something which belongs to them and anybody new is taking it from them and their sharing of it needs to be justified. So heartland clubs dont need to justify their existence, their existence is justification itself, anybody else, any of these interlopers must be offering something more than their existence as an RL club. They must be held to a higher standard, more must be demanded of them,

10 is still a good number too many (and it looks like they have more then 10 players who aren't eligible for France which is the point).They're in the league to compete, of course they are but as I would say about any team, that is far too many overseas players.

Using excuses like they're not foreign, they're English and then stating that Wigan have 9 'non Wigan' players is ridiculous.

In the same way that I believe Wigan/Leeds/Cas/Saints etc have a duty to produce players for the national side, I also believe Catalans have that duty towards the French national side. As the only professional team in the country it's probably more pressing as well but they're neglecting that by loading the team up with overseas (England is overseas from France) players.

Just because it's Catalans and they're most peoples (including my own) 2nd favourite team doesn't make them untouchable.

Back on topic, Saints squad is as follows:

1. Jonny Lomax
2. Tommy Makinson
3. Jordan Turner
4. Mark Percival
5. Adam Swift
6. Travis Burns
7. Luke Walsh
8. Alex Walmsley
9. James Roby
10. Kyle Amor
11. Atelea Vea
12. Jon Wilkin
13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
14. Lama Tasi
15. Greg Richards
16. Andre Savelio
17. Luke Thompson
18. Dominique Peyroux
19. Theo Fages
20. Joe Greenwood
21. Matty Dawson
22. Jack Owens
23. Shannon McDonnell
24. Matty Fleming
25. Lewis Charnock
26. Olly Davies
27. Jack Ashworth
28. Morgan Knowles
29. Ricky Bailey
30. Calvin Wellington
31. Danny Richardson
32. Levy Nzoungou
33. Jake Spedding
34. Regan Grace

Just the 20 or so Academy products

No it isn't, it's literally the exact same argument.

Except there are now ~30 full time French RL players across the leagues, as opposed to I think two before Catalans joined the competition.

Wigan:

1) Sam Tomkins
2) Josh Charnley
3) Anthony Gelling
4) Dan Sarginson
5) Dom Manfredi
6) George Williams
7) Matty Smith


Dom Crosby
9) Michael McIlorum
10) Ben Flower
11) Joel Tomkins
12) Liam Farrell
13) Sean O'Loughlin
14) John Bateman
15) Tony Clubb
16) Sam Powell
17) Lee Mossop
18) Fans
19) Taulima Tautai
20) Oliver Gildart
21) Ryan Sutton
22) Lewis Tierney
23) Connor Farrell
24) Rhodri Lloyd
25) Willie Isa
26) Greg Burke
27) Nick Gregson
28) Jake Shorrocks
29) Joe Bretherton
30) Jack Higginson
31) Gabriel Fell
32) Luke Waterworth

Salford:

1. Niall Evalds
2. Justin Carney
3. Josh Griffin
4. Junior Sa’u
5. Daniel Vidot
6. Robert Lui
7. Michael Dobson (vice-captain)
8. Craig Kopczak
9. Tommy Lee (captain)
10. George Griffin
11. Ben Murdoch-Masila
12. Weller Hauraki
13. Mark Flanagan
14. Gareth O’Brien
15. Adam Walne
16. Olsi Krasniqi
17. Phil Joseph
18. Greg Johnson
19. Logan Tomkins
20. Jordan Walne
21. Ryan Lannon
22. Matt Sarsfield
23. Carl Forster
24. Mason Caton-Brown
25. Jake Bibby
26. Josh Wood
27. Matt Haggarty
28. Matty Gee
29. Matty Wilkinson
30. Liam Bent
31. Connor Williams
32. Jordan Andrade

Most of the clubs in the bottom half of the table look to have strengthened. I think the difference between top of the table and bottom will be much closer this year, although I can see the same 4 clubs in the middle 8's.

A bit late to the party but here is Castleford Tigers:- www.castlefordtigers.com/article.php?id=4532

A bit late to the party but here is Castleford Tigers:- www.castlefordtigers.com/article.php?id=4532

I'd imagine that at least 3 of last seasons bottom 4 SL will be in that bottom 4 this year and every year this system is in place.
This isn't a knock against those clubs but rather the system as there is, however small, a chance that one of those clubs won't be playing in SL the following year which hampers their recruitment. Not that I think any current SL club will be relegated by the current system as those clubs will have been playing a higher tempo game all year compared to the Championship clubs