That isnt however, how Wakefield started the season, as you well know.

Had it not been through the loss of Obst and Millard when in administration then Wakefield and their apparent inability to sign Hickey because the RFL stopped them, they would have been down at 60%. If you want to pretend losing two players you didnt want to lose when in administration is really an improvement in your commitment to british youth go ahead, it will only make you look silly.

Though when Wakey lost those players they still beat Catalan with only 3 players not born in UK so on that basis the step ins were still 'SL standard!'

Just comparing facts, not if's and buts. Whatever the squad Trinity would've had if administration had not happened doesn't change the fact Leeds are also operating below the 80% figure you highlighted.

For what it's worth I don't think Trinity would be performing any better with the three players you mentioned whilst Smith and Tony might as well not be here for what they add to the squad.

Toulouse pulled in 850 for this weekends NRC quarter final , it really isn't doing them any favours having them in the Championship competitions any more , time for the RFL to cut the waste , stick the £ 250 grand a year in the bank and give it back to them in 2015 when they put them in SL

Not so much "they might not even tender" as "they didn't apply" because "they didn't qualify". There's no issue.

Has there been any discussion in France about their domestic season moving to summer?

I'd like to see Elite 1 pegged to the Championship (or even Championship 1 to start if standards aren't high enough). To begin, have the champions play-off at the end of the season. While keeping costs low, other points of playing contact during the season could be added, for example a Franco-British NRC with local pools. If the French clubs improve in time, start to look at making Elite 1 a conference of Super League with dovetailed play-offs. This last bit would take some time to happen and the French would likely have to have their own expansion agenda.

In the years that this takes to happen, Catalans and Toulouse would continue with what they are doing.

Maybe it hasn't....

Maybe we should be looking at doing things how it was done with Catalans.

If Lezignan are getting those crowds then why are they not being considered....

I'm pretty sure Toulouse could have done ok in super league.

a half-decent TO13 team will attract crowds in a sports mad city - it needs marketing off-field with sponsors ready to step in as I understand it and a radical policy change in the coaching system and a more professional set-up 'à la Leigh' on the pitch as an example.

Do you not think Stade des Minimes is a bit lost in the suburbs? Though there again the RU and football grounds are hardly central.

it's about a twenty minute walk from the centre (not as far as Gilbert Brutus),and must be one of the most central stadia in any large city ?

the redevelopment is the key - Carlos has good backing from the local authority plus regional & national bodies so it's just a case of when the redevelopment begins.

As a matter of interest I have it from a very reliable source (someone well known in the Championship set-up )that RFL representatives have recently paid two visits to TO13 as well as Carlos going to the UK for various meetings - make of that what you will.

I was just going to say something similar. Shift French leagues to summer, restructure NRC to include French pools based on locality, include more Elite 1 clubs into CC, integrate Elite 1 in with Championship (so there is an English and French conference), Championship play offs at end of season include top four/eight from each conference.

That all makes more sense to me; move the whole French infrastructure along, not just one club at a time. Keep them playing the local matches, but give more clubs more access to British teams.

Must seem further when I'm p1ssed then