Quite possibly because they did actually play RL there for the last 60 years since that nasty Mr Hitler invaded France to stop them

they didnt, they had a number of years where it wasnt played and then had all their grassroots destroyed with the game dieing off slowly everywhere, including its so called heartlands.

and following on from your point then toulose will be similar to Les Cats then in SL?

if it were up to me id go toulose next time.

wait 5 years then try and get lyon and mille.

i think club sides in paris are hard for RL. too much effort than they are worth whilst the cities of the south would be much safer

but if stade francaise are funding it, then id be very interested in it

to be fair the flatcappers are now claiming Catalans was always going to be a success yet they werent saying that 3 years ago.
I agree about looking into france further but the recession could tear some gaping holes in existing clubs, both SL and Ch/Ch1, maybe we're looking too far afield before securing our own meal ticket.
tbh one of the first things id do regardless is 2 referees, not to necessarily speed up the ptb but one who can accurately at every instance call complete/surrender or see who has dominated the tackle.
It's very hard for one ref to do this and it's killing us ala NRL 06/07/08 etc Look after the product, then the heartlands then look to expansion.
This weeks news out of wales hardly fills everyone with confidence regarding further expansion.

Presumably he feels a NRL club in PNG will be far more benefical that another NSW club as well?

the NRL should expand to the following, in this order :

2013 - central coast and queensland - 4th club, probably logan city playing at lang park

2017 - 2020 - perth and 2nd nz side being southern orcas
2025 etc - png and another queensland team

Quote: SmokeyTA "nope, it was Toulouse, UTC lost to St Gaudens the year before, you would have thought someone like you who knows everything about french RL would have been aware of that '" If you're going to be arrogant at least get the facts right, lying scum www.ffr13.com/1-14337-Palmares.php

Quote: SmokeyTA "nope, it was Toulouse, UTC lost to St Gaudens the year before, you would have thought someone like you who knows everything about french RL would have been aware of that '" If you're going to be arrogant at least get the facts right, lying scum www.ffr13.com/1-14337-Palmares.php

In 10 years I would hope we do have 2 French SL clubs, or even a little sooner than that. Doesn't mean Toulouse have to join in 2012, it's not now or never. As I actually support expansion I want Toulouse to be ready when they join SL and I don't care which year it is as long as they are viable and good enough when they do go in

No , just shove them in now , if it doesn't work they can always move around until they find somebody interested

When they're ready yes. Potential is totally irrelevent unless a club is sustainable in the here and now. Does potential pay the bills?

Sheffield would also have more potential than most other clubs, but they're not ready yet either.

ill never trust a flat capper for their definition of ready

they just keep adding on new excuses

between them and widnes, they are the only real applicants next time

with a few years trial run in NL1 thats enough time in the minor leagues

at least with me i post my views honestly.

not hide them by pretending to be something im not

im an expansionist 100% but aware that RL needs have a strong heartland to support it.

SL has that strong heartland.

other than widnes, its not as if any other heartland club in NL1 or 2 has the potential to be another wigan or leeds. theyd just be wasting a spot going in there at the cost of toulose

You're the flatcapper not me. I support an expansion club and usually help out on the match days. I also am on the committee for an expansion league. There are many people who do much more than me for expansion and don't share your views on expansion.

Toulouse are not good enough for SL, what can make you see that 10th in Championship isn't SL ready? How on eartj does wanting to see Toulouse ready for SL when they join make me anti-expansion it makes me pro-expansion. I will not make excuses when they are ready for SL, but I don't want to see RL in Toulouse sacrificed just for the sake of 3 years like you do.

Expansion clubs killed as a direct result of moving up too fast or trying to:
Paris St Germain
Essex Eels
Manchester Knights
Teesside Steelers
Paris Chatillon
Mille
Girondins de Bordeaux
Scarborough Pirates etc.

Expansion clubs nearly killed off by moving up too fast:
Crusaders (may yet make the above list)
Coventry Bears
St Albans Centurions
Carlisle Centurions
Birmingham Bulldogs
Sheffield Eagles
Gateshead Thunder (many times)

Pushing in Toulouse too early shows you are either too naive for words (possible in your case, but not Smokey's) or don't care whether they fail or not, just want to rush things. Why the rush?

I say exactly what I mean, I used to be like you til I realised the world didn't work like that, you need to learn too that the game here is not the same as Australia and rushing expansion clubs in won't work and does more harm than good.

I have seen far too many expansion clubs that I care about (it's not SL or nothing for me) nearly collapse because of the exact things you suggest, I would hate to see Toulouse do the same. I have no ulterior motive I don't support any Championship or heartlands teams (or SL teams for that matter) and I have nothing to lose from Toulouse being rushed in apart from the large risk of them folding if pushed in too early.

If you had the best interests of expansion at heart (which you intend to I believe over here, I don't think you do in Australia) then you would support a more careful and patient approach to expansion. If Toulouse don't join SL in 2012 they won't fold they'll have more time to prepare.

Can you please stop your false accusations against me it is getting really tiresome and is totally unjustified. Can you learn to defend your viewpoint that Toulouse have to be in SL in 2012 without randomly using the word flatcapper? If you can't I suggest your viewpoint is wrong and if you continue to use this poor quality of argument you're trolling

hey you exhibit all the behaviour ive come to recognize with a flat cap.

if toulose is a heartland area, why arent they ready for a SL team?

they are heartland when it suits your purposes and expansion at other time

at least im consistant with my views and honest

sorry im not buying it. maybe others are convinced by the charade, im not

unless you treat the failure of expansion and heartland teams alike, plus lose all the other cliches i read time and again from flat caps then im standing put

widnes should be granted entry into SL by satisfying the criteria, including winning a major final and a spot should be created for toulose even if they fail to qualify for a final

expansion shouldnt have to wait on the outcome of a few meaningless NL1 games

what a dumb way to grow the sport