Richard Lewis Interview to BBC

Quote: bowes "Toulouse could have done well as the first French team in as there was the player pool at the time for one French team and it would have probably been the same players at either club, more or less. I doubt there'd have been quite as many supporters at Toulouse as at Catalans but it would have been viable. The biggest objection to Toulouse in SL now is that there aren't enough players in France for 2 SL standard clubs (even once you take into account 8-10 overseas players at each). If they drafted the best French players between Catalans and Toulouse you might be able to make things work, but at the moment Toulouse would only have the Catalans rejects who aren't good enough. It might have been better to bring in them both at once (as part of an expansion not a replacement), even if it would have meant them both being at the bottom now. But a SL club based on Catalans rejects is not good enough. If you have a better idea for where they can get SL standard players from can you tell me please?'"

there werent when Les Catalans joined the league, in their first year they were dead last with the best french players there was having never paid a cent for them

look at them now, a Player like Raguin was a flabby ragdoll at 2nd row, look at what pro training did for him

Thomas Bosc was a nothing player shunted out to the wing, now he is one of the best stand offs in the comp,

Les catalans didnt, and Toulouse wont get SL standard players from anywhere, they will create them, the will make them, they will give them the opportunity to grow into SL players,

anybody who thought the french players Les Catalans had in their first year were SL quality was an idiot, anybody expecting Toulouse to create a squad full of SL quality in the championship is an idiot. Anybody who doesnt see the blindingly obvious point, that Toulouse will only create SL players in SL is clearly an idiot

if we stick with your logic, there wouldnt another team, anywhere, ever, purely on the basis anyone good enough to play SL rugby, would be playing SL rugby, anybody not is a reject not good enough

besides, id rather put my faith in players rejected by one club than players rejected by 13

Quote: bowes "Don't troll. The population of Perpignan is about 200,000 and there were 4 semi-pro clubs there. That sounds pretty heartland to me even if the crowds were only about 1000 at each.'"

stop being continually incorrect. There are 300k people in Perpignan, and 7million in Catalonia (you know, where les Catalans play)

and 4k from about 200k is a much less impressive ratio than the might Crusaders efforts in bridgend, which i guess must also be a Heartland now

Quote: bowes "I honestly don't for the life of me see where you got this 7 million figure for Perpignan from, but it shows you're not open to reason when trying to pretend Perpignan is an expansion area.'"

psssst, its the amount of people who live in Catalonia that big place where the Catalan people come from, there is also some kind of dragon based rugby club there, and it is/was and forever shall apparently be a heartland of rugby league

Quote: bowes "Maybe the FFR XIII need to look at that. Even if it is not my preferred method I would have no objection to them saying to Toulouse, 'you can be in SL in three years subject to meeting certain minimum criteria' as at least everyone would know where they stand and they'd have a target to aim for. Just making excuses for their shortfallings won't make them a viable SL club however much you wish it. Catalans didn't have three years, the vote to include them from 2006 was taken in mid-2004. '"

but as you have just said, any french player not playing for Les Catalans is a Les Catalans reject and not good enough to play SL, what would be the point of them signing the best of the rest, you have already let us all know they could never be good enough, it would be a complete waste of time and money for everyone

why do i need to know where Toulouse stand and what they are aiming for, i have no influence over the decision to admit them or their chances of reaching any criteria, in fact i would say its none of our business, Toulouse' bid should, quite rightly, be judged on Toulouse' bid, their ability to do things that you want (cos if it wasnt the things you want you would be still on here bitching and moaning about how the RFL werent demanding they do this, that or the other and how its so unfair on the heartland clubs blah blah blah) is less than meaningless

Quote: bowes "If we're going to have Toulouse as a credible SL club we need to look at what will prepare them for SL rather than chucking them in sink or swim and potentially killing off the game at a pro level in Toulouse as you're suggesting. Expansion below SL is still expansion regardless of whether you refuse to believe this or not. Them being in a different situation won't keep them out of trouble, so they can only enter when ready'"

where have I suggested we do anything of the sort? your attempts to polarise the debate, like starbug does, by saying anything positive about RLs expansion is a deeply held wish to see another PSG really does nothing to add to your point, anyone intelligent enough to understand the conversation sees through it

all i have said, is that Toulous performance in the championship isnt the biggest indicator of their ability as a club, that in fact being lower mid table with a team full of juniors would be better preperation for SL than paying large amounts to lots of 30 frenchmen not good enough for Les Catalans

the problem is they are currently stuck in a hole between the two where they dont have the assurances needed to throw the youngsters in, nor do the have the money to pay for all the best frenchmen outside Les Catalans to play in the championship

Also, if your going to address my post, address all of it, ignoring the parts where you have been shown to be wrong just makes you look childish