Erm, not because you have a different opinion, because your comment was flippant and ignorant of the genuine concerns of fans such as myself, who, if another overseas club are admitted to SL then have to fork out hundreds of pounds to watch the club I've supported for longer than I can remember. That's why. And don't be so soft.

Only 20 years? Amateur. And I'm no stranger to start-up clubs in non-RL areas, as you might see from my sig. I know what a battle it is.


Probably not, but then Galatasaray average 40,000 and United 75,000.

Until you make a like-for-like comparison, what you're saying is irrelevant. RL is a unique beast.


Who's thinking small? I've always said, build and strengthen in the heartlands before expanding. But instead the Championship clubs are dying, amateur RL is stumbling awkwardly along and shrinking all the time and we're still waffling on about bringing in more clubs built on sand. Haven't we learned anything? Once those roots are gone you'll never get them back.

And by this statement I assume you see Toulouse in SL as 'big'? Why? What benefit to SL and the game in general would it bring? Apart from exposing a few more French players to a slightly higher standard, just what is the point? France can't find enough players to fill the Catalans squad, never mind another club.

I went to Gold Coast V Melbourne 2 years ago & Melbourne took an outstanding fan base, so it's a myth the Aussies don't travel in numbers. God knows what the future holds but for games such as Cas V Catalan, I have minimal excitement for due to the drab atmosphere, saying that, 1 of the better teams in the league could easily say the same about when Cas come to town

I suspect that the RFL is not thinking of 15 clubs but rather of 14 clubs at the most.

Admitting Toulouse will go some of the way to reducing the number of English clubs because one English club (probably Castleford, because of its lack of SL standard stadium) will be dropped to make way for Toulouse.

Because Toulouse will not be using many if any English players, but rather 8 Antipodeans and 17 or thereabouts French, the good quality English players at Castleford will find places at other English clubs at the expense of lesser quality English players. The rest will go to the Championship. This means that the quality of the 12 English clubs in Super League will rise a little when Toulouse is admitted, especially if the quality Castleford players are signed by Wakefield, Hull KR, Salford or Widnes.

Not in anybodies world, the UK is in Europe.

Better that than the ‘Brigantes’

So the arguments I've seen AGAINST Toulouse coming into SL1) They'll bring very few travelling fans.[/i
Other than Catalans, Crusaders and London, my experience at the KC sees Salford, Huddersfield and Widnes also bring very few fans. We're talking 100 tops most if the time. That isn't significant. There are too many clubs in the heartlands that don't pull their weight in this department, so it's hardly an argument to say we should exclude others.
As for atmosphere, that also depends on the quality of the team playing, not just the fans. The Catalan game had a great atmosphere at the KC last year. Better than a game against your standard small time NW club.

[i2) I'll have to spend hundreds of pounds to see them play away.[/i
No, you don't HAVE to at all. You have a choice. I can't afford ANY away games this year, which is a huge shame as I usually attend nearly all of them. That's my choice. I'd love to go to them all, but that doesn't mean I should demand that all games be local so I can afford it. It's a very self-serving point of view that won't benefit progression.

[i3) Catalans can't fill a team without Aussies. There aren't enough players in France.[/i
18 of their 28 man squad are French. They have imports, just like other clubs do. The majority of their squad are French. The majority of the French get game time. They obviously won't all get it. Clubs bring in overseas players to play them. They add to the team.
I'd be very confident that Toulouse could pack a team with more local players than some SL clubs.

[iWhy do we need more French players/Toulouse?[/i

We don't NEED them. Just like people don't NEED to spend money to visit their team in Perpignan. We WANT them. And why on Earth wouldn't we? Why wouldn't we want more players playing the game throughout the world, strengthening the international game?

Why wouldn't we want a club that can bring in a larger TV deal from French broadcasters that no little northern club could replicate? In a city with potential for decent crowds and large sponsors and an established RL history of over 75 years?

This is professional sport. Money is going to talk. There's a reason why the TV deal is so important to RL. If more French clubs brings a TV deal, then away following really pales in comparison. Not only that, but away following isn't really that important anyway. I'd rather have clubs in my league that can sustain large home crowds than have to rely on away followings. Castleford average about 2,000 less than Catalans. Do they make up for that by taking 2,000 to every away game? I doubt it!

If the game wants to progress, it has to expand. Toulouse is the logical choice for expansion given its money potential for the game, its aid to the development of international RL, its knock on effect to creating a huge derby, its extended media interested.
Could ANY other potential club being anywhere close to that to the table?

One missing ingredient in the whole French operation of the Super League is the lack of long term strategic planning.

I know that it is the British tendency in life to act in a cautious, piecemeal way, and there is some merit to that in some areas of life. But in business as in war, there needs to be long term planning. The RFL needs to recognise that creating a Super League ready club takes time, and so they need to announce now not only that Toulouse will be admitted to SL in 2015 (subject to the Toulouse stadium renovations being completed by 2015), but that they wish to see a third French club as a candidate for Super League in 2018. That will encourage Avignon to do the advanced work that needs to be done, especially with sponsors and TV, to make an Avignon SL application in 2018 credible.

Worst analogy ever - so what exactly can the French teach us about winning wars? Wars are something we have been traditionally rather good at unlike the French.

i have not read all the posts but i think we dont want any french teams in super league for several reasons, when catalans play at kc they have about 4 fans, the rfl are always spouting theres no money in the game and no travelling away fans does not help, if halfax or anyother club along the m62 was in there place menzies n co would still play in that team!!! the rfl are trying the wrong areas in my opinion.

I see Barry McKenzie is still going strong, albeit under a different guise.

You're not an ostrich farmer by any chance, are you?

no just a hull fc fan and passionate about our game just think it should be kept along the m62 corridor amongst proper RL hotbeds to make the game affordable for most average working fans. nothing personal to any 1 involved. sorry if offended pal.

yeah i suppose it is a good trip catalans away, isnt there enough talent in france to start its own little super league? or is the plan to get the support and then break away and start it in the future?