Will Toulouse’s inclusion help the clubs in NL 1 and NL 2?

IMO, No. I know that the RFL will help teams to get money together to go to the South of France but with the current economic downturn I can't see how this helps anyone. Players from other Championship teams may need a day off work if they do work causing lost wages etc, teams fans wont be able to shell out to go and watch their team causing a loss of money to Toulouse and the area. Should of left them in the Elite imo, we all know they will be Super League come 2012.

The banter that has been going on is good, but for the game. We all question the inclusion of Toulouse, and having been and interviewed their director, I can tell you that they want to compete, not just make up the numbers. Also, they want to welcome suporters from other teams, and show them that the game in France is getting stronger.
That other game (where they kick a round ball between two sacks), seems to thrive on European competition. Rugby League has had the foresight to include that into it's leagues don't you think, firstly with the inclusion of the Dragons, and now with Toulouse? The old adage that the game should be played by teams within the M62 corridor, and b**ger the rest, leads to inward looking and stunted ideas. I may not agree with all that the Rugby League does, but in this case, I think they have got it right. (Better than having a play-off series where you pick who you play!) How about we give it a go and see what the future brings, and hope that the game goes from strength to strength.?

Good points, you are suggesting that it would be better to see a France-England cup for the top teams as opposed to adding TO to the Championship? You make a good point that comparisons to "association football" are not that good, but I think the point that international compettition will increase interest is correct (even if it is done differently) and I think that the options are to add a side to the Championship, SL or not to go ahead with it. For TO inclusion to the Championship is obviously the way forward and I think that the extra interest generated in that compettition will be good for all clubs involved.

As an aside, "country's" is still the possessive, not the plural (which would be "countrys"). This does not detract from your argument, but will help your written english (especially since this is an error that spell-checkers tend to overlook).

but existing hardcore fans are not the problem for clubs outside SL , keeping those fans who no longer see a purpose to a league without promotion and attracting new fans is the problem

Yes for Toulouse it is the way forward , but that is what we all know anyway , it was interesting that when they were ' allowed ' an overseas quota of 5 because they had already signed 5 players back in october and yet they have only just announced who those players are

Just another ' pet ' ' gimmick ' club , and the last one did nothing for the NLs and I dont expect this one to do anything for them either , which is not a problem except the amount of money being wasted on travel costs

I dunno how good a one-off "sub world club challenge" would fair. The cup format did not work with the treize tournoi.

I agree with you in that I am not pleased with the view that TO is in the Championship with a view to SL, would be better to have a French club that aspired to be a Championship club. Then again, TO can trial it and see if it works, if it does then another LER club could join the championship, this time without the need to look to SL as the next step. So in this trial way TO is good for the SL, beyond the media attention they generate.

I would say, further, that if Celtic (I assume they're who you're talking about) were not in SL now, then they would be drawing in for the Championship now. All the media attention that they currently get in SL would be attention going to the Championship.

Part two ...

We know that Catalans succeeded in joining SL straight off, there was no need for TO to join via the Championship if the only aim was to get them to SL. Sure it would help but the Catalans showed that it is not essential.

The reason TO were added to the Championship was not to put them in SL, but rather to help the Championship by adding an international aspect to the competition.

...Or because the RFL had guaranteed an NL1/Championship club would be given a 2012 SL licence?

If that is the case then I think it is a mistake and one that is to cost a lot of money , money that is in short supply in the Championships , notice I said Championships , not [ithe[/i Championship

I dont see how thier inclusion will help clubs in Championship 1

Also having a team excempt from relegation is wrong and will cause resentment and dissolutionment from fans especially should they find themselves in a bottom two spot

No because if Celtic were not in SL they would most likely not exist , or if they did they would end up being very similar to how Gateshead were 6/7 years ago , starting from the bottom up again but sticking to the same rules as everybody else

The other option would be for them to continue having rules ' bent ' for them which would be damaging to the credibility of the competition they were in

Sorry ' pet ' or ' gimmick ' clubs dont fool anybody , they make our so called ' sport ' look ridiculous in the eyes of people we are trying to attract to our clubs

The site and this thread gets better. I have just spent half an hour poring over it ('cos I can't read very fast).
But on a serious note, there seems to be very little incentive for the teams to get to the top of the league at the moment (No promotion from NL1 to Super League). Come back at me if you want and say I am mad, but with £24.5 million being brought into the game from Sport England, much of it should be fed down through the leagues, so that all teams can look forward to the future. What about a play-off series for the NL 1 top 6 teams, which would generate interest and revenue, Toulouse or not Toulouse- that is the question. With a substantial cash prize and Cup for the winners of the competition. This money then to be invested through the club, in order to prepare it for an application to Super League? The best team wins and there can be no argument of fixing or teams being prepared for Super League. Just a thought ?

to get to the GF