Will we ever see a time when the Catalan Dragons return to a healthy French League?

Or is a European-wide league with healthy UK/French Championships underneath a more preferable goal?

I would love to see a healthy French league in my lifetime and I don't think very much investment would be needed to bring it up to a championshipish standard but it is finding the people who want to invest in it. If it was achieved then a European cup could even be created-it could be now but the French teams would get slaughtered.

Until it is feasible to do this then I am not against more French teams being added to our pyramid but the problem with this is that league 1 would just end up massive so a fourth tier would probably have to be created and then we might have too many leagues to sustain an acceptable quality right down the system. The talk about a Canadian team coming in is a joke in my opinion. Maybe 2 more French teams should be added and maybe consider a team in Spain as the Spanish national team is starting to develop but that is a few years off yet.

no and its our only option.

in any other sport retraction is a disaster, in RL its celebrated, We are a Les Catalans poor season away from 1995 and people think its preferable to see them somewhere else?

We are already in the French league?

A healthy French league, with 2/3 French Clubs in S would be preferable but, it such a long way in the future.
I don't think that there is any chance of a French League that I comparable to SL (not in he next 50 years)

The one certainty is that, a way has to be found to improve the French national side and to improve the other home nations, starting with Wales.

I think a healthy semi-pro league in France, building slightly on what they have now is realistic, with their top 2/3 clubs joining the SL/Championship setup.

The semi-pro league will help provide a player pathway for the best to join those SL clubs, and be the foundation to build the grassroots infrastructure on. Unfortunately, without an influx of TV money from somewhere, the league won't be able to grow beyond this point.

Catalans have been a success story in SL. Toulouse have now joined Championship 1 and have the potential to get promoted into the Championship and build from there. Maybe admitting another French club into C1 in a few years time is the way to go, seeing how Toulouse get on.

More French players are making the switch to SL clubs lately, even a couple have tried/are going to the NRL. The elite player pool of French players is probably the highest it's been for some years, and is hopefully set to continue. This hasn't translated into performances at International level yet for whatever reason, I think their first 17 look fairly decent (on paper at least).

You would hope that the more elite players, which we are now seeing emerge around the league are soaking up valuable information that when they come to the twighlight of their careers needs to be distilled into the next generation and so forth. It is imperitive for experienced players to be retained throughout the game, passing on experience is vital.

Agreed.
It's about trying to create the best pathway for French players to access the top coaching and playing opportunities available.
Unfortunately the wages and lifestyle of the north of England aren't the same draw to young French players as Sydney etc and the NRL is to young Kiwis. So it'll be harder to develop a top national team in France than it was in NZ.

I'd like to see effort put into helping the domestic French league improve itself up to the standard of the Championship, then with maybe 2 teams in SL I think that would go a long way to improving the French.
Though they have to get their national team structure sorted. It's a joke currently.

I'd also like to see more SL and top Championship teams taking on young French players. I wonder if there are any incentives that could be introduced?

An attractive discount on baguettes at the local boulangerie?

Thanks for the replies. Looks like a European League is the preferred option. so far.

I wonder if the powers that be have the same goal.



Hello Jimmy, I was meaning the top-level squad playing in a French League to rival SL.

They’ll stay in S.L. as long as they don’t get relegated.

They add a little pizazz to our dour northern image, plus the minions get to have a continental adventure once a year.

At least the resurgence of the National team is right on track, ala the original S.L. masterplan.