Look what happened to Carlisle when they merged with Barrow, also Huddersfield/Sheffield and Hull/Gateshead. I think mergers are very risky in the UK. In France, NZ and Australia they seem to work.

They dont 'work' per se barring a couple but have been more succesful.
When you lot are harping on about the RFLs crusade of expansion, I often say to look back at Gateshull and note that an expansion team was sacrificed in order to save a heartland club

I agree Dico, apart from the Catalans franchise. RL is France would have died without it.

How has french RL changed because of catalan ?.

I think if the Catalans franchise hadn't been given a place in SL when it did, it would have died in France. Now that Cats have been a success, I think Toulouse and other clubs in the South of France will thrive from the added interest that Cats produce.

I just dont see it jonny.
Its still semi pro or amateur,i dont see any more players coming to SL or playing international RL,have the gates gone up ?.It seem to me like nothing has changed in decades.

I think there's definitely been a decrease in the amount of the better youth players who previously tended to gravitate towards RU where they could get a full-time opportunity.

I hope your right matt but Are these players coming from french clubs or are they coming through the youth systems of catalan dragons.

haha you go on about halifax fudging there att figures whats about widnes profit figures and i wudnt say we fudge them givin free kids tickets away widnes do it all the time look at there att last week in london if they are gettin 3000 to there home games every week iam sure there would be more that 600 at london

We know all about Widnes's profit figures, and I know how they did it. Giving free tickets is also fine, but do us a favour and don't count them in on the attendance UNLESS they attend....it was however a brilliant 'up yours' to the RFL

Probably a bit of both - the problem in the past was that kids were coming through the French youth sides and then hitting a glass ceiling as their only chance of playing full-time was by moving abroad (ie to England) or staying in France but switching to RU.

The French game probably has more awareness but surely taking the best two clubs away hasnt done fantastically for the local leagues.
Imagine taking Rangers and Celtic from the Scottish prem and seeing whats left behind

Completely agree. I believe the original long-term intention when UTC first joined Super League was to eventually return to a strengthened French league, but I can't see that happening any time soon.

I still cant see how domestic french RL has improved or been save by the inclusion of catalan in SL.

I guess it would help to improve their youth system and professional pathway and theoretically those who don't make the grade at Catalans can then return to the French league and help to bring up the standard of players.