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.

Do catalan have a reserve team in the french league ?.

Yes they do, they play as UTC and at the same ground as the Catalans first team. Not sure how they're doing though.

They now play as St Esteve/XIII Catalan.

Here's the current French Elite 1 standings8 St Estève 23 14 4 1 9 394 409 - 15
9 St Gaudens 18 14 2 0 12 231 572 - 341
10 Montpellier 16 14 1 0 13 264 547 - 283

That could help as long as the right investment goes into it.

Nice one, thanks Rob. Hadn't realised they'd gone back to the immediate post-merger name (if that makes sense).

I thought Toulouse were running a side in there this year? Im sure I read that somewhere

Its a shame there isn't a team who can do a wigan in the 80s in an attempt to make the rest catch up.

They still play a winter season so maybe they're joining for 2011/2012?