But I don't get why we need a French team in our league? We need to reduce the imports to improve our own game, but we let in a French club (and even a Welsh) which then just cancels it out by relegating two English teams. The RL seem unsure as to do what's best for the game in our country or the rest of Europe so just do a bit of both!

if you consider the distance that the Aussies travel, Sky sports seem to think that they can simulate a similar a scenario by bring in a french team, this did which work for a few seasons, last season proved to be a problem and doesn't give the feeling of a french side same as the crusaders a welsh side, super league isn't big enough it should be extend to more teams so more income can be gained

My opinion is that the only way to expand is through a snowball effect. Let's build the game in South Yorkshire, then the Midlands, do the same going North, and to be honest, in Cumbria it's set up already and just needs re-igniting. You can't just pick random teams who are miles from anywhere and call it development. Crusaders realised that by moving within 30 miles of the heartland.

cumbria donny and sheffield, gateshead

if they are left to develope with merging are the ideal places to expand, the RFL seem to think that if they extend the distance that it will be bridged by other clubs, it expanding but not at a pace that will happen within a few years

The game has been around for over 100 years and is only popular on the 'M62 corridor', yet those running the game think they can expand it to the South of France within a 3 year franchise! I'm sorry but the passion and enthusiasm doesn't come in three years, it comes over a lifetime. If Sky ever pull out, Catalan will be gone within weeks, but the clubs up here will still be around. For the life in me I don't get why these clubs are not been supported in the same way. In any other industry, loyal customers are the ones you look after!

Catalans are at home being following better than us its their away support that lets them down, they bring no atmosphere

Their home support should be amazing, they have one team in the entire country, we have three in Wakefield

Even Sky must understand We (the fans) are the key component in all of this. Without us attending there is no clubs and no game to show. Sky like the RFL have to understand the fans make this game exist, not them.

If RL was going to become a national sport it would have done it decades ago, does that mean to say we bin it? Meddle with it to force it to evolve into something which it isn't?

No of course not! We love RL for what it is; a predominantly northern game, built upon a strong northern culture.
IMHO more people would be drawn to the game if we sell it "raw" and how it should be. A game that embraces the cultures it was born from; not run our northern heartland into the ground!

I honestly believe that if a strong basis of support from the clubs exists (to which to rumours elude) and if the facts act in unison (a mass petition or peaceful demonstration at MM??) Redhall will have to comply. Stop this mess right now, support ALL clubs, give all clubs a fair shot at P&R and move away from the "boxed off" brand of RL that is killing out heartland.

It's a European league so the French and Welsh are entitled to be in it.

Also, although it will be a while before we see the fruits, having a stronger French and Welsh team will indirectly increase the strength of the English team by having credible Northern hemisphere opposition in which to test themselves against.

I thought the idea of the Catalans team was to ensure that the support for the game in that part of the country could be reinforced and strengthened as opposed to building from scratch.
They don't seem to be doing too bad a job of it either. However the RFL are barmy if they believe that simply having one team playing in SL will do the trick. They will need three or maybe even four good teams before they can be released back into the wilds of their own domestic game to thrive. How can SL do this with a 14 team league when there are still calls being made to reduce the number of games in some quarters?!?!

Dont agree.

I dont believe a couple of games a year against credible Northern Hemisphere team will strenghten the English team.
The French national team hasnt moved forward at all since Catalans came into super league,indeed getting a 60 point drubbing from an average England team in June.
They cherry pick the Elite league for players and then add ten non French players to the squad.I really dont see how they are actually going to raise the standard of the French national team.
If you want credible opposition to test the English players against,there would be more value in having an origin type series.However,i still dont think an origin type series would improve our international prospects.
The English game is twenty years behind the Aussies and Kiwis and we wont close that gap until we invest more into the kids and get rid of average overseas players,who are hampering the development of our own youth.

I agree as a competition we need to rid ourselves of the average overseas players in our game. That’s why I’m disappointed with the Smith, Tony and Parker signings Wakefield have made this off season. IMO I don’t feel they will add much more (if anything) than their English counterparts.

I also agree by adding 10 imports to the Catalans side is also doing nothing for the French game, and neither is having just one team in SL. But as I said this is a long term objective and it’s unlikely we will see the fruits of the current process for a while, at the very least 10 years.

Rugby League has ignored the international scene for a while and is now suffering from it. That’s why Union and Cricket have a larger profile in addition to the fact they are establishment sports. A stronger international competition breeds interest amongst causal observers, and from that kids who hardly ever get exposed to the game suddenly take an interest, in theory increasing the player pool. The larger the pool of players the sport can pick from the chances of unearthing a real talent increases.

Like you say the creation of an ‘origin’ series in England did not work. The reason for it’s inception was to recreate the intensity the top Australian players experience in the SOO. It fell on it’s backside due to the very opposite of what it was designed to do. The games were a damp squib and were a non-event.

If a mini series involving Wales, France and England were to replace it and the result was not a forgone conclusion before hand, I feel it would go someway to creating the desired intensity the top European players need to give themselves a chance of competing against the Australians and Kiwi’s.

The animosity between the nations, particular the English-French and the Welsh-English, has the potential to generate the intensity of hating to lose you see when Queensland and NSW meet. With Yorkshire vs Lancashire, although far from friends, just didn’t replicate that.