Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our game!! : Sat May 09, 2015 10:55 am  

The treatment of Toulouse in their quest for SL yet further evidence that the people 'running' our game have absolutely no idea how to run a modern sporting competition.
10 years of trying to get into SL and if what is rumoured is correct they'll be thrown into League 1.

Do they have no idea what impact this will have on their crowds and sponsors?
As Union grows stronger with their European cup comp, Wasps moving to fertile territory, bringing Argentina and Italy into senior comps.
A new US union pro league in the offing our sport lags further behind.
Putting Toulouse in SL would've been the easiest thing they could've done to advance international RL, expanding their player pool and creating a competitive European rivalry which could've been the basis for a 5-6 nations over here.
Instead we get the calamity which was Northamptons entry to league 1 which was destined to be an egg on face moment from the start.
Add to that the new promotion relegation system which takes away any incentives clubs have to bring through young players and the clumsy way the TV deal was handled. I can't see the sport in this country going anywhere. So much potential for the sport in France now with BEIN sports involved but it's sadly become regressive. Shame.

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 12:20 pm  

Pointless excersice putting Toulouse into lg1

Should be granted a place in SL by 2017 to be able to prepare.

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 12:37 pm  

Toulouse would not be "thrown anywhere. Unless they have been hypnotised, it is 100% up to them whether any offer of any place in any league is (a) something they want or (b) something they do not think is a good idea.

Putting Toulouse in SL would lead only to a non-French team stuffed with journeymen getting mercilessly flogged by everyone, in a vain attempt to stay in SL.

The job of advancing international RL in France is up to the French RL authorities, and the International board, not the RL. Putting Toulouse in any new league may or may not work but those thinking that it could ever be done as a quick fix is deluded. Anything like this needs many years of hard work and gradual building up. They do not have a squad anywhere near SL and so unless you are seriously suggesting that the so-called "Toulouse" team should in fact be a brand new hastily assembled motley collection of the usual journeymen suspects, none of them French, then a moment's thought is all you need to see the pointlessness of such a mad thing.

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 2:06 pm  

Just what happened at Catalan eh Aardvark?

And even if they are getting flogged every week, you can't get much worse than Wakefield or lower crowds than Salford

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 2:13 pm  

And why should they have to field an all French team, that rule doesn't seem to apply to a few of English sides.

Doesn't seem to hurt football where several clubs don't field one single English player as long as they can be competitive and attract more fans than the supposed heartland clubs of Wakefield and Salford

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 3:15 pm  

tenerifeRhino wrote:

And why should they have to field an all French team, that rule doesn't seem to apply to a few of English sides.

Doesn't seem to hurt football where several clubs don't field one single English player as long as they can be competitive and attract more fans than the supposed heartland clubs of Wakefield and Salford

It doesn't seem to hurt football? Have you seen the state of the international team????

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 3:23 pm  

Did you know the following game is on?

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 3:34 pm  

tenerifeRhino wrote:

Just what happened at Catalan eh Aardvark?

If you don't know, google it. And you asking the question seems to suggest that weirdly yo think the two cases are somehow comparable. They are - like chalk and cheese are. Very briefly, Catalans worked hard for, and got a licence with a 3 year minimum. The French RL did all sorts including merging clubs, allowing them to sign the best players with no fees etc etc. It was enough to make them a handy side at almost SL level and although predictably they finished bottom, it was no mug team. And would have been better had the scrum half not been crocked early doors.

Then they made a whole bunch more signings which really helped the French game such as the famous French coach Mick Potter, and the superb French players Greenshields, Croker and others (to add to Monsieur Stacey Jones etc).

Having been given the "in", the French took full advantage of the special rules, and made a bloody good fist of it. They are a welcome addition to SL but as I said, it took a load of planning, a load of work, and several years to cement.

Now what were you saying about Toulouse?

tenerifeRhino wrote:

And even if they are getting flogged every week, you can't get much worse than Wakefield or lower crowds than Salford

But we are not talking about Wakey or Salford. And for a start, Wakey would totally flog Toulouse, surely you accept that. I'm not sure what Salford gettig shiit crowds has to do with Toulouse coming into the league unless you mean the lowest-crowd-of-the-season each other club would get to (not) watch a pointless humiliation.

If Toulouse want to, and think they can, do it by growing upwards from the lower leagues, then it seems reasonable to let them have a crack. Chucking that team in to SL though sounds to me like the ramblings of a madman.

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sat May 09, 2015 3:54 pm  

Why don't the concentrate on improving the French league so it hits the same standards as Super League.

That will be the only way the french will compete with the English clubs.

Re: Can someone please get rid of the muppets running our ga : Sun May 10, 2015 1:57 am  

Chris.Taylor wrote:

Why don't the concentrate on improving the French league so it hits the same standards as Super League.

That will be the only way the french will compete with the English clubs.

NZ are world number one with a semi pro domestic comp and one team in nrl. Your suggestion isn't the only way at all.