Re: Toulouse : Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:23 pm  

Fully wrote:

I think they have been OK - I wouldn't say they have been a revelation. After all, since their inception in 2006 they've finished bottom of the league twice and only a couple of seasons have they looked capable of challenging.

I think having one French team has been a good decision in the short-term, however, I think the ONLY way that France will progress as a national team is a strong domestic competition.

If Toulouse and Catalan can draw a TV deal playing in a professional competition like Super League, I am sure they will be equally drawn on a fully professional French competition along with sponsors.

It may take time but Super League is hardly a glowing blueprint for a competition. But aspiring French kids have only got Catalan as an option to showcase their skills. Imagine having 10 clubs to choose from across the South of France with real derbies.

I think the longevity of the game relies on strong domestic competition - not some ill-thought out plan to parachute random European clubs in to this competition.

If you're willing to invest the €30,000,000 needed to create a full-time French Elite competition then go ahead

Re: Toulouse : Tue Jun 25, 2013 11:19 pm  

vastman wrote:

Yep and look how that ended.

I think he was taking the p*ss, fella.

vastman wrote:

Do you expansionists never learn, how monumentally stupid and easily swayed are you sheep. How many paid anywhere near full price and how many would actually turn up week on week, get real.

So without any info whatsoever, you've made your mind up. Why get real when you can just bag any good news instead?

vastman wrote:

Seriously you want to jettison a real club like Cas for a fantasy team like Tolouse - people on the VT, press and Redhall won't be happy until they have finally destroyed this great game.

In what way are Toulouse a fantasy team? Last time I checked they've been around since 1937 - a whole 11 years less than Castleford.

Were Catalans a fantasy team too? Are Castleford more of a real club than them?

I could understand if someone was suggesting Paris again, or Edinburgh or Dublin. But Toulouse is an established RL area with a club that doesn't have a competition to meet its ambition. They aren't a pin on a map.

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:18 am  

Catalans has been a smashing success in Super League. It has built a solid hard core of around 7,000 supporters, with a soft core of 1,000 - 1,500. It has built a player roster that enables it to compete at the upper tier of the competition. It has uncovered lots of French talent, from Thomas Bosc and Remi Casty among the now older players, to Morgan Escare, and Eloi Pelissier among the younger players. Most interesting it has developed a previously marginal mid-career semi-pro French Elite 1 player, Kevin Larroyer, into a top class Super League professional talent.

Toulouse has the potential to be even more powerful. This is because it has access to so much more than Catalans in terms of financial resources, and pools of playing talent and spectators. So long as it starts out with a good Australian coach, it can build a playing roster that will keep it off the bottom of the Super League table from the start, and within five years become a talent recruiting, high performance powerhouse. In other words, by 2020 it should be challenging Wigan, Warrington, Leeds, Catalans, etc. for the top spots on the Super League ladder. There is little doubt in my mind that Toulouse will become a Super League glamour team within a short space of time.

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 5:55 am  

bramleyrhino wrote:

Not necessarily Castleford. I'd rather see the RFL remove poorly run clubs that have previously cheated the competition by spending their cash on players rather than their tax bills. You know, like Wakefield.

Won't removing us once do for you


I'm not against the idea of Toulouse coming in, if they are ready to do so.

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:54 am  

Wellsy13 wrote:

In what way are Toulouse a fantasy team? Last time I checked they've been around since 1937 - a whole 11 years less than Castleford.

Were Catalans a fantasy team too? Are Castleford more of a real club than them?

Indeed, they're also older than Workington, Whitehaven, Sheffield, Doncaster, and of course London.

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:41 am  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

There is little doubt in my mind that Toulouse will become a Super League glamour team within a short space of time.

Somebody has drunk too much wine and eaten too much cheese

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:00 pm  

bramleyrhino wrote:

Not necessarily Castleford. I'd rather see the RFL remove poorly run clubs that have previously cheated the competition by spending their cash on players rather than their tax bills. You know, like Wakefield.

Or like Leeds did pre Caddick, or Bradford have just done or Hull KR or Huddersfield Barracudas or Hull Sharks (Lloyd days) Wigan after Maurice or Widnes pre Stobart or shall I go on....

...the problem with you and your ilk is your very short and selective memories.

Silly person

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:00 pm  

Wildthing wrote:

Billy was being sarcastic Vasty. But I get your sentiment.

Yup I guessed that, should have been clearer

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:20 pm  

vastman wrote:

Or like Leeds did pre Caddick, or Bradford have just done or Hull KR or Huddersfield Barracudas or Hull Sharks (Lloyd days) Wigan after Maurice or Widnes pre Stobart or shall I go on....

...the problem with you and your ilk is your very short and selective memories.

Silly person

I think you'll find that Leeds paid their debts, unlike Wakefield.

[Wildthing]

Re: Toulouse : Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:05 pm  

Him wrote:

I think you'll find that Leeds paid their debts, unlike Wakefield.

Of course they did.