: Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:41 am  

WVRLCMatt wrote:

So Toulose losing has nothing to do with Widnes skill and defence.

Of course it does, just like TO having played 1 compettitive match before the game will have had an effect.
We should expect TO to improve, but by the end of the season the players will be knackered from playing at a higher level and will drop off again.

If they have the same experience in the Championship as the mighty Dragons had in SL (flogged in first year, cup final the next, finishing 3rd the year after) then it will be a success.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:42 am  

Maybe I did but the way I saw it he was saying Toulose got 70 put on them because they were not used to the chamionship and give them about 5 matches and they'll be ripping it apart.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:43 am  

Maximus Decimus wrote:

Yeh I was called patronising for suggesting that they may struggle to make a final in two years with players picked from the LER.

I remember posting the contrary - that as TO has to make a final in two years in order to apply for SL in 2012 they are very unlikely to make it to SL in the next round.
Then again I'm happy with one French club in SL and one in the Championship, I think it provides a good pathway to SL for french players and allows the Catalans to play a top side as opposed to experimenting with juniours. I'm happy with TO being our feeder club.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:55 pm  

Tre Cool wrote:

Its 1 game. Wigan have lost games by a similar score in SL and noone (well not many people) have called for them to be booted out of SL. I seem to remember Wakey losing by 70 to the mighty Broncos too. Its only 1 game people. Judge after 10 or 20 games, not after 1 game against the best team in the league who have had loads more preparation.

Oy! Second best if you don't mind.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:44 pm  

I have to say that I was disappointed by Toulouse. I did expect a better of them; especially given they were supposed to have 7 French internationals in the side. Their preparation was poor, with limited game time coming into the start of their season. This would have some effect but, we (Widnes) had similar problems last season for the opening rounds of the NRC and also had to draft in 8 of our academy players to the first team squad, yet they still held their own in the NRC and the early rounds of NL1. 5 of those players faced Toulouse on Thursday night. Toulouse had been in England since the Sheffield game and trained in Huddersfield, so the travelling aspect shouldn’t have been as severe as it will be when they are flying in the day before games.

I have a lot of sympathy for Toulouse’s position. Their friendly with Les Catalan was cancelled and the other French clubs wouldn’t allow them the play in the Lord Derby Cup. The cost of setting up games with English clubs would’ve been prohibitive, so there was very little they could do.

They played well against Sheffield and probably lost that game due to the sending off of hothead Martin Mitchell, so they cannot be as bad as Thursday nights score line would suggest. I’m sure they’ll get better with more game time, but they need to pick up a few more quality players if they are to compete for a place in play offs. Obviously their main advantage will be their home games. Those, at least, should keep them from finishing bottom.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:57 pm  

belgianxiii wrote:

I remember posting the contrary - that as TO has to make a final in two years in order to apply for SL in 2012 they are very unlikely to make it to SL in the next round.
Then again I'm happy with one French club in SL and one in the Championship, I think it provides a good pathway to SL for french players and allows the Catalans to play a top side as opposed to experimenting with juniours. I'm happy with TO being our feeder club.

Who gives a stuff? This thread is not about franchises.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:59 pm  

Pepe wrote:

I have to say that I was disappointed by Toulouse. I did expect a better of them; especially given they were supposed to have 7 French internationals in the side. Their preparation was poor, with limited game time coming into the start of their season. This would have some effect but, we (Widnes) had similar problems last season for the opening rounds of the NRC and also had to draft in 8 of our academy players to the first team squad, yet they still held their own in the NRC and the early rounds of NL1. 5 of those players faced Toulouse on Thursday night. Toulouse had been in England since the Sheffield game and trained in Huddersfield, so the travelling aspect shouldn’t have been as severe as it will be when they are flying in the day before games.

I have a lot of sympathy for Toulouse’s position. Their friendly with Les Catalan was cancelled and the other French clubs wouldn’t allow them the play in the Lord Derby Cup. The cost of setting up games with English clubs would’ve been prohibitive, so there was very little they could do.

They played well against Sheffield and probably lost that game due to the sending off of hothead Martin Mitchell, so they cannot be as bad as Thursday nights score line would suggest. I’m sure they’ll get better with more game time, but they need to pick up a few more quality players if they are to compete for a place in play offs. Obviously their main advantage will be their home games. Those, at least, should keep them from finishing bottom.

Added to which their discipline was disgusting. Or are we to excuse spitting in the faces of opposition players just as people are excusing their rubbish performance?

"Give them 2 years and they'll have learned not to spit at the opposition"...

[tb]

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:19 pm  

Pepe wrote:

I have to say that I was disappointed by Toulouse. I did expect a better of them; especially given they were supposed to have 7 French internationals in the side. Their preparation was poor, with limited game time coming into the start of their season. This would have some effect but, we (Widnes) had similar problems last season for the opening rounds of the NRC and also had to draft in 8 of our academy players to the first team squad, yet they still held their own in the NRC and the early rounds of NL1. 5 of those players faced Toulouse on Thursday night. Toulouse had been in England since the Sheffield game and trained in Huddersfield, so the travelling aspect shouldn’t have been as severe as it will be when they are flying in the day before games.

I have a lot of sympathy for Toulouse’s position. Their friendly with Les Catalan was cancelled and the other French clubs wouldn’t allow them the play in the Lord Derby Cup. The cost of setting up games with English clubs would’ve been prohibitive, so there was very little they could do.

They played well against Sheffield and probably lost that game due to the sending off of hothead Martin Mitchell, so they cannot be as bad as Thursday nights score line would suggest. I’m sure they’ll get better with more game time, but they need to pick up a few more quality players if they are to compete for a place in play offs. Obviously their main advantage will be their home games. Those, at least, should keep them from finishing bottom.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:40 pm  

Pepe wrote:

I have to say that I was disappointed by Toulouse. I did expect a better of them; especially given they were supposed to have 7 French internationals in the side. Their preparation was poor, with limited game time coming into the start of their season. This would have some effect but, we (Widnes) had similar problems last season for the opening rounds of the NRC and also had to draft in 8 of our academy players to the first team squad, yet they still held their own in the NRC and the early rounds of NL1. 5 of those players faced Toulouse on Thursday night. Toulouse had been in England since the Sheffield game and trained in Huddersfield, so the travelling aspect shouldn’t have been as severe as it will be when they are flying in the day before games.

I have a lot of sympathy for Toulouse’s position. Their friendly with Les Catalan was cancelled and the other French clubs wouldn’t allow them the play in the Lord Derby Cup. The cost of setting up games with English clubs would’ve been prohibitive, so there was very little they could do.

They played well against Sheffield and probably lost that game due to the sending off of hothead Martin Mitchell, so they cannot be as bad as Thursday nights score line would suggest. I’m sure they’ll get better with more game time, but they need to pick up a few more quality players if they are to compete for a place in play offs. Obviously their main advantage will be their home games. Those, at least, should keep them from finishing bottom.

With regard to the travelling aspect and having flown from Toulouse to the UK myself as recently as 2 weeks ago I would have to say the 2 hour flight was a lot less stressful and tiring than sitting on a coach from Yorkshire to Whitehaven.

: Sat Mar 14, 2009 5:54 pm  

crucrucrusaders wrote:

If they want to get a second team in France they have to start somewhere.

Yes it's called the French League, they shouldn't have been let anywhere near the Championship til they were too good for that, but they weren't even in the top half last year