: Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:38 pm  

Starbug wrote:

Yes but unfortunatley they wont be in there till 2012

Unfortunately?

They & Catalans should be heading up the French league trying to improve the game in their own country rather than taking up space in our leagues.

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:42 pm  

The Kevster! wrote:

Unfortunately?

They & Catalans should be heading up the French league trying to improve the game in their own country rather than taking up space in our leagues.

Well said

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:43 pm  

manxviking wrote:

One of the sillier posts I've read. You cannot say because Widnes only won by 6 against Donny and Tououse thrashed them that Toulouse are a much better side. There are all sorts of variables (Doncaster had three of their best players out against Toulouse). Batley beat Leigh. Leigh beat Widnes. Widnes have beaten teams that have beaten Batley. So who's the best?

Tououse have improved, no doubt about that and are getting crowds. But it is too early to say they will win this league (personally I dont believe they will). But the table tends not to lie over the season. Widnes recruited an unbalanced team with a lightweight pack and PC will do very well to us into the GF. But Barrow, Fax and Fev are the leading conteders at the moment.

Strange league at the moment. A few very poor teams in it this season and it looks like the rest are capable of beating each other. Should be a good tie on Thursday where Fev will be really up for it. As for the standard in the league, weve being saying since the begining that if we can put it together a team will get a right hammering and with 2 70 pointers under our belt already, while only running a 50% completion rate, our coach is predicting we could hit the 100 point mark before the end of the season if we put it together and im inclined to agree with him.

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:56 pm  

The Kevster! wrote:

Unfortunately?

They & Catalans should be heading up the French league trying to improve the game in their own country rather than taking up space in our leagues.

if that is the objective.

if the objective is to improve SKY sports revenue, then 2 french teams in SL is the way to go....

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:04 pm  

trainee_lobbygobbler wrote:

Well said

Euh... Not

First, the SL is not English by vocation but European. It was a European project at the start and it is only a pitty that the PSG failed in 96-97. The SL ended up being concentrated on the M62, and regressed in audience in the following 10 years. In France, in a more dramatic fashion, the RL has come close to extinction between 1996 and 2006.

I perfectly understand that some English fans (in particular from teams aspiring to be in SL) may think that French teams are unduly "taking" spots in SL. However, we must see the broad picture. The way to develop the sport is to have a great European competition with teams from England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and France. Only such a competition will be able to compete in the media with football and rugby union. Keeping the SL concentrated over the M62 is jeoparding its future. With French teams will come money from French media (like Orange), a higher level of competition, and certainly a higher level of interest in Southern England.

Then the Championship could also become a second European tier with French teams. This would also be good for the media, and we could have more matches on TV. This would be great for the competition.

The europeanisation of sport competitions is on its way. Association football is likely to adopt a kind of SL format at some point, and the Magners League is getting more European with the inclusion of Italian teams. Here the RL is ahead of other sports and it is a massive advantage to help this sport gain grounds in TV coverage. Ideally we should have in 10 years at least 3 French teams and a Welsh team in SL, 3 French teams in Championship and also an Irish team and a Scotish teams. This would make great competitions, able to compete with rugby union in terms of attendance and media coverage.

I think this somewhat the view of the RFL and for good reasons.

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:16 pm  

It will eventually end up being a European Super League were the best few teams from around Europe [or England, Wales and France] just like their trying to get in football so that league will get all the money and the lower leagues wont get anything as they wont be attractive enough. You dont see the NRL trying to get teams from PNG etc to join.

Unfortunately like everything in sport in the UK whatever SKY says goes.

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:21 pm  

I was going to add them in saying they are the only team but in NZ defence the country aint big enough to hold more that 2 teams, the sheep will get in the way

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:04 pm  

trainee_lobbygobbler wrote:

It will eventually end up being a European Super League were the best few teams from around Europe [or England, Wales and France] just like their trying to get in football so that league will get all the money and the lower leagues wont get anything as they wont be attractive enough. You dont see the NRL trying to get teams from PNG etc to join.

Unfortunately like everything in sport in the UK whatever SKY says goes.

But if the appeal of the top competition grows, the appeal of lower competitions may also grow if there is a prospect of promotion. For instance, French are now watching Toulouse matches on TV , they are talking in the press of the Championship, and the number of spectators is growing relative to previous years. If the Championship becomes a second tier competition below the SL, then it will have a bigger appeal than now.

Then the Championship 1 will also be more attractive as it will give the possibility to get into the Championship. I predict a higher number of spectators in the Championship and a better TV coverage. The competition who will lose relatively more is the French Elite 1 who will de facto become a third tier competition. However, even here it will be better than the risk of complete disparition they were heading to.

I often read, on English and French forums that the Dragons and TO aims for SL to improve the French game and that eventually they should/will come back in France. I think it is completely missing the point. The French RL has regressed over 30 years and was on the brink of extinction, there is no way a French professional championship would work within the next 10 years. Then in 10 years we will have a great European competition. I don't see the RFL or the French club deciding to split it in national competitions where both the RFL and the French clubs would lose out in terms of TV coverage, sponsoring money and likely spectators audience.

: Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:07 pm  

maurice wrote:

CC will fail, no interest in the Area to support Bridgend.
TO will be in.
Cas/Wakey/Salford/HKR will be under threat.
Our job is to be the best we can be and reach a GF or win NRC, so far we have not shown that ambition, we could be keeping our powder dry for next year

When has no interest in the area been a criteria , Londons still there.

: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:33 am  

etoile1 wrote:

As I have stated all season , all the hype about Widnes has been totally unfounded. They were very fortunate to win today. Woodcock missed a conversion and a penalty goal in the last two mins, that had he kicked,would have meant a victory for Sheffield. They really are having no luck. Yet another narrow defeat. As I posted last Sunday, after watching Leigh versus Toulouse on the Saturday, it was obvious that they were a cut above any other team that you have faced this season. I commented last Sunday that they were the only team to genuinely impress this season. It seemed quite clear that they would go on to hammer many more teams this season. They have started this today at Donny. Widnes only won by 6 at Donny, but Toulouse hammered them. They are quite simply a better team than most in the league. I have not seen much of Fax yet, but Toulouse really stand out for me. The rest can beat each other and it is all on the day.

Hving read comments on the Donny site, I think "hammered" is incorrect. Apparently both teams were awful but Doncaster had no defence. The Dons fans reckon Toulouse are very ordinary.