Donnyman wrote:
I think your better than that just shouting "xenophobia".
Ian Lenegan in 2015 went to Toulouse as a guest of the club with other SL chairmen. Lenegan was supportive of Toulouse for Superleague and in the main after dinner speech he told them so, but added that TO needed to "Work towards developing French players capable of playing at SL level and finding a French TV deal".
Fev and Leigh would also be expected to have player development systems in Superleague too, albeit as English clubs they would underpin the TV deal anyway.
Eamon McManus was also supportive of Toulouse when he lambasted Toronto Wolfpack. He felt two French clubs would create a classic derby, he felt that would "open up new avenues with French Broadcasters" This was all at a time when the SKY TV deal was massive.
But that deal has been slashed and the problem will be if there is no French TV deal, and if Toulouse turn up at their first Superleague fixture with only the odd one or two pro French players, then English clubs will be asking Lenegan why has he let them in when they have not met the criteria Lenegan on behalf of Superleague set for them, something Toulouse did not argue against.
You can try to belittle Featherstone and Leigh as "Village clubs" and extol the virtues of a major city club, but the fact is playing in a big city doesn't guarantee growth - see London Broncos lack of success in our of biggest city, see the success and longevity of leigh and Featherstone based in pit villages.
Toulouse were expected to bring a tv deal? (WTF Leneghan has to do with dictating rules who knows)- Wakefield and castleford promised a new stadium 10 years ago and we are still waiting..... Toulouse have at least another 5 years grace then. Some clubs are developing young players better than others regardless of their position in the table. Some without an academy at all, many championship sides are developing excellent part time players some going onto SL. What about all the homegrown leigh players in their side ....... erm. Where's the parity here?
It speaks volumes that you talk about Lenegan letting in Toulouse. Lenegan hasn't "let them in" he's Wigans chairman - not the chairman of superleague, and is strongly against SL rejoining with the RFL. in reality what he thinks about Toulouse in SL is worth just as much (or little) as every other club owner!
And please note, I'm not belittling Fev and Leigh AT ALL I'm just pointing out the rather bizarre expectations that many fans put on a team that happens to be outside of the UK. Expectations that don't match those put on those other clubs either currently already in SL or who potentially could be. other than the fact its a club outside the UK there is no reason for this - so could the reason just be xenophobia because i cant see any other rational argument
