The Silent H wrote:
I have no faith that the right decision will be made.
As for Toulouse, I do not think they will get the spot. Whether they should is a different debate altogether.
How is it a different debate? The applications for Superleague inclusion have to offer something to Superleague.
The formal analysis commissioned by the RFL of the value of TWP, Ottawa and New York was that they offer nothing to the game here.
No TV money, no quality Players. Equally the analysis of the French was they offer very little unless you can show me a TV deal?
Over to you or anyone else?? On the playing front Les Catalans have just signed McMeeken, I don't think he's French. They only have 4 French players in their first choice 17.
And the fact is when it comes to Toulouse they too have only 4 Frenchmen in their starting 17.
So Toulouse have been knocking on the SL door since 1996 when Paris pipped them at the post for a Superleague place. Toulouse have had what? 24 years to develop professional SL quality Rugby League players and it's certainly not a given that the four French lads they do have in their first 17 are of SL quality?? If they were Superleague quality then Les Catalans would have picked them up................
So it is reasonable to suggest that between the pair of them they are incapable of SL player development. It's no good talking about the French talent in the English SL clubs. That doesn't justify giving two places to two French clubs that bring nothing to superleague does it???
12 English clubs would of course provide any quality French RL lads the opportunity to come play here for an English club and develop their game here like Fages. We wouldn't lose any French RL talent if there were no French clubs in Superleague. We wouldn't lose the French clubs here as long as there is a championship in which both French clubs could then play their derby games, and see if the French TV want to pay for them, and they can play a few more French lads instead of sacking them all off.
The Championship would provide the places and a decent level of Rugby League for French RL lads to try their hand at becoming pro. It makes far more sense to drop Catalans down than hoist Toulouse up What so called expansionists won't admit is that "expanding" two SL places to France can only be done by taking two SL places away from English clubs. We had London in Superleague who were removed by the waste of space that were TWP, now it seems some people wish for Bradford to be rejected for a French club.
But that's what the so-called "Expansonists" refuse to acknowledge, is if you put overseas clubs into superleague the English game contracts and the TV deal dissappears and everyone is dead.......