Re: Toulouse : Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:19 pm  

Johnno has improved a lot in the last two seasons, after becoming fairly predictable. His all round game is better and is much more influential in defence than before. Minga didn't get much of the ball on the wing yesterday but his strong runs from the middle worried Fev. Canet is a good young prop who is improving all the time after losing his head a few times last season. Boyer is a quality prop who never seems to have a bad game.

Re: Toulouse : Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:17 pm  

sanjunien wrote:

Johnno has improved a lot in the last two seasons, after becoming fairly predictable. His all round game is better and is much more influential in defence than before. Minga didn't get much of the ball on the wing yesterday but his strong runs from the middle worried Fev. Canet is a good young prop who is improving all the time after losing his head a few times last season. Boyer is a quality prop who never seems to have a bad game.

This is all good. However don't you think that Toulouse needs one or two big Antipodean forwards -- including at least one prop -- of NRL or near-NRL quality, in order to make progress towards promotion into Super League? Leigh did this when they signed Fui Fui Moi Moi. That Toulouse wants to promote French players is admirable, but even one big and experienced Antipodean prop or loose forward might add a little extra punch to the Toulouse forward attack.

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 3:28 am  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

This is all good. However don't you think that Toulouse needs one or two big Antipodean forwards -- including at least one prop -- of NRL or near-NRL quality, in order to make progress towards promotion into Super League? Leigh did this when they signed Fui Fui Moi Moi. That Toulouse wants to promote French players is admirable, but even one big and experienced Antipodean prop or loose forward might add a little extra punch to the Toulouse forward attack.

They're holding their own for now. Maybe they'll draft players in if/when they make the middle 8s.

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:25 am  

Clearwing wrote:

They're holding their own for now. Maybe they'll draft players in if/when they make the middle 8s.

Isn't there a June 30 deadline for new signings, or is that just the NRL rule?

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:58 am  

Does anyone know the current capacity of Toulouse's stadium and the number of permanent seats it has?

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:28 pm  

Duckman wrote:

Does anyone know the current capacity of Toulouse's stadium and the number of permanent seats it has?

Currently 4k all-seater I think.

However, I believe they'll move back to the Stade Des Minimes once the renovation work is complete, which will then be a 10k ground.

There's also the Ernest-Wallon which the RU play at, 19.5k capacity, and has held RL matches in the recent past.

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:41 pm  

cheers for the info.

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 2:55 pm  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

Isn't there a June 30 deadline for new signings, or is that just the NRL rule?

Think the deadline for signings for the middle 8s is something crazy like just before the last week of the regular season

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 5:46 pm  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

This is all good. However don't you think that Toulouse needs one or two big Antipodean forwards -- including at least one prop -- of NRL or near-NRL quality, in order to make progress towards promotion into Super League? Leigh did this when they signed Fui Fui Moi Moi. That Toulouse wants to promote French players is admirable, but even one big and experienced Antipodean prop or loose forward might add a little extra punch to the Toulouse forward attack.

It depends on who you talk to but there are supposed to be ongoing talk about DR with Catalans in the future. Money is tight at TO so there won't be any costly antipodeans coming in. The starting props have been awesome and are getting better as they learn more at this level and Hepi has been superb so far this season. I believe the current squad is good enough to do well this season IF they can keep their key players injury free, but that's probably true of many Championship sides. Anthony Marion and Andy Bentley have done well when alternating at loose forward.

Re: Toulouse : Tue Mar 28, 2017 6:45 pm  

sanjunien wrote:

It depends on who you talk to but there are supposed to be ongoing talk about DR with Catalans in the future. Money is tight at TO so there won't be any costly antipodeans coming in. The starting props have been awesome and are getting better as they learn more at this level and Hepi has been superb so far this season. I believe the current squad is good enough to do well this season IF they can keep their key players injury free, but that's probably true of many Championship sides. Anthony Marion and Andy Bentley have done well when alternating at loose forward.

I thought that Carlos Zalduendo had attracted a lot of actual or potential sponsors to Toulouse. Or is that no longer applicable?

The problem is that if Toulouse does not get promoted this season, as the second Championship side along with Hull KR (and I know that this dual promotion will require the unlikely demise of at least two Super League teams), next year Toulouse will be competing with not only one full time recently demoted Super League club (probably Widnes) but also the Toronto Wolfpack. Toronto is very well funded, and therefore a better prospect for promotion to Super League than Toulouse. In other words Toulouse's chances of getting promoted to SL are better in 2017 than they will be in 2018 -- unless the club in 2018 can afford to, and decides to, import just a little bit of Antipodean forward firepower.