Who would you take?

although we dont want need to risk any players for this the trip to France could provide as a good team building exercise for the lads.

If i was picking the team i would take any 23's players capable of making the step up within thenext year or so - give em a chance.

Probably wouldnt play anyone carrying a knock. Not sure Leeds will let Ambler play in what is essentially a training game.

French season finished a couple of weeks ago and the best players on Holiday/gone home! Why risk our first team in this "RFL Its a knockout" event? Use a few players like Aizue, Haley, Hesketh, Bowman alongside a few U23s

Don't go. Let 'em fine us!

Don't go?

Erm please tell that to Andrew Perry and the twins before Friday morning please

Players who need game time and players from the 23's who are able to make it...

Who are we even playing?

toulouse. should take good team without any injuries and try run up a cricket score the best that can

Are Toulouse the only team we play? Has anyone got a clue how this farcical tournament works? All I know is that it is Championship top 4 (sort of) v French Elite top 3 + Toulouse (as they are apparently a special case for some reason)

thats all we play, just the one game.
the two home games involving champs teams are on tv.

So what is the point of it then? Does anyone come out of it as the overall winner or what?

We don't need a winner! Isn't just taking part enough?

Like the rest of the season i guess.

Says on Premier Sports that Fev play Pia to see who is crowned euro champions so my guess is we are in final Not bad is it not really promoted by anyone no one know who plays who for what then people will say its a flop because no one interested.

complete waste of time and resources!

The league winners play each other to decide the individual champs and the overall country champs are decided on an aggregate of all 4 games.

That's what everyone said about the Northern Rail trophy. Let's see what the clubs make of it after the event shall we?

Pia arent even the champions of France- Carcasonne beat them 26 20 in the French Grand Final!!

The most ridiculous thing is we're classed as the second placed team even though we finished fourth in the league, because we got to the grand final. But we're playing the team who finished second in the French league, who then went on to win the playoffs and become French champions, then to cap it all off went and won the cup as well!

Oh well it's an excuse to go to France and get drunk again. Hopefully this one is more like the Toulouse trips (100% record) rather than the mullering Catalans gave us a few weeks ago.

Take it none of you are going then? I know of about 15-20 Eagles making the trip but don't think there'll be many more!

It's Ok for the Eagles, everyone else has to fork out for the airfare as well.



Have a good time.

im sorry if my lack of excitment surrounding this event offends you at all, i may have taken it a little bit more seriously if the RFL had announced the fixtures more than about 3 weeks before the event is to take place!

so that fans could plan arround the dates, book flights and get behind the teams!

unfortunatly they didnt, i for one couldnt care less about it.

i would also think that Rhino and the Fax players think the same!

fax knew when fixture was but not who against until french season ended

No need as a we will go for the p**s up and the trip away anyway (well orange juice and McDonalds for Andrew Perry)

The club weren't that excited about the competition, anyone who was at the Pre Season Meet the Squad night (which may have been as long ago as the end of november) will remember Michael Steele telling the room that the club decided to offer the place in the tournament to Batley, as they had finished inside the top 4, who declined so we still had to go.

i was there Brew and had forgotton that!



im sure whoever goes will have fun in the sun with a beer or 20!

but arranging a meaningless competition (one where clubs were trying to opt out) half way through the season is just daft.

most squads by this point are down to the bare bones anyway.

if i was Rhino i would send the 23's and anyone in his 1st team squad that he may have doubts about.

i will be amazed if more than 50 fans in total from the uk travel!

I don't agree with this comp, not one bit, but can you imagine tha damage it would do to the club's reputation in the RFL's eyes if we sent a deliberately weakened team, crikey, they don't need an excuse to bag us lately.
I don't see what it would do to young lads' development either, looking at the bigger picture, some of them are not anywhere near ready for senior rugby yet but it could seriously knock them back if things went wrong.
I don't see any other way around this but to send some fringe players who haven't had much game time, an odd 23's player & maybe one as 18th man for the experience and hope we come out of it unscathed.
I notice we have also an U23's fixture on friday night at Keighley, this will severly test the club's resources I should imagine.
It's a shame the RFL think so lowly of the Championship clubs & using them as pawns in their quest to get Toulouse and their expansion dream back into super league. I can't see anyone making any money out of this pointless exercise, I would rather see a Championship version of the magic weekend, but based within the heartlands if they wish to trial new competitions.