It is very strange to have different rules for different clubs in the same league in a professional sport, even if some players at some clubs are part-time.

Maybe it's just as strange to have a league in which some clubs are fully high level professional on full cap and and some clubs are semi-professional on just what they can afford.

A league where the difference can be a club spending like a Wigan or a Saints playing clubs with all their players on low level part time contracts.

Then the governing body deciding to apply different rules to different clubs. [i"those are the rules get on with it"[/i isn't the answer at all. Toulouse are guests only, and maybe it's them that should have stepped down for the season, whilst there is a healthy environment for all visiting teams to enjoy......

French RL admirably carries on as normal in the French Elite league, only problem is their league has lost their two biggest clubs from that league in recent years.

You seem to think "French RL" is a load of English and antipodean players galloping around M62 land

It's just not is it?

Be sensible about this. These clubs are guests so the sensible thing if anything is for them to stand down not the English clubs.....

How long are these two French clubs allowed to be guests in this country=#FF0000?

The whole thing is problematic. Is the second tier what is supposedly a professional sport really to operate under some form of handicap rules like an amateur merit league? Did London Broncos really agree to this, or was it imposed on them by a majority of other clubs who benefit from the handicap? Does this set a precedent for handicaps in future? What is the criteria of the handicap, what if a mixed pro club could field a team that is mainly fully pro? If this handicap is actually predicated on Covid related restrictions, why are the most recent set of Covid restrictions in France not relevant? If Covid is not the full story, what are the non-covid factors?

It's this kind of comedic administration that makes RL a joke in the UK. Nobody could have predicted Covid last season, but this season they had time to deal with the issue in a way that didn't turn the competition into a joke.

Until some sort of leadership and collective decision making can be organised.

There are two governing bodies who don't see eye to eye and within one of these governing bodies there are splits, and when splits occur then nothing happens and the status quo remains. (no not Francis Rossi)....

We saw with the Private Equity thing that to change to that system it only needed one club to say "no" and it wasn't going to happen.

Fear not, the RFL and SL are supposedly coming together again, all will be well

Quote ="Donnyman"Until some sort of leadership and collective decision making can be organised. There are two governing bodies who don't see eye to eye and within one of these governing bodies there are splits, and when splits occur then nothing happens and the status quo remains. (no not Francis Rossi).... We saw with the Private Equity thing that to change to that system it only needed one club to say "no" and it wasn't going to happen.'" It required a unanimous vote - not just one club saying 'No'. https://inews.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/ ... one-845530 You seem to have overlooked the fact that Toulouse are in The Championship- not Super League - so only one governing body involved;The RFL. Maybe in your mind London Broncos are the one club that don't want Toulouse in the European Super League// or RFL competitions.They should be gone,then.

Quote ="Donnyman"Until some sort of leadership and collective decision making can be organised. There are two governing bodies who don't see eye to eye and within one of these governing bodies there are splits, and when splits occur then nothing happens and the status quo remains. (no not Francis Rossi).... We saw with the Private Equity thing that to change to that system it only needed one club to say "no" and it wasn't going to happen.'" It required a unanimous vote - not just one club saying 'No'. https://inews.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/ ... one-845530 You seem to have overlooked the fact that Toulouse are in The Championship- not Super League - so only one governing body involved;The RFL. Maybe in your mind London Broncos are the one club that don't want Toulouse in the European Super League// or RFL competitions.They should be gone,then.

If it is down to them being FT that they have to travel then it's a joke yes.

The biggest issue is forcing anyone to travel in this climate to a country going into lockdown.

:3fa4ihgq
This is the point that Mr Hughes has decided to hang his hat on. As usual, there was an easier route that may have delivered a different outcome, but once St David has his heart set on something, then it's his way of the highway

You still haven't answered my question unless you do not know, how long will these two (2) French clubs be allowed to be guests in the game in this country, assuming they are guests and it's not something you've made up in your anti French bias.

He had no choice but use excuses. He couldn’t use COVID as an excuse as that would require 7 players being out. All in black and white in the operational rules/laws. Of which he agreed.

I think the distinction of full time vs part time is more that the london players could viably travel, by private plane provided by Toulouse, and maintain their bubble. They could then get back to England and carry on training etc.

Whereas part time players wouldnt be able to do their day jobs and would have to isolate on return?

Difficult position as France had gone into lockdown so sending a rugby team to play over there does sound a bit silly but Toulouse so travel the other way and other than them sitting the season out I’m not sure what else they can do

Full time players have to isolate for 5 days. Part time 10 days.

Comment of the month.

All of the above are very pertinent questions & ask more about the sports administrators than of London, who incidentally in my view have done nothing wrong & probably have a very sound legal footing to challenge if required !

Covid as an excuse is one thing, but making your staff work in a situation that threatens their health would supersede operational rules every day of the week. France is behind in terms of their lockdown and vaccination schedule and I think any employer who required their staff to travel there at present would be open to litigation.

How can I be "anti French" against clubs playing English and antipodean players in an English league? What exactly is French about them







If anyone is against the French it's those who have abandoned the French Elite league and have little time for French players.......

You know, the guys who run Cats and TO.

And yet, Catalan were expected to fulfil their fixtures in England, when England was significantly worse then France.
The round ball game seems to be able to cope with playing their European games home and away and whilst fully accepting that football is significantly better resourced than RL, elite sport SHOULD be able to manage the circumsatnces.

Apart from Catalans fulfilling they're fixtures over here the rest is not strictly true, the UK government were dealing with the situation admirably whereas the French could be described as incompetent at best.

I'm not going to get into an argument over whether I believe your anti French or not, your posts on that score will endorse that you certainly are, the one simple question I asked you which you've managed to swerve both times is, can you please back up your statement that both Catalans and Toulouse are invited guests only into the two top English leagues, a simple link will do, thanks in anticipation.

Your at it again pretending Catalans are French. The teams mainly anglo-Aussie and nomadic so it was easy for them to play here

I was following the game when Cats were admitted in 2006 and when SL bosses went to France to deny Toulouse entry to SL at that time because they didn't have the players or TV deal...Both clubs regularly termed as guests, Les Catalans didn't vote on the last TV deal and have not voted on many SL issues conceding they are guests.

14 years since Catalans came in as guests. Then you pop up screaming for "proof" at me. Come back when you have proof of these clubs having full membership of Superleague........

So it's just hearsay then

14 years further on and still in super league says they are a little bit more than just guests, that's to any rugby fan that is, not sure how you can can describe my posts as screaming for proof when all I am guilty of is finding your accusations about them a touch tiresome and have asked you for a link which you clearly don't have, or if you do your not wanting to share it with anybody.

As for me having proof that these clubs have full membership, I simply don't have any, like most people on here without an agenda on the subject I'm working on the assumption that they have the same status as the rest and don't find it an issue unlike you, if I'm wrong then I'm happy to be corrected but you don't seem to be able to provide the necessary proof, so in my best non screaming mode once again I'm popping up and asking for proof and not he said/she said, apologies in advance for any embarrassment I may have caused you.

I wouldnt hold your breath. He has made hundreds of claims over the years without a shred of evidence