you my friend are a lupo loco



, i for one applauded the move to wrexham for crusaders and it has been well documented on this and other forums that i said that wrexham was a great move for them, but whatever does crusaders move to wrexham have to do with toulouse?? only you and juan peron will know!

but to use the quote in a news report does leave one thinking that there is something rather shifty about the whole situation!

You have far greater faith in journalists than I do … and I are one


Far greater faith in club officials who have a record of not knowing the first thing about the competition they want to join, as well …

=#0000FFThat's a pretty accurate assessment. You are beginning to understand a little what it means to be a fan of a club.


=#0000FFI bet it won't. Unless the catcher of that said cold came into close proximity to Mr Lewis who would also have to have the cold, ergo passing it on to the said person from Widnes/Halifax. Then it would be his fault. Quite what that has to do with this thread is a mystery but then you posted it, so it isn't.

Shouldn't that be "am one" or have you just "whoooooooshed" me?

i have faith in the lord that is enough for me (i think)

I'm not sure where David Howes comes into this, or "Mark" Rylance, but below I have set out the correct version of the events that led to this story being published.

Mike Rylance, who specialises in French Rugby League for League Express, read an online report in the Midi-Olympique newspaper that had quotes from Gilles Dumas, the Toulouse coach, that appeared to suggest that his club didn't have to reach the Grand Final to qualify to make an application to Super League.
He telephoned the Toulouse Chairman, Carlos Zalduendo, who confirmed that he understood that Toulouse didn't have to reach the Grand Final to qualify to make an application for Super League.
Mike then telephoned the RFL Media Manager John Ledger, who promised to get back to him to confirm or otherwise the veracity of this particular interpretation.
John then got back in touch with Mike, and confirmed that Carlos' view was the correct interpretation. That was after John spoke to a senior official at the RFL who confirmed that version of the truth.
John and Mike have both confirmed this version of events with me, but John is not prepared to name the RFL official who confirmed that Toulouse would not have to reach the Grand Final.
Subsequently, on Monday, John issued a press release on behalf of the RFL saying quite bluntly that Toulouse do have to reach the Grand Final "contrary to some reports".
The press release did not make it clear that those "reports" had actually originated from the RFL itself, and it made it look as though League Express had simply printed a story that wasn't true.
Clearly I was less than happy with the RFL not acknowledging that it had given our reporter the wrong information, although John subsequently apologised to me, as I said earlier in this thread.

well said martyn, straight from the horses mouth.

In view of Martyn's reply:


..............or they are just ordinary people who happen to have first hand experience of their incompetence.

jeez, with John Ledger and Craig Spence in charge of media and communications - its no surprise that the RFL is being run the way it is.

my favourite John Ledger moment was on the Super League show a few years when he said "it wasnt fair" that one team had scored too many tries against Wakefield.

I hear they're lining up Liam Gallagher to replace the pair of them.

Worra kn*bhead

I can see the scene now... John Ledger putting the phone down and asking Richard Lewis if Toulouse need to reach a GF to apply for a licence..
Lewis puts his arm around John and says 'you and I both know that isn't the case.. hush hush'..
Off John pops misunderstanding the situation and makes the phone call to the League Express..
Later on Richard remembers the conversation and asks why John wanted to know about Toulouse and John tells him...
Richard breaks into a cold sweat... rings Nigel who tells him.. 'just ring back and tell them we've made a mistake... they expect it of us now and it's not like we need to explain how the mistake was made or be in any way culpable for it..'

[scene ends

It's like an episode of Yes Minister, although i'm unsure as to who could match Sir Humphrey's guile.

all thats missing is alan b'stard and piers fletcher-dervish.

:2vi4eqw8

merci – and apologies to Mike for getting getting his name wrong (in true journalistic fashion, I was writing from memory [not having seen the LE report and was under the impression Howes [who I think I was confusing with Wood











was quoted)

Thanks for spelling out the actual history'"

Thanks Martyn for taking the time to come on here and giving us the full chain of events as far as you understand it. I wish the RFL could give such a full disclosure..

Cor blimey, what a kafuffle!



You couldn’t make it up.

I can’t say I’m surprised by any of this, but as soon as I heard that John Ledger was involved, all became clear. He isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the box, but he’s definitely a tool; a complete nutjob.

what! no grovelling on your hands and knees??

Many thanks Martyn for clearing what is ever becoming a complete shambles. Some questions I have :-

Even though the RFL have you turned from what they originally told League Express, do Toulouse still think the same as what they have stated that they dont have to reach the GF?

Who at the RFL told Mr Ledger that Toulouse had the correct versions of events?

Where do Mr Lewis and Mr Wood sit within this shambles?

Is it any wonder we struggle to attract other sports fans to watch the greatest game of all? Neither the RFL media manager, supporters or the leading RFL weekly publication now know the rules for entry into SL 2012. Can you imagine this in football?

Finally if I was Toulouse I would also feel agrieved about not being able to play in the Northern Rail cup which represents a 50% chance of getting that golden ticket, how can that be fair to them?

Also why isnt the RFL's long term plan to create a French SL of say 10 clubs, just maybe if they did this we could replicate the other code and have our very own European Cup???

I agree.

exactly. And thats the important part. 2 maybe 3 clubs are in real danger with regards to stadia.

One club is almost certain to be dropped, If Wakefield and Castleford both dont get a stadium how can we justify keeping in one and not the other?

How can we put 5 clubs on notice as it were then how can we risk only having three possible applicants? At least one of which really isnt Super League material as it stands

the game is doomed and its all the RFLs fault

with all these succesful moves to expand the game, greater media, crowds, new sponsors and markets will be the result.

somebody tell them to stop.

Wouldnt go that far. But they have made the game a laughing stock.

Club pick?

Havin to re do the draw for our major cup competition?

and now it would appear they cant remember what was said a couple of years ago.

Instead of your ' made up ' version , brilliant