I'd feel more strongly about Catalans going down if they'd have been competitive all season. The truth is they've looked like a team made up of players who have all signed elsewhere for next season and just couldn't give a toss. Not one player has put his hand up and led from the front.

You know what Bramleyrhino, after your post, I feel so sorry for Catalans now. I hope we lose next week and parity is restored. Sooper Dooper league would be a disaster without them in it, infact I've just shed a little tear at the sheer thought of it.

I agree, there is an evident lack of pride and commitment from a lot of their players, some of whom will be on high salaries.

I recall Richie Myler's wife saying that she didn't like it down there because there was no family culture, it was just a bunch of lads going on the drink. A friend of mine knows Luke Burgess pretty well and from what he has heard it would seem like there is a lack of professionalism running through the team.

I don't care if you feel sorry for everyone. But as a betting man I'm pretty sure that next season we'll have threads next year asking why this sport still isn't growing, why crowds still aren't growing and why we still can't attract or retain quality players, and some of that will be attributed to a club that, this year aside, has largely been one of Super League's success stories.

I want to see the premier competition in this sport as strong as it can, attracting the best people that it can, and I think that's better achieved with a well-run Catalans club than a Leigh club. I don't think that's an unfair or unreasonable opinion to have and the fact that the responses against that have been, shall we say, rather infantile at best, suggests there isn't much to refute that over and above the pathetic "away fans" argument that usually comes up.

If I felt that Leigh brought something unique to the league, if they brought something to the league that no other club does, I'd perhaps have a different view, but I don't think that they do.

:2x46tem4
If I felt that Leigh brought something unique to the league, if they brought something to the league that no other club does, I'd perhaps have a different view, but I don't think that they do.

so who does, Bramleysnob ?

Damn. Super league is gonna be a total M62 competition next year.

Sad times. I think Catalan will go down. Dunno why they got McNamara.

The championship will be more expansive than super league.

Like i said, You know F@@@ ALL.

All you lot have been interested in is McDermott out. You should be ashamed the lot of ya,oh hang on,you're giving him a break atm. Bunch of T@$$3rs the lot of ya.

I think you have me confused with someone else.

Anyway, run along now. The grown-ups are trying to have a discussion.

Very well put. Im sure most fans, if given the choice, would prefer Catalans to remain in Super League. Nothing against Leigh ( though a couple of there fans have made themselves look a bit silly on this thread) just my personal preference on how I hope things pan out next weekend.

I'd like to see what the supposed sponsorship Catalans has brought in has actually done for the game. Because the way I see it, they haven't actually brought anything different to SL than the rest. Do people in Norwich or Bristol watch RL because of them?

Well said Willzay. BR just simply dislikes Leigh,and his post suggest that.

That's right, Just for a jolly with a game thrown in,and nowt else.

Ok, Not a Leeds fan, Just a contentious P@@@@.

May the best team survive.

I like sporting contests decided by honest endeavour over contrived nonsense. Not d if thats a team in greater Manchester or in the south of France.

McNamara though... What an absolute shocker.

The most obvious thing they've brought is a player development pathway for French players which is now starting to trickle down to other SL clubs, with the likes of Springer and Larroyer at Cas, Escare and Navarette at Wigan, Maria and Pellisier at Leigh plus the ones in Catalans own team and those that have gone round and retired. It has taken a while but before Catalan and during their early days I can't remember many French players in SL (Elima, Rinaldi). Now they have not taken advantage of this and imo there recent reliance on overseas and English players is one reason they are in this spot.

I also think they are a well run/stable club with a decent ground and home support. I am not for one second saying Leigh aren't any of these things either, and personally I'd like room for both Catalan and Leigh at the top table, and a few others.

But personally if I had to choose, I'd rather have Catalan in over both Widnes and Leigh, mostly for the exposure to a new player pool and market. I can't comment on exactly what the extra marketing, sponsors etc brings, but surely extra games on T.V and a viewing audience in France is a good start?

If Catalans go down it will only be for one season as they'll probably extend SL to 14 teams the following season

So would it be fair to say that Leigh haven't been given the time to build?

Does it have to be for a deeper more meaningful reason?
If people would prefer Catalans over Leigh so you have a holiday in the South of France whilst following your team, whats wrong with that?
I understand that this is alot more emotive a subject for you given that your team is ditectly involved, but i'm struggling to find your counter arguement to it??

=#FF0000That's just your preference.

=#0000BFIt means you could prefer to go to Catalans over any club and have an holiday. What a stupid response.

And i'm not arguing. As far as i'm concerned,Catalans have had enough time to be a real force in SL but failed miserably,but folk would still prefer them to stay in SL for the sake of a jolly. The mind boggles. It must be past your bedtime.

Although I agree with some of what you're saying, imo the point about away fans for me, isn't about money, it's about atmosphere at games. Obviously just from a personal point of view, when I've travelled over to France to watch Trinity. The times we've won, those 100 travelling fans say, seem to make the noise of ten times that and turn what would seem like an empty stadium, into something else. Conversely when Catalans have won at our place in the past, it's dead. It's also not just something you notice at the ground, it comes through on the TV as well.

Ateotd for me as a neutral, if Catalans stay up then good for them, similarly Leigh, I've got no dog in the fight. As someone who's been through the MPG though I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy tbh.

Looking at the bigger picture of both sides. Imo in the long run if Catalns did go down I can see it having a more positive effect on the Club as a whole than Leigh. It's obvious they need a complete change of culture at the club and a new Coach in the same ilk as Trent Robsinson. Also now Toulose are coming up on their shoulde & if they did go down, it would be certainly interesting to watch that big French Derby. It all might be the thing to turn the club back around, especially considering their resources they've got to make it all happen.

If Catalans go down, next year will be the most geographically restricted top division since before the game went professional in 1996. The game will have lost its club in the capital, its only French club, one of its few big city clubs with 10k+ crowd potential in Bradford, and its short-lived Welsh venture.

Nobody will be able to claim RL is doing anything other than going backwards. It'll be a literal truth.

Location: London enough said

The trouble is with the clubs you mention is , they couldn't run a bath.

Catalans, London and Bradford all competed in Wembley finals. Bradford were the dominant team in the competition for several years. Catalans and Bradford averaged crowds larger than the SL average. All three were/are RL's sole presence in media, player numbers and sponsorship markets which are larger than anything we still have except - maybe - Leeds.

There is no pretending that losing these three teams from SL is anything other than a major contraction of the sport in terms of support, sponsorship, potential players, and profile.

What can you do though?

It's a sport and thems the rules. Would you like to see non heartland and big city clubs exempt from relegation?