Them's the rules....
I 100% agree that Toulouse should have been made play their home games either in England or at least like Toronto in a block if their away games first whilst covid unfolded, but the rfl saw fit to hang London out to dry and basically handed Toulouse the shield.
That said, they've not really been tested all year, winning be an average of 41 points per game
Let's see how well they recruit for SL (should they go up) and what size gates they can attract in a city that is a rugby one ..

Those rules where created with the season already in progress. Another embarrassment.

Huddersfield went unbeaten in the Championship, monied up professional clubs hammering part timers isn't that much of an achievement.

You maybe could comment on the dilemma of a Superleague-1 determined to be 10 clubs only next year, against the excellent performances of Catalans and (granted) Toulouse.

Eamon McManus at saints "[iFavours French clubs over North American clubs[/i" reported a couple of years back. He said "We cannot be insular, at the moment Catalans Dragons are not contributing to TV revenue value for Superleague, but if Toulouse were to come in that would open up new avenues with French broadcasters, the French derbies would potentially stimulate media income for Superleague".

So if we went to 12 clubs, ten could share the SKY TV deal and the two French clubs possibly share a French TV deal..........

The [i"Hell of an achievement"[/i isn't hammering low income semi pro championship sides, it's getting a French TV deal......... Trolls need not reply

......

Bless.......you'd give your right arm for your club to be monied up. It's a professional sports...Toulouse play by the same rules as your pit village outfit

There you go again. Lying through your teeth. McManus was only one of 3 chairmen to vote for a North American team to be allowed back into SL.

Toulouse got 500 fewer fans to their play off v Barley than Wigan got for their play off v Leeds.
Excellent turn out and a good pointer to what they can achieve should they go up

Who are Barley. If they can't get a decent crowd for a game like that after no home game for 18 months, then they should play in the French League.

A game like what?
Wigan were playing leeds in a quarter final.....arguably the 2 biggest names in the game outside of St Helens.....they got 8 and change......but hey ho...

Maybe it means Barley Mow, maybe Bramley are making a comeback?

Nothing has been decided in public other than this season will see itself out and then the likelihood, based on the majority of reports is some sort of 2 x 10.

The French have been asked to bring a French TV deal all the time they have been in the system here. They understand this need and you can't excuse them from that.

They have managed contracts at times inc. with Bein Sports? They may get a contract again especially if they can offer a French TV channel both French clubs in SL, so this means Toulouse and French RL need that promotion spot.

They are not "part of the same competition" in that they are "guests" here, and guests need to bring something to the party and not freeload. Again this party gift is a paying French TV contract. That has been said for years now. That is needed even more than ever given the SKY contract has been decimated.

On the SKY contract they, SKY want English clubs, to support the English advertisors. 2x10 with two French clubs = only 8 English clubs in superleague







Do you really think SKY will allow that as SKY have made it clear they won't stand in the way of so called "expansion" (remember the French have been around since the 1930's) but they need a strong English content that has been quoted (by McManus) as nine clubs absolute minimum.............. Do the Maths.......

Had other sides travelled to France to fulfil their fixtures, what would have happened or, should they have been forced to relocate to the UK in order to play their home fixtures ?

I agree that it's far from ideal but, on the basis that they haven't yet lost a game and they have beaten their nearest rivals on their own patch, they deserve their spot in the decider.

Fev will be no pushovers and it should be a cracking game.

Hang on a minute, what do you mean by "deserve".....

We have a full time club against a semi pro-club, what's fair about that mis-match?

Toulouse have actually bought their position in the Championship outspending semi pro clubs

Toulouse aren't even members of the League?

I'm fine with it all, I'm not complaining, but Featherstone could easily complain..........

TBF to them that wasn't their fault. Most of the sides in the league are part time meaning only two clubs could travel without the squad having to go into isolation for 10 days either side of travelling (at the time the rules were decided upon). Bradford certainly couldn't travel when we were scheduled to play them.

I'd argue it made it harder for Toulouse though as most of their fixtures were away and they needed to ensure they won them. The best two teams are in the final Covid or no Covid.

They "deserve" it by winning all of their games.
The fact that they have spent more on their squad than other sides doesn't really mean anything.
I'm sure that ALL of the others spent as much as they could / wanted to.

Yes, to some extent, they have "bought" their position but, are they within the spending limits of the comp ? Yes, so, it matters not.

I personally do hope Toulouse get to SL, with knowledge of an extra player pool they have more chance of putting together a side that potentially could be more competitive than Fev, who will just be leigh in another guise. Will certainly make next season interesting around the bottom of the table esp if the 10 x 10 thing happens the following year.

That's me told.

woah...the gramma po-po in the house......
It was Batley.
Point being, Toulouse winning the LLS and potentially the MPG because they spend more than anyone else in the division is not dissimilar to Saints, Wigan & Leeds being the only people to bother the SL trophy engravers in 16 years. Wire have tried to buy it, as Catalans are doing now...but those 3 spend more on players and development than the other clubs.

The Championship will be a better comp for not having toulouse in it next year. As much as Newcastle going pro puts the cat amongst the pigeons, I see any side from Leigh, Fev, BaTley, Bradford, Widnes and Halifax winning it...meanwhile, Wigan, Saints, Leeds and now catalans and Wire will be the better supported clubs....west Yorkshire has too many sides and not enough fans!

Well I heard that the 2 x 10 can't be agreed on for next year, and they just go round and round in circles on it, so it's probably business as usual for next year with 2x12. Ensures that the final will be very meaningful....

As you suggest the seismic effect of the lower TV deal will be felt hard in League 1..........

There is quite clarity on a TV deal.. Where that Leaves SL is another question?

Bless....Whoever wins will have over 2 months longer than Leigh had to recruit players for Super League 2022.

Leigh have had enough time to put players in place Budge next time round..

Leigh remain a club that have a wealthy owner and appear to now have a second such person in Koukash. Well done to them plugging the gap this last year and good luck to Featherstone for the MPG, they remain the one decent sized and well backed club who never got a crack at Superleague......

that wasnt a dig at leigh, more a dig at the system where by the time the promoted team are promoted player contracts are already signed elsewhere - if you recall i suggested giving the promoted team a couple years grace and more cash!

I'd be well behind that idea especially if it's Featherstone that win.

It'll be brilliant if their fans are superleague's problem for a while. I'd take Hull or Wakefield fans any day of the week over that lot.

You are welcome to Wakefield.