Yes.

You can't criticise the Catalans when a certain English club in the so called heartlands fielded 11 overseas players against Wigan at the weekend (and had another one injured on the sidelines).

Nonsense. Of course I can. HKR or other clubs fielding 10 or so overseas players is very poor. It does not justify the catalan situation. They have a larger 'legal' cap than all other SL teams and they have virtually no SL competition for French players.

Furthermore they have had very few French players in the 1,6.7, 9 (and ball playing 13) slots. They have been preparing for SL since around 2004 under Steve Deakin.From a whole country how many 'top 6' French SL players aged 19 - 22 have they produced?

Try promoting RL in an area where RU is King and RL has been actively discriminated against for years. They are doing no better or worse than any other club, and they are now attracting 5 figure crowds, something that almost half the sides over here cannot do.

Why do you expect a team to sacrifice on-field success in favour of playing 'local' players? Are there any other Super League clubs that you have these expectations of?

Thanks to the success of Catalans, France's U16's team recently whitewashed England in a series. Last year, France U18's beat Australia, with the majority of the squad playing a year above their age group. There are numerous other young French players contracted to Catalans such as Barthau, Gossard, Pala, Bosquet, Maria, Marginet and others who are more than capable of being very good Super League players, but cannot currently get into a settled Catalans team which is challenging for the double. To expect Catalans to find a place for all these players each week simply because they are French is frankly ridiculous. Maybe if other Super League clubs such as your own were less insular and were willing to look further than your own back yard for talent then there wouldn't be an issue and Catalans could go on developing the sport in their own way, by creating a top-class team with a backbone of French players and world-class imports. To attempt to criticise them for wanting to be successful is absolute stupidity, especially when other clubs ignore the obvious benefits of tapping into the French talent surplus.

You are right, it is not a justification. But it does put it into perspective and stops you being able to single them out.

?
They do? Not disputing this, but I haven't seen any evidence that they get exemptions on players that other clubs do not. Perhaps you could show us this? Or are you just assuming?



You keep saying "from a whole country" like it's some kind of valid argument. In reality, it's not "from a whole country". The number of players in France is tiny compared to the UK. They do not have the benefits of being able to get academy cast-offs from other fully professional clubs 10 minutes down the road. They have to produce all of their own full time pro players. Whilst there are a few players at French Elite clubs that could with a bit of work become decent SL players, they still need a few years investment.

Again, it not being a justification, but how many English players in the 1, 6, 7 and 9 positions have Hull KR produced? Or some of the other lower-end SL clubs? You can't just single them out, and basing it on a whole country is just a poor attempt at tipping the argument in your favour. In reality, they have a small region to work with just like any other SL club.

There is a huge amount of RL played in the South of France. They are doing worse than many clubs given their catchment area and the strong RL tradition in their region.

Show me where i said that? Even once. Or are you answering imaginary posts?

You have implied that they should be fielding more French players because they are the only Super League club in that region.

If there was one Super League club in the North of England, would you expect it to be made up of entirely English players? No, the likelihood is that it would be similar to a Wigan or Leeds, many of the better English players coupled with top-class imports. Catalans want to be the best they can be, expecting them to fill their team with French players simply because they are the only French club is stupid.

In addition, the 'South of France' is not a small region. For Catalans to sign a player from Toulouse is the equivalent of a player from Hull signing for Warrington. To sign a player from Avignon would involve an even greater distance, in a different direction. To expect Catalans to be responsible for the development of this entire region is completely unrealistic. Of the u18's squad that beat Australia last year, only four are contracted to the Catalans' feeder club, which is about what would be expected given the demographics of the region.

:38vopt24

Why should someone refering to HKR stop me pointing out the dearth of quality french players? only 8 French born players versus Huddersfield is poor IMO. And clubs like HKR / wakey having 10 at times does not change that.

If you want to check out the French salary cap as SLE for it. You will get it in Euros, it has been consistently a couple of hundred thousand pounds higher than UK clubs. HTH.

Where do I :38vopt24[u:38vopt24keep saying[/u:38vopt24.

If people think only 8/9 French players making the Dragons team is good for the french game so be it. I disagree.

i am pleased to hear that the Catalans cap is likely to be brought in line with other SL clubs and the pressure for clubs to limit their non fed trained players will be re intensified.

I have already pointed out a number of more than capable French players who are contracted to Catalans but are unable to find a regular place because of the strength and depth of the squad. Accusing them of not developing players is ignorant in the extreme.

You are seriously suggesting that signing top-class overseas imports is the same as signing juniors from outside a club's catchment area? In that case, why should the onus be on Catalans to develop these players more than any other Super League club? As I've already pointed out, Catalans already have a surplus of talent, and they have their own youth systems in which they bring through more than their share of local juniors. Like I said, only 4 of last year's victorious France U18's side are contracted to Catalans. There isn't enough room at a single club to properly develop so many young players and still be competitive. It's absolutely baffling to me that so many Super League clubs are ignorant and oblivious to this talent pool, or think that all French players should have to play for Catalans. Like you've said, it's an entire country. To expect one club in one region to be responsible for the entirety of that country is absurd.

Just out of interest, have you ever actually been to France and are you aware of how large the country is?

So tell us pray do, how many club trained players did Hudds have when they played Catalans?
Huddersfield failed to fulfil their U20s fixture last week v Wigan. That is the second season they have done that.
We'd all like more "local" players in our squad no doubt at Hudds too!
Catalans is a massive success story for RL.

Eh?

So you're insulted by the fact that the BBC actually wanted to show your game?

Of course you are on BBC2. That is because yours is the Sunday game and it's been that way for, well, years.

The Wigan-Saints game is the match of the round and there are reasons for that: firstly, it's one of if not the best derby game around and secondly, Wigan and Saints are the two biggest names in the Challenge Cup because Wigan have won the most Challenge Cups and Saints the second most Challenge Cups. So what did you expect exactly?

As for the commentators ... Dave Woods is ok but only ok. Really the only advantage he has over Ray French is that he can remember people's names, unlike Ray French. But I'm sure Ray will give it his best shot.

We need to teach Phil Clarke first.

The bigger question for our French friend is what tv channel are showing the game in France? None

Start your moaning with them before you start having a pop at our channels. Don't forget to pop a cheque in the post so you can pay the licence fee as well.

Paris half a dozen times. Perpignan 4 + Toulouse twice. HTH

do start a thread on club trained players. That would be thrilling. I will be sure to contribute.

Catalans is a massive success in many ways. However bringing through young French players to play in SL has been very dissappointing.

With a realigned cap and greater pressure re non fed trained players they may struggle.

The club signed Ben Fisher as cover during an injury crisis, because the two first choice players (Henderson and Pelissier) were unavailable for extended periods. Huddersfield recently signed Scott Moore in similar circumstances, so unless you are a complete hypocrite then you really should think more about what you are posting. As I have explained several times, not all of the talent in France is readily accessible to Catalans Dragons, just as not all the talent in England is accessible to Huddersfield Giants. The club signs overseas players for the same reason as every other club - because they want to assemble the strongest squad possible. Your argument that they should limit themselves just because they are French is absolute stupidity, and if that's not what you are arguing then I'm not sure what point you are trying to make? If you are a simple-minded moron who thinks that every single French player should play for Catalans and nobody else, then that's your problem. I look forward to seeing your club overtaken in a few years though when other Super League sides wake up to the obvious benefits of tapping into this talent pool.

No hypocracy at all. You either cannot understand the details or have been too lazy to get them. Oh dear...silly you.







Lunt was unhappy with low minutes at the Giants behind Robinson. He is on big bucks. so Lunt was moved to Leeds and Moore brought in (Moore's style of play better fits how the Giants play). This also freed up money so Fairbanks, and possibly Eden, can be given extended contracts. so no similarity in circumstances at all.



[u"You really should think more about what you are posting". [/uYou utter chump.



I have never said the Dragons should limit themselves because they are french. Please stop making up my arguments...stick to making up your 'facts' a la Moore.



You got it wrong on Moore and keep resorting to addressing things i never wrote...oh dear.

All those years developing French talent and the dragons have signed Ben Fisher

Moore was signed as a replacement for the injured Tommy Lee and the departing Shaun Lunt. Fisher was signed as a replacement for the injured Henderson and Pelissier. Both have been signed to fill virtually the same role within their squads, so your argument is completely hypocritical and appears to suggest that you think Catalans do not have the same right to sign players as other Super League clubs, simply because they are French. If you are not suggesting that Catalans should limit themselves, then what are you suggesting? Do you have any sort of argument at all, or are you just making ignorant statements for the sake of it?

You are utterley clueless re the Giants. So stop digging numbnuts.

I have explained what happened. The Giants have a former NZ no9 in Faiumu who has covered for Lee so the comparison you are desperate to make with Dragons signing Fisher is even less credible. Oh dear. Try again.



Like wakey a few years ago and HKR I think Catalans have way too many overseas players. This is all the more dissapointing given all the RL'talent' in France and only one SL team. It would appear the Dragons prefer to sign a player like Fisher rather than develop french players. Ho hum.

Catalans have Gregory Mounis who has played at hooker for France in the past. That doesn't mean it's preferable for him to play there. The situations are almost exactly the same. Both clubs wanted an experienced player to fill a gap in the squad caused by incumbents being unavailable. Your attempts to deny this are absolutely ridiculous. If any other club had lost their first and second choice hookers to lengthy injuries and had brought in an experienced player like Fisher for cover, you wouldn't have batted an eyelid. I'm not sure why you feel the need to question Catalans' right to do this simply because they are French.
They do have a few too many overseas players. So do most clubs. This is mitigated by the fact that if Catalans need an experienced first grade player, they are forced to look overseas, since there aren't any other professional clubs in France. That doesn't mean they aren't producing players. Fisher was signed due largely to the injury to Eloi Pelissier, a 20 year old hooker, and has barely featured since Pelissier returned to fitness. Your own club were carved up at the weekend by Damien Cardace, who wasn't even part of the 25 man squad at the start of the year. You appear to be so ignorant about RL in France that I doubt you would even know about the existence of these two players had they not joined Catalans. If you feel Catalans aren't fully taking advantage of the available talent in France then I'm not sure why you are complaining, that means more available talent for the other clubs. Unsurprisingly though, you instead seem to want to sarcastically deny its existence rather than taking the initiative to look beyond your own back yard. A typical and ultimately pathetic attitude in British RL.