Or give them more time and a bit of support rather than a mountain of obstacles?

The other option would be to have an arrangement where English players and coaches worked over the winter in the French Elite 1 to bring that standard up? You would then have a bigger player pool of French players, less emphasis on Catalans and Toulouse to provide them and those test matches would be relevant.

He wants rid of any non English clubs.
It wouldn't matter if you had 17 players born in Perpignan itself, he would still want rid.
Unless their are new rules, written, agreed and enforced, Catalan will do what EVERY other club does and try to assemble the best squad that they can to compete in SL, which seems pretty straightforward.
Were the Catalan academy rated "outstanding" and yet, his poster says they do nothing ?? You can see that he has an agenda

I think we were given dispensation to play at Valley Parade for a year or two whilst we pursued one of our failed Odsal redevelopments, but the pitch is way too small (short) for permanent Rugby. And the rent is absolutely astronomical too. Sadly Valley Parade is not a possibility. The aim has to be to build something on the brownfield site literally across the road from Odsal and invite Bradford Park Avenue who are in some ways our sister club.

Where's your logic or evidence "coaching" existing Elite 1 players will make them all Superleague players.

As for "give them time" read on for the reality......

This is really the pits isn't it? A personal attack



Let's start again, because perseverance with the truth and reality often wins the day as we see with Toronto. In 2006 Catalans took the field for their first game with nine french Players in the squad to take on Wigan - and beat them. They then provided players for the return of GB.v.France tests which was the reason they were allowed in Superleague in the first place - for the revival of GB.v.France tests.

The first test was at Headingley before 12,700 fans with France losing but providing their part in a full blooded test game. However year on year Catalans bothered less with French players and more with Importing Australians. They were pushed into running an academy but soon found an excuse to not bother any more. They have not bothered with Reserves either this year when all the English clubs have done so.

All they did this year was sign a past it Aussie with distasteful prejudices to the disgust of all the English clubs, whom only allow Catalans to play in Superleague as their guests. And what of the GB.v.France tests? They died out a year or two back on a dark thursday night in Leigh before a sp crowd, with France conceding the usual cricket score.

As for myself I cannot think for one second why Catalans are preferable to Leigh, Bulls, London or Widnes in Superleage. But that doesn't mean that we should abandon French Rugby League. All we need to do is give Catalans a place in the Championship along with Toulouse and get that derby we all want to see on the Calendar.

Mr Pumpety is right that Valley Parade is far too expensive, and yes the hope would be that Odsal was sold and a stadium and new sports centre built on the Richard Dunn site.

For me there's little harm to allowing Bulls back on a rent they can afford whilst the longer term plan is pursued. In fact there is plenty of harm to the ratepayers of Bradford if Bulls are paying no rent at all, and the city's biggest and most successful sporting attraction is no longer operating for the people of the city.

Anyway back on topic maybe New York will take the lease up at Odsal

https://forty20.news/new-york-club-teas ... ouncement/ It's all kicking off in New York apparently.....

https://forty20.news/new-york-club-teas ... ouncement/ It's all kicking off in New York apparently.....

But accurate, parochial in the extreme

Quote ="Donnyman"https://forty20.news/new-york-club-teases-big-announcement/ It's all kicking off in New York apparently.....'" watch this being the coach be Lee Radford being named You would of thought that they would of out this announcement out on their own website but something seems they haven't the staff.. Suppose no news is good news www.nycrugbyleague.com

Quote ="Donnyman"https://forty20.news/new-york-club-teases-big-announcement/ It's all kicking off in New York apparently.....'" watch this being the coach be Lee Radford being named You would of thought that they would of out this announcement out on their own website but something seems they haven't the staff.. Suppose no news is good news www.nycrugbyleague.com

Quote ="snowie"watch this being the coach be Lee Radford being named You would of thought that they would of out this announcement out on their own website but something seems they haven't the staff.. Suppose no news is good news www.nycrugbyleague.com'" The timing is predictable. TWP collapse and Wilby has to do something to try to keep his own pipe dream going. My guess is Argyle has taken up all the shares at New York and will build the game in the USA as it has a stronger base there.

Quote ="snowie"watch this being the coach be Lee Radford being named You would of thought that they would of out this announcement out on their own website but something seems they haven't the staff.. Suppose no news is good news www.nycrugbyleague.com'" The timing is predictable. TWP collapse and Wilby has to do something to try to keep his own pipe dream going. My guess is Argyle has taken up all the shares at New York and will build the game in the USA as it has a stronger base there.

Quote ="snowie"watch this being the coach be Lee Radford being named You would of thought that they would of out this announcement out on their own website but something seems they haven't the staff.. Suppose no news is good news www.nycrugbyleague.com'" already got a job in RU in Dallas... [url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/former-hull-fc-coach-lee-radford-lands-new-role-in-rugby-union/here[/url

Quote ="snowie"watch this being the coach be Lee Radford being named You would of thought that they would of out this announcement out on their own website but something seems they haven't the staff.. Suppose no news is good news www.nycrugbyleague.com'" already got a job in RU in Dallas... [url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/former-hull-fc-coach-lee-radford-lands-new-role-in-rugby-union/here[/url

Shares of what a website?

Hey cut the reality. Cut me some slack, I'm looking for a solution here:-

[u[iPerez reveals Ottawa backers, club offers to buy whole TWP squad for Superlague 2021[/i
[/u

Looks like New York membership packages being offered with NYRL goodies in the deal.

If so this is the chance for all the "Expansionists" on here to buy one and thus prove their credentials

some idiots would buy 2

6amazing how our resident shark hunter cannot reply to the fact he is as ill informed but opinionated as ever, he needs to buy a bigger boat!

Not when old donny has spread his doom and gloom they won't.

Indeed. We know for a fact now that running a Superleqague club in North America costs tens of $$Millions just to survive, and not really be able to compete at professional level, with $30 Million spent by TWP in a few short years.

We also know for fact neither New York nor Ottawa has anyone who is going to put any significant amount of money in, these "clubs" were formed on the idea rich sports investors would walk in and take over once the hard slog was done to set these clubs up. To be fair to Perez he set up TWP and a rich investor did walk in, to be absolutely realistic though this man wasn't a North American who thought this foreign game was wonderful, he was a died in the wool Aussie born and bred there and brought up on the NRL with a dream to own an NRL club. He was only temporary......

Toronto Wolfpack was a learning curve for Argylle to prepare himself for buying into Melbourne Storm. His funding of TWP was a learning curve for Perez to understand how to set up North American clubs, and from that Wilby joined in to set up NY and Perez went onto Ottawa.

Well done to them all for trying to get North America going, but the problem is (1) No north americans want to invest (2) Rugby Union is more established and they mop up all Rugby minded north Americans and (3) cross continent sports competitions don't work well.

So it's back to the good old M62 and if people are disappointed about that and think our game is somehow boring and backwards then there's plenty of decent other sports to follow of which trolling ain't one

parochial and insular...

What it needs really is someone to actually go up to Wilby and his mate, who are behind New York and just ask them outright, that on the basis that Toronto have spent £18M just to collapse in a heap with nothing achieved, but the games reputation in tatters and the SKY bosses furious, where is their backing??

Investigative Journalism isn't something our RL press practice, they just cheerlead this so called expansion and that is fair enough if that's what they want to do. They say it would cost them money to chase the truth about matters as opposed to just reporting press releases of the hot air Perez, Argyle and Wilby spout which again is fair enough to a point.

But the collapse of Toronto who spent £18M, achieved nothing positive, then on their withdrawal caused Superleague massive damaging problems, may just be an issue that should lead someone to just enquire why when Wilby unveiled New York, there was not not a single backer in sight??

This is important now we have seen the chaos caused by phoney clubs and fly by night backers. Let alone no backers at all

Where's yours that it wont?

Better coaching will make better players. I don't think I said they'd all be Superleague players anyway.

But trying something different rather than just walking away is a much better option.

No you didn't say they'd all be Superleague players, but we were talking about [uInternational[/u players weren't we? We were discussing how poor the French International side is and sure, English coaching may help some players to be better players but by your own admission not all superleague standard, so how does that help when France need[u International standard[/u players to compete with GB?

Too late now anyway, the Test games have been pulled for good so again what is the point of TWP or Toulouse taking Superleague places?

Is it this idea that it's "expansion"???. When Catalans came in SL Widnes were thrown out for them. Now Toulouse want to come in SL to create a French Derby, so who get's chucked out for them then? How is this expansion?

Martyn Sadler recalled today in his paper when we launched Superleague with a "great night in Paris in 1996. Paris beat Sheffield on a fantastic night. But they folded after two seasons" and Sadler says "After it closed French Rugby Union set up a major RU club in the capitol" instead.

Rugby Union has pretty much squashed League in France hence they don't have the talent anymore more coaching or not. If we hand out Superlague places to Avignon, Catalans and Toulouse all playing players from our English player pool of course this will "Expand French Rugby league"......

To what cost to English Rugby league?

This.

Although the all time low participation numbers of grass roots rugby league in this country is purely Torontos fault, in the eyes of Donnyman and his leigh supporting cheerleaders

Union is bigger in England (where I live) but that doesn't mean we shut down Rugby League.

I don't think all of those clubs in the English leagues works, but I go back to the point that a stronger Elite 1 will benefit the domestic competition and national team in France.

A better national team benefits England as it becomes a viable work out for them mid-season ahead of taking on the Southern hemisphere teams.

I hope the Dragons upcoming matches on L'Equipe will showcase our sport. I think we can all agree on that.