You can't deny it's a tad sad if Catalans can't find a young french lad to fill the role of squad front rower over a player who is way past his best and clearly looking for a place to wind down for a year whilst grabbing some extra cash, especially when they have the pick of a nation.

I reckon its a stepping stone to a big pension at a French Union club.

Those clubs are not [iexperiments [/ithough. This is a French [iexperiment[/i, ongoing since 1934.

They got shut of Simon, whose had a good year despite playing for a lame-duck club, then there's talk of bringing Mason in?

I think the jeopardy element has got them twitching, if they were to get relegated, the club would do a "Celtic Crusaders"

Hey,ho it gives a number of Antipodeans a last chance saloon scenario & the Northern Peasants a trip to Lloret

.

If only Catalans kept hold of every single junior player they have ever produced, like all the other Super League clubs do.

But their not like any other Super League club, hence my reference as to what would happen if they were to be relegated.

It's great for away fans to have a trip out of this "Sacred Isle

" but it all seems to me to be built on sand, & the necessity to stay in the S.L. is paramount

In what way?
In what way? You are aware this club has been in existence since 1934?

They may have been in existence for quite a while, but without the Sky Monies the party would be over.

Do you really believe that if they fell out of S.L. they would come bouncing back?

Bouncing back to what? Do you think any SL club would come 'bouncing back' unscathed if they were relegated?

Give over, the criterion behind Catalans elevation to SL included elements that do not apply to any other SL club. Let's also be clear that Les Catalan as we know them now has not been around since the 1930s. ST Estéve and lll3 Catalan were merged to form a French club strong enough to win the French domestic competition and create a case for inclusion to SL, Les Catalans were only formed in 2000.

The motivation, or at least a large part of it, to bring a French club into SL was to raise the domestic standard of RL available to young French players in an attempt to create a stronger French National team by exposing those players to regular high intensity games.

If they were to drop out of SL they would either implode or be far too strong for the French League or be competitive in the Championship but not guaranteed to bounce straight back up.

The argument that they're just the same as any other SL Club or that their reason for being in the first place is the same is just obtuse!

Of course not, it would be a massive blow, but the English clubs would fuddle on in the lower leagues, dreaming of a future renaissance.

I just don’t see the Catalan club being able to go down this route, I just feel the jeopardy that relegation brings is more acute for the Dragons.

William Mason talks in the article about trying some offloads. David Taylor can also do that.

If Wiliam Mason and David Taylor can find their top form, the Catalans pack will steam roller all opposition, and Todd Carney will come flying through with Morgan Escare on his shoulder.

Since when would Catalans get relegated. Yes they have a disadvantage for winning SL in that they don't travel well. But other teams don't travel well to France either.

So why they may struggle to win SL, they will also struggle not to make the top 8 and I can't see a middle 8's when they would not finish in the top 2.

Don't talk wet man, he wouldn't have cost that if he's stayed for 3 years never mind 3 weeks. Knock a 0 off and you might get in the ball park.

Fantastic insight there.Again, please explain how.

When super league has Wakefield and Hull KR in it, there is no chance of catalans getting relegated

Regards

King James

A lot of ifs, as usual, in there Jean.

Have you ever visited the planet Earth!

What a retarded comment.

A bit classier than yours, though.

Who's year is this one... Warrington or Catalan, i lose track...

Hull FC, of course!

- there's a topic further up the VT asking for the exiles team to be brought back , looks like the boys from Perpignan already have.

I don't actually blame Bernard Guasch / Laurent Frayssinous for putting together what is on paper a very strong experienced side.

had they achieved this with the same recipe as other 11 SL sides ( 7 non fed of which 5 quota - 8 club trained and balance from European federation ) . no one could comment .
they can attract strong English players - Elliot Whitehead , now Ritchie Myler- Jodie Broughton. Why still allow dispensation on the Quota ?

Please explain what quota dispensation Catalans have.

Nah!

I just can't be d trying to explain, dissagree if you like I don't care.