several years? really? Must have been mistaken that they last played in 2007. And its £25k, that our supporters trust are funding.

But apart from that ,the rest of your post is garbage.

3 years, Coincidentally the period for SL qualification. All the money ploughed into the first team, whereas other teams have developed their own players. Now you have qulified to apply, you thought you had better show you were developing your own players. I reckon 3 years of no U21's/Reserves or whatever they have been over the last 3 years should and probably will count against you. That and the two fingers you effectively stuck up to the RFL with your 'amazing' crowd in your last home game of 2010, although that did make me laugh

I`m with you charlie on this one.

Is that right ' Nigel ' ?

Look what happened to Carlisle when they merged with Barrow, also Huddersfield/Sheffield and Hull/Gateshead. I think mergers are very risky in the UK. In France, NZ and Australia they seem to work.

They dont 'work' per se barring a couple but have been more succesful.
When you lot are harping on about the RFLs crusade of expansion, I often say to look back at Gateshull and note that an expansion team was sacrificed in order to save a heartland club

I agree Dico, apart from the Catalans franchise. RL is France would have died without it.

How has french RL changed because of catalan ?.

I think if the Catalans franchise hadn't been given a place in SL when it did, it would have died in France. Now that Cats have been a success, I think Toulouse and other clubs in the South of France will thrive from the added interest that Cats produce.

I just dont see it jonny.
Its still semi pro or amateur,i dont see any more players coming to SL or playing international RL,have the gates gone up ?.It seem to me like nothing has changed in decades.

I think there's definitely been a decrease in the amount of the better youth players who previously tended to gravitate towards RU where they could get a full-time opportunity.

I hope your right matt but Are these players coming from french clubs or are they coming through the youth systems of catalan dragons.

haha you go on about halifax fudging there att figures whats about widnes profit figures and i wudnt say we fudge them givin free kids tickets away widnes do it all the time look at there att last week in london if they are gettin 3000 to there home games every week iam sure there would be more that 600 at london

We know all about Widnes's profit figures, and I know how they did it. Giving free tickets is also fine, but do us a favour and don't count them in on the attendance UNLESS they attend....it was however a brilliant 'up yours' to the RFL

Probably a bit of both - the problem in the past was that kids were coming through the French youth sides and then hitting a glass ceiling as their only chance of playing full-time was by moving abroad (ie to England) or staying in France but switching to RU.

The French game probably has more awareness but surely taking the best two clubs away hasnt done fantastically for the local leagues.
Imagine taking Rangers and Celtic from the Scottish prem and seeing whats left behind

Completely agree. I believe the original long-term intention when UTC first joined Super League was to eventually return to a strengthened French league, but I can't see that happening any time soon.

I still cant see how domestic french RL has improved or been save by the inclusion of catalan in SL.

I guess it would help to improve their youth system and professional pathway and theoretically those who don't make the grade at Catalans can then return to the French league and help to bring up the standard of players.

Do catalan have a reserve team in the french league ?.

Yes they do, they play as UTC and at the same ground as the Catalans first team. Not sure how they're doing though.

They now play as St Esteve/XIII Catalan.

Here's the current French Elite 1 standings:

Pos Clubs Pts J G N P p c diff
1 Lézignan 40 14 13 0 1 590 251 339
2 Limoux 36 14 11 0 3 469 315 154
3 Pia 34 14 10 0 4 553 366 187
4 Avignon 31 14 8 1 5 453 425 28
5 Villeneuve 28 14 7 0 7 324 372 - 48
6 Carcassonne 28 14 7 0 7 384 318 66
7 Carpentras 26 14 5 2 7 352 439 - 87
8 St Estève 23 14 4 1 9 394 409 - 15
9 St Gaudens 18 14 2 0 12 231 572 - 341
10 Montpellier 16 14 1 0 13 264 547 - 283

That could help as long as the right investment goes into it.

Nice one, thanks Rob. Hadn't realised they'd gone back to the immediate post-merger name (if that makes sense).