22 replies to this topic

[ParisSurtout]

One of Les Catalans top forwards, French captain Olivier Elima, will return to west Yorkshire to play under his former coach Mick Potter in 2011.

Talented winger Dimitri Pelo has signed with Montpellier rugby union club.

The Dragons star full back Clint Greenshields is the subject of interest from a French Top 14 rugby union club.

Sebastien Raguin will probably move from centre to second row, to fill the gap left by Elima's departure from Les Catalans. That was his original position at Toulouse.

The centres are likely to be Jean Philippe Baile and Setamaita Sa.

As reported in another thread, both Bentley brothers have been released by the Dragons. Andrew has gone to FC Lezignan, while the talented hooker Kane is still without a club.

Rumours of problems for Chris Walker at the Dragons. Not sure exactly what.

The new scrum half, Scott Dureau (now with Newcastle Knights reserve team) is still a big question mark. The incoming Dragons coach Trent Robinson had coached him when Robinson was assistant coach at Newcastle. Some have questioned Dureau's defensive abilities. We will find out the answers on this matter next year.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 09 September 2010 - 10:13 PM.

[RLX111]

[quote name='ParisSurtout' post='2107980' date='Aug 26 2010, 03:55 PM']One of Les Catalans top forwards, French captain Olivier Elima, will return to west Yorkshire to play under his former coach Mick Potter in 2011.



Rumours of problems for Chris Walker at the Dragons. Not sure exactly what.

PROBABLY ON WAY OUT BACK TO QUEENSLAND.
dRAGONS TO SIGN LOPINI PAEA

Edited by RLX111, 26 August 2010 - 07:47 PM.

[The Best The Beautiful The Only]

Cant understand why talented french players like the Bentley bros are being released.

[RLX111]

Cant understand why talented french players like the Bentley bros are being released.

Players want more money than club will give.Dragons apparently increased thier offer twice to Elima.
Also all clubs shed players french or not -especially if they have just finished bottom of the league!

[EastLondonMike]

id be tempted to sweep the deck of antipodean players at les cats.. with the exception of greenshields i think they've all reached their sell by date. three players id like to see les cats sign, which are also realistic i think, are:

Luke Priddis - Colin Best - Brett Kimmorley.

[scotthouston2008]

colin best has signed for cronulla i think and kimmorley announced his retirement yesterday.

[Wolford6]

Kimmorley announced his retirement yesterday.

Good, let's hope Matt Orford goes there as his replacement and we get someone who more obviously wants to play for the Bulls.

[scotthouston2008]

not too sure, but think i'd seen bulldogs have signed one of the keatings from parramatta and hodkinson from manly for next season so don't know wether they'll need orford and dont think theyre in for him? maybe orford back to manly to replace hodkinson? or cronulla to replace barrett?

Edited by scotthouston2008, 27 August 2010 - 10:09 AM.

[PC]

Good, let's hope Matt Orford goes there as his replacement and we get someone who more obviously wants to play for the Bulls.

You don't think playing a CC QF with a popped shoulder and three separate muscle tears in the same shoulder shows a commitment to play?

[Tex Evans Thigh]

In a way I see this as a positive for French RL. For the France team to be competitive there needs to be more French players in SL, the best way to do that is for some to go to other clubs in the short term. Hopefully some of those released will be replaced by other french players increasing the number playing in SL.

[winnyason]

Paris he is to put it simply cleaning out the ######, Pelo was in trouble all year off the field, elima despite being a good player is penalty prone catalans major problem. This season is a disaster name imports are not a sure thing for success bell, mcguire, walker, carlaw all rep players did not perform. They should at least been top 4, not last it is unacceptable.
The french players are not immune the bentley boys have had 4 years to show there stuff along with touxagas.
Name players bring nothing Ryles lasted one year homesick, Bird gone after half a season. I hope walker goes cannot tackle for the life of him.

Henderson is a worker and a loyal player, Dureau has a tremendous long kicking game that should help bosc.
The return of Duport is welcome a superleague player will be a walk up to start on the wing proven try scorer.
Many rumours Hearing Paea is a done deal very much in chan mould puts a big dent in line however doubt he wil be a starter but good impact player.
Carl webb seem set to stay in nrl with eels, however ben farrar is linked to catalans.

To me Raguin should have always went back to pack, a new look catalans next year something like this

Greensheilds, Duport, Sa, Baile, Vaccari, Dureau, Bosc
Johnson, Carlaw, Raguin, Fakir, Henderson, Ferriol.
bench: Gossard, Gussiet, Gigot, Paea.

[Bulliac]

not too sure, but think i'd seen bulldogs have signed one of the keatings from parramatta and hodkinson from manly for next season so don't know wether they'll need orford and dont think theyre in for him? maybe orford back to manly to replace hodkinson? or cronulla to replace barrett?

There's no reason to think Matt is going anywhere, it's, just rumours in the press that people are picking up on, though obviously you never know for sure. He's on a two year deal at Bradford, and as we all know, if he wants to get out of it, he just has to say so and they'll let him go, 'cos no club wants to keep an unhappy player.

So far, he's told the club there is no truth in any of it, and he'll be back for pre-season training. There's no point in saying that if it's not true, unless you were hoping for a late offer, but it would be bum trick to leave it until the season is about to start before asking to go (and what I've heard about Orford is, that he's not that kind of guy), so I expect he'll be back.

[ParisSurtout]

Paris he is to put it simply cleaning out the ######, Pelo was in trouble all year off the field, elima despite being a good player is penalty prone catalans major problem. This season is a disaster name imports are not a sure thing for success bell, mcguire, walker, carlaw all rep players did not perform. They should at least been top 4, not last it is unacceptable.
The french players are not immune the bentley boys have had 4 years to show there stuff along with touxagas.
Name players bring nothing Ryles lasted one year homesick, Bird gone after half a season. I hope walker goes cannot tackle for the life of him.

Henderson is a worker and a loyal player, Dureau has a tremendous long kicking game that should help bosc.
The return of Duport is welcome a superleague player will be a walk up to start on the wing proven try scorer.
Many rumours Hearing Paea is a done deal very much in chan mould puts a big dent in line however doubt he wil be a starter but good impact player.
Carl webb seem set to stay in nrl with eels, however ben farrar is linked to catalans.

To me Raguin should have always went back to pack, a new look catalans next year something like this

Greensheilds, Duport, Sa, Baile, Vaccari, Dureau, Bosc
Johnson, Carlaw, Raguin, Fakir, Henderson, Ferriol.
bench: Gossard, Gussiet, Gigot, Paea.

Touxagas was always, at best, a marginal Super League player. But Andrew Bentley is a good backrower, worthy of at least a bench spot, and Kane Bentley is top quality who would be valuable to any Super League club. Catalans have no specialist cover for Henderson (Gigot is a half).

If Toulouse had more money Andrew Bentley at least would have been playing at Toulouse next year.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 27 August 2010 - 07:23 PM.

[hindle xiii]

Perhaps they'll do what they did with Duport, re-sign him after letting him go...

[guess who]

In a way I see this as a positive for French RL. For the France team to be competitive there needs to be more French players in SL, the best way to do that is for some to go to other clubs in the short term. Hopefully some of those released will be replaced by other french players increasing the number playing in SL.

Or they could just bring in another load of overseas players.

[jim_57]

In a way I see this as a positive for French RL. For the France team to be competitive there needs to be more French players in SL, the best way to do that is for some to go to other clubs in the short term. Hopefully some of those released will be replaced by other french players increasing the number playing in SL.

Completely agree with this. The odd French player giving it a go in the UK or the NRL can only be good for the French national team. I'd like to see more of this especially now with the Bentleys looking for new clubs, Kane especially is above Elite level IMO.

Also it is ineviatble that Catalans will lose a few top players from time to time, change can bring the world of good to a player and club. I think Catalans need a decent clean-out next year which is looking likely with Elima, McGuire, Sherwin, Bell, Walker, Johnson and the Bentleys moving on. Bring in a few quality replacements from overseas and focus on the development of young French players and it's a fresh start for Catalans.

1. Greenshields (Hopefully)
2. Vaccari
3. Duport
4. Baille
5. Stacul
6. Bosc
7. Dureau
8. Casty
9. Henderson
10. Ferrioll
11. Raguin
12. Sa
13. Mounis

14. Gigot
15. Fakir
16. Carlaw
17. Guisset

18. Gossard
19. Barthau
20. Simon
21. Gaush
22. Paea
23. Martins
24. Touxagas
25. Pelissier

Hopefully with that both the Bentleys get picked up by SL clubs, the more full-time players for France the better.

[ParisSurtout]

Latest information.

Certain acquisitions for Les Catalans:

Vincent Duport (Toulouse) -- centre/winger
Ian Henderson (NZ Warriors) -- hooker
Scott Dureau (Newcastle Knights) -- scrum half
Lopini Paea (Sydney Roosters) -- prop
Jason Baiteiri (Sydney Roosters) -- lock forward


Possible acquisitions for Les Catalans:

Ben Farrar (Manly Sea Eagles ) - center


Certain releases from Les Catalans:

Olivier Elima (to Bradford) -- second row
Dimitri Pelo (to Montpellier RU) - wing
Casey McGuire (retiring) -- hooker
Steve Bell (retiring) -- centre/wing
Andrew Bentley (to FC Lezignan) -- second row
Kane Bentley (no club) -- hooker
Dallas Johnson (North Queensland Cowboys) -- lock
Brent Sherwin (no club).



Possible release from Les Catalans:

Chris Walker -- wing / full back


The club wanted to release the highly paid Johnson, because they have Mounis and Baiteiri to play lock, and then they can use the money to buy Ben Farrar.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 09 September 2010 - 10:16 PM.

[ParisSurtout]

For those who wonder about the foreign quota aspect of the comings and goings, Catalans are definitely shedding three imports (Johnson, McGuire and Bell) and acquiring two (Paea and Dureau).

Ian Henderson was born in the UK (and qualifies for Scotland) while Jason Baiteiri was born and France and played his junior RL at Toulouse.

Clint Greenshields is a French resident.

Whether the club will shed more imports (e.g Walker) still remains to be seen.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 31 August 2010 - 12:51 AM.

[ParisSurtout]

Double post

Edited by ParisSurtout, 30 August 2010 - 04:50 PM.

[Wendall]

Catalans need some fresh blood and its good to see some coming in.

Elima will be a big loss, he had a top season in 2009 but failed to back up in 2010.