The Daddy

Which players want out? What's the drama?

6 players in the 21 man squad for Catalan Dragons 1st SL game this season are French. This doesn't bode well for the current state of French RL. Where is the next generation of French RL players? And if they do exist why aren't Catalan playing more of them?

It's Olympique. Nothing wrong with it and it has a lot of history behind it. I did see in the clubs rebrand video a Ram motif. Not sure if that's a historical logo or where it comes from. See link below.

It's mostly last years team yes. In an interview Sylvain Houles said he didn't want to make too many changes as it could mean the new team would take time to adjust. They're going for familiarity and I do think they've made good signings. There's a good mix there including a young local Mathieu Pons, which is what you need. Experienced players and also local players with potential like Mathieu. Cedric Garcia said in an interview today that they're aiming for mid table and play offs which is very optimistic.

What's the general vibe like in Toulouse and the South West area, is there a lot of exposure around the club?

Ferriol?

There was some talk of a Pasifika team, can't remember where it was mooted to be based in. Think it was NZ or Fiji or both and maybe incorporated into PNG. That concept has gone quiet..... thankfully

That's excellent

I have no idea. I'll ask on the French forum

I see the value in the IMG Ratings/Scoring. Since IMG Ratings have been introduced I've really noticed a significant improvement in the sport's online presence, across the board. From clubs to journalists, vloggers etc. It's really positive to see. Despite this, I'm vehemently against IMG scores being the only means of super league entry and status. It detracts from the strategic element that a governing body or commission should have. On top of this what I hate about the IMG ratings is that they can be We should never have ended licensing and this is one of the legacies of Nigel Wood from his first tenure, one of several bad decisions. It gave clubs a guaranteed timeframe of stability, time to develop players without fear of relegation. This was the period that allowed Catalan the right environment to prosper and be a success. Naturally I would have tweaked it, especially the stadium requirements. But I actually think it's the main reason (last year withstanding in respect to Hull KR) why the same clubs have been so dominant in this sport for so long. Clubs like Toulouse and London would be challenging the SL hierarchy if they didn't have to worry about promotion/relegation and had a natural period of stability. Right now we have two high profile, successful businessman in Grant Weschel and Darren Lockyer who are investing huge amounts and doing so much for RL in London now, but there's no clear route to entry. What is the incentive for them to continue pouring millions into RL in the South when they may not even be able to enter.

That's a great crowd and a great start

Yep, your like me. I like to hear what the ref is saying and how they're controlling the game. It seems to bother other people though.

Bienek and Meadows also been good value