Elite 1 follow-up

[barnyia]

IN the elite under 19s Toulon have qualified into elite juniors and started the first game of elite juniors with a win against Daniel wagons limoux juniors, apparently it's a team made up of Toulon Union players that have been let go and are trying league, I spoke to Daniel who said they're strong runners and good defenders, my team plays them in two weeks time, so I'll give an update then!

[manu266]

Another interesting interview of Marc Palanques this time, FFR XIII Chairman, from Treize Mondial Website:

Why does rugby league struggle to captivate the French public?

I do not think it has difficulty in captivating the French public but to captivate people it must be seen! When I arrived, I made a point of meeting television stations to understand why French RL was not broadcast. I managed to seduce the channel L'Équipe TV that aired France-England in October 2016 with a very good score of 600 000 viewers. That's what makes me say that if we show them XIII, they follow it! We then televised the finals of Elite 1 and of the Coupe de France for which we exceeded the 250 000 televiewers each time. I do not understand this silence of some media in relation to rugby league and we have almost no article in a newspaper like L'Équipe. It's up to us to work in the same direction to develop and show rugby league. Moreover, when I see the stadium in Narbonne not sold out for an Elite 1 final, I think that at times RL fans (he said Treizistes, not sure if he means fans only, or fans and the Federation) shoot themselves in the foot. It is a long-term job, we must make the public understand our new adventure to fill the stadiums and be broadcast on television. 

There was the World Cup with 3 defeats of Les Bleus in 3 games, what assessment can we draw? What is the program for Les Bleus?

I'm disappointed and it's a failure for me because I wanted to be in the quarterfinals. Then things are explained even if we don't have any excuse. We left with a very young team because of many injuries. We tried to put players in the best possible arrangements by starting earlier in Australia for example. But the key to this failure is having to play our final on the first match. We knew we had to beat Lebanon because it was not against the two finalists that we were going to do it. It should not be missed and unfortunately we have not managed to be up to it. Many observers say that it is tragic to lose against Lebanon but I think that these people have not looked well at the team that is made up of NRL players. The rest of the competition, they were not ridiculous and they made equal play with Tonga in the quarterfinals.

 It's like I said a failure and a disappointment because we had good results with the youth team against the English and we also beat Jamaica who have players on the English Leagues.

But we still saw good things, we must not throw everything from this World Cup. We must continue to work and not break up so that we can continue to progress. Now heading for the 2021 World Cup, we have to prepare a France group for this deadline. We will be able to gather the French team every six weeks to prepare them better, thanks to the support of the mayor of Barcarès and the better shape of the Federation finances. In October / November 2018, the French team will receive New Zealand and will travel to England. We are also working on the set-up of a European 6 Nations tournament, nothing has been signed yet, but we are working hard and I am hopeful about it.

The Elite 1 championship will resume, what are your expectations for this competition? Are there any TV broadcasts planned?

As far as broadcasting is concerned, we have a signed agreement with France Télévisions which normally makes it possible to show "small federations". I'm not sure that this agreement will allow us to broadcast regular season games but in parallel to that I work with a WebTV to offer streaming games. If we get good ratings on the internet, it will be another argument to meet the networks and put XIII on the air. It's up to me to persuade the broadcasters, but I'm hopeful because games have already been broadcast with good results.

 We shifted the start of the championship to early December so that the finals are played over a summer period, with more slots for TV broadcasts. We also hope that a regions championship will rise, it is an incredible bet and it would start right after the Elite 1 final. Then, there will be a region of origin match which will determine the "groupe France" which will play the tour of autumn in October / November 2018.

And for the Catalan Dragons and Toulouse Olympique, what do you expect from them?

I already wish them a better season than last year for the Dragons and for the TO, I hope it will be in continuity. Then I think that we will have to build more and more bridges between these clubs and the federation in a logic of high level to prepare young people for international games and have a "groupe France" of more than 40 players.

[jpmc]

8 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

The Elite 1 needs to go.

Top teams to an European system and fuse the rest with Elite 2.

Do you mean join the English leagues ?

[Hvy wg]

39 minutes ago, jpmc said:

Do you mean join the English leagues ?

Yes.



 

[jpmc]

2 minutes ago, Hvy wg said:

Yes.



 

With the direction the sport appears to be going in,its probably not a bad idea

[kiwis 13 6]

10 hours ago, walter sobchak said:

Nothing negative about pointing out the leagues failings and trying to correct them.

Constructive criticism is good. Feeling i get from threads about the French game is some posts are unnecessarily negative. I watched live stream of 2017 Elite 1 grand final it was a reasonable semi pro standard and evenly matched game. French Elite is best comp outside UK & Australia, Auckland NZ Fox memorial is a mix of semi pro/amateur competition & last year TV coverage wasn't offered. PNG Digicell cup seems like a good competition but PNG is a 3rd world country so i dont imagine players are paid much & PNG has social problems of a developing nation. So French Elite 1 is it, get behind your competition and build it up make it better... it is unlikely there will ever be more than 1 or 2 French Teams in Super League. UK Championship 1 is a semi pro like French Elite 1. Last year Oxford, All Golds folded & will merge, South Wales repeatedly re-branded to survive & Hemel Hempstead moved to Dewsbury! A French side stuck in Championship 1 for several years or permanently would be a lateral shift for little or no gain.

[Gerrumonside ref]

What’s the standard of Elite 1 like at the moment?

Does it compare to League 1 or even Championship level over here?

[Hvy wg]

11 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

What’s the standard of Elite 1 like at the moment?

Does it compare to League 1 or even Championship level over here?

Top teams could compete in the League 1. Cathares would probably challenge a couple Championship team.

[audois]

Widnes lad Danny Hulme back in harness Sunday for Toulouse v FCL.Played first year in League 1 but the additional travelling maybe intruded on his job at Airbus. Good to have him back in Elite 1.They look a lot stronger proposition than last year for sure.

[oiseau]

You beat me to it Gordon, Danny Hulme back playing again. He started as hooker with Kane B coming on as replacement. Not sure whether he'll be a permanent fixture or just the home games but it's good to see him back. Big Aaron Wood MOM against an error strewn FCL. Toulouse Elite 1 still known as the Broncos by the way. Julien Gerin back as coach after a couple of years playing at Plaisance which will help a lot with Aaron W and Kane B assisting.

Cracker at Villeneuve where ex TO13 Constant Villega tarring a they pipped St Esteve (Thomas Bosc co-coaching) by one point. Upset at Parc des Sports where Avignon managed to beat ASC.

Looks like it could be a lot more competitive this season ?

[Lowdesert]

Few minutes of that game.  

http://www.catalansdragons.com/en/articles-45/162-5491-highlights-villeneuve-v-dragons-u23/

[dunno much]

4 hours ago, oiseau said:

You beat me to it Gordon, Danny Hulme back playing again. He started as hooker with Kane B coming on as replacement. Not sure whether he'll be a permanent fixture or just the home games but it's good to see him back. Big Aaron Wood MOM against an error strewn FCL. Toulouse Elite 1 still known as the Broncos by the way. Julien Gerin back as coach after a couple of years playing at Plaisance which will help a lot with Aaron W and Kane B assisting.

Cracker at Villeneuve where ex TO13 Constant Villega tarring a they pipped St Esteve (Thomas Bosc co-coaching) by one point. Upset at Parc des Sports where Avignon managed to beat ASC.

Looks like it could be a lot more competitive this season ?

It was Danny's cousin Lewis who played 2nd row against FCL. He also works at Airbus. Danny is back in negotiation with Villeneuve

[oiseau]

Thanks for the info dm - had no idea Danny had a cousin playing over here - he's not on the official player list for 2017/18.

[jensonn]

On 04/12/2017 at 2:54 PM, audois said:

Reported here that he has signed a five week contract with Castleford. Interestingly a couple of young Castleford lads debuted yesterday for Villeneuve sur Lot (Million and Diskin?)

Where can I find the team sheets? 

[audois]

Villeneuve: Diskin, B. Lasvenes, M.Carrasco, Novais, Gauban, Villegas, El Azizi, Jones, Million, Nicolic, Burns, Fakir, L.Carrasco Subs : Gautier, Masselot, Hermosilla, Demartini

Are Diskin, Burns, Million and Jones all Castleford players?

[wackojacko]

Good to see Serbia's Vladika Nikolic starting.

[audois]

Interesting with David Ellis back in charge as he was when USV were top dogs near two decades back.. He s a Castleford lad who spent lot of time in the XV at top level over here. Powell at Cas did a stint on the other side too - so a bit in common there. Probably the Cas coach thought it a good call to have up and coming Academy lads under Ellis for a while. They've started well winning the '9's comp up at Avignon and a good home win against St Esteve. Former Tricolore Carrasco's a real warhorse in his late 30's while Villegas in the halves leading them round. Some years back he looked the real thing and was capped by France. He had one of those ACL ops I think and found it difficult to recover. Then wandered off to the XV for a while before returning to his roots. The game needs them doing well up in the Aquitaine region.

[BroncoFan]

20 hours ago, audois said:

Villeneuve: Diskin, B. Lasvenes, M.Carrasco, Novais, Gauban, Villegas, El Azizi, Jones, Million, Nicolic, Burns, Fakir, L.Carrasco Subs : Gautier, Masselot, Hermosilla, Demartini

Are Diskin, Burns, Million and Jones all Castleford players?

Diskin, Burns & Million definitely are, not sure about Jones - what is his first name ?

[audois]

2 hours ago, Emosi Koloto said:

Diskin, Burns & Million definitely are, not sure about Jones - what is his first name ?

Don't Jones first name. Diskin was named full-back in the team of the week in 'L Independant' newspaper. Are are all 3 Cas youngsters from last years Academy?

[barnyia]

Toulouse put all their games on you tube from u16 to first team 

[Evil Homer]

5 hours ago, barnyia said:

Toulouse put all their games on you tube from u16 to first team 

They haven't done this for several years unless there's a different Youtube channel that I'm not aware of.

[barnyia]

My game under 19 game against them on Sunday was on YouTube by Monday 

[barnyia]

[Hvy wg]

Catalans 66 - 10 Palau.

The long walk continues for Palau, who couldn't compete and conceded the first after jsut two minutes.

Youngster Romain Franco on the wing scored his brace in just the first 10 minutes, both gifted by Ambert.

Vergniol, the second row, then broke the line and stepped past Sigismeau to score a runaway try. 3 minutes later, Goudemand took his chance and scored. The rest of the game was "more of the same".

Good points : Saloty Mendy as a prop, from the U19, crushed the opposition, lots of post contact meters, a real eye catcher. Arnaud Barthes, a former Union player, very impressive from an athletic point of view, he was the biggest player on the field yet very explosive and had a couple offloads.

"Meh" points : Goudemand, was solid but not spectacular, I expected more of him especially as he's chasing a SL contract. Castaillet, he's very (very) fit but did not have an impact, not many post contact metres.

Bad points : Palau. I don't see how they could stay in the Elite 1, their recruitment as been abysmal, going after every past Saint Estève players they could find, even scouting the 3rd or 4th division to get them.  Sigismeau has played rugby all his life and still can't nail the basics, kept running sideways with the ball facing the opposition. The back three spilled at least half the bombs. Their pack isn't a pack, with most of their players under 1m80 and maybe one of them close to 100kgs, they basically have a forward pack with 6 hookers, it's no wonder they got demolished.

Worst point : Palau's starting prop Margalet who couldn't refrain from whining each time he got tackled (Palau coach is Elima after all...) and started an unnecessary fight.

Compositions :

Saint Estève - XIII Catalan : F. Flovie - Franco, Nègre, Ambert, J. Flovie - Pala, Guasch - Khedimi, Meresta, Barthès - Vergniol, M. Da Costa - Goudemand. Subs : Meunier, Castaillet, Saloty, Grangeon.

Palau : Sigismeau - Thérésin, Doutres, Calegari, Masuaute - Merbah, Bidaut - Margalet, Cordoba, Garcia - Torrès, Ruiz - Madani. Subs : De Oliveira, Boudebza, Scimone, Benamihed.

[welshmagpie]

21 minutes ago, Hvy wg said:

Catalans 66 - 10 Palau.

The long walk continues for Palau, who couldn't compete and conceded the first after jsut two minutes.

Youngster Romain Franco on the wing scored his brace in just the first 10 minutes, both gifted by Ambert.

Vergniol, the second row, then broke the line and stepped past Sigismeau to score a runaway try. 3 minutes later, Goudemand took his chance and scored. The rest of the game was "more of the same".

Good points : Saloty Mendy as a prop, from the U19, crushed the opposition, lots of post contact meters, a real eye catcher. Arnaud Barthes, a former Union player, very impressive from an athletic point of view, he was the biggest player on the field yet very explosive and had a couple offloads.

"Meh" points : Goudemand, was solid but not spectacular, I expected more of him especially as he's chasing a SL contract. Castaillet, he's very (very) fit but did not have an impact, not many post contact metres.

Bad points : Palau. I don't see how they could stay in the Elite 1, their recruitment as been abysmal, going after every past Saint Estève players they could find, even scouting the 3rd or 4th division to get them.  Sigismeau has played rugby all his life and still can't nail the basics, kept running sideways with the ball facing the opposition. The back three spilled at least half the bombs. Their pack isn't a pack, with most of their players under 1m80 and maybe one of them close to 100kgs, they basically have a forward pack with 6 hookers, it's no wonder they got demolished.

Worst point : Palau's starting prop Margalet who couldn't refrain from whining each time he got tackled (Palau coach is Elima after all...) and started an unnecessary fight.

Compositions :

Saint Estève - XIII Catalan : F. Flovie - Franco, Nègre, Ambert, J. Flovie - Pala, Guasch - Khedimi, Meresta, Barthès - Vergniol, M. Da Costa - Goudemand. Subs : Meunier, Castaillet, Saloty, Grangeon.

Palau : Sigismeau - Thérésin, Doutres, Calegari, Masuaute - Merbah, Bidaut - Margalet, Cordoba, Garcia - Torrès, Ruiz - Madani. Subs : De Oliveira, Boudebza, Scimone, Benamihed.

WHo would be candidates to replace Palau mate?