Catalans Dragons Steve McNamara wants the brand new French Super League derby to be up there with the great rivalries of the game.
The Dragons take on newly-promoted Toulouse Olympique in a pre-season trial match at Stade Gilbert Brutus on Saturday. And while it is billed as a ‘friendly’, McNamara hopes it will eventually turn into a fierce contest to rival Wigan-St Helens or his hometown Hull’s passionate cross-city clash.
He told League Express, “There is a strong bond between the clubs but you can sense a real rivalry beginning to form.
“It’s got the potential to be up there with the big derbies in Rugby League, and at the same time it’s a virtual Test trial for French selectors.
“Nearly all of the French national side, apart from a couple of others, will come from these two teams, so it’s more than just a game.
“It’s almost a State of Origin game for France and I hope it develops into a fierce competitive series of games in the future.
“We’ve played each other many times in pre-season trial games, but we all know that in a couple of months it will be on for real, for two Super League points.
“It’s certainly creating a lot of news and excitement down here and it’s something that can only benefit the game.”
French government crowd restrictions of 5,000 supporters are still in force for Saturday but the Covid control rules will be lifted on February 2nd, allowing maximum attendances at sporting venues in France. McNamara hopes the Toulouse-Perpignan derby will soon be played in front of full houses.
He said, “The lifting of restrictions on attendances in France is such a boost for the clubs.
“We saw last season what an atmosphere can be created with a full stadium and the players really enjoy performing in front of a full house.
“But first and foremost it’s great news for the clubs financially. It’s been tough for everyone over the last couple of years and the latest government announcements seem to be heading in a positive direction thankfully.”
Restrictions on non-vaccinated players in France have been a challenge for both Toulouse and Catalans but last week the Dragons reported a 100 per cent fully-vaccinated squad and staff, which was a huge relief for McNamara.
He added, “Everybody is of course allowed to make their own decision on this matter and as the coach of the team I’m obviously really happy that everyone has chosen to do it and make themselves available for selection.
“You’ve also got to respect other people’s choices in life and some people have decided strongly that they don’t want the vaccination.
“The problem in France is that you simply cannot play now if you haven’t had the jab and you need fairly strong principles to give that up.
“You have to respect everyone’s personal decision on that but as coach of a team it is a relief that we won’t have any selection difficulties on this issue.”
The Catalans coach said there was a good mood in the playing group following the arrival of three signings from Australia.
He said, “Our new players have been great, they have slotted in and added something positive to our pre-season.
“Mitchell Pearce and Dylan Napa are probably a little better known and it was expected that they would bring knowledge and experience to the squad.
“But Tyrone May has really impressed everyone with his depth of knowledge of the game. He is a very intelligent Rugby League player and a real studier of the game.
“He’s only been here a week but we’ve seen straight away in training his ability to play in practically any position and do it with ease. He’s a real cool character and he understands the game inside out.”
Exactly where May will fit into McNamara’s starting 17 against St Helens in round one of Super League on February 10th remains to be seen, but the Catalans’ coach is enjoying the selection dilemma.
“We’ve got a strong squad. I went to see a few of our younger members play for the reserves against St Gaudens in Elite One (St-Estève XIII Catalan won 52-0) on Saturday and it was a good run-out for them.
“Not all of them will feature against Toulouse in this week’s friendly but I’ve seen enough to know that they are ready for the challenge ahead.
“I won’t be sure of our starting 17 against St Helens until after Saturday’s game and the following couple of weeks, but as a coach it is a good problem to have.”
The above content is also available in the regular weekly edition of League Express, on newsstands every Monday in the UK and as a digital download. Click here for more details.
