TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE have been paid the ultimate respect by their “close friends and fierce French rivals” Catalans Dragons.
The sides meet in a pre-season clash at Catalans’ Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan on Saturday week, February 1, and Dragons coach Steve McNamara is going to be treading very carefully in his approach.
He said: “There is huge respect between us and Toulouse because we’re both representing the game in France. There’s a real connection between the clubs.
“Ultimately they want to be our big rivals in Super League, they have already spent a year in the top-flight, and if it happens again, they will be our derby rivals again.
“They are our dual-registration partners and we work well together. You will see the measure of the respect between the sides in the way the players approach the game.
“It’s always pretty lively. They have challenged us a few times, even in opposed training sessions, and that’s good to see.
“Toulouse play a different style to everyone else and it’s always valuable to play against an opponent who challenge you in different areas.
“You’ve got to be on the ball against them because they love to attack and threaten you from any angle, and hopefully we’ll be ready for them.”