Toulouse Olympique have unleashed two new weapons in their battle at the bottom of Super League to avoid relegation.
The acquisition of NRL stars Corey Norman and Daniel Alvaro has had an immediate impact according to coach Sylvain Houles, following a crucial 20-14 victory on Sunday over Wakefield Trinity.
Former St George-Illawarra prop Alvaro made his debut from the bench against Trinity and made a huge impact in an edgy see-saw contest.
Houles said, “The arrival of Corey and Daniel has really boosted our squad, we knew that’s what was missing.
“Daniel arrived at midnight on Tuesday with jet-lag and all credit to him he turned up really well for us today.
“He came to play because he knew it was such an important game. He showed professionalism through the week and he brought it today, he had a huge impact.
“They boys were in control around him and now they need to follow him and he will push us even more.
“Corey is going to have a big impact too; he will control and direct games for us but it is taking a little longer for him to reach the right match fitness levels because he hasn’t played for a while.”
28-year-old Alvaro came off the bench in stifling conditions against Wakefield and he told League Express: “It felt great, it was a tough game and we might have made it a bit harder for ourselves, but I really enjoyed playing and the team is a really good bunch of boys. It feels good.
“It’s a very similar feeling, footy is footy and we all had a good crack today. I was excited to get over and get a game.
“It was good quality and I’ve got a bit of a feel for it and now I know what to expect.”
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