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Blimey, Toulouse main stand seems good value at €20 !

How much are tickets at Odsal nowadays ?

What I actually said that sensible reffing allowed the game to flow. The Oldham GLDO was a blatant error on his part but the rest for me was 50/50. Post match Longy didnt put any blâme on the réf which is usually one of the coachs’ excuses after a defeat. This réf, compared to a few previous visiting refs, was pretty good. Most nowadays I find are far too picky and pédantic which makes the game stop-start.

Go on, what was the problem ?

À really entertaining game and amazing the fitness levels nowadays. I can’t recall a water break first half but the second half break must have been five minutes long. Olly A-B looked just as lively in the 80th as he did in the 1 st minute. The only négative for TO is Jake Shorrocks having to miss next game v Widnes due to the protocol procédure but player self are must always take priority.

Good performance from Toulouse in punishing conditions. This was non- stop action from a typical top four game , as Houles put it. Toulouse are a decent outfit who work hard together with Marion as the linchpin. Impressed with Oldham, well set up with good discipline. Errors cost them and the heat took its toll in the last quarter. They were the best team from HT for about twenty minutes but the French survived as Longys’ men faded. Sensible reffing from Mr Belafonte who allowed the game to flow.

Yep, good effort. Amazing when most sensible French people will still be eating at that time of day.

Fortunately the ‘family’ is still sacrosanct in most parts of France just like it used to be in the UK long ago….

If you were there then you would have seen that the two end stands were closed , as usual and the stand opposite side from the caméras and dug-outs etc was almost empty, except for a handful of Broncos fans and some locals.The main stand was well populated in comparison. The overflow parks usually open after about three thousand fans are présent. As I understand it, the attendance figure incluses the season ticket holders whether they are at the game or not.

The official crowd was 4136 in a stadium holing 19000. All I know is that the car parks around the EW were full and the overflow parks were being used just like a matchday at Stade Toulousain.

Good game for the neutral with errors on both sides. I thought Toulouse just the better side but no bad performances on either side with Polsetti looking a different class imo. I wish Marion would refrain from those pathetic short range grubbers, they don’t suit him with possession lost cheaply each time on tackle three or four. Impressed with London, no way are they going down.

For Toulouse in my time probably Mark Kheirallah.

Yes, saw that with the two balls on the pitch. The ref reacted to a couple of incidents but did nothing about a few others. There did seem to be less ball boys on duty, maybe they were occupied or involved with the many kiddies teams who were present ? One of the Barrow tries was forward as I was in line with it but the other one I can’t say as it happened at the other end. I still can’t see the point or the interest in binning two lads for a minor skirmish. I can’t recall seeing a RFL match commissioner at TO Championship games for yonks. The general standard of reffing in the division seems to have dropped imo. Good to see Lacans getting more involved though some of his grubbers (of which there were loads) did seem rather repetitive and predictable. He produced less penetrating runs yesterday compared to say, the Fax game but maybe that’s a tribute to the Barrow defence ?

Good game for the neutral with some good rugby on display. Barrow looked comfortable with the ball until they hit the last quarter when fitness/fatigue probably kicked in. It was warmish and the lads had endured a tedious journey to get to Toulouse but great credit to them. Pity the ref spoiled the fun with some dodgy decisions. It’s a tough job at times of course but things like binning a player from each side for a bit of passion seems unnecessary imo. Well done TO for showing patience when many sides would have capitulated. Some good performances but special mention to young centre Romeo Tropis from the TO academy, he looks the real deal with another exemplary performance. Just a special mention for Raiders skipper Stacky. As his team lined up before the ko, each player was accompanied by a young French kid who stood in front of each player. Stacky noticed that the sun was shining directly in the kiddies’ eyes so he told his men to step a couple of paces forward to put the kids faces in the shade. Great effort mate, thanks for a bit of humanity, a gesture not to be forgotten.

I couldn’t believe it either.