Elite 1 follow-up

[Hvy wg]

The french league started yesterday with an Avignon 28 - 20 win over Carcassonne.

Todays games saw quite a handful of surprises :

Palau 10 - 42 Albi
Saint Gaudens 14 - 32 Limoux
Toulouse reserve 20 - 16 Lezignan
Villeneuve 23 - 22 Catalans reserve

Toulouse reserve was a very weak team last year and fans have been wondering what would happen to them as they did not recruit a lot of guy, case answered and they drew first blood, beating the side coached by Jamal Fakir as Palau, coached by Olivier Elima, went down.

The table :
1. Albi
2. Limoux
3. Avignon
4. Toulouse
5. Villeneuve
6. Catalans
7. Lezignan
8. Carcassonne
9. Saint Gaudens
10. Palau

[Evil Homer]

Posted about Toulouse and Catalans on another thread. Surprised to see Palau hammered although Albi look to have a good team this year.

[Hvy wg]

11 minutes ago, Evil Homer said:

Posted about Toulouse and Catalans on another thread. Surprised to see Palau hammered although Albi look to have a good team this year.

Palau have a team that doesn't look like it's Elite 1 standard at all.

One of their halfback was playing in the tier below Elite 2 last year. They leeched Catalans U19, Sebea, Nietche-Corones and more importantly Lardot. So basically they're very young, with guys that aren't Elite 1 players and they played a well rounded Albi side with some big foreigners in the pack.

[Evil Homer]

Just now, Hvy wg said:

Palau have a team that doesn't look like it's Elite 1 standard at all.

One of their halfback was playing in the tier below Elite 2 last year. They leeched Catalans U19, Sebea, Nietche-Corones a

Yeah not sure about the rest of their team but I saw they had signed Sigismeau and a good number of players from Catalans u19s/St Esteve, they have a lot of guys who represented France at junior level a few years ago.

[Hvy wg]

1 minute ago, Evil Homer said:

Yeah not sure about the rest of their team but I saw they had signed Sigismeau and a good number of players from Catalans u19s/St Esteve, they have a lot of guys who represented France at junior level a few years ago.

They're Saint Estève dumping yard... The only one I see here that has the potential to become a SL player is Lardot and I'm quite shocked Catalans let him leave as he was only a U19.

I'm not sure Palau would top the Elite 2 actually, a side like Baho looks more dangerous to me.

[RayCee]

I must have got confused. I thought Elite One was moving to summertime.

[Gerrumonside ref]

I thought France was launching a new pan-national league with regional teams that have tie-ins to big soccer clubs?

Has that gone by the wayside?

[Evil Homer]

1 hour ago, Hvy wg said:

They're Saint Estève dumping yard... The only one I see here that has the potential to become a SL player is Lardot and I'm quite shocked Catalans let him leave as he was only a U19.

I'm not sure Palau would top the Elite 2 actually, a side like Baho looks more dangerous to me.

Fair enough, I've not seen a lot of them play for years, I just know half the team is former junior internationals who were highly rated at one point. As for Lardot, hopefully he has a good season and puts himself in the shop window for bigger clubs, really can't believe Catalans released him as you say.

37 minutes ago, RayCee said:

I must have got confused. I thought Elite One was moving to summertime.

They're running December-July now rather than September-May as it was before.

4 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

I thought France was launching a new pan-national league with regional teams that have tie-ins to big soccer clubs?

Has that gone by the wayside?

Do you not think there would've maybe been a little more talk about that if it was happening for 2018?

[Gerrumonside ref]

3 minutes ago, Evil Homer said:

Do you not think there would've maybe been a little more talk about that if it was happening for 2018?

Is there generally much chat on here about French RL?

I don’t remember millions of threads when it was announced.

[Evil Homer]

11 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Is there generally much chat on here about French RL?

I don’t remember millions of threads when it was announced.

That's because it wasn't announced

They said they were looking at June 2019, they need to find €15 million by then and I expect it will be pushed back indefinitely unless that Qatari sheik wants to get involved or something.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Just now, Evil Homer said:

That's because it wasn't announced

They said they were looking at June 2019, they need to find €15 million by then and I expect it will be pushed back indefinitely.

Fair enough, sounds like pie (or quiche lorraine) in the sky.

[manu266]

Est-ce qu'il y a un site qui montre les résumés vidéos de certains matchs ?

Is there a website showing highlights of some games?

Merci.

[Getmefood]

56 minutes ago, manu266 said:

Est-ce qu'il y a un site qui montre les résumés vidéos de certains matchs ?

Is there a website showing highlights of some games?

Merci.

I've been looking as well. There is not much in terms of exposure. Facebook pages would be best to go by.. or maybe the rugbyforumXIII 

[eal]

FFRXIII has a Dailymotion page which broadcast many matches from last season, I guess they will use that again at some point this season?

[manu266]

Thanks StadiumXIII

An article from L'Indépendant about the new season (translated by google and me)

Rugby League: The Elite hopes to emerge from the shadows

By shifting the start of the season by 2 months, the FFR XIII tried to give a breath of fresh air to a competition that wants to come out of the shadows.

PUBLICITY

Rugby League suffers in silence. If Catalan Dragons attract the spotlight, with some television visibility and an international exposure, TO tries to follow suit. But behind, the domestic league loses audience in its stadiums.

To remedy this and reignite Aiguille, Moulin and Domec among others, the FFR XIII "wishes that the Elite competition becomes attractive again by reasserting the value more and more," summarizes the vice president of the federation, Mathieu Khedimi in charge of the high level.

This season, the championship begins two months later than previous grinds. "We want to get closer to international contests. We must adopt a sporting and economic strategy to avoid competition from football and rugby union. Let's take other time slot compared to other products and the media, "adds the former international hooker. He led the work that led to this new championship.

As a result, the federation is still in touch with the television groups of France Télévision and L'Équipe TV. Last season, the two matches of le XIII de France and the two finals were televised. "We are negotiating, but we must make the championship even more attractive if we want attention from broadcasters" according to Khedimi who has not yet decided the venue of the two finals in 2018, although, Narbonne, Albi , Avignon and Toulouse are privileged sites.

¤ Magic weekend in Carcassonne

This season, the ten Elite clubs will play the Magic weekend in April in Carcassonne, knowing that the defensive bonus point is maintained (defeated by less than 13 points).

One novelty, however, is the regulation of the golden point.

Since last season, there is no more draw. At the end of regulation time, the two back-to-back teams start overtime, where the first team that scores wins. But, "the squads will no longer have the right to kick penalties, it will be necessary to score a try or kick a drop," said Mathieu Khedimi who is already working with his colleagues on the 2019 season.

Finally "we must take into account the sporting ethics and economic reality of each pool," he concludes on the eve of the opening of the season which offers a big clash between Avignon and Carcassonne. A first glimmer to illuminate a competition that needs it.

[BroncoFan]

I didn't see Amine Miloudi named in any team so hopefully it is correct and he is training with Cas Tigers.

[Copa]

4 hours ago, manu266 said:

Since last season, there is no more draw. At the end of regulation time, the two back-to-back teams start overtime, where the first team that scores wins. But, "the squads will no longer have the right to kick penalties, it will be necessary to score a try or kick a drop," said Mathieu Khedimi

Interesting.

[DoubleD]

Interesting they moved the season but only by 2 months. That will still clash with football and union to a large extent and not in sync with SL or NRL. Are there plans to gradually change this to summer or is this the full extent of the change?

[Hvy wg]

7 hours ago, manu266 said:

 

Rugby League suffers in silence. If Catalan Dragons attract the spotlight, with some television visibility and an international exposure, TO tries to follow suit. But behind, the domestic league loses audience in its stadiums.

 

And that is entirely the domestic league's own fault.

Nobody wants to see Lezignan - Limoux or Saint Gaudens - Villeneuve 4 times a season. They had a nine's tournament and there was no publicity. You had to be a crazy fan to even know where and at what hour would the tournament start.

Carcassonne sits on almost a 100 000 population and can't get more than 300 for regular Elite 1 game.

Avignon not doing much better in a stadium that is bigger than Brutus. To be fair, nobody is interested in Elite 1. It's a small competition, without any media exposure (even the federation doesn't talk much about it) and the crowds are pitiful.

Some Elite 1 fans are claiming that is because of Catalans and Toulouse leaving, degrading the comp standards but actually it's because nobody wants to see the same teams again and again and again. It's no surprise Albi and Avignon want out.

[kiwis 13 6]

Why the constant negativity about french domestic game? As it stands outside of UK & Australia French Elite 1 & Auckland NZ Fox memorial club competitions are the next best standard club competitions in the World. This Sport needs a decent Elite 1 competiton in France.

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

Why the constant negativity about french domestic game? As it stands outside of UK & Australia French Elite 1 & Auckland NZ Fox memorial club competitions are the next best standard club competitions in the World. This Sport needs a decent Elite 1 competiton in France.

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

[Hvy wg]

36 minutes ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

This Sport needs a decent Elite 1 competiton in France.

The Elite 1 needs to go.

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

[audois]

7 hours ago, Emosi Koloto said:

I didn't see Amine Miloudi named in any team so hopefully it is correct and he is training with Cas Tigers.

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?)

[audois]

Toulouse Olympique Elite now (think they ve dropped the Broncos tag) only won one game all season last year. Rock bottom and beat last terms competition leaders FCL first game up. They ve got three lads from Sydney's Massey Cup I understand. Aaron Wood put the boots back on maybe and Kane Bentley back from the WC with Scotland. For some Albi under Eric Anselme the dark horses. St Esteve will have to wait till the Dragons have completed their pre-season before pushing players their way.

[barnyia]

The three Aussies didn't play yesterday, the elite 1 is a lot more equal this year, most teams going for homegrown local players and a few foreigners to help them out, the level of a few of the teams will drop but will make a more exciting comp, albi could do big things this year as will st esteve when the Catalans squad players drop down ,