18 May: SL: Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors KO 3.30pm (UK Time) (TV)

[Rupert Prince]

10 hours ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

I see Man of Kent hasn’t posted yet on the game.

Is he still studying all the tv footage to check whether the attendance given is correct?

Well there were two figures given at one time!!

[Rupert Prince]

9 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

....  Catalans are a great club, a big club, steeped in rugby league history going back to the 1930s and a major asset to Super League...

Correct.  Except they are a new club formed to represent a region. There is no town called Catalan.  They are a product of a merger of 2 clubs.

Does this not suggest something...

Edit... only the 1st paragraph above is from MoK.  The rest is my comment. Not sure how it got transposed.

[Wigan Riversider]

14 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

I am not surprised to see that abject performance by us. I have been watching Wigan for 40 years, and would make a case that Lam is the worst coach we have had since I started watching (Fairburn being the first). While Eric Hughes, John Dorahy and Ian Millward could run him close, unlike 2 of those Lam has a very good squad indeed, with the pick of the best under 19s in the country to supplement a squad which was good enough to finish second and win the Grand Final last October.

It is extraordinary to see such a good group of players with seemingly little motivation (they looked like they gave up in the second half) but with no plan, poor conditioning and no structure. It makes almost compelling viewing to see us coached so ineptly. Now, of course, the plan was never really for him to be head coach, and indeed he might have expected to be working with Edwards behind the scenes by now. We have 4 more away games before we next play at home, and I would be surprised if we win any of them if Lam stays in charge, which is a travesty given how good we could be. 

Belgium went about 2 years without a government, and did pretty well. It would be interesting to see, and I suspect unlikely but my money would be on us doing much better with no coach at all. 

For me it was the worst performance since Hull KR in 1983 and the famous Alex Murphy rant.

Cannot include 75-0(?)loss to St Helens in 2006(?) as I believe there was a players' mutiny

[Man of Kent]

1 hour ago, Rupert Prince said:

Edit... only the 1st paragraph above is from MoK.  The rest is my comment. Not sure how it got transposed.

I see it as a continuation of XIII Catalan formed in 1934, to be honest. St Estève is tiny, really. 

It tells me Catalans is, in many respects, the perfect expansion club because it built on strong local rugby league foundations (players!) to be a regional superclub for Super League.

 

[JonM]

2 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

I see it as a continuation of XIII Catalans formed in 1934, to be honest. St Estève is tiny, really.

Yes, same ground, same guy in charge, same team colours.

[Rupert Prince]

5 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

I see it as a continuation of XIII Catalans formed in 1934, to be honest. St Estève is tiny, really. 

It tells me Catalans is, in many respects, the perfect expansion club because it built on strong local rugby league foundations (players!) to be a regional superclub for Super League.

As you say... a regional superclub.  As I said.. "Does this not suggest something? 

[Rupert Prince]

1 hour ago, Wigan Riversider said:

For me it was the worst performance since Hull KR in 1983 and the famous Alex Murphy rant.

Cannot include 75-0(?)loss to St Helens in 2006(?) as I believe there was a players' mutiny

Wigan doing too much meeting and greeting on these occasions.  No focus on the game.  A poor performance from the players who need to take a look at themselves.  As per the Cas game... going to sleep and giving away 3 tries.   

Right from beginning of season when we dropped a ball with virtually the first touch.  It been common for us for a few seasons.  We can certainly play well but will always spoil it. I am not saying other teams don't do the same thing... I've seen them do it.  But Wigan have a deep flaw with it.

This season I have a suspicion that agents are at work. But I am cynical.

[Man of Kent]

12 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

As you say... a regional superclub.  As I said.. "Does this not suggest something? 

That French regions are the way to go? Tough to replicate. Toulouse’s foundations aren’t as strong and is more of a yawnion area. Avignon/Provence? 

[Guest]

Well done to Catalan on a great win for them but we were awful again. We have some massive issues that need fixing quickly. Catalan had some great pre match entertainment on for kids outside the ground before the game which was nice as well. Great experience to go and watch a match at the Nou Camp, just so disappointed with our performance and the result.

[Rupert Prince]

8 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

That French regions are the way to go? Tough to replicate. Toulouse’s foundations aren’t as strong and is more of a yawnion area. Avignon/Provence? 

Not French regions.   Isn't it obvious,  when we look at mergers?? 

[Man of Kent]

40 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

Not French regions.   Isn't it obvious,  when we look at mergers?? 

Like I said, I don’t really see it as a merger albeit Catalans has achieved similar ends to what you have in mind.

I think natural selection is preferable to mergers. Fev is Fev, Cas is Cas...

 

[JonM]

Am I right in thinking that the only actual Catalan on the pitch was playing for Wigan?

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, JonM said:

Am I right in thinking that the only actual Catalan on the pitch was playing for Wigan?

Maybe Bousquet as he's from a place just below Lezignan.  Not sure about Casty, I think he's from Narbonne.

[barnyia]

No BOUSQUET is from lezignan as is casty, bosc was on the pitch I suppose! Garcia, yaha and gigot from Avignon area, Simon carcassonne or limoux I think, baitiri Paris, 

[ivans82]

On 15/05/2019 at 08:56, ivans82 said:

Catalans surely to win this one , skybet 10/11 both teams off scratch .Could be my bet of the weekend .

Again gave you plenty of time to get your bets on , even Wigan fans must have had a little tickle .

[Padge]

9 hours ago, JonM said:

Am I right in thinking that the only actual Catalan on the pitch was playing for Wigan?

Wembley 1929 first ever game at the Olympic Stadium only three players born in Wigan turned out for the winning team, Wigan.

It is nothing new, live with it.

 

[Lowdesert]

8 hours ago, barnyia said:

No BOUSQUET is from lezignan as is casty, bosc was on the pitch I suppose! Garcia, yaha and gigot from Avignon area, Simon carcassonne or limoux I think, baitiri Paris, 

Did plenty go from Les Sangliers Barney?

[JonM]

42 minutes ago, Padge said:

Wembley 1929 first ever game at the Olympic Stadium only three players born in Wigan turned out for the winning team, Wigan.

It is nothing new, live with it.

Indeed - and I'm sure you could probably post the same for some clubs in the 1890s too.

Just thought it was interesting given all the talk about how much it meant to be playing at the spiritual home of all Catalans etc etc

[barnyia]

10 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

Did plenty go from Les Sangliers Barney?

Yes the ramblers was like walking through lezignan! I think anyone involved in french rl was there! 

[Damien]

9 hours ago, JonM said:

Indeed - and I'm sure you could probably post the same for some clubs in the 1890s too.

Just thought it was interesting given all the talk about how much it meant to be playing at the spiritual home of all Catalans etc etc

It's not just about the players though. For anyone who was there and could see the tears and sheer delight of the Catalans fans it was pretty obvious what it meant. It was also obvious what it meant to Gausch. In the build up, and at the end of the game, it was also apparent how much all the Catalan players, not just those actual from Catalonia, had bought into the whole event and what it meant.

[audois]

On 19/05/2019 at 13:11, JonM said:

Yes, same ground, same guy in charge, same team colours.

XIII Catalan were playing at Stade Jean Laffon near the railway station when they became UTC. They also played one game at that stadium in their first year as the Dragons against Thornhill in the Challenge Cup. Castys first ever game I think. The original Dragons shirt had some blue in it in recognition of St Esteve but that didn't last.

Movers and Shakers in this pic. Saturday Robert Elstone along with Bernard Guasch and Ian Lenagan. BG & IL fellow-travellers I think.The woman is the President of the  Pyrenees-Orientales Department Hermelin Malherbe & to her right the President of the Catalonia Government Quim Torra.

[JonM]

1 hour ago, audois said:

XIII Catalan were playing at Stade Jean Laffon near the railway station when they became UTC.

They played at Gilbert Brutus all through the 70s and 80s and moved (back) to Jean Laffon round about 1998 I think?

[audois]

20 hours ago, JonM said:

They played at Gilbert Brutus all through the 70s and 80s and moved (back) to Jean Laffon round about 1998 I think?

Yes, I saw XIII Catalan playing at Jean Laffon in 2000 and thats where UTC played their opening game. But I think they left there later and played out at St Esteve. That same year 2000 I saw a soccer international against Switzerland at Gilbert Brutus.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

4 hours ago, audois said:

Yes, I saw XIII Catalan playing at Jean Laffon in 2000 and thats where UTC played their opening game. But I think they left there later and played out at St Esteve. That same year 2000 I saw a soccer international against Switzerland at Gilbert Brutus.

Thanks for saying 'soccer', Audois, rather than the increasingly common 'football'.  Soccer followers' commandeering of the word 'football' irritates me almost as much as rugby union's arrogant use of 'rugby' with no 'union' added!