French Elite One

[kiwis 13 6]

10 hours ago, audois said:

Interesting that. Dragons having another one or two extra pre-seasons could be a help.This year it was annouced that they would play 2 games as last year against the President's XIII as well as TO. Rembering how much excitement it got when Aude Cathars played the Dragons a few years back with 6000 crowds. As a starter for 2021 put Aude Cathars-TO-Dragons together.

I thought if you put in Provence as well as Toulouse, Catalan and Aude you have 4 sides so could have a 2 week french knock out competition. Provence could include all elite one players who originate from that area but play for other elite one clubs as well as Avignon and elite 2 clubs from Provence. There could be 2 double headers, 1st round knockout, then a 3rd vs 4th game before the final.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, audois said:

Some years back when Nicolas Larrat was President they had a four team comp.Provence, Roussillon, Aude and Garonne. Unfortunately lasted just one year. Provence centred on Avignon, Roussillon have two Elite 1 clubs in St Esteve & Palau, Aude three clubs  Carcassonne, Lezignan and Limoux. Garonne -river which runs towards the Atlantic - takes in St Gaudens, Toulouse, Villeneuve/Lot and Albi.

The thing with this approach is that they would take part each year. Some thing to build on. They need more 'events' of note. I'm not sure the Championship clubs would go for it; if not  participation in Challenge Cup or 1895 Cup.

Having Elite 1 teams in the challenge cup would be superb (though a lot of RL fans moan about them and their team having to travel more than 10 miles from the M62 so not sure how well that would go down). Maybe even say have the top 4 or 5 from the previous year in it, if they wanted to enter. 
 

1895 cup great in theory but might be difficult as it’s midweek and there’s hardly any prize money. 

[The Daddy]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Having Elite 1 teams in the challenge cup would be superb (though a lot of RL fans moan about them and their team having to travel more than 10 miles from the M62 so not sure how well that would go down). Maybe even say have the top 4 or 5 from the previous year in it, if they wanted to enter. 
 

1895 cup great in theory but might be difficult as it’s midweek and there’s hardly any prize money. 

Don't agree. If English clubs can't get good crowds for challenge cup games how would competing in it revitalise French clubs? 

Getting thrashed by Wigan or playing away against underperforming clubs like Keighley or Oldham does nothing for the French game 

[The Daddy]

2 hours ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

I thought if you put in Provence as well as Toulouse, Catalan and Aude you have 4 sides so could have a 2 week french knock out competition. Provence could include all elite one players who originate from that area but play for other elite one clubs as well as Avignon and elite 2 clubs from Provence. There could be 2 double headers, 1st round knockout, then a 3rd vs 4th play game before the final.

I agree. A Catalan-TO-Aude mini comp pre season or mid season in place of French clubs competing in the challenge cup, is the way forward for French RL. You could start out with those three entities for the first two or three years and then add Avignon who have great facilities to make it a 4 team comp. You could also add Aquitaine Leopards playing home games at Agen to take it to 5 teams. 

[Eddie]

22 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Don't agree. If English clubs can't get good crowds for challenge cup games how would competing in it revitalise French clubs? 

Getting thrashed by Wigan or playing away against underperforming clubs like Keighley or Oldham does nothing for the French game 

Because they’d get the chance to play against stronger teams and therefore improve. Ok they’d get smashed by Saints but playing teams like Batley and Dewsbury would be a good experience for them, and indeed for the English clubs. 

[The Daddy]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Because they’d get the chance to play against stronger teams and therefore improve. Ok they’d get smashed by Saints but playing teams like Batley and Dewsbury would be a good experience for them, and indeed for the English clubs. 

They are more likely to improve if they create their own sustainable and commercial competition with decent tv coverage. Right now French clubs competing in the challenge cup is not commercially viable and does nothing to add value to the sport over there. It's been tried before. 

[Eddie]

14 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

They are more likely to improve if they create their own sustainable and commercial competition with decent tv coverage. 

Nice ideas, but all much easier said than done. 

[DoubleD]

22 hours ago, audois said:

Interesting that. Dragons having another one or two extra pre-seasons could be a help.This year it was annouced that they would play 2 games as last year against the President's XIII as well as TO.  It just didn't happen.Rembering how much excitement it got when Aude Cathars played the Dragons a few years back with 6000 crowds. As a starter for 2021 why not put Aude Cathars-TO-Dragons together. Would link three different 'departments' next to each other too.Pyrenees Orientales/Aude/Haute-Garonne. Could be built on.

Both Toulouse and Catalan need to play more pre-season games - they both looked undercooked in 1st round

[audois]

22 hours ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

I thought if you put in Provence as well as Toulouse, Catalan and Aude you have 4 sides so could have a 2 week french knock out competition. Provence could include all elite one players who originate from that area but play for other elite one clubs as well as Avignon and elite 2 clubs from Provence. There could be 2 double headers, 1st round knockout, then a 3rd vs 4th game before the final.

Yes like the idea of 'origin' because that would be the only way i think of making Provence work as a fourth entity. Today the Dragons have young fringe players from Avignon area such as Mourgue, Salabio, Brochon, Carre and Laguerre could be welcomed. But that would be some way off.

For the time being Dragons-TO repeated next year again at Carcassonne hopefully. January 2020 was the best we've had at Carcassonne since the last in 2015 with the Aude Cathars reseplendent distinctive jerseys with badge and even their own anthem sung. Magic weekends here, even Cup finals cannot replicate these possibilities.Remember though has to fit in Dragons-TO expectations. Two week window in January

[langpark]

I say both TO and Catalans need stricter foreign quotas.  The argument of these teams entering SL will strengthen the French national teams clearly hasn't worked, could be largely because of the Catalans' recruitment policy.

[The Daddy]

1 hour ago, langpark said:

I say both TO and Catalans need stricter foreign quotas.  The argument of these teams entering SL will strengthen the French national teams clearly hasn't worked, could be largely because of the Catalans' recruitment policy.

If we had a franchised SL I would agree with you but promotion/relegation is a problem for the sport in the UK 

[The Daddy]

5 hours ago, audois said:

Yes like the idea of 'origin' because that would be the only way i think of making Provence work as a fourth entity. Today the Dragons have young fringe players from Avignon area such as Mourgue, Salabio, Brochon, Carre and Laguerre could be welcomed. But that would be some way off.

For the time being Dragons-TO repeated next year again at Carcassonne hopefully. January 2020 was the best we've had at Carcassonne since the last in 2015 with the Aude Cathars reseplendent distinctive jerseys with badge and even their own anthem sung. Magic weekends here, even Cup finals cannot replicate these possibilities.Remember though has to fit in Dragons-TO expectations. Two week window in January

What do you think to the idea of adding Aquitaine Leopards to the fray after a year or two? 

The article below confirms that the Lord Derby Cup final will be played at Agen RU

https://treizemondial.fr/les-finales-de-coupe-de-france-2020-dans-un-stade-quinziste/

[Eddie]

4 hours ago, The Daddy said:

If we had a franchised SL I would agree with you but promotion/relegation is a problem for the sport in the UK 

In what way is it a problem? 

[eal]

It is harder for Catalans and Toulouse to have a long term plan for developing French talent with the threat of relegation hanging over their heads. A five-ten year plan with fewer foreign players could come to fruition but it would likely mean some last placed finishes for awhile.

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, eal said:

It is harder for Catalans and Toulouse to have a long term plan for developing French talent with the threat of relegation hanging over their heads. A five-ten year plan with fewer foreign players could come to fruition but it would likely mean some last placed finishes for awhile.

How about Sheffield Eagles are put in SL with no threat of relegation and a long term plan for developing South Yorkshire talent? Or London or Coventry?

[The Daddy]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

How about Sheffield Eagles are put in SL with no threat of relegation and a long term plan for developing South Yorkshire talent? Or London or Coventry?

Boring and predictable as always. Time to put you on ignore 

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, The Daddy said:

Boring and predictable as always. Time to put you on ignore 

Please do. 

[audois]

18 hours ago, The Daddy said:

What do you think to the idea of adding Aquitaine Leopards to the fray after a year or two? 

The article below confirms that the Lord Derby Cup final will be played at Agen RU

https://treizemondial.fr/les-finales-de-coupe-de-france-2020-dans-un-stade-quinziste/

At least the Federation and Elite 1 clubs are looking at the possibility of regional sides coming together. Playing against the two professional clubs regularly would help the game here.

[eal]

9 hours ago, Eddie said:

How about Sheffield Eagles are put in SL with no threat of relegation and a long term plan for developing South Yorkshire talent? Or London or Coventry?

If the game decides that more talent needs to be developed in South Yorkshire then so be it. It is hard for any team from outside the heartlands to build for the future with relegation hanging over their heads. Personally I would rather develop more talent in France than Sheffield but maybe that is just me?

[Eddie]

5 minutes ago, eal said:

If the game decides that more talent needs to be developed in South Yorkshire then so be it. It is hard for any team from outside the heartlands to build for the future with relegation hanging over their heads. Personally I would rather develop more talent in France than Sheffield but maybe that is just me?

I don’t care where talent comes from, it would be good if it came from both places.