What Do French Clubs Offer SL - an objective assessment

[Tex Evans Thigh]

I imagine this will upset a few people, but given the current situation it’s worth assessing the long term value of French inclusion in SL.

Catalans in their own right a success according to the report, which I think everyone agrees with. However, it’s clear that SL is subsidizing SL for Catalans rather than the other way around. Despite the fanfare they offer nothing other than a pin in the map and a good away trip.

Given Toulouse is a much weaker club, why are we even entertaining them as an option? The fantasy needs to end, everyone from families to business are focusing on their strengths. French teams is English leagues is not a strength.

[M j M]

This misses the point entirely. What do Catalans Dragons bring to Super League? A fair bit.

What do Catalans Dragons bring to French Rugby League? Almost everything.

It's utterly wrong to assess foreign clubs for what they bring to the competition and ignore what they bring to the strength and future of the games in their home countries.

[Sports Prophet]

Ahhh partisan supporters and competitive fixtures. How’s that for a start?

[Sports Prophet]

Which non SL club “offers more” than Toulouse btw  @Tex Evans Thigh?

[The Rocket]

' The cynic knows the price of everything but the value of nothing ". Oscar Wilde.

[gingerjon]

So which teams are worth more to Super League than Super League is worth to them?

[nadera78]

25 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

So which teams are worth more to Super League than Super League is worth to them?

Exactly. If fans of heartland clubs want to start going down this road I think a great many of them will come out the worse for it. There's a good number of teams who exist only because of SL and, in and of themselves, bring little or nothing to the competition beyond fulfilling fixtures.

[PECETTO]

4 hours ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

I imagine this will upset a few people, but given the current situation it’s worth assessing the long term value of French inclusion in SL.

Catalans in their own right a success according to the report, which I think everyone agrees with. However, it’s clear that SL is subsidizing SL for Catalans rather than the other way around. Despite the fanfare they offer nothing other than a pin in the map and a good away trip.

Given Toulouse is a much weaker club, why are we even entertaining them as an option? The fantasy needs to end, everyone from families to business are focusing on their strengths. French teams is English leagues is not a strength.

Some people don t even see the tip of their noze....

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

If that’s a fair question, so is what do small West Yorkshire towns offer SL?

[PECETTO]

A ne

3 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

If that’s a fair question, so is what do small West Yorkshire towns offer SL?

A new name : m62 corridor League. 

[barnyia]

European super league? Was that not the name of it in the beginning, if not just change the name to British super league but there's no teams in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland to call it the British super league, so change the name to what would be the real description without the catalans. The northern England super league., it's got a beautiful ring to it that has

[Ramon Rojo]

Like Catalans

They also offer some fantastic looking kit designs, shirts have always been first class.

[Eddie]

4 minutes ago, barnyia said:

European super league? Was that not the name of it in the beginning, if not just change the name to British super league but there's no teams in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland to call it the British super league, so change the name to what would be the real description without the catalans. The northern England super league., it's got a beautiful ring to it that has

Not even Northern England. ‘Small strip of land in between Hull and St Helens but excluding various places on the way Super League’ would be more accurate. 

[Eddie]

4 hours ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

I imagine this will upset a few people, but given the current situation it’s worth assessing the long term value of French inclusion in SL.

Catalans in their own right a success according to the report, which I think everyone agrees with. However, it’s clear that SL is subsidizing SL for Catalans rather than the other way around. Despite the fanfare they offer nothing other than a pin in the map and a good away trip.

Given Toulouse is a much weaker club, why are we even entertaining them as an option? The fantasy needs to end, everyone from families to business are focusing on their strengths. French teams is English leagues is not a strength.

Who did that report? Point 2 is classic, there was a TV deal until SL got involved, you couldn’t make it up. 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

How many East Yorkshire companies have sponsored SL directly?

[ATLANTISMAN]

2 minutes ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

How many East Yorkshire companies have sponsored SL directly?

Are we talking about the naming rights sponsor.

From memory 

JJB SPORTS ( Wigan)

TETLEYS (Old Yorkshire brand)

ENGAGE (Harrogate) I will pat myself on the back for that one

STOBARTS (Carlisle)

FIRST UTILITY (National)

BETFRED (Manchester)

 

So I guess the answer is NONE:)

 

P 

 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

13 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Are we talking about the naming rights sponsor.

From memory 

JJB SPORTS ( Wigan)

TETLEYS (Old Yorkshire brand)

ENGAGE (Harrogate) I will pat myself on the back for that one

STOBARTS (Carlisle)

FIRST UTILITY (National)

BETFRED (Manchester)

 

So I guess the answer is NONE:)

 

P 

 

Exactly.

Let's kick out the Hull clubs then. Not contributing.

[Oxford]

I love the word objective in the same sentence as people.

[Rarefrith]

3 hours ago, M j M said:

This misses the point entirely. What do Catalans Dragons bring to Super League? A fair bit.

What do Catalans Dragons bring to French Rugby League? Almost everything.

It's utterly wrong to assess foreign clubs for what they bring to the competition and ignore what they bring to the strength and future of the games in their home countries.

How many French players did Catalans have in the 17 last night? 3 or 4? Their lack of French players has gradually gotten worst over the last 14 years, the French national team also remain awful. They are a good club but don’t do a great deal for French rugby league or at least not as much as they should be doing by now. 

[Scubby]

There are 100,000s of fans who have cherished memories of travelling to France/Spain for a unique partisan experience. 

That can easily be swapped for Leigh or Fev though.

It is a potential area of huge growth if we stopped ####### around and go all in. I cant believe we are talking about this ######, honestly

[ATLANTISMAN]

5 minutes ago, Rarefrith said:

How many French players did Catalans have in the 17 last night? 3 or 4? Their lack of French players has gradually gotten worst over the last 14 years, the French national team also remain awful. They are a good club but don’t do a great deal for French rugby league or at least not as much as they should be doing by now. 

A few months ago I did a study (Posted on this forum) of the decline of French players in the 17 for Dragons SL matches.

The decline has accelerated over the last few years since the decision was made to bring in English players initially for the first few seasons all imports were from Australia and New Zealand.

Mick Potter and Trent Robinson did a brilliant job with French players.

 

Paul

[Gerrumonside ref]

I believe Toulouse will get in soon and I think the arguments for them stack up in terms of boosting the game in France.

Whether or not the Super League opts to do what they believe will boost the game in England in the very short term is another question debated on another thread?

But I do believe that Toulouse’s time will come at some point as the logic is undeniable.

[The Rocket]

5 minutes ago, Scubby said:

There are 100,000s of fans who have cherished memories of travelling to France/Spain for a unique partisan experience. 

That can easily be swapped for Leigh or Fev though.

It is a potential area of huge growth if we stopped ####### around and go all in. I cant believe we are talking about this ######, honestly

Scubby, you leave the swearing to me, cobber.

[Oxford]

5 minutes ago, Rarefrith said:

but don’t do a great deal for French rugby league

Except keeping it alive, to be honest. Make no mistake without them it's very likely there would be no French RL. We still don't/can't talk about the things ranged against our sport there except in quick asides that won't get the thread locked or shifted. What's missing is the commitment to expansion on our part and I don't mean let's have a french club that'll do the trick  of past developments.

 

[The Rocket]

4 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

A few months ago I did a study (Posted on this forum) of the decline of French players in the 17 for Dragons SL matches.

The decline has accelerated over the last few years since the decision was made to bring in English players initially for the first few seasons all imports were from Australia and New Zealand.

Mick Potter and Trent Robinson did a brilliant job with French players.

 

Paul

Wouldn`t the correct question be ` How many French players there are in Super League now ?"