Time to get shot of Catalans

[jacobus]

Great post. 

The club does so many things right and deserves plaudits for that. 

We can discuss the style of play and French influence as much as we want but Elite 1 is getting better and better and we have to give the Dragons (And TO XII for that matter) chance to build. 

I don't agree with the club using English and Aussie players to try and win things but until I am head coach that isn't mine to fix!

[Cumbrian Mackem]

14 hours ago, PEANUT HEAD said:

The london experiment as been going on for a lot longer and is no further on than Catalan. 

At least they produce quality players from their academy l.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

12 hours ago, Oxford said:

I'm quite shocked this thread was so Totally unexpected.

Remi casty was the last straw that broke the camels back .

[Davo5]

4 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

At least they produce quality players from their academy l.

Catalans have and do produce quality players,they just happen to have a coach who doesn’t select them.

[Davo5]

3 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Remi casty was the last straw that broke the camels back .

Who’s camel was that ?

[Cumbrian Mackem]

10 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

Think someone was bored and decided to cause some mischief.......

Very much so. I’m bored of the dragons not giving French talent a chance.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

9 hours ago, Omott91 said:

Are you Parksider 2.0?

Was he a supporter of developing French talent over average overseas talent as well?

[Oxford]

2 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Remi casty was the last straw that broke the camels back .

Remi's time as an SL prop was coming to an end CM, chucking the Dragons out because a veteran leaves the stage is a bit hard!

 

2 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Who’s camel was that ?

[Exiled Wiganer]

I think that Catalans could have done more for the development of French players than they have. I also think that the RFL should, when they had the chance, required them to have a proper juniors set up and more limited numbers of overseas players. I do not see the point in watching, say, Joel Tomkins playing over there. I do see the point of seeing truly class players wherever they come from playing for them. I would have been far more derisive about them, but Yakstorm’s post has convinced me that the bigger picture is more positive than it feels when they sign another never was non Frenchman.

[Scubby]

Here is an approximate list of all the Catalans players in SL. Seems to be a lot of French flags in there over 14 years. That is a lot of people born in France realising their dreams to become full time professional RL players. Quite a few of those players have also played at numerous UK clubs (but that doesn't count as doing anything for the game of course).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catalans_Dragons_players

Catalans are a business and they are trying to be successful. They can do what they like just as any SL club can. Being there, however, means more kids like Theo Fages pick up a rugby ball and dream of being a RL star.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

8 minutes ago, Oxford said:

Remi's time as an SL prop was coming to an end CM, chucking the Dragons out because a veteran leaves the stage is a bit hard!

 

I’m more irate at the dragons axing their academy and stocking their team full of average overseas players than casty being given the boot.

[Hela Wigmen]

Imagine being offended that a club has decided not to renew the contract of a 35 year old. 

[Oxford]

3 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

stocking their team full of average overseas players

Give over & be your age CM.

[Hela Wigmen]

You can't just throw Catalans out for not producing their own players, so if we start, we'll end up with a four or five team league but at least it will be a local sport for local people.

[Davo5]

39 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

I’m more irate at the dragons axing their academy and stocking their team full of average overseas players than casty being given the boot.

Really,didn’t sound like that below 

57 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Remi casty was the last straw that broke the camels back .

So maybe the camel doesn’t need a chiropractor then.

[pahars]

8 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Good start to the off-season, this. We’ll have the obligatory “Super League needs conferences” next followed by “What would your ideal Super League look like?” soon. 

And of course the  ‘Rugby league national stadium’ thread just after Chrimbo

[Hela Wigmen]

Just now, pahars said:

And of course the  ‘Rugby league national stadium’ thread just after Chrimbo

After? Don’t you mean once Bradford are announced in Super League?

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Very much so. I’m bored of the dragons not giving French talent a chance.

I'm assuming your a Cumbrian who for some reason supports a team from the other side of the country... ever thought about giving local Cumbrian teams a chance? Carlisle, Workington Reds etc??

I'm bored of Soccer fans glory supporting and not giving local teams a chance....

[Davo5]

Catalans Dragons have agreed new contracts with 4 young players.

Corentin Le Cam, Mathieu Cozza, Joe Chan and Mathieu Laguerre, who were playing this season with the club reserve team, joined the Dragons squad since the training restart and all signed a new two-and-a-half year contract with the club.

These four products of the Catalans Dragons Academy system will remain at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium until the end of the 2022 season.

Catalans Dragons Headcoach Steve McNamara: “All 4 have shown a great attitude and commitment over a sustained period of time and fully deserve their opportunity to be part of our full time squad. They have added quality to our training sessions and bring a new and youthful dynamic to our squad.”

 

 

[pahars]

6 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

After? Don’t you mean once Bradford are announced in Super League?

Why not both  

[Harry Stottle]

16 hours ago, Yakstorm said:

What is the criteria for determining their 'contribution' to French RL? Is it exposure? crowds? participation? professional contracts?  Maybe let's answer some of these questions. 

Are there more people playing the game?
Yes, up from 7,000 registered participants, to 30,000 in 2012 and reported over 50,000 recently.

Are there more RL games on TV?
Even this year, there is more than there was prior to the Dragons getting in. The FFRXIII couldn't afford to cover games on local TV, there was no Super League and no NRL. Even with SL's stuff up this year, there has been NRL, Elite One games and at least the trial of Dragons games on FTA in France.

Have they been able to attract Major Sponsors / Major French companies?
Some of the Catalan's sponsors include:

• AXA (Major multinational, made 104bn last year alone...)
• Air France Hop! (Part of Air France - not a nothing airline)
• BPI France (Investment Bank - Avg Income over 1.4bn pa)
• Altrad (Also the current French RU Major Sponsor)

They've also previously attracted the likes of Nike, Citroen, IDEC, SeaFrance and Renault to name a few.

Are there more French players with professional contracts?
In 1999, before the Dragons, there was Jerome Guisset (Raiders) and then....??? I know there were others, but you could honestly count them all on one hand. There are at least 15 French nationals in the Catalans 30-man squad alone, plus there others playing across Super League and the Championship.

Have they been able to attract crowds?
Yes, they actually hold the Super League attendance record (31,555), and are one of the few clubs that has actually grown over the past decade.  They were one of only 6 clubs to attract over 10K on average in 2019, and their lowest home crowd was larger than Wakefield's, Huddersfield's, London's and Salford's largest home crowds. 

Have they taken games around to spread the code?
More so than some clubs, they have at least taken matches to Barcelona, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Narbonne and Carcassonne among others.

Is France more competitive on an international front?
Arguably no, but on the flip side, where might they be if there was no Catalans? That potentially is more scary.

For me, they've definitely brought value to both Super League and the French game, and arguably stopped the game from dying in the country. As to why hasn't the French national team kicked on since their admission, there are a few reasons for that including:

• Other nations have gotten better: Not only do we now have the Pacific nations getting stronger, even the likes of England and New Zealand have gotten better and are no longer anywhere near as hot and cold as they once were.
   
• Conflicts of interest: Catalans do want France to be stronger in international Rugby League, however that is like priority 7 or 8 for them... for the Catalans they want to avoid Relegation first, then try and win a trophy or two before worrying about what country a player comes from and if that will strengthen the national team.
   
• Lack of depth: Let's face it, for France to be really competitive, they need at least 30+ full time professional players and they're not going to get that from the Catalans alone.
   
• French Team Management: The French national team lacks the leadership it needs to make eligible French players want to play for the Les Chanticleers at all costs. It's why you see many top players only turn up around World Cups.

Sure they are not perfect, and there is more that the club could do, but to say they aren't doing anything for French RL is a terrible ill-informed statement.

From this section:-

Is France more competitive on an international front?

I consider you have been very selective in the answers you have given. There are far more reaching and searching reasons that the French National Team is not very competitive, you describe it as though it is everyone else's fault.

 

 

 

[Blind side johnny]

17 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Haha!! You sound like a remoaner.

I have nearly filled my bingo card already - keep going!

[Blind side johnny]

8 hours ago, langpark said:

I say bring in foreign player quotas, both for English and French teams. For example, no less than 9 locals in your matchday 17. So British teams would need 9 British (no, Hastings, Coote etc with their British passports do not count as locals) and French teams need 9 Frenchmen in there.

Close all the loopholes and get on with it. France does have the depth in talent to sustain this, it is a shame Bernard Guasch cannot see that, but we should not let it deprive this generation of players of their opportunity. 

This should also be coupled with some kind of incentive (salary cap exemptions?) to sign local players.

And at least four players with six fingers on each hand?

[yipyee]

19 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

And have 2 “French” teams packed with a majority of average oz, kiwi and English players. 
 

no thanks. Let’s get the broncos back in super league and continue the good progress in areas like York and Newcastle for future expansion.

Sounds like half a dozen SL clubs, lets get shut of them,

Isle of man is somewhere we can grow the game, get them in SL over the foreigners they bring nothing to the game, 

[Scubby]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

From this section:-

Is France more competitive on an international front?

I consider you have been very selective in the answers you have given. There are far more reaching and searching reasons that the French National Team is not very competitive, you describe it as though it is everyone else's fault.

 

 

 

The way Tonga, Samoa, PNG and Fiji are growing then it's possible England won't be very competitive for much longer. Last 5 tests for Eng/GB

0-34

6-14

8-12

8-23

10-28

Only 5 tries in 5 full test matches.