Toulouse or London

[Eddie]

59 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

Somerset has a Leigh too - Leigh-on-Mendip.

I once went to a meeting in the church there in my time working for the Diocese of Bath & Wells.  I cannot recall how they pronounced 'Leigh', but I think it was probably like 'lie' in RP English.

It didn't have a railway station, but then one of Somerset's dubious boasts is to have a city without a railway station!

I used to stay with a relative a couple of villages away from Leigh upon Mendip was I was a kid and can confirm it is indeed pronounced the same as Leigh of Leopards fame. There’s a nice boozer there, The Bell iirc, and it would be a great place to watch rugby league. 

[Leyther_Matt]

9 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

If you're willing to be flexible with your league entry criteria, we have an Eastleigh down on the south coast. What's more, it has two train stations, an airport, and a nearby zoo that has Leopards.

My personal favourite is that Havant & Waterlooville play at Westleigh Park.

Those familiar with the Westleigh area of Leigh (I live there, so I can say it) and Westleigh Park might smile at the thought of there being a ground built there. Might last a day or two before being arsoned. 

[17 stone giant]

12 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

My personal favourite is that Havant & Waterlooville play at Westleigh Park.

Those familiar with the Westleigh area of Leigh (I live there, so I can say it) and Westleigh Park might smile at the thought of there being a ground built there. Might last a day or two before being arsoned. 

The Leigh Park in Havant isn't much better. Sounds like the two places should be twinned!

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Barley Mow said:

As does Yorkshire - Ripon.

Wells of course, despite being a city has a smaller population than even Featherstone. Ripon's is slightly larger than both.

I've been to Ripon....can't believe it's considered a city....just a sort of market square car park with a Boots and 2 pubs....the workhouse museum is good though 

[Cowboy]

Interesting to see what either club will do with the victory.Alot of Super League talent will need to added to the roster with a short amount of time until pre season approaches. More so London then Toulouse

[crashmon]

7 hours ago, Cowboy said:

Interesting to see what either club will do with the victory.Alot of Super League talent will need to added to the roster with a short amount of time until pre season approaches. More so London then Toulouse

Do you think London will add lots of talent if there is a potential that they will only be their one season?  They will try and bring in some cheap 2nd rate Aussies to but I don't see our current owner opening his checkbook unless he get some assurance that London would not be falling out of SL in 2024, before making any sort of spendng.

Edited October 10, 2023 by crashmon

[Sports Prophet]

On 09/10/2023 at 15:10, Barley Mow said:

I assume that's in jest, but just in case it's not:

The closest railway station to Leigh Sports Village is approximately the same distance as Craven Park is from Hull Paragon - does the fact the station isn't called Leigh matter?

LSV is served by public transport - just bus rather than rail. It's also only about a 10 minute walk from Leigh's main bus station.

People need to be safer in the knowledge they can leave Leigh far quicker than the delay a ten minute walk to a bus station will incur.

[crashmon]

I guess its becoming typical of these threads that by the time you get to page 3, the posts have nothing to do with the Thread title.

All we need now is another post about Fev Fan behaviour and we are set

[binosh]

I don’t mind either London or Toulouse, I just hope whoever it is takes it seriously this time and invests in a decent team.

[Harry Stottle]

On 08/10/2023 at 21:08, Leonard said:

In reality both in a 14 side SL. 

I honestly don't know why people keep trying to play this card, there is no chucking fance on gods earth of that happening not this year, next year or any time soon, you saw, read and commented on the other thread about clubs turning down a possibility of increasing to a 14 club SL for a sum of just £30k, now do you expect with a much reduced funding that will be agreed on by the clubs?

BUT, if it was by some miraculous reason voted to increase to 14 for next year, then the fairway to do that would be to promote the winner of next week along with the Featherstone Rovers as being the League Leaders, just my opinion.

[Harry Stottle]

On 08/10/2023 at 21:53, The Future is League said:

Lets not forget the money they wasted on Robert Elstone

Who's they?

Edited October 10, 2023 by Harry Stottle

[Harry Stottle]

On 09/10/2023 at 07:05, Archie Gordon said:

Pinning all my hope on their new ownership.

Ah, I see 'potential' has reared it's head again.

[Harry Stottle]

On 09/10/2023 at 08:05, Gomersall said:

In the brave new world railway stations will be old hat. An airport will be a must. Leigh International has recently been mooted to future proof the Leopards’ SL status.

Oi, know all, just checked from London Broncos - present home ground - to the nearest airport being Gatwick it is 18miles and a train journey time of 1hr 22mins, Leigh to Manchester airport is 20 miles with various road routes the longest being 30mins shorter.

[wiganermike]

1 hour ago, crashmon said:

Do you think London will add lots of talent if there is a potential that they will only be their one season?  They will try and bring in some cheap 2nd rate Aussies to but I don't see our current owner opening his checkbook unless he get some assurance that London would not be falling out of SL in 2024, before making any sort of spendng.

The indicative grading scores will give them an idea of whether or not they have a chance of being in the top 12 for 2025. Presumably the clubs will already be aware of their own score and will know the rest when the lot of them are made public. Whether or not the promoted team has any hope of being in the top 12 for 2025 will determine their squad recruitment I expect. As you suggest if they know it is likely they will not make the cut after 2024 then why throw money away on a single season? If they are at least close and have a chance of securing a top flight spot for 2025 by having a good season in 2024 then I expect the chequebook would come out. This probably applies whichever club wins promotion.

[Harry Stottle]

On 09/10/2023 at 08:10, Barley Mow said:

I assume that's in jest, but just in case it's not:

The closest railway station to Leigh Sports Village is approximately the same distance as Craven Park is from Hull Paragon - does the fact the station isn't called Leigh matter?

LSV is served by public transport - just bus rather than rail. It's also only about a 10 minute walk from Leigh's main bus station.

Aye but the people you are talking to will in all probability never require to know about the links to follow their team, just saying.

[The Blues Ox]

55 minutes ago, binosh said:

I don’t mind either London or Toulouse, I just hope whoever it is takes it seriously this time and invests in a decent team.

I'm really surprised how many comments I am seeing along these lines. Neither team really has much incentive to spend money on their squad. Realistically with the players available by the time they are promoted they could spend a fortune and with a bit of luck put a team on the field that could finish 11th or so making only a fraction of a point difference to if they were to finish 12th.  London especially would be better banking the cash and using it to help them plan a strategy for 2025 onwards in the Championship.

[Harry Stottle]

9 hours ago, Cowboy said:

Interesting to see what either club will do with the victory.Alot of Super League talent will need to added to the roster with a short amount of time until pre season approaches. More so London then Toulouse

Toulouse are nowhere nearer to competing in SL with their present squad than London are.

Not one club including Fev have/had a squad this year that could transition to SL and would need wholesale changes. A good number of the playing roster need to be of SL quality and be in such a position mid season to be able to attract other SL quality player's to the club, whoever the promoted team is they need to be able to hit the ground running pre season.

It has been proved time and again that waiting till promotion is secured is a recipe for failure, the shelves are virtually empty of the required level of playing talent, it took that numpty Derek Beaumont to rewrite the rules for SL survival, but that came at a cost of failing and learning but nevertheless the blueprint is out there.

I am of the opinion that both London or Toulouse will be canon fodder for the rest of SL this term, but either of them whoever wins will really have to step up the plate and prove that this 'potential' they both have in buckets loads will come to fruition, if it doesn't only some creative IMG spreadsheet number crunching will keep them in SL for 2025, which if that does happen will send a very strong message to the Championship clubs of 'What is the point'.

My opinion of course.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

11 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I've been to Ripon....can't believe it's considered a city....just a sort of market square car park with a Boots and 2 pubs....the workhouse museum is good though 

Places with Anglican cathedrals are deemed to be cities, hence Ripon's status (and Wakefield's, of course).  Coincidentally, another small city also has a workhouse museum (or maybe more accurately, a re-created workhouse in its original building); that is Southwell in Nottinghamshire.

1 hour ago, crashmon said:

I guess its becoming typical of these threads that by the time you get to page 3, the posts have nothing to do with the Thread title.

 

You are right, Crashmon.  Sorry for my part in it.

Back, more or less, on thread, I think there is a possibly critical difference to this TOXIII season and the one that led to their previous promotion to SL.  On that occasion, they had to carry over a lot of contractual commitments on players, some of whom were always at best going to be borderline SL quality.

This year, they seem to have gone with a smaller squad and an explicit policy of filling gaps from their existing elite (i.e. French first division) squad.  I do not know whether this was clever foresight or a financial necessity.  However, if they beat the Broncos (and I think that is quite a big 'if'), then they should have space to bring in some good, SL standard players, if - another 'if'! - they are still available.

As posters closer to Toulouse are suggesting there is new money available for TOXIII from the new owner, then money may be less of an issue for them than for London, though a repeat of the pernicious and punitive 'pay your visiting teams fares' rule wouldn't help.

Incidentally, when that applied before, did the Toulouse club have to find all the cost of travel for visiting teams?  At the very least I would have expected it to be the total cost LESS a typical travel cost for an all-British away game.  

[Archie Gordon]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Ah, I see 'potential' has reared it's head again.

I have some sympathy with you on this one. TO suckered me in last time and I bought into the talk of a playing budget to cover NRL signings and 10k crowds. Nothing like that happened, of course, and they limped along in front of very small crowds - save for the Catalan game at the end.

But I am an optimist and they deffo offer more than London Broncos in their current state. 

[Chrispmartha]

28 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Toulouse are nowhere nearer to competing in SL with their present squad than London are.

Not one club including Fev have/had a squad this year that could transition to SL and would need wholesale changes. A good number of the playing roster need to be of SL quality and be in such a position mid season to be able to attract other SL quality player's to the club, whoever the promoted team is they need to be able to hit the ground running pre season.

It has been proved time and again that waiting till promotion is secured is a recipe for failure, the shelves are virtually empty of the required level of playing talent, it took that numpty Derek Beaumont to rewrite the rules for SL survival, but that came at a cost of failing and learning but nevertheless the blueprint is out there.

I am of the opinion that both London or Toulouse will be canon fodder for the rest of SL this term, but either of them whoever wins will really have to step up the plate and prove that this 'potential' they both have in buckets loads will come to fruition, if it doesn't only some creative IMG spreadsheet number crunching will keep them in SL for 2025, which if that does happen will send a very strong message to the Championship clubs of 'What is the point'.

My opinion of course.

Harry you are almost there - you realise you are pretty much advocating for what IMG are planning, yes it is ridiculously hard for a promoted side from the Championship to hit the ground running in SL, thankfully the promoted team has a chance to grow properly rather than just trying to survive relegation.

[glossop saint]

2 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

I have some sympathy with you on this one. TO suckered me in last time and I bought into the talk of a playing budget to cover NRL signings and 10k crowds. Nothing like that happened, of course, and they limped along in front of very small crowds - save for the Catalan game at the end.

But I am an optimist and they deffo offer more than London Broncos in their current state. 

'Very small crowds' which averaged enough to score the second highest in the IMG grading and higher than Wakefield and Salford that season. In their debut season. Where they finished bottom. And higher than Widnes in their last SL season.

I know that's not necessarily your point and I agree with most of what you say however I don't think that it is strictly fair to bash them for the crowds they got. I think it was should realistically be expected.

As Harry himself points out it is very tricky to be able to build a SL standard squad only after being promoted from the Championship. Whoever comes up is fighting an uphill battle unless they can spend SL money in the Championship. 

[Chrispmartha]

17 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

I have some sympathy with you on this one. TO suckered me in last time and I bought into the talk of a playing budget to cover NRL signings and 10k crowds. Nothing like that happened, of course, and they limped along in front of very small crowds - save for the Catalan game at the end.

But I am an optimist and they deffo offer more than London Broncos in their current state. 

Toulouse got an average of just below 5,000 in their first season in SL, that's not a bad base to start building from

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, binosh said:

I don’t mind either London or Toulouse, I just hope whoever it is takes it seriously this time and invests in a decent team.

Easier said than done, even if you have the money available. 

[ELBOWSEYE]

13 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

My personal favourite is that Havant & Waterlooville play at Westleigh Park.

Those familiar with the Westleigh area of Leigh (I live there, so I can say it) and Westleigh Park might smile at the thought of there being a ground built there. Might last a day or two before being arsoned. 

Used to be a good park in my childhood.

[David Shepherd]

On 08/10/2023 at 21:39, Leonard said:

After the money they wasted on the Super League split and other farces, they should wind it in. 

To be fair, Hetherington was never part of the Mcmanus rebellion.