CALLUM WALKER reviews Toulouse’s impressive top-tier return.
The hope
It was Toulouse Olympique’s first season back in Super League since they were relegated at the end of the 2022 campaign, but this time they looked much more prepared.
Coming in at 13th on the IMG grading list, the French club’s place in the top-flight seemed safe, allowing them to build with patience this time around. Head coach Sylvain Houles was still at the helm after leading Toulouse for over a decade.
NRL players Henry O’Kane (South Sydney Rabbitohs) and Brendan Hands (Parramatta Eels) were brought in alongside Cesar Rougé, Luke Polselli and Mathieu Pons, adding flair to the French side.
The reality
To be fair to Toulouse, they themselves perhaps weren’t predicting what actually happened during the season.
An eighth-place finish on the Super League ladder was sensational upon their return, with the likes of established top-flight sides Catalans Dragons and Castleford Tigers ending the year below Olympique.
An opening round away victory at eventual Grand Final winners Wakefield Trinity left the rest of the competition shellshocked, with a triumph over Castleford Tigers in Round Two lifting Toulouse to first place as Olly Ashall-Bott showed tremendous form early on.
That was, however, short-lived as Houles’ men won just two of their next 14 games to slip to 13th at one stage during the season.
That being said, six wins in their last eleven fixtures quelled any fear that they would receive the wooden spoon.
On the playing side of things, Tyler Dupree left halfway through his loan spell from Wigan to join Castleford, while Reubenn Rennie departed in August.
Toulouse had eleven players selected for three World Cup squads.
Best players
Olly Ashall-Bott was superb for Toulouse in the first two-thirds of the season, registering 13 tries in 18 appearances and even being considered in the Steve Prescott Man of Steel rankings.
Despite missing the last third of the campaign, the 28-year-old still came fourth in the tackle-bust chart, with 132.
If Ashall-Bott was an electric livewire for Toulouse, then Mathieu Jussaume was the ever-reliable forward. The 27-year-old scored 16 tries in 24 appearances as he became the first-ever Toulouse representative in the Super League Dream Team.
Mid-season recruits John Toleafoa, Louis Grossemy and Ethan Quai-Ward also played a key role.
In quotes
“They played with their hearts and I’m very proud and happy. We want to compete. We want to perform. We showed that, just like York did (beating Hull KR) and Bradford pushed Hull very far too. It’s very early days; it’s one round done. But it’s very good for us, playing away in England in our first game back in Super League, to start with this gives us a lot of confidence.” – Sylvain Houles after Toulouse beat Wakefield in Round One.
“Because everyone thought we wouldn’t do well, we wanted to prove and to show them that we’re not the last team. We can be a very good side and we play good footy. I think people have enjoyed watching us and when we do that, we are even happier. I think I’ve played my best Rugby League this year and I mean, it’s Super League. Since the beginning of the year I know that in every game, I’ve played better and better.” – Mathieu Jussaume after being included in the Dream Team.
“Despite the fact that the 1.5 points from the catchment area was scrapped and dispatched between sport performance and finance, our grade still increased. It is a great achievement as it is virtually impossible to recover the full 1.5 points lost from the catchment pillar. We have improved in every department and we are really happy. I am proud of the work put in by the whole club.” – Toulouse chief executive Cedric Garcia expresses his delight after the club’s position in Super League was confirmed with the IMG gradings result.
In numbers
7,360 spectators flocked to the Stade Ernest Wallon in Round 26 to watch Toulouse hammer Hull FC.
13 tries and 13 assists in 18 appearances for Olly Ashall-Bott before his season was cut short due to injury.
25.5 was the average age of the Toulouse squad in 2026.
Highlights
An 18-16 Round One victory over Wakefield on their own turf proved that Toulouse’s place in Super League was warranted.
An emphatic 60-18 thrashing of Catalans and a remarkable 46-0 demolition of St Helens in back-to-back weeks reverberated around the top flight before a run of three wins in their last four elevated Olympique to eighth.
Having Mathieu Jussaume included in the Dream Team was also a special moment for the club.
An average attendance number of 4,870 was also up from 3,598 in 2025.
Lowlights
A run of seven straight defeats after winning their opening two games threatened to derail their first season back in Super League, whilst a four-match losing streak in late July and early August impacted Toulouse’s outside chances of a play-off spot.
Losing Olly Ashall-Bott to a serious hamstring injury in July proved to be a big loss, with the fullback on course for a Dream Team spot and even being considered as an outside shot for England at the World Cup.
Two 46-0 losses to Leeds and Hull KR were also bitter pills to swallow.
Looking ahead
Toulouse’s squad is finished for 2027, with two Academy graduates – Victor Collin and Bradley Coffin – being promoted to the first team.
The only new signing to join Houles’ squad is Castleford forward Sam Hall, who has signed a two-year deal.
The lack of depth could be a concern, but Toulouse are planning for the future with their squad, which can be done after they were given an improved score on the IMG grading system.
Losing Joe Bretherton, Ellis Gillam, Pierre-Jean Lima, Reubenn Rennie, and AJ Wallace will also affect the club’s firepower on the field.
