SYLVAIN HOULES has admitted he is delighted that the then Toulouse Olympique president Bernard Sarrazain persuaded him to stay at the club following their relegation from Super League in 2022.
Toulouse won just five games during that campaign to be relegated with ten points, with a whole host of players leaving the club and much of the backroom staff doing so also.
Houles has admitted that it was a difficult period for him personally and he came very close to calling it a day on his coaching career.
But since then the French club has rebuilt on and off the field well enough to be readmitted to Super League for the 2026 season.
And that revival culminated last weekend as the newly elevated club defeated Wakefield Trinity 18-16 at the DIY Kitchens Stadium.
Houles insists that he and the club, who host Castleford Tigers on Saturday, absorbed plenty of lessons from their first season in the top-flight four years ago.
“We have learnt a lot. When I compare the pre-season we had in 2022 to this one, it has been quite different and it gives me a lot of confidence,” Houles told League Express.
“The main thing is about sticking to what we believe in as a club, country and culture, at whatever level we play. We won’t change that.
“After Super League, it was very difficult, especially in the off-season. From that first day in pre-season, we had five players.
“I told the five around the table what was next and the players were and have been awesome.
“They have followed me; we went back to our roots and culture and the players that have come in have adjusted to that.
“Since then, it’s been fun. I’m very glad that the president pushed for me to stay.”