Reports are that Lyon have decided to drop a division, and Toulon may not start. There is a serious Referee shortage and The junior game will be affected in that regular full games at that level may give way to short game tournaments. We have to be pretty careful about calling Toulouse "expansion" when the French game is in contraction.

I don't think TO and Catalans have any French TV money sorted either so if we are going to 2x10 which many suggest is nailed on can anyone see SKY being happy with the possibility of only eight English clubs in the top division here?? Some people need to get their head out of the clouds,......

In 2009 we had 13 top flight British SL clubs, if Toulouse and Catalans continue to take refuge here then we could end up looking at only eight English Superleague clubs and consequently no TV deal ourselves. RL Message boards this last few years have been awash with tall tales of "Expansion" including Perez's phoney NA clubs, and too short on reality.

Good post. From13 top Uk clubs down to possibly 8! We are in challenging times getting fans packed in to established clubs should be the focus at the moment at the professional level.

Thanks for risking being trolled to death by replying.

It really comes down to the paymasters SKY. Under this current deal SKY conceded the idea that the game had to take it's chances to grow beyond it's Northern English base. IIRC it was Mr. McManus who said SKY had to have "A minimum of 9 Englsh clubs in Superleague" As it stands we have 11 and if Toulouse go up we end up with 10.

UNLESS of course Superleague is cut to 10 in which case as it stands two French clubs in Superleague leaving only eight English ones loses us the SKY deal.

When McManus made his statement he was aiming at the likes of Toronto, New York and Ottawa ( looking back it's clear the latter two applications were phoney baloney to prop up the continuance of TWP). This time it's about Toulouse and Catalans not being able to be both fitted into a 10 club SL1. However this is all notwithstanding Featherstone winning the promotion game...........

Now as this is getting complicated corrections certainly welcome, but could we see Leigh staying in Superleague somehow??

The focus should be on raising the standards. You want fans to fill stadiums then what is on offer currently needs to improve ten fold.

As long as the level of quality continues to decline there is no hope getting stadiums full.

The playoffs are supposed to be the elite end of the competition and the games last week were drivel. Calling them average would be kind.

I am a fan of Catalans, they have a strong brand, good stadium and good support and I am also willing to give Toulouse their chance for the same reasons,

BUT if they can't win a French TV deal after a year where they have both topped the tables, then serious questions have to be asked where things are heading, we can't sit around forever without French TV not even putting a single Euro in.

It's a very good point that you make regarding the fall from 13 UK clubs down to 8.
The all too frequent contractions are being driven by the top 4/5 clubs desperate to protect their slice of TV monies and the absolute nonsense about "improved quality" if/when SL drops to 10 clubs, belongs to the "flat earth" society.

Well that's just a very good point and Lenegan said this to Toulouse In Toulouse some years back......

He also said to Toulouse that they needed to produce French players of Superleague quality as well.

We will have to see if they win the promotion spot, if they do then some SL clubs may not be at all happy....

I agree entirely and I do not like the top clubs getting the dispensations on marquee players,

(But nor do I like SL clubs not spending full cap)

Unlike Catalan, Toulouse, should they win promotion, will have reached the top table on merit. For all the "it's not expansion", they have played by the same rules as the rest of the clubs in the championship during this weird times and haven't been "tested". The fact that they will replace Leigh, who themselves didn't 'earn' elevation is another plus.

As for the "bad news' coming out of France, the Elite seasons are often quite shambolic, but Toulouse have wealth, a fan base and will, eventually like Catalan, be challenging English clubs for the signatures of star NRL players......as well as developing their own talent. I believe they have 10 French players in their current squad.....how many SL clubs have that many "home grown" players? Wigans new star is from Croydon and came through the London Academy...regardless of the lies told by the pies....Louis MS has 11 years at St Helens, but he's another Londoner with GF rings....it takes a long time for talent to emerge, so rather than slag of Toulouse because they aren't included on your bus pass, embrace them...they are good for the game.

I personally welcome Toulouse as I think 2 to 3 "French derbies" a season would help grow the French game & bring both some bumper crowds, however you are deliberately avoiding comparison as like for like as that does not support your agenda !

"they have 10 French player's" & the ridiculous "how many SL Club's have that many home grown player's then comparing nationality to Counties or district's is a very deliberate avoidance of comparing apples to apples !
So Toulouse have 10 French player's, the question then becomes how many SL Club's have that many English player's. Of course you could say state how many Toulouse player's are from Toulouse, but that won't suit now will it ?