[quote="Budgiezilla"]

It beat the four fans who came over for Toronto's debut in Superleague......

But Toulouse are a real club which is the difference.

The issue isn't nationality, or Jealousy, long before their achievement in gaining promotion the idea was they would bring to the game a significant French TV deal. We shall have to see if that now happens, if it does then shame on the moaners. We will also need to see if they develop SL quality French players, or if they will use the English player pool.??

They could just do what the teams at the bottom of SL do. Promote random amateur players to the first team squad on £50 a game and claim they have "developed SL quality players"

Let's just dispel this myth.
Catalans have a squad of 15/25 Frenchmen. Toulouse slightly less so 12/25.
People seem to want to criticise Catalan if they aren't universally a team of frenchmen, forgetting that most SL teams have a number of overseas players in their teams. Catalan have as many french players as most other SL clubs have English.

The fact theyre not all French is just natural progression of their club, where players move around. The true gauge of success imo is that there are other French players playing in SL who are not playing for catalan. Were it not for recent developments in the game, players like Fages and Escare would not be playing for Saints and Salford etc.

It should be interesting who they have lined up to strengthen their squad.

Most clubs are on the lookout for a big prop, you suspect TO will also need one.

Houles looking to bring in four or five new players.

I see what you did there. Catalans run with about 3 first choice French players and the rest of the first choice team is imports........

So if Catalans have for all these years run with such a make up then it appears there aren't that many top class i.e. Superleague first team quality French players about which is a shame. This may be why the French national side have been annually slaughtered by Great Britain.

So when Toulouse join Superleague they too will need to import most of the first team. Now that's just how it is and for me Toulouse have worked hard and waited since 1996 for this chance that they deserve. BUT Toronto didn't even bother to develop any players..........

And the thing is that for many years it has been made clear that SL clubs need to develop players and attract TV deals. That was asked of Toulouse, That was asked of Toronto, that was asked of Les Catalans........

So if Toulouse field a largely imported team and don't manage to find a TV deal then they fail the true test on membership to Superleague. But all that may have gone by the board.

I suspect those polices SL ran with for years are out of the window and the two French clubs will be tolerated because of their very rich owners, and the fact SKY want 10 English clubs and that can be fitted into a 12 club Superleague.

But you didn't think for one minute if SL had been reduced to 10 only 8 of the clubs would have been English??..................Did you??

This is different.
I'm just so pleased Leigh Centurions promoted their locals from their reserve and Academy side during their stint in Super League.
Those M62'ers are an example to us all.
125 years of unadulterated brilliance as they complete their money grab.

I find it hilarious that somehow Toulouse are expected to bring a tv deal- did Leigh? Would Fev?
I also find it hilarious that somehow the fact that only a dozen “away” fans will turn up , suddenly clubs are going to financially struggle without the 300 extra tickets they might have sold at 1 game next year had it been another side.
Then the fact that Toulouse are expected to bring to the table half a dozen top class home grown players - what like Fev and Leigh?
Did I miss something - or is this just really xenophobia by excuse?

Yep

Little Englander behaviour at its finest. #bluepassport