The Virtual Terrace • Future of the Game
Donnyman wrote:
Thanks for the reply, but it didn't need the "your agenda" comment, nor did it need the "some can't see it" jibes. Please cut these out.
I would be happy for you to list the French players who hold down a place in Superleague teams as a first choices, and add Theo Fages and Roman Navarette for instance to Remy Casty Ben Garcia and Fouad Yaha.
Can you not see how after 14 years of Catalans Dragons the number of first class french players that can hold down a first choice place in Superleague teams is no different to when they started (they had six first choice Frenchmen when they beat Wigan in their first ever SL game 2006). Can you not accept that the purpose of Les Catalans was to provide a competetive French team so we could return to Great Britain.v.France test games??
Why do you ignore these realities and accuse me of being parochial and blind? You need to accept that we did indeed return to France/GB tests in 2007 at Headingley, but these games were failures due to the weakness of the French players and despite a spirited showing at that first game didn't it all end on a wednesday night in Leigh in 2018 when it was England who won at a canter (38-0 at half time) before only 5,000 fans in Leigh??
The bottom line here is you try to argue that Les Catalans supply us with professional French players whom they develop
They don't develop them They used to run an academy and they shut it. They have been asked to run reserves and they refuse to do it. Their only recent addition of note to the Superleague playing pool was Folau. He's Australian BTW and a very controversial Aussie as well. So much so all English SL clubs combined to condemn Gaucsh for this move. Les Catalans do not produce SL players. Maybe the French RL produce a handful, and I'd be happy for Superleague and the RFL to go on supporting the French game and directly offering the chances for the best French lads to play here, which Fages took.
But come on Wrencat, Les Catalans just aren't about developing French players are they?? Nor do they have a TV deal. Why do you think they should be in front of Bradford, Newcastle. London or Widnes 2022?? Please explain that so Mr Kurdi, Mr. Lenegan, Mr Hughes and Mr. Wood can understand?
So many things to discuss here.
I'll start with the French test at Leigh, which I attended.
The blame for this utter shambles lays firmly at the feet of those who "promoted" the game, what an absolute farce and this is a huge understatement.
This was the first Test on home soil for an England side that had been robbed of World Cup glory.
It was pretty much kept secret, even for the most ardent RL fans and then purchasing tickets was a right bloody pain.
The phone lines didn't function, the on line ticket system didn't work and it was as low key that you can ever imagine.
No build up, "impossible" to buy tickets, Wednesday evening kick off etc, etc - it's almost as though it was being set up to fail
Of course, it was a game against France, a National side selected primarily from Catalans squad, plus just a few extras (including some Aussie-French players).
You rightly point out that part of the reason behind having Catalan in the comp was to try and improve the quality of the French National side and whilst you can argue that back in the day, there were much closer encounters and even the occasional French victory, this was pre Super League and a Full time professional England side and just imagine the gulf, if it had been England vs France, with a side made up from their National league - it would have been cruel for the game to go ahead.
Weirdly, you argue that because Catalan dont had sufficient French Nationals in their squad, they should be kicked out of the league, which would make the gulf in quality even wider.
Also with this fixture scheduled mid season, is it even reasonable for Catalan, to have to use the majority of their squad for this game AND still play in the next round of SL, with their squad, completely wasted from playing in the International fixture.
There is no way in the world that one club side can provide a full national squad and it's stupid to suggest that they could (or should).
Even if there were 2 or 3 French SL sides, they would still struggle to provide decent competition but, it would close the gap a little, but, hey, lets kick them out and lose one of the few genuine National RL sides - what a great move for a game that is struggling for profile, absolutely brilliant
If / when one or more of your/Lennegan's "favourites" becomes ready or good enough for SL then, I'm sure they will gain promotion and good luck to them
Having said that, London had their shot and just failed to stay up, Widnes, had their shot and failed, Newcastle are making god progress and may well make it and Bradford - just not good enough right now, either on or off the pitch, although they do have a good sized dormant fan base but, between them and those "running" the game, they have abandoned Odsal and a lease that they had previously agreed - leaving the rest of the RL family to finance, therefore, would it be right that they should receive priority ??
Statistics: Posted by wrencat1873 — Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:42 am — Replies 262 — Views 10126