correct another french club would just continue the decline in attendance figures



I hope the RFL aren't that stupid to see that

I don't believe the RFL have a dislike for clubs with a wealthy backer - quite the opposite in fact, they appear to court them and bring them into the inner circle.



For me, Toulouse would be a bridge too far, particularly if they were granted entry ahead of some English teams who've worked their backsides off to meet the criteria; the only way it could be done with any degree of fairness is to expand SL rather than reduce it, and I can't see the turkeys voting for Xmas in that regard.

Proves how important Newmarket is to is and how we need it ASAP. Everyone is assuming licensing is going to be scrapped with p&r coming back but ground facilities are still going to be a massive factor whatever some people say.

On the other side of the coin, would a successful Toulouse side increase interest the other side of the channel giving the French a derby match, hopefully making France become viable international opposition, something our game desperately needs in this hemisphere and making future rugby league world cups less of a joke competition and thus benefiting the game as a whole. Or perhaps we should just concentrate on putting an iron curtain up around the M62 and forget the crazy idea that we could ever expand our great game.

For Toulose to stand a chance without a rich backer they'd have to be at least pulling 10k, would they get anything like that, especially with the competition of a successful RU team in the City already.



London is a city with money and sponsors it does them no good.



The fact is if Toulose are rushed in without having the things in place to be able to survive SL it would be another disaster waiting to happen. What they don't need either is signing a ship load of antipodeans along with a few average French players and expect it to work. What they do need is a good core of French players who are of a good standard, a good youth structure to enable the club to maintain and prosper in the future and a good community and marketing side of things to get the fans behind the team. Even then are they more beneficial to SL than the likes of the teams already been mentioned?

quite right SC - 'a disaster waiting to happen' as you say but maybe the RFL are THAT desperate ? They don't see many GB alternatives maybe ?

' Desperate ' is exactly where our sport currently is, weak at almost every level

Don't want your sort spreading that sort of talk on here, the games thriving at all levels and franchising into SL is the future of our game.



Back to the VT you fiend.

Any club coming into SL needs managing carefully, regardless of where they come from.



Whilst I agree that there should be a pathway for Championship clubs, I also believe that a second French side would be good for the game.



It is vital that we build the international game. This needs more players coming through the Academy systems - here and in France - and you will only do that by having more clubs!



However, any change should be made over a 5 to 10 year period, not 1 or 2. And ultimately I think we should aim for a larger league without a full home and away system.



I also reckon that they're making a right old mess of the Academy system!



Not for the first time I appear to be in the minority!

The question is, if an additional French team is added to SL (and I have no problem with the idea itself), how will the make up and numbers in the league be decided.

Although our point of view may be selfish, our club was a victim of the cull before the inception of SL and at the previous round of franchises, due to the uncertainty over our inclusion we almost disappeared.

So for all supporters of saamaller clubs, expansion will have a detrimental effect and whilst this may be good for the long term future of the game, we have had a bellyfull of SL expansion as we are always in the firing line.

Ok, with the excellent work done by Mr Glover and James Elston, we are not currently in the bottom 3 or 4 weakest clubs in SL but, how many times can SL change its structure.

16 clubs down to 12 then back up to 14 and pressure to reduce to 10 AND include another French club and all of this in the space of 15/16 years.

Its no wonder that our sport struggles for sponsorship and kudos, we need stability and a sensible plan for growth.

I'm not saying put up a iron curtain around the M62 but another overseas club will just about kill the game off, are fans now expected to fly to away games

I believe the academy system is failing due to the lack of interest below it as for the International game we should concentrate on our own team not help the French

if they want to grow let them at their own expense