But it is going to cost a considerable amount of money that in my opinion should have been spent on the current NL clubs and the competition itself

I agree, possibly a French club in NL1 is a bit premature. However a second French club in SL in 2012 is about right (?) if development over there continues at the current rate. Therefore somewhere between now and then it would be worth investigating the option of a French club in NL1. I think a French club in NL1 could do alot of good for the French game and also for the cache of NL1. TO can afford to investigate this option, other French clubs could not.

So while things are not right/perfect now, they won't be for the next three years, and then the chance to try a french club in NL1 will have passed.

Sorry … how is the RFL subsidising clubs' travel costs for an expanded competition with an international element not money "pent on the current NL clubs and the competition itself"

will not help the current NL 1 clubs in any way , be that financially or the profile of the competition



The bulk of the money spent will be going to the french club and they will benifit much more than the current NL 1 clubs



My opinion , you disagree no problem

Too early to make a good prediction about how they're going to do - it's five months until NL1 (or whatever it will eventually be called) starts. The current squad looks pretty weak to me, but they have several months to make further signings. It's also a pretty young squad on the whole and they've already started training. Six months of pre-season training could see significant improvements in some of those players and they should certainly be very well-drilled, no need for the squad to 'gel' come March/April.

Only if the French club is a travel company. Which is where the bulk of the money spent will be going

It would seem you have reached new depths of pedantry with that post , well done

Yes but what does a French club in NL1 really achieve? A French club in SL it's easy to see the benefits of, but the massively increased costs for an entire league seems to more than offset the smalle benefits of one club playing in a slightly higher standard of competition, despite not being too good to play in their current competition

It could be another case of RL trying to run before they can walk, but it could well be the implementation of a vision to make the NL1 comp a genuinely interesting comp - and get TV revenue for it.

I think that this is a bit of a Crusaders issue "they can only try this now, even if they are not really ready" as opposed to a Catalans "they are ready now" issue.

, Are we suddenly to believe that having Toulouse in NL 1 will result in TV companies throwing cash at us ?



2 nd , if the NL's are that uninteresting that the inclusion of a mid/lower club from France is the best the RFL can come up with to generate interest in the competition then they are truly b0lloxed

in three years time maybe so, maybe sky will pay that £100k per season and the £100k currently coming from the RFL can go to the amateur game







Toulouse arent a mid/lower club, they may have finished there last year but they have a long and distinguished history in the LER and only 3 years ago a semi pro/LER Toulouse were in the semi final of the Challenge cup having beaten Widnes, and in 2005 and 2006 they were LER grand finalists and have been in 4 of the last 9 championships

In three years time Toulouse will get a SL franchise , so how will they help to get additional SKY support then [ that is if SKY are not already paying











All irrelivant , just history