Another French team would be filled with Australians...they would want instant success.



They would be better served sending some of their better junior players over here or to Australia / N.Z.



It still doesn't explain how the Catalans players do in the national shirts though does it?, and the sympathy for the French National team on here is another reason why we haven't won anything at International level either. We are forever weakening our own hand to aid others...Poor French team?...fast track another French team into S.L





As for New Zealand?....they'd been getting results at international level and supplying players to Aussie/ British clubs long before the Auckland Warriors entered the N.R.L, all from a country which battles to get out of the shadow of the All Blacks.



Maybe the French should start to help themselves more first.

Getting a proper coach (preferably French) would be a start, Bobby Goulding and Agar were both joke appointments.



I don't think its all doom and gloom though, players like Fages & Escare have their best years ahead of them.

Another French SL team, more teams in the British lower levels and having English clubs bringing through French juniors in their academy systems.



All pretty basic stuff, just takes time.

There should be a yearly under 18s international tournament held in Australia or England and all the NRL and ESL clubs should pick the eyes out of the best juniors in the world for their under 20s squads.

Most of these guys will go back to their countries after 2 years as very much better players, while some will go on to professional careers.

Players were literally crying during the national anthem. I'd hardly say they don't care! Maybe they care too much?!

Possibly for the first couple of years. I'd hardly say "filled" as well. There'd still be plenty of French players in there to start with.











People seem to not understand how many Kiwis live in Australia (and specifically the East Coast) compared to French people up north. I think I've met more Aussies in Hull than I have Frenchmen! It's a huge cultural difference. To expect the French to just uproot to other shores is not a practical alternative at all. It will not happen. It's a possible root for the Welsh, but not the French. They need to build domestically.





Because France only has one FT team, they are weak in certain areas of the field. Where the Catalans plug these gaps with Aussies, Les Bleus have to bring in part time players. That makes a HUGE difference. More clubs means more chance of finding players that will plug these gaps (and more chance a club will take a chance with French players in these positions).



Basically, just imagine Warrington were the only FT English team and the rest were part time. How good would they be if you had to replace the full back, winger, half back, hooker and second row with part time, youngsters or utility players? I reckon the Kiwis would demolish them also.

The thing is, a good France test side, would help improve us also.



The Kiwis have 2 or 3 players at every Aussie club, but English clubs don't have Frenchmen as it counts on the quota. Perhaps that is something we could look in to.

As has been pointed out earlier, the cultural difference between Auckland ( or even Tonga/Fiji ) and Sydney is minute compared to Carcassonne and Wakefield



Another French SL club is our best option to help develop French RL, but that on its own is not the answer

That's because they come through the Aus systems.



You won't get many French players moving to England as youngsters. It's a completely different cultural. It's a huge barrier, along with language. This will not work with the French like it does NZ. It might work with the Welsh though.

Bring Toulouse in ahead of some glum northern flat cap pit town. The games needs real expansion.

You mean kick London out right?

How about when the country votes no to europe we kick out the European teams.