Coastbloke
Bench
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http://www.sang-et-or.net/readarticle.php?article_id=524
There's an old saying; don't get mad, get even. In my case, it should be, 'I don't get mad, I get frustrated'.
I help Toulouse Olympique when they are over here. I sort out the balls, the water, the replacement cards. Anything I can do to help. I was present on the night when they were given a lesson in Rugby League by Widnes, final score 0-70. Believe me it hurt. It bloody hurt. I have been involved with Rugby League for 30 years now in all forms, but to see the lads quiet at the end of the game, and the realisation that they had tried their best and not come up with the result, made them realise that they were playing that whole new ball game. They had stepped up a Division, maybe two, and found to be lacking, but they worked on it.
A week later, they lost in the last minutes of the game 12-18 to a very committed Sheffield Eagles side. Apart from the report not much was said, but prior to that, the xenophobes were out in force. The knives were sharpened, the "I hate France but have only been on a weekend shopper to Calais and a bus trip to Paris for two days" brigade were stating that Toulouse should never have been allowed into the League. The glorious plan of expansion was dead in the water and French rugby league should retreat back to where it should be, that is allowing Super League fans to go over to Perpignan for their weekend jaunt, allowing the token presence of the French Rugby League teams in the Challenge Cup, to be thrashed and summarily dispatched, and then taking the mick about the game down there until next season.
But an interesting result last night was that Batley were put to the sword by Halifax; losing 0-72. When I got up this morning and viewed websites I looked for the detractors to say that The Bulldogs should have been kicked out of the league, that they weren't fit to grace the Championship, that they weren't... well, to elucidate I looked for all the comments that were directed at Toulouse some weeks earlier. Know what? There weren't any. Makes me mad. Makes me angry. Want to know why? It's because that it seems that it's OK for an English team to lose by over 70 points and nobody gives a rats hat about it, but woe betide a French team losing by two points less and they are the lowest of the low for daring to want to challenge the Northern expansion of the greatest game.
What was even more amusing was that Gary Thornton, coach of the defeated team, stated in some areas of the press that Batley "would have a good chance of ending Fax's unbeaten run". Thanks for that observation Gary. Give me the six lottery numbers for the weekend and I will chuck my pound coin down the nearest drain.
I love the French way of life. I love French Rugby League. I love the fact that they have come through adversity, beaten off the French government and the French rugby union with a big stick, and kicked against it. I applaud Bernard Guasch, I applaud Carlos Zalduendo & Cedric Garcia and all who believe in French Rugby League. Know why? Because these people are the future of the game, through their insight and their wish to expand it.
And I honestly don't believe that Batley should be kicked out of the league because they lost 0-72. I don't believe it because the Batley team and the Batley supporters are the lifeblood of the game, just like the Toulouse team and supporters are. The Championship this year is a competition that should be supported and nurtured. That's because it's competitive and that the players are committed and give everything, and on a lot less cash than the higher-ups are. Having spoken to people like Ged Stokes at Whitehaven, Mark Aston at Sheffield, and Paul Cullen, before he took over at Widnes, these guys are the lifeblood of the game. The guys who bring young players through, like Greg McNally at Whitehaven. The guys who, probably like me, believe that there is life outside Super League, and life outside British Rugby League.
We have to nurture young players and expand the game - and the Co-Operative Championship. If we don't, 'Il est mort'.
PS: Batley play Toulouse on Easter Monday, 15.00 BST at Mount Pleasant. Get down there and support the Championship
Posted by John_D on April 12 2009 11:27:07
There's an old saying; don't get mad, get even. In my case, it should be, 'I don't get mad, I get frustrated'.
I help Toulouse Olympique when they are over here. I sort out the balls, the water, the replacement cards. Anything I can do to help. I was present on the night when they were given a lesson in Rugby League by Widnes, final score 0-70. Believe me it hurt. It bloody hurt. I have been involved with Rugby League for 30 years now in all forms, but to see the lads quiet at the end of the game, and the realisation that they had tried their best and not come up with the result, made them realise that they were playing that whole new ball game. They had stepped up a Division, maybe two, and found to be lacking, but they worked on it.
A week later, they lost in the last minutes of the game 12-18 to a very committed Sheffield Eagles side. Apart from the report not much was said, but prior to that, the xenophobes were out in force. The knives were sharpened, the "I hate France but have only been on a weekend shopper to Calais and a bus trip to Paris for two days" brigade were stating that Toulouse should never have been allowed into the League. The glorious plan of expansion was dead in the water and French rugby league should retreat back to where it should be, that is allowing Super League fans to go over to Perpignan for their weekend jaunt, allowing the token presence of the French Rugby League teams in the Challenge Cup, to be thrashed and summarily dispatched, and then taking the mick about the game down there until next season.
But an interesting result last night was that Batley were put to the sword by Halifax; losing 0-72. When I got up this morning and viewed websites I looked for the detractors to say that The Bulldogs should have been kicked out of the league, that they weren't fit to grace the Championship, that they weren't... well, to elucidate I looked for all the comments that were directed at Toulouse some weeks earlier. Know what? There weren't any. Makes me mad. Makes me angry. Want to know why? It's because that it seems that it's OK for an English team to lose by over 70 points and nobody gives a rats hat about it, but woe betide a French team losing by two points less and they are the lowest of the low for daring to want to challenge the Northern expansion of the greatest game.
What was even more amusing was that Gary Thornton, coach of the defeated team, stated in some areas of the press that Batley "would have a good chance of ending Fax's unbeaten run". Thanks for that observation Gary. Give me the six lottery numbers for the weekend and I will chuck my pound coin down the nearest drain.
I love the French way of life. I love French Rugby League. I love the fact that they have come through adversity, beaten off the French government and the French rugby union with a big stick, and kicked against it. I applaud Bernard Guasch, I applaud Carlos Zalduendo & Cedric Garcia and all who believe in French Rugby League. Know why? Because these people are the future of the game, through their insight and their wish to expand it.
And I honestly don't believe that Batley should be kicked out of the league because they lost 0-72. I don't believe it because the Batley team and the Batley supporters are the lifeblood of the game, just like the Toulouse team and supporters are. The Championship this year is a competition that should be supported and nurtured. That's because it's competitive and that the players are committed and give everything, and on a lot less cash than the higher-ups are. Having spoken to people like Ged Stokes at Whitehaven, Mark Aston at Sheffield, and Paul Cullen, before he took over at Widnes, these guys are the lifeblood of the game. The guys who bring young players through, like Greg McNally at Whitehaven. The guys who, probably like me, believe that there is life outside Super League, and life outside British Rugby League.
We have to nurture young players and expand the game - and the Co-Operative Championship. If we don't, 'Il est mort'.
PS: Batley play Toulouse on Easter Monday, 15.00 BST at Mount Pleasant. Get down there and support the Championship
Posted by John_D on April 12 2009 11:27:07
