They should have started in NL1, it doesn't do them or the other team any favours putting on 50+ points every game.
The Crusaders need stiff competition week in week out to make the highest level.
The way things are looking at Les Catalans I would put money on the Crusaders putting up a better fight in the ESL
get real the russians are on the edge at moment every knows this, simply put needs rlef to enlist experienced coaches & draft ex superleague players. Only 1 player in pro system at leopards in france, is the money there to have experienced coach a warren ryan comes to mind, they need help.
As for french performance very surprising, pia getting thumped by whithaven (a team with big superleague aspirations), limoux getting beat a batley. While toulouse struggled to beat blackpool.
The elite comp is at crossroads at present, the big teams limoux, pia, utc toulouse, leopards, st gaudens want to have big overseas names & want to play in cc each year, with toulouse having a huge possibilty of sl with there money potential and crowd figures. The smaller clubs lezigan, uvc, lyon not having the money to pay overseas players anymore and wanting more domestic feel. So where to from here does the comp go, i would say albert has a big idea, many ideas 1. have a french superleague with 6 to 8 clubs and a the small teams go to d1 2. have the big french clubs, join a expanded nl1. 3. have a european semi pro comp with say 6 french, 1 lebanese, 2 russian (very unlikely).
as for cetlic in superleague i beleve there crowds must grow to around 5 to 6 thousand by 2008 to join superleague, toulouse are the same must have crowd figures around the same. time will tell.
