The grand plan

[Pippen94]

To be fair I wish we would focus on the pacific and especially nz before we worry about England

I would put France before England too

NRL can absorb already established rugby league market in UK. Other places like interstate and new Zealand will need work.

 

[Wb1234]

England you are competing with premier league

And worse English league fans

Just go on English forums and see what they say about the nrl

The money it would take to turn the English game around would be at least 100 million pounds and probably more

Img can negotiate the tv deal up for them and most of their problems go away

France is where the nrl can make a difference with way less money

They would accept nrl control and management

Les Catalans was literally formed by a merger of two existing clubs

You would never get English fans agreeing too mergers for the good of the game.

 

[Pippen94]

England you are competing with premier league

And worse English league fans

Just go on English forums and see what they say about the nrl

The money it would take to turn the English game around would be at least 100 million pounds and probably more

Img can negotiate the tv deal up for them and most of their problems go away

France is where the nrl can make a difference with way less money

They would accept nrl control and management

Les Catalans was literally formed by a merger of two existing clubs

You would never get English fans agreeing too mergers for the good of the game.

Game is more regionalised in France with no major metro's. Toulouse is the only city of size where sport is played, while albi and Avignon are among only a handful of towns where is more popular than union.

 

[Wb1234]

Game is more regionalised in France with no major metro's. Toulouse is the only city of size where sport is played, while albi and Avignon are among only a handful of towns where is more popular than union.

England is m62 and even then soccer dominates everywhere

 

[Pippen94]

England is m62 and even then soccer dominates everywhere

League is much smaller in France than the UK for reason I stated

 

[Wb1234]

League is much smaller in France than the UK for reason I stated

Wasn’t in the 1940s before it got banned by the Nazis

Catalans are one of the biggest clubs in super league. If toulose stay In super league they will be bigger

And Fenech would do what Pvl wants pommies wont

I’d argue France has way more potential for growth than England especially from a cost point of view

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

And worse English league fans

Just go on English forums and see what they say about the nrl

Nah at least 80% if not more, want the NRL to takeover, they are more than well aware they are going nowhere with Pommies running the game.
Even with a promising year in front of them they are resigned to their broadcast deal being flat at best and the hopes of other outside investment negligible if not zero. Almost all see NRL as their saviour. Even your mate Dave T.

You would never get English fans agreeing too mergers for the good of the game.

The NRL would grow the comp around them if they have to, smaller clubs would fall by the wayside, they are already.

And Fenech would do what Pvl wants pommies wont

A lot of French fans say the French administrators are worse than the Pommies. It`s what got them into the fix they are in now.

I’d argue France has way more potential for growth than England especially from a cost point of view

Starting from a way, way lower base including way fewer players and very importantly very limited scope of any other teams - apart from the two in - that are based out of cities or large towns of any sort. Let`s face it, even Cats has limited growth prospects where they are, they`re just well-run.

I think England is a far safer bet, just have to have complete control and not rock the boat too much to upset the natives, once the big few favoured clubs start to take-off, including importantly the two French clubs, then the NRL can think about putting well-funded franchises in other areas like Wales, Newcastle etc.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Wasn’t in the 1940s before it got banned by the Nazis

Catalans are one of the biggest clubs in super league. If toulose stay In super league they will be bigger

And Fenech would do what Pvl wants pommies wont

I’d argue France has way more potential for growth than England especially from a cost point of view

I would love to see France do well but it literally the strongest RU comp in the world that they're competing with, highest paying too. It's literally the position League is in here , in reverse, Union scoops up all the talent.
Toulouse is in direct competition with one of these RU clubs, so they have a hard road ahead to be as big as Catalans.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Nah at least 80% if not more, want the NRL to takeover, they are more than well aware they are going nowhere with Pommies running the game.
Even with a promising year in front of them they are resigned to their broadcast deal being flat at best and the hopes of other outside investment negligible if not zero. Almost all see NRL as their saviour. Even your mate Dave T.


The NRL would grow the comp around them if they have to, smaller clubs would fall by the wayside, they are already.


A lot of French fans say the French administrators are worse than the Pommies. It`s what got them into the fix they are in now.


Starting from a way, way lower base including way fewer players and very importantly very limited scope of any other teams - apart from the two in - that are based out of cities or large towns of any sort. Let`s face it, even Cats has limited growth prospects where they are, they`re just well-run.

I think England is a far safer bet, just have to have complete control and not rock the boat too much to upset the natives, once the big few favoured clubs start to take-off, including importantly the two French clubs, then the NRL can think about putting well-funded franchises in other areas like Wales, Newcastle etc.

Crusaders are still in the Championship along with Newcastle. Hopefully someone buys those clubs with the same ambitions as the owner of York.

 

[Pippen94]

Wasn’t in the 1940s before it got banned by the Nazis

Catalans are one of the biggest clubs in super league. If toulose stay In super league they will be bigger

And Fenech would do what Pvl wants pommies wont

I’d argue France has way more potential for growth than England especially from a cost point of view

League peaked in France in the 1950's. What's left are tiny towns where sport is behind union in almost all. Doesn't mean you can't build on what's there as Catalans have shown, but it's not going to be big city comp. England, France and Wales are stronger together. Greater than sum of parts.

 

[Wb1234]

League peaked in France in the 1950's. What's left are tiny towns where sport is behind union in almost all. Doesn't mean you can't build on what's there as Catalans have shown, but it's not going to be big city comp. England, France and Wales are stronger together. Greater than sum of parts.

Catalans became one of the biggest clubs in super league and Peripgnan is only a small town

Think their turnover is similar to Leeds rhinos (Leeds is a big city too)

A French pro league would be at least on par with super league not that it’s saying much

In six years since it was introduced in France league had overtaken Union

If not for being banned it would be a massive sport in France

I’m sure you are aware of the French union comp it would’ve been bigger than that

 

[Pippen94]

Catalans became one of the biggest clubs in super league and Peripgnan is only a small town

Think their turnover is similar to Leeds rhinos (Leeds is a big city too)

A French pro league would be at least on par with super league not that it’s saying much

In six years since it was introduced in France league had overtaken Union

If not for being banned it would be a massive sport in France

I’m sure you are aware of the French union comp it would’ve been bigger than that

Perpignan is town of 100k and had three league teams so game was entrenched there. Avignon is 90k, Abli, Carcassonne about 50k. Rest of elite teams mostly in locations with populations of 10k. Does NRL have teams in Bathurst, orange, Wagga?!

 

[Pippen94]

I would prefer that Vlandy’s would stop with these grandiose schemes of his and look after each club in the NRL - in Australia, not other bloody countries.

NRL is rugby league: Australia, PNG, NZ and soon to be Europe

https://x.com/SteveMascord/status/2023188966896509385

 

[Gobsmacked]

Perpignan is town of 100k and had three league teams so game was entrenched there. Avignon is 90k, Abli, Carcassonne about 50k. Rest of elite teams mostly in locations with populations of 10k. Does NRL have teams in Bathurst, orange, Wagga?!

Avignon city is 90k but urban sprawl is 500k, certainly enough for a professional outfit.
I'd love to see another French team in SL and Avignon is probably the best bet

 

[Pippen94]

Avignon city is 90k but urban sprawl is 500k, certainly enough for a professional outfit.
I'd love to see another French team in SL and Avignon is probably the best bet

As somebody who has never visited region it seems there's a concentration of teams from Marseille to Avignon. Maybe best location for new team?!

 

[Wb1234]

Perpignan is town of 100k and had three league teams so game was entrenched there. Avignon is 90k, Abli, Carcassonne about 50k. Rest of elite teams mostly in locations with populations of 10k. Does NRL have teams in Bathurst, orange, Wagga?!

Toulose sounds like a big place

Marseille too

Maybe not on the level of castleford though

 

[Pippen94]

Toulose sounds like a big place

Marseille too

Maybe not on the level of castleford though

Which club exists in Marseille?!

 

[marlins2.0]

Marseille Broncos mate, free flowing, eyes up sorta footy club.

 

[Wb1234]

Which club exists in Marseille?!

Check out what French rugby league looked like in the 1940s

If we are judging by today Catalans and toulose would never have joined super league

English league covers a very narrow sliver of land in the backwaters of England that most people have never heard of (outer suburbs of Manchester and Liverpool)

 

[Pippen94]

Check out what French rugby league looked like in the 1940s

If we are judging by today Catalans and toulose would never have joined super league

English league covers a very narrow sliver of land in the backwaters of England that most people have never heard of (outer suburbs of Manchester and Liverpool)

Peak league in France was 50's after war. Marseille, Lyon, Montpellier died off or were near dead by 1980's. Catalans remained a strong hold and Toulouse remained the biggest city. Look at map of clubs I posted. V'landys said today he is still interested in joint NRL and superleague broadcast deal just not this round. Comp will combine strongest french and UK teams and will be better starting point.