good gawd do want some squirty cream with that waffle

The snowmeister is back...........and back on form........

Yes but as we know, it’s 1972 in Featherstone at best, so that means the pit is very much still open

Not sure it is though! Exactly BECAUSE places like wakey and Cas don’t have a football team is why they support Leeds United. It’s also the nearest big place for these towns.

Huddersfield don’t need to as there’s prob only a small cross over of fans and those that do have a soccer club on the doorstep.

I’d hazard a guess there’s more Cas and wakey fans who support Leeds United than huds who support town! There’s also a sizeable amount in wakey etc who support Leeds rhinos as I’ve seen on countless train journeys that way after a Leeds rhinos game....it’s probably why wakey etc struggle with poor crowds

What always is funny is going to league games at cas and wakey hearing them sing “we all hate Leeds” on Friday night when a good chunk are at Bellend Road the following day singing Marching on together and ALAW

On the topic of why fans attend/support certain teams. It's the same over here. You'd think that The Warriors would be the only team for Kiwis to support, but the reality is they're only 26 years old and there's a whole generational thing to get past. Plenty of Manly shirts on view down here in Welington because the Sea Eagles ran training programmes down here.....it's hard to change allegiances just because a new team comes along. The Dolphins are gonna have to work hard before they join the NRL, but the Warriors are basing themselves there in 2022, so they'll get plenty of tips on local fan engagement.....but supporting NRL sides is never an exact geographical thing, especially outside Sydney.

Back to Toulouse. Depending on which game is first, you'd fly in to either Barcelona or Bordeaux.....Hire a campervan (or car and book hotels) and I reckon (looking at ruinair and uneasyjet) you'd be looking at about 2 grand between 4 of you before food and drinks for the week. If (and I have seen the number 1,000 used here a few times) a thousand fans booked their trips through their clubs, with the clubs getting say 5%, then that's £10,000 for your club. that's 500 "away" fans revenue.

I really hope Toulouse do well. This isn't another PSG, or even London Broncos. This is a club, with a plan, backing and a town that supports ALL sports. Of the 12 SL sides next year, I suspect they won't have the lowest average attendance....not by a longs stretch. As for their games in the UK? These are the ones where UK clubs need to dole out free FAMILY tickets like confetti, especially in 2022, because a lot of people will be vying for the ever reducing disposable quid and RL needs to step up is game!

Thanks for that. I don't believe that people who live in Castleford or Wakey were all born and brought up there. People move around a lot and whilst you may note people can be seen going from Wakefield to a Leeds game at Headingley, does that automatically pinpoint them as Wakefield born??

Over the years Cas have really entertained the fans. As a town it's only a 40,000 population, so I don't believe an 8000 crowd is a fifth of the town going to Wheldon Road. One Cas poster from years ago said most of the lads he went to games with weren't Cas born. Wakefield is five times bigger than Cas but as the RL club has lagged behind them for years and as Soccer is the much preferred game to Rugby anywhere, then I can agree that maybe "sizeable" wakefield numbers support Leeds United, but I would suggest this is not in preference to Trinity, it is more that Rugby league never floated their boat anyway as Soccer lads.????

You get quite a few Town fans from Wakefield. There are also a lot of Barnsley fans there too.

I guess in 1947 those record crowds were "locals", but today with a car and a handy motorway supporting your favourite club is easier to do at a distance than queuing for local trams......

Sorry atmosphere and Huddersfield should not be mentioned in the same sentence

As Snowey said it's not the X word........

We know Superleague was launched as a European competition that TO tried to join, but Paris got the nod. We know Paris failed and TO still didn't get the nod as the "Superleague Europe" title indicated they should have done. But what's in a name. Years on including a great win over the "cup kings" Widnes TO still didn't get the nod when Les Catalans did. It may be by then the criteria for entry may have included a rich owner and Bernard has been just that.

The TV deal thing was highlighted when this last deal just ending was negotiated and SL took the stance that French clubs were "guests" of Superleague and not members. Indeed Gausch did not disagree and didn't vote on that last deal. Gausch has understood the need for French SL clubs to try to get French TV deals from French TV channels and ultimately French subscribers. He also understands he can't and (AFAIK) doesn't) really argue he is "entitled" to a penny of the SKY money.

So the fact is as it stands TO are guests. As guests they have been allowed to take a Superleague place by invitation effectively.......That is very kind of Superleague, and it was also kind of Featherstone not to complain that they have more of a right to an SL place than Toulouse regardless of results and regardless of more SKY subs being collected by SKY in Featherstone than in the whole of France

.

I'd add how much it will cost TO to come and play here isn't anything to do with Superleague either, I don't think London Broncos got an extra travel allowance either . Asking the English clubs to sub French guest clubs travel isn't fair, they didn't have to let them in, and you may not find Toulouse disagreeing which is perhaps the key point. As for the future if we dreamed of an Anglo French league of big clubs that would certainly need a big French TV deal. As per McManus SKY must have at least 9 English clubs to get the subs in.......

So the bottom line is unless the two big French clubs can (1) use their SL membership to boost the number of quality French players and (2) Use their status as Superleague clubs to attract a French TV deal to add to the English one, then there will be no Anglo-French league of big city clubs..........

there will be no anglo-french league of big city clubs regardless if they bring those things - since when was wigan or saint helens a big city?

Fair enough on your first point, on your latter point since when was support for any club, RL or soccer ring fenced??

Plenty of fans will travel to Wigan from Manchester, from Liverpool to Saints, or from Chester to watch Wire.

Leeds attract fans down from York, Wakey from Barnsley etc etc.....Wigan Wire and Saints are big names in Rugby League and attract sizable crowds from a wide radius.

Yes and equally Catalans fans come from a wide catchment area just as Toulouse fans will. Many will go to both.

I’m not ring fencing- I’m pointing out you were!

** Ahem.Cough.Cough ** Calling Donnyman. https://www.totalrl.com/lenagan-welcome ... er-league/

** Ahem.Cough.Cough ** Calling Donnyman. https://www.totalrl.com/lenagan-welcome ... er-league/

I'd change that to some

No, I think ‘many’.

Mainly cos many live in between the two , around Carcassonne and Limoux for example.

I'll take that call and bow to your superior experience......

However I can't accept the gushing tribute Lenegan makes in the Rugby Leaguer to TO after Superleague spent weeks trying to argue for 2x10 that would have shut them out. It's way over the top and doesn't really hide the fact that Mr. Beaumont's Leigh was much preferred to Toulouse as proven by Mr. Lenegan actual action of flagging Leigh in for this last season just gone without a thought for a second French club in SL.

Maybe TO can redeem themselves in his eyes by finding that Elusive paying French TV deal, and playing as many French players as possible (which could still mean they go down anyway

and Leigh finally go up to stay.....................)

To be clear, you are saying he is liar based purely on your previous misconception and baseless theory that he didn't want Toulouse?

Wow.

Because it would be extra money wouldn't it. IIRC French fans can't subscribe to SKY so they need someone like Bein TV to provide a deal from French subscribers.

Less English clubs means less English subscribers........

The word is '"fewer" and I'd like to see the documented proof of this theory that you are peddling as fact.

[url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/415162/sky-revenue-by-source/In the fiscal year 2020, the British pay TV operator Sky's advertising segment had income of 1,440 million British pounds.[/url which accounted for about 11% of their income. Sky have 13,000,000 subscribers in the UK with another 10,000,000 in Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany........the average viewership for a SL game in the UK is under 200,000. [url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2021/07/29/sky-sees-q2-subscribers-fall-but-revenues-still-climb/Sky lost 198,000 subscribers[/url in the second fiscal Quarter this year...by your logic, that's because Leigh were relegated and replaced by Toulouse



SKY see Rugby League as a filler sport, pure and simple. It costs peanuts and they get to have games on a Thursday night, which gives them something to show when there's little if any live soccer on. I'd hazard a guess that of the 200k people watching SL, very few of them would have SKY only for the RL, [ubut as I say that is a guess on my part.[/u What I can say is that if all 200,000 were to quit because of there being 2 French sides, SKY would walk and we'd return to the dark ages, which seems to be what you'd like.

Happy to be [ushown documented proof [/uof your theory that SKY will lose subscribers because of the arrival of Toulouse, but as I have shown, sky lost the equivalent of a Superleague match audience of Subscribers in 3 months but saw an increase in profits.

Hang on. For 2 years you’ve claimed he’s your best mate and tells you things he doesn’t tell anyone else and you always agree with him

In other words, you’ve lied for 2 years lol

Quote ="jools" please note, I'm not belittling Fev and Leigh AT ALL I'm just pointing out the rather bizarre expectations that many fans put on a team that happens to be outside of the UK. Expectations that don't match those put on those other clubs either currently already in SL or who potentially could be. other than the fact its a club outside the UK there is no reason for this - so could the reason just be xenophobia because i cant see any other rational argument'" https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email Lists a few of the problems...........

Quote ="jools" please note, I'm not belittling Fev and Leigh AT ALL I'm just pointing out the rather bizarre expectations that many fans put on a team that happens to be outside of the UK. Expectations that don't match those put on those other clubs either currently already in SL or who potentially could be. other than the fact its a club outside the UK there is no reason for this - so could the reason just be xenophobia because i cant see any other rational argument'" https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email Lists a few of the problems...........

Very astute



[i"Another top-flight supremo who did not wish to be named said: “If you had a secret ballot among Super League clubs about whether they want a French team in, it would be 100 per cent no"[/i.

and not a named person in the article(s)....Not fooking one....









not even you buddy from Wigan...