Maybe 2 , as I said 5th-8th IMO

Didnt Jean predict Sheffield as a top 4?? Who have now lost 3 of 4 games?

Well well well Jean that did come back and bite you on the backside. You can only play what is in front of you and we won. Doesn't matter if you win by a point or 92! Winning is winning.

Mika is a good player and wasted in the halves today but due to the missing Ford he had to step up which took out a powerful wide runner.

Quality first half from ourselves but our ball retention and discipline were shocking in the second!

Playing against a Bradford team that lost ALL its stars and is using a squad with an average age of around 21

All them loanee's from the Super League clubs will be playing Super League this season when they go back to their clubs, or at the latest next season if they are on season loans.

Including among its loanees from SL clubs, one of Castleford's French stars, Kevin Larroyer.

Some of the Leeds lads may not. A couple look at least 2 years off SL.

Two years? McDermott'll wait at least three until ours even get a bench spot, then at least another two until he'll play them.

A couple of years ago Larroyer was decent. Last season he was woeful in the few games he played. There was no way I would have wanted to keep him, even if we had managed to stay in SL. That stated, the Championship may be more his level these days and might do well.

So far Larroyer has looked steady without being spectacular. He may have found his level.

again not so good this weekend with another loss, not looking that promising for sl 2018

He's had to change his signature every year for the last 12yrs now

You cannot judge Toulouse on a performance when they are without so many of their star players. When they are at full strength (and in dry weather) they will perform immeasurably better.

Any of these star players due back this weekend?

And as I pointed out , rarely are any team at full strength , given Bradfords extremely disjointed pre season , they will be immeasurably better next time you play them

So what will your excuse be then ?

Teams may be rarely at full strength, but teams are rarely without most of their star players, as Toulouse was. Toulouse's situation was like St Helens being without John Lomax, Theodore Fages and Thomas Makinson, perhaps even moreso.

Bradford may be better next time, but so should Toulouse and they will be playing at Toulouse in warmer, dry weather.

Not sure.

So...full strength.....dry weather.....anything else? Oh yes playing a wet weather team who have several players out injured.

Having watched Lomax,Fages and Makinson on Friday , I doubt they could have done any better than others who would have replaced them

You do realise it is warmer and drier in Bradford in the summer

"Not sure"? You seem pretty sure about everything else so why not this?

Fax are firing on 2 cylinders at most at the moment but I still expect a win this weekend.

Even on a hot summer's day, it never gets much above freezing point at Odsal

He doesn't have many caveats does he? I like the one he regularly uses about a losing team scoring more tries but missing their goals as if goal kicking isn't an integral part of the game.

I'm probably going to get shouted down again but...

Surely having the top french teams playing in what is predominently and originally an English league does not really help grow the game and inspire a more professional domestic league in countries such as France? We possibly need a form of Champions League where these teams compete rather than just the world club challenge, but surely the teams should be the best in their own country first? And yes, I know that RL in France is already quite popular but just not high profile.

It just seems to me that SL/RFL is getting ahead of itself and wants the end game without putting in more effort lower down first.

Let me approach this a different way. Why are Toulouse and Avignon so desperate to play in SL? Is the French league not competitive enough or have enough financial backing? If they both play in the Championship or even SL, does that not devalue the remaining teams in the Elite Ligue?

Or should SL BE that Champions League now but instead of the current mid 8s, the bottom 4 if SL play the top championship side from England, France, Spain and Italy instead of the top four from the English Championship?

You're idea is great.
However, it depends how long you want to wait.
The French, left to their domestic league, would take decades to become full time professionals and be in a position to compete with Super League and rthe same applies to N. America.
Whether parachuting clubs into SL and the National Leagues is the right way, is still open to debate.
However, IF RL took of in Canada and N. America, it would be huge for the game and it would elevate the international scene tremendously, which would of course help increase sponsorship & tv revenues.
Mind you, we are a long way off at the moment.

1.To compete at the highest level, and to raise their playing standards and their popular support
2. yes,
3. yes.