I know Les Cats haven't been in SL all that long and 1/2 the team are from elsewhere anyways but there doesn't seem to be much improvement in the French national side?

I'd have thought havign French players play at a higher level and benefitting from FT training etc would have shown some improvement on the national stage.

Unfortunately the level of our national championship (not professional) do not allow to improve our skills and our game level to be competitive against great Rugby League nations like UK, AUS, NZ...

As Charleston hinted at, what exactly do people expect? One team in Super League and one in the Championship. After that you're looking at lads who play at amateur level. People who think that France are going to get anywhere near England anytime soon are in dreamland. Another French team in SL and then the two French teams relying heavily on French rather than antipodean players would be a step in the right direction. However the French domestic competition needs to improve dramatically, which is something I personally can't see happening.

Apart from the teams you mention what is the level of support the rest of the teams in your league in attendance terms. And there is no olterier (sp) motive for this.

So many injuries definitley is not helping their cause and an out of form Catalans. What is needed is a strong domestic come. More professional and more recognition in France, not every team lining up to get into another semi pro comp in England.

There is some pretty entertaining stuff in the Elite leagues, they just need to up the standards somehow. It's obviously difficult for the French when on occasions they don't even know how many teams will be in their top league.

At least in the Euro cup they should be able to show what they can do, against Ireland and Scotland anyway, Wales in theory should be tougher. Throw the ball about, score some tries, get some public support and most of all qualify for the 4 nations again.

france are improving but when it comes to playing international games they can never seem to get a full strengh side out and coz theres no depth then they obviously going to struggle when part time players are having to come in.
1.greensheilds
2.pelo
3.baile
4.ragiun
5.stacul
6.mcguire
7.bosc
8.ferriol
9.bentley
10.guisset
11.elima
12.fakir
13.mounis
thats a pretty decent side that would test the english with out a doubt but the depth isnt there and thats why a secound french team in super league is vital.

Fakir defintely off to union with reports that Pelo won't be far behind him.

JB Down Under, [url=http://viewtopic.php?p=15264673#p15264673this post on the thread England-France will explain a significant reason for France's struggles[/url, more specifically, the post it refers to on league Unlimited (don't wanna type it all out again)

[url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_6206100,00.htmlPeacock backs all-star clash[/url

[i"I'd like to see us play a Rest of the World team in mid-season. I think it would be exciting and get lot of people there.
"Why not give it a go? We're always trying new things in rugby league. It would be something different in the middle of the year.
"But let's make sure we still play France. We still want to play France but you've got to give them an opportunity to get their best team out there."[/i

The French team need more depth.

This depth must be developed correctly and I believe Bobbie Goulding is trying to put structures in place to do this but the federation must give him COMPLETE support otherwise we will continue to struggle when we play tests against Eng, Aus & NZ. The way players are coached and developed is very different in France from the rest of the league playing nations and this shouldn't be underestimated.

Supporters should get out in numbers this Autumn and support their team in the European Cup. Once France have won this and qualified for the 4 Nations next year then work should start to make sure the National team is as well prepared as they possibly can be.

Amd this is coming of a fella who says the players are playing too many games.

I believe he said too many club games, not too many tests. Furthermore, staging an England vs France game doesn't mean that the senior England international players have to be selected against France, they can be rotated or rested for that game depending on their workload and fitness.

60-6, of which 24 points were scored when they were one man up, this with half the first-choice players injured (including halves and fb). Yes, that's an improvement on last year.

TO in SL would see the first-choice internationals split between two clubs and more reliance on the younger players, so a faster emergence of the likes of Vaccari, Bartheau, Simon et al., which in turn would see better cover if the first choice players are injured.

From an international POV we need TO in SL and FCL and Pia in the Championship. It would drop the level of the LER to the same as Championship1, but it would develop the national sport, which would then invigorate the sport in the UK and France.

France are better but I don't think people are appreciating the advancement England are making to catch the aussies. I honestly believe if you look at the British team of ten years ago compared to today we are moving in the right direction quickly, even though we are still some way off. This doesn't help France's cause.
I cant remember the year but about 6 years ago France gave us a good game, maybe a bit longer than that ago. The France team now would murder that side.

I think France will get better in the next World Cup in three years. The youth set up that has been set up by Cats and the French RL hasn't had time to come into the national team yet, so France are playing with pretty much the same players as they were before Catalans came into SL. I think they could do with a few of their younger players going over to the NRL. Also Fakir isn't going to be a miss, he's got bags of talent and no brain, the french Ricky Bibey.