No one could blame Sylvain Houles for threatening to quit rugby league if his Toulouse Olympique team were replaced in Super League next season by London Broncos. After all, he has just taken them to eighth in the table on half funding, finishing above their rivals Catalans Dragons for the first time in 25 years in the process. The rumour that Toulouse could be ranked 14th by IMG and relegated has since been quashed – to every sane league fan’s relief.
Shane Richardson, the NRL head of strategy, says the aim is to build the code’s presence in France, not slash it in half. Toulouse deserve to be in Super League. In only their second season in the top flight, they have been rightly praised for finishing above their French rivals, especially when they only received half the central funding.
Sadly, though, few French sports fans have seen Toulouse or Catalans this season – or any Super League for that matter. Matches have been live streamed by Rugbyrama, but they are buried deep on their website – search and you may find – and the rest of the league has not been covered. French fans deserve to see everything.” The French sporting public missed Warrington dispatch Hull KR and Wakefield ride the wave at a bouncing Belle Vue into a historic semi-final.
Toulouse only finished above Catalans on points difference but their performances are being viewed very differently. Catalans were expected to finish out of sight of Toulouse, but their NRL imports lacked consistency and their propensity to flop every time they gathered momentum meant heads rolled throughout the campaign. The emergence of some young French players was one of the few positives in a chaotic campaign in Perpignan.
On the other hand, Houles is many people’s choice for coach of the year. His newly promoted team won more matches than established Super League clubs such as Hull FC, Castleford and Huddersfield. Houles added just a handful of recruits to his outstanding 2025 Championship-winning team, none of whom had extensive top-flight experience, few of whom were wanted by other clubs, and all of whom were cheap.
The Italy international Luke Polselli played anywhere in the back line or halves; Joe Cator added grit up front; and the second rower Louis Grossemy, rejected by Sydney Roosters, Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bulldogs, did well enough to be included in France’s 40-man World Cup squad. Houles trusted his players to get better – and they have. He has a gem in Olly Ashall-Bott, one of the best English full-backs in the league.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
