It seems the Catalans Dragons are trying to tempt yet another ex-NRL player. Big Willie who wasn't all that bad for Manly in 2015 is the latest target of the France based SL club. http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/mason-talks-club/ Personally, I think they should be looking at developing their own juniors than constantly trying to sign ex-NRL players who really are past their best. After the thrashing that England handed out to the French team before the recent NZ series, they seriously need to look at improving the quality of their players. Though I know that's not easy when French rugby is constantly poaching the best players from a young age.
I regularly go down there for a weekend and watch them go around. Makes for a brilliant lads trip. Esp when some manly old boys are in the mix!! They are putting in enormous efforts with their juniors. A few French speaking Aussi coaches in the mix too. Problem is constantly union. They are the dominant sport in Southern France. A trip to the beach there and you'll see 20 rugby balls for every soccer ball. The local outfit USAP are massive, albeit recently relegated. To maintain peak interest in league Catalan have to be always up there competing. It's a catch 22. A handful of local juniors have moved on to England to try their luck as the NRL dad's army are blocking their paths into first grade. 2 other points, they have to avoid relegation which would be a financial disaster and threaten their existence. And that international game v the Poms, after a long season much longer then NRL, the ones playing did not want to be there and rightfully so. The scheduling was ridiculous. League was bigger then union in France before being banned during WWII, let's hope it gets back there one day the interest is defiantly growing.
That's part of the French's problem. Their better juniors can't get a start with a professional club like Catalans because of their (unofficial) NRL retirement home policy. You're right, its a catch 22. The club also wants to remain competitive and if the ex-NRL players are better then they are going to want them first.
About 1/3 of the Catalans 2016 squad is made up of Aussie's and Kiwis. Ben Pomeroy, Todd Carney, Willie Tonga, Pat Richards, David Taylor, Glenn Stewart (Aus), Louis Anderson, Krisnan Inu, Justin Horo (NZ)....all Catalans Dragons in 2016. And they want Mason as well. I think Catalans might get a bit of leeway from the ESL on the amount of imports they can have considering the strength (or lack of) in the French rugby league. No point having the club there with mostly French players getting flogged every week.
A lot of players have eu passports. So not counted in the quota. i.e euro wide free movement of trade.
