France coach Laurent Frayssinous has reignited calls for the NRL to invest in the Super League as the gap between the two competitions continues to widen.
Frayssinous’ side – made up almost exclusively of Super League players – were thrashed 78-4 by a Samoa team made up entirely of NRL stars in their World Cup opener on Friday night.
France was thrashed by Samoa. Darrian Traynor
When the two teams met at the 2022 tournament, Samoa won 62-4.
When asked if the bigger scoreline was down to a better Samoan team or a worse French team, Frayssinous replied with a question of his own.
“Do you think the NRL is better now than four years ago? You’ve got the answer,” he said.
When asked to clarify, he said the strength of both the NRL and the Super League was increasing, but the development of the NRL is far outpacing that of the English game.
“The NRL keeps growing and keeps getting better every year. Watching NRL every year, it’s at the top, at the top, at the top. A step up, step up, step up.
“Does that mean Super League isn’t? No. Super League is (getting) better every year, but not as fast as the NRL.
“The smartness, the skill the guys have under pressure, the touches, week in, week out, that’s something we need to improve in Super League, simple as that.”
The Super League in August confirmed it had received a formal investment offer from the NRL, but the deadline has since passed.
Frayssinous said NRL investment would allow the game to grow in Europe.
“It’s about money, it’s about strategy, and what the NRL has done here is the perfect example to follow. Grassroots first,” he continued.
“There are some great Super League clubs … Catalans, Wigan, they are already well-settled. But instead of having 20 community clubs looking after Leeds, or Wigan, or St Helens, can we have 40 or 50?
“Same with Catalans. Instead of four clubs in the region, can we have 10? Can we have more kids playing rugby league in France? In Europe? That’s what we want.
“That’s the start, and then the future will be better.”