By STEVE MASCORD

TOULOUSE coach Sylvain Houles has admitted Olympique were riven by disharmony during their only year in Super League in 2022.

The French club returns to the top flight in 2026 after winning just five from 27 games and being relegated four years previous.

“There was a lot of trouble to deal with,” Houles tells rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads at the club’s Stade Des Minimes base.

“Every Monday I had trouble to deal with, which never happened before that.

“That happens sometimes with late recruitment. You just get what’s left on the table with players and I won’t do that again with players.

“And some of the players, I knew about it. I knew they wouldn’t be the right fit for this club.

“We changed a bit our DNA because we were in Super League and I don’t know why.

“And I won’t do that again.”

Toulouse returned to the Championship and ‘23 have worked their way back to the elite under the IMG grading system, winning the title last year with a grand final success over York.

From Houles point of view, 2022 was a bigger disaster off the field than on it.

“It was bleak – to be honest, it was a shit season,” he says bluntly.

“…probably my worst as coach in terms of management and starting from the beginning with Covid and losing (Johnathan) Ford, (Mark) Kheirallah and a few players … three weeks before the season.

“We had a lot, a lot of problems to deal with, which had never happened to me before and it was such a shame that it happened in Super League.

“And still, we compete. We were in every game. We competed very hard and we managed to be second-last three-quarters of the way through the season.

“I think there were a few results that went against us, that were quite harsh. There were some good things but a lot of things happened within an environment where it wasn’t healthy as a group.

“When you lose sometimes, that’s what happens.

“So it’s a big learning curve for me … and for the club in general.

Ask if it was a harmonious environment, Houles said: “No, it wasn’t.

“We aren’t changing, as I said, our DNA. Sometimes big players, they come from big teams where they do things differently.

“And I understand it! Every club has their different culture but some clubs have been in Super League for 20 years, 15 years so that maybe they can do this.

“Because we’re new, our players need to learn a little bit and so thats our way and we won’t change that.

“It’s the players who need to fit into our culture, not the other way. We won’t change.”

Image: Allan McKenzie/SWpix