Robinson plots France's league renaissance

The halcyon days of French rugby league may be long gone, but with the help of Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson there is hope that a new golden era beckons.

Robinson was appointed as the country's director of rugby last year with an eye on a home Rugby League World Cup in 2025.

Part of his wide-ranging remit is to restore the shine to the French national team.

That starts with Sunday's (Monday AEDT) game against Samoa in Warrington, which is effectively a straight shoot-out for the quarter-finals.

As one of just four countries with full-time professional club sides across the world, France should be a power in the sport but they haven't beaten nearest neighbours England, New Zealand or Australia since 1980.

The introduction of the Catalans Dragons to the Super League, who were joined by Toulouse in the English top-flight this season, was supposed to revitalise the French game.

But on a national team level something has been lacking.

It's why the federation, needing new blood to spearhead a revival ahead of 2025, turned to head coach Laurent Frayssinous and Robinson, whose resume boasts three NRL premierships, after both spent time with the two French clubs. 

"We want to re-educate the players on the jersey and who has worn it before," Robinson told AAP.

"We want to create an environment that's more professional than ever before and give the players the sense that they become better players by wearing this jersey."

Those past legends include the likes of Puig Aubert, the chain-smoking fullback who ran rings around Australia at the SCG in the 1951 tour.

"They really wrote the story of the French team," said halfback Arthur Morgue.

"Since their time, we haven't performed as they did.

"Now we are trying to improve, we really want to go forward and compete with the best teams in the game."

In the grounds of a school in the modest Lancashire town of Bolton, Robinson is the star attraction.

He signs a book about the history of the game in France and poses for photos with a touring under-17 team from Occitane, switching between his mother tongue and French with ease.

It's among these players that Robinson really hopes to have an effect.

"I wanted to have a medium and long-term view on the game in France," he said.

"There's definitely short-term changes about playing a style of footy that will win games.

"But longer term, it's about setting up structures that are based on how we play."

In the immediate future, beating Samoa would be a good start..

"We understand the quality that is in front of us, but we have a game-plan to win," Robinson said. 

"We respect the opposition but we know our strengths and what we need to do to be in the fight heading into the last 20 minutes to have an opportunity to go after the game."