Toulouse Olympique: Sylvain Houles pleased with the effort of his team in the defeat to Wigan Warriors

His side were defeated 52-6 at the DW Stadium, in what was another major blow to their Super League status.

Despite being on the end of a big scoreline, Houles states he can still find some positives from the performance and was happy with the attitude of his players.

He said: “There is a mix of emotions. Effort-wise, I thought we were 10/10, and I was happy with our defence despite leaking 50 points.

“Our wrestling on the floor was good, especially when you’re against Wigan because you know they play fast, but there were too many mistakes with the ball.

“At this level you need to match the arm wrestle with the physicality.

“They are a champion team, with great players, and they make you pay for every mistake.

“It’s a shame, because even if we had managed to score a try before half time it would’ve been a good reward for the boys and given them a little bit more belief.

“Like all season, the boys never gave up and just get on with the fight. I’m proud of them.”

The result all but relegates Toulouse, who are six points adrift from 11th place Wakefield, who won their game on Friday, with three games remaining.

Houles believes a safety net should’ve been in place for the club in order to allow them to grow the sport in France.

“It’s a bad night for us,” he added.

“Mathematically it’s still possible but we’ve got to be realistic and it’s probably the end of our road in Super League.

“It’s tough to come up from the Championship, with what you need to do in Super League. It’s a very tricky situation.

“With our project and the World Cup, us having a safety net of three years would’ve meant the French federation could’ve gone to broadcasters for a TV deal.

“These are the rules, and I understand changing the, late in the season would be hard, but it is a shame.

“Everybody I’ve spoken to wants us there, so we must bring something.”