SUPER League newcomers Les Catalans will have just a handful of fans at Friday's game against Salford.
Last weekend, more than 2,000 Wigan fans made the journey to Perpignan for their match with the Dragons, but French supporters are apparently more reluctant to travel.
Football director Steve Simms said: "This is disappointing, it's our first home game and we have worked very hard promoting this fixture, encouraging local people to come and get behind the club.
"Our own supporters are fantastic and we are boosted by a great result at Warrington but we now have a situation where we can see a club crammed with star players, yet no one is travelling to watch them away from home.
"A situation like that can't be good.
"After a starting with an away fixture, it would have been nice to have been at home against one of the big clubs, but we just have to get on with it. I'm sure this is going to be the case for everybody when the Catalans are in opposition."
Competition
Simms has revealed Reds came close to signing Catalans star Jamal Fakir two seasons ago.
He said: "Fakir was playing for UTC and their coach, Steve Deakin, wanted him to gain experience with a Super League club ahead of a French side coming into the competition.
"We saw Fakir play in France and we watched him in a cup tie against Castleford but things didn't materialise because his club had a change of heart."
Simms is also aware of the menace Chris Beattie poses. The ex-Cronulla star was outstanding against Wigan.
Simms added: "They put 38 points on Wigan and they'll start the favourites on Friday. This will be a big test for us but it's one we are looking forward to."
"It promises to be a tremendous game and we are keen to build on our performance at Warrington.
"We were written off but we always believed we could do it and there's tremendous spirit within the camp."
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baikaga, Carcassona (15/02/2006 at 15:30)
i think i will go to england one time (saint helens this year) and maybe another time for the challenge cup semi finals (hudderfields)
note that if i was a millionaire i'll travel for every dragons' game to england and challenge cup round of occitans and catalans teams involved this year...
money is not the whole thing about having french based rugby league teams in superleague
without international games league can't cope anymore; union is getting too strong
and without a couple of strongs clubs in france, league will die in france
do you want league to be a regional english sport for all the time in europe ?
who knows league in europe except in north england and south of france ?
if you're only interested by money, turn to union and their poor rugby games
(excuse my "english" is not very good, indeed)