Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan has branded as "stupid" the Rugby Football League's decision to ask Catalans Dragons for a £500,000 bond to defend the Challenge Cup.

The governing body suffered an £800,000 shortfall in its financial budget for the 2018 Challenge Cup after just 50,672 people watched the Dragons' historic win over Warrington at Wembley and made the unusual move in an attempt to avoid a repeat.

The decision was taken as Wigan collaborate with the Perpignan club to attract a 50,000 crowd to the Nou Camp for their groundbreaking Super League fixture in May.

"I think it's stupid in that regard," Lenagan told reporters at the Warriors' pre-season media day.

"I think it's a poor decision and I think it's an ill-thought-out decision, to be perfectly honest.

"Attendances being down at the Challenge Cup is not a Catalans-based problem. Those attendances have been diminishing because of poor marketing and poor promotion of the cup as a whole.

"The attendances during the cup aren't great, so we have to - through the RFL - address the Challenge Cup problem. Stopping the holders entering the cup unless they pay a premium is not the best decision."

The Catalans, who on Tuesday announced the departure of the club's chief executive Christophe Jouffret, have asked the RFL to reconsider its demand and talks are ongoing between the two bodies.

The RFL is also seeking a new sponsor for the Challenge Cup after the deal with Ladbrokes ended last August.

Meanwhile, Lenagan says the French club are expecting to take 20,000 fans to Barcelona for the league fixture against the champions and believes the game could have widespread benefits for Super League.

"It's got charisma, hasn't it?" he said. "It's got that special buzz about it and I felt it when I travelled to Barcelona at the launch event.

"We know thousands have booked flights to go from Wigan and whether that figure will be 5,000 or 10,000, I don't know.

"There's the probability Catalans will take 20,000, and because they'll play in the colours of Barcelona, and everyone speaks Catalonian, there's a natural togetherness.

"Who knows, we could have 40 to 50,000 there. That's a spectacular day for Super League, not just ourselves."