Most of France's squad, apart from unused Latrell Siegwalt, play in Super League, a contrast Laurent Frayssinous raised after his team's World Cup exit.
Lebanon beat France in their final match with a golden-point finish, after the Bunker overturned Cesar Rouge's apparent winning field goal in extra time.
A controversial escort penalty proved decisive in the dramatic ending.
Frayssinous questioned whether different rules might have changed the result, while insisting he would not diminish his players' performance.
"A lot of highs and lows in there emotionally. What can I say? What do you want me to say? You want me to say if we play that game with the Super League rules, we win the game?" the coach said.
He added, "That's what you want me to say? Or if you played the NRL game and the boys don't get to use that rule?"
"I don't want to take away what my boys have done tonight. They made French Rugby League very proud and I'm proud of them," Frayssinous said.
He said he was "really disappointed not to win the game, especially with (it being) Barn Garcia's last game."
"It was pretty chaotic, and I was smiling 20 minutes ago and now I'm nearly crying."