It's an interesting concept, makes for a competitive game, attracts attention to the sport and gives a better run out for the national team than a thrashing of France...

Most of the other second rows selected I could agree with but willie Manu has been pap this year when he has actually played. I disagree with regard Delaney quite like him as a second row for us,

Agree regarding the quality of oversee's players, you can tell the standard is slipping

It's not perfect but alot better than a mid season game against France

Delaney by far our stand out forward last year and without his tackling might not have won the GF or even got there.
I will agree that the overseas quality has diminished that I will give you.

He wasn't really. And that said more about the players around him. Peacock was by far our best forward.

Delaney's tackling is no better than Ward, it's a myth built up in Rhinos fans heads that only he can do it. Nothing wrong with it, very good, but no different to others. He performs a role and does as asked.

You put Kirke in Delaney's role and ask him to play the same, and you would never know the difference. In fact Kirke is probably faster.

Tis. It's a pragmatic solution to the problem of getting a meaningful mid-season match for the England squad. For that reason I don't think its a terrible idea, but no, I'm not really that bothered about the match itself.

I don't know why we don't change the name from the Exiles to the Barbarians to at least give the game a recognisable brand that I'm sure would be a lot easier to market.

The Exiles squad soes seem weaker on paper than when it first started, but on the plus side the England team on paper looks stronger. Hopefully this continues.

Copyright issues probably.

Don't care about the ridiculous Exiles concept and care even less about the England brand. Long gone are the days of GB and proper international tours. Two game series last year reduced to just the one game this year, and in World Cup year too, lol... go figure.

Congratulations to the RFL and Super League era on destroying what bit of credibility we once had in the international RL arena. They can add it to their lengthening list of destructive policies which has also witnessed the deliberate devaluation of the Challenge Cup and rendered that a joke too. So long as Sky are happy not to broadcast it.

Memo to ts - feel free to blame Richard Bacon, the BBC, dastardly Rugby Union or anyone else as the game continues on it's current path of dying on it's @rse. Sky will find another filler for it's summer scheduling during the soccer off-season.

Given the detectable mouth-frothing here, I reckon you do care a little bit.

The combo of Green and Dobson (with Hodgson linking in) could pull England apart.

I'd rather see this fixture than the pointless French exercise. But with England putting forward the same old tried England failures (Carvell, Wilkin etc) alongside Mr Averages (Danny Tickle) it's all a bit moot anyway.

I agree we should blood in some of the younger talent and see if anyone pops up for the world cup. Time to be daring methinks!!

Those players won't be anywhere near the team when Graham, Burgess (two of them) and maybe Ellis are available. With O'Loughlin guaranteed at 13, Westwood a certainty despite his form and Hock a definite for the bench if he stays out of trouble there aren't many forward spots available in a fully-fit World Cup squad. Would like to see form players like Farrell and Ferres tried in the exiles game to see how they cope with it.

Are you joking? Farrell is an absolute shoe in for the back row for England. Nobody is stupid enough to ignore him for the role. He is by far and away the best back rower in the country at the moment, and as years ahead of him. I will be surprised already if he doesn't end up with man of steel this year.

Sorry to disappoint but your detector may need fixing. Mouth-frothing is usually reserved for my respondents. I say "usually" because according to my detector, you're probably not one inclined to froth at the mouth in response to anyone's posts.


I care a lot about the game and the direction in which it is heading. I care not a jot about some tacky and inconsequential Exiles concept dreamed up by clueless morons. Those same clueless morons can stick it alongside their other tacky and inconsequential "spreading the gospel" SL-era products like Millennium/Murrayfield/oh, hang on... Manchester Tragic... and selectively licensed 14 club, top 8 mediocrity bull.

Last season's failures ought to have signalled the end of this ludicrously inept Exiles experiment. Instead, we may have to wait until the Exiles squad is composed of the likes of Mitch Achurch, Joe Vickery and several other reserve graders from down under. Shouldn't be too long a wait now.