I want it to be a success so it gives the English side a decent run out but it just doesn't seem right.

The marketing and intensity all seem a bit flat, admittedly affected by the weather but after watching SOO last week it's like watching an amateur event in comparison.

If this is the basis of next years WC squad then the likes of Peacock as Captain never mind playing makes no sense. Same goes for Sinfield and Ablett. Nothing against Leeds players, as I would have Burrow on the bench just for surprise factor.

RL should take a leaf out of UK athletics book, they brought in that Dutch chap Van Commerce (sp) who is no nonsense, if you are not good enough or not the future or not likely to be competitive, then you don't make the squad. We have Steve Mac, enough said.

So we revived Yorkshire vs. Lancashire a decade ago, most people crapped on it so they scrapped it, and now we want it back again? It's a typical RL mentality of try something for a year or two, say it's failed and then moan that we said it'd fail before it started.

so true... start with the youngsters and build over a period of time...

People saying it was meaningless for the Exiles players, well they don't have to accept the call-up so obviously they ALL wanted to play, ergo it did meant something to them. It was a poor game played in poor conditions but just because of one bad game people think it should be scrapped? I'm sure SOO has had a least a couple disappointing games in the past too as well. Its funny how before the match the usual moaners on here were saying the Exiles would win because the English team looked rubbish, then after England won the same lot turn around and say the Exiles team is poor and can't win because they look like a bunch of strangers (didn't stop them last year btw).

I do think a 2 match series is 1 too many and i said this several weeks ago, i'd prefer to see 1 England v Exiles and 1 Yorkshire v Lancashire game instead. If a return for the latter game did occur then i hope its just built as what it is, best of Yorkshire vs best of Lancashire and not billed as it was before as some sort of England selection match because no matter who plays 1 & 9 for Yorkshire even if they outplay Tomkins and Roby on the day they aren't going to get picked ahead of them come England time.

However i fear a lot of the people who are now calling for a return of the Roses clash will claim it to be a rubbish idea once/if it returns, because some RL fans on here just seem to refuse to enjoy anything except complaining and belittling everything (unless its Australian of course). What i find poorest and most disrespectful of all is 'fans' who are knocking the physical efforts of the players on show and also the efforts of the RFL to try and do something different that they hope will help the game, whilst said 'fan' is disgusted by what he sees as he has had to go to the much tougher effort of switching on the tv.

I thought that is what we were supposed to be doing but it would seem not.

I went to the match and it was dull. Crowds can only react to what is on the pitch. Had there been intensity, skill, a team we could get behind then there would have been atmosphere, bad weather or not. But it was dull and very few actually believed in the England team.

Lancashire.

Couldn't agree more. It was pointless, and a complete waste of time and money.

I bought tickets before the team was announced, which is just as well or there would have been 6 less there.

Did you get wet?*


*[size=85Any form of sexual reference or tone is purely coincidental as this is simply a cladding issue[/size

I think we need to give it time. What choice do we have? Scrap it and smash France 60+ points?

I think it was a very poor game, but i think it was an awful selection by Anderson. Where was Moon (the form cente in the comp) Lulia, Robertson? Why did he choose an out of form stand off to play hooker?

The Exiles came out completely unmotiated, whereas last year they looked up for it, so Anderson has to take some flack for this.

I think we should revert it back to one game and give it time to develop. Yesterday we an awful game and i think we desperately need changes in the England squad. Unfortunately, all yesterday has done has given Mcnamara belief that the likes of Sinfield, JJB can win the WC.

The Aussies are happy with what they’ve got at home, S.O.O, Anzac Test & the Indigenous All stars.

All of these games are competitive, ok, the Indigenous game doesn’t have the same intensity as the S.O.O, but it’s so much better than what was served up last night.

I don’t have the answer to the International conundrum, but the current route appears to be on the same track as the last forty years.

To be honest, the only way I can see an English / G.B team ever winning a series against the Aussies is, if 90% of the squad actually play in the NRL.