You're missing the point. It's about the structure of the international game and being long term. Whatever the problems Italy have in the six nations they will come good, france in the same comp got hammered for decades! But they stuck by the structure. Without this structure wales, france, png et al will never be competitive. How can you expect a team not getting regular exposure to that level to suddenly make some magic leap? The exiles are a good short term measure but beyond a good trial for england mid-season it is a dead end for the long term future of the international game.

The exiles being in the 4 nations would make a mockery of the tournament and International Rugby League. U cant enter sides into International Test Rugby League who have no nationality. It would be laughable.

Its much more important to push forward in growing the game in the fringe nations and helping them improve!!

A classic example of a 'think about what you have just typed before you click the submit button' post

The back line still isn't good enonough, the fact that Joel Tomkins is being considered for the centres just shows hoe desperatly short of centres we are. I hope Lawrence, Watkins and Charnley all have good ends to the season and push for selection because the current options are no where near good enough., and there's no gurantee that Ellis or Burges will play in the 4 nations.

Thing is though, Westwood is as near as wasted on the bench and doesn't get to show his full potential. He's not an impact player, he's a player who, from the first whislte, is straight in giving 100%. He normally plays the full game for Warrington, and as seen when he's started on the bench for England in the part he doesn't perform as well as he does starting. IMO, you'd be better off playing Graham on the bench with Burgess at prop, as we know Graham can make a difference coming off the bench and would give us a better impact.

Westwood, along with Monaghan and Briers is the first name I look for when the squads are announced. I don't think people realize how good he actually is. He's hard as nail, 100% commited, a great tackler, a great metre-maker and rarely tires. I know stats don't show the whole picture but I believe they state he is currently better than Luke O'Donnel or Ryan Hoffman. He'd do very well in the NRL IMO, he has a great mould for it and has the attributes that the Aussies love over there.

Why? What's wrong with what you have quoted?

She would expect awesome atmosphere's for untested fixtures?

If England had held on and won Eddie and Stevo would have been banging on about how it was proof that England are good enough to Australia and New Zealand. Not that the final try should have been scored mind as there is no way that two defenders should bounced off the ball carrier like that. The Exiles looked like that they could have sliced through the English defence and scored at will while we had to rely on their mistakes to score, as we wouldn't have broken through their defence even if they played until midnight.

A team full of 30+ year old Aussies and Kiwis (with the odd exception) beat England. Is this further proof that we need less overseas players playing in SL?

average age of the exiles was 29...with 200 caps between them...proof,if we needed it, that the exiles we're deservedly favourites for the game

Behave

So you think because the Exiles v England match has never been played before that means the supporters are in some way scared to generate any atmosphere?