There have been supporters and critics of the Exiles concept, i understand what the RFL are trying to do with it as without doubt it is currently more competitive than games against France or Wales would be and there is no substitute for actually playing games for England.

So what would you do for international RL if you had the choice? Keep the Exiles? Bring back Lancashire V Yorkshire?

I believe International RL is fundamentally important if we have any chance of growing as a sport. I also think that the games need to be proper internationals rather than against a team of foreigners thrown together at a few days notice.

IMO we have to look at a Rugby Union style 5 nations annual tournament involving England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and France. I am well aware that in the short term there is only one winner and the score lines will be pretty big. However if it was a guaranteed annual tournament a lot more players would put there hand up for the Celtic nations hopefully over time becoming competitive.

One off tests against Australia or NZ are simply not workable mid season and we need to introduce a proper international calender.

If you look at all the other major team sports in this country. Football have countless internationals, cricket don't stop playing tests, RU have the 6 nations & autumn internationals, we have 1 game against the RL equivalent of the Baba's which for RU is a bit of fun.

In football Peter Shilton has 125 caps, England cricket i think is Alec Stewart has 133, Jason leonard in RU has 119 caps. England (And GB combined) RL record is Morley at 49. It shows relatively how few games we play compare to other sports.

Agreed. I think the annual mid-season tournament is the way to go. It's the only way the likes of Wales and France are going to improve in my opinion. A guaranteed comp gives the opportunity to build and plan for the future rather than not knowing each season who you'll be playing, if playing at all.


I'd like to see something along the lines of:
Year 1 - 5 Nations down under (Eng, Aus, NZ, PNG & other Southern Hemisphere team)
Year 2 - Aus v GB tour here
Year 3 - 5 Nations here (Eng, Aus, NZ, Wales & France)
Year 4 - World Cup
Year 5 - 5 Nations down under
Year 6 - GB v Aus tour down under
Year 7 - 5 Nations here
Year 8 - World Cup

Plus an annual mid-season Home Nations comp of Eng, Fra, Wales, Scotland & Ireland here, and a mid-season Comp down under of Aus, NZ, PNG, Fiji.

I know the domestic season would be affected, but clubs will just have to survive without a few of their top players for a couple of games a season.

Agree with the OP. The RFL need to stop disrespecting the international game with BS like the Exiles and focus on legitimate development. The Exiles match is nothing more than a (extremely flawed and misguided) attempt at a quick fix, and is of no benefit to anyone.

I think it could be done without affecting SL. As it seems likely we will drop down to 12 clubs, that means 2 less games freeing up 2 weeks. The exiles game was on a free week this year so we would only need to find 2 more weeks to hold a 5 nations.

Yep, that notion is what I wish could be cemented in rugby league. As I said, clubs will just have to manage without a few top players for a couple of weeks.
With the end of season internationals, I think a set programme would help. The GB tours provide incentives for players to still play for the other home nations. And I think adding another team to the 4 Nations will expose another nation to top class rugby more often and also give the current 4th Nation a chance of winning a game too.

As for the annual mid-season comp, I understand England will walk it to begin with but give France a guaranteed schedule and the opportunity to build I have no doubt they can become competitive in time, the same goes for Wales. But they're not going to without regularly playing England. See Italy in union.
It will be a tad harsh on clubs but the clubs will ultimately benefit from the higher profile RL will eventually get. Plus if SL is reduced by 2 clubs that's 2 weeks free, so there's only 2 more weeks to be found in a 5 team, 4 game comp.

Spot on, we need to play more international RL. Club RL wont improve our image and get the wider public involved. Mid season we need to have a dedicated weekend of international RL. England could travel do under for a text against NZ or OZ. France vs Wales. Ireland v.s Scotland. Fiji v.s PNG all at one weekend.

The Exiles game is yet another RL gimmick that does not work. It fits in perfectly alongside, Ref Cam, Club Call, the "advantage rule" and London Broncos.

Id like to see a three game series mid season compromising of England RL vs England Knights. All England eligible players should be made available, including those in the NRL, and we play our strongest 17 vs our next strongest 17.

The benefits here are that you have a strong first 17 being pushed by another strong 17 who want a spot in the first 17 come world cup time. Your fringe England players are getting a solid 3 game series to see how they fair at the highest level. For me, its pointless playing England Knights vs A.N Other nation for them to win convincingly then be out of their depth when they called up to the England team.

Nah, it's even more of a gimmick than Exiles. England v England? Nah. I'd rather Yorkshire v Lancashire was brought back than that.

Same crop of players so why not? the representatives playing in the nrl would need to be available though In my opinion.

The home nations thing needs to happen but it probably needs more time, money and effort than the RFL (or RLEF or whoever) can afford to put in. It's a long-term project that rugby league is ill-equipped to deliver.

Money is a huge problem as far as I can see. The England v Exiles game is a gimmick, but if it was a gimmick that made money it's all good. I can't see how the economics work of an international that attracts less than 8k fans and no other gate money coming in to the top-level of the game all weekend.

Perhaps if they were to stick the the Exiles format, there could be a game on the Friday against the Exiles and a game on the Monday against a 'Barbarians'-type side made up of French/Irish/Welsh/Scottish players. One each-side of the Pennines.

Got to be the War of the Roses..and each side gets a couple of wild cards to choose anybody developed in other areas (eg London,Wales etc).

If marketed properly it would take off, and if the players did their bit...thunderous tackling by club team mates on each other.

What started all the State of Origin rivalry?...Big Artie giving Mick Cronin a clip. Danny Moore and John Hopoarte going hammer and tongue,..examples of mate v mate!

Lets be perfectly honest here, none of the options suggested on this thread would be any better than what we currently have

The answer? , dont know, it really is a difficult one to call, we are as a sport what we are, and that is very much a regional club based sport that is constantly changing things searching for credibility, maybe stop changing things and we might become more credible