it has been reported in our local rag, the hull daily mail that the superleague season will start a week later as Bennett wants an england training camp the week before throw in a international weekend and clubs could be facing more than one short turn around like the easter weekend so much for player welfare! www.hulldailymail.co.uk/hull-fc- ... story.html

it has been reported in our local rag, the hull daily mail that the superleague season will start a week later as Bennett wants an england training camp the week before throw in a international weekend and clubs could be facing more than one short turn around like the easter weekend so much for player welfare! www.hulldailymail.co.uk/hull-fc- ... story.html

Player welfare?!!!!
Hmmmmm.
Shame about people who may play 2 games a weekend, train 2 or 3 nights a week, work during the day and pay subs for the privilege of playing just for the fun of it.
My heart bleeds for SL players, it really does.

Yeah, you tell 'em

"Chaos". An international fixture won't cause chaos. Just stick it in when the bottom four clubs from this year play in the challenge cup.

Chaos!

If we want to start taking internationals more seriously we need to either play less games, or have a weekend where England players are unavailable for their club.

As someone above said, an international during the early cup rounds works as well in the short term.

Personally I think we should play more than one international. I remember there was a preview for the NZ series on BBC and they were talking about how little internationals are played in league. They said football had played 10 games, union had played 16 I think it was and we had played 1 game that year. If other sports can fit all these games in then I can see no problem with an international break of a couple of weeks where we play 2 or 3 internationals.

In the last ten years the following England sports teams have played the following number of games:

Cricket (not including 50 or 20 over formats) 114
Rugby Union 121
Football 114

Rugby League 47


This sport is crying out for a heavier international fixture list!

Give over..That is where Sir Kevin Sinfield proved he was the best player on the planet and duly got the Golden Boot award

If we are serious about the international game then for me, there should be an international series in the summer, Like they do in RU and NRL, and run it alongside the competitions, maybe start the season later, say March?extend the season until the end of October as it is warmer and more comfortable in October than February.
When clubs have players chosen to represent their countries, or countries of choice these days, then give their places in the team to academy/reserve squad players.

There's a difference in both physical intensity -- amateur players can very rarely hold a candle to the size, power and fitness of a pro, even at the higher amateur levels -- and also quality.

I'm increasingly coming round to the idea that professional players should be given a cap on the number of games they are allowed to play over a certain period for their own welfare. eg. no more than 25 games in any year long period.

No problems with international games all for them

But playing two games in 4 days twice, maybe 3 times a season isn't good

Imo we should lose magic weekend for next season and push back the grand final a week

Everyone is forgetting the reason the international game is weak, it is beyond the RFL,s control! The NRL don't give a toss about it & until they release players to represent their countries the whole of the pacific nations will suffer & we will have the best English players missing as well. The Aussies have consistently undermined the game out side the NRL sides even offering Aussie jumpers & state of origin to Pacific island natives