www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/23160029 A pointless game. They need a warm up fixture against someone half decent. This will give them a low intensity, easy 40 point win and do nothing to prepare them for facing australia.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/23160029 A pointless game. They need a warm up fixture against someone half decent. This will give them a low intensity, easy 40 point win and do nothing to prepare them for facing australia.

It's "preparation". I think you're confusing it with "pepperoni".

I mentioned a couple of months ago that this warm up game had been arranged.

The Italians will be much stronger than people may realise. The Minicello brothers, Terry Campese, Kade Snowden, Craig Gower, and a smattering of other NRL players will be turning out for the Azzuri.

Would have liked to have seen us up against a pacific island side.

Let's just sum this thread up in one post, shall we?

"This is a waste of time? Why aren't we playing France / Wales / any other team that isn't up to standard?"

"I'm not going if tickets cost any more than £3.50"

"I'm not going if <insert name of Leeds player> is playing"

"Why is it at Salford? The car park is rubbish"

"I bet the Aussies will be quaking in their boots watching us thrash this lot"

"We should arrange a Yorkshire v Lancashire match instead"

Any more that I've missed?

FFS. RL deserves better fans than it has. A game between 2 nations that have never played before as preperation for the world cup is met with derision. I get the feeling that if it were up to some fans the only games England would play would be against Aus and NZ. Although how they expect the international game to grow without playing more international matches I don't know.

Outside of Australia and New Zealand, there is no other opposition on England's level. Playing a Pacific Island nation isn't going to pose any more of a test to England than playing the Italians will, and hopefully this game will help to raise the profile of the sport in Italy.

Some folks are just permanently set to "whinge".

I like the fixture but hate the venue.

One road in and one road out. Sheesh.

I agree, i was also going to make that point but thought it was too obvious.

Its not a 'whinge', its just the type of opposition I would have liked to have seen us play to give us a good physical workout before the WC begins.

Let's hope the filthy Eyeties don't do the Ockers a favour and start knocking heads off when it gets past the 50 mark.

Its a good bit of promotion a week ahead of the World Cup.

As for the game itself, I think a team of this level is perfect for England. No, I can't see us playing at 100% intensity with a full strength side, but isn't that the idea of warm up games? To use the time to implement tactics, strategies and players which have been untried in a real-game scenarios thus far?

What's the point in playing a full intensity match against NZ or Australia, one week before the competitive matches kick in? The players would be knackered before the tournament even kicks off.

You missed

"Mcbanana"

"Why isn’t player A from my team playing"

"They aren’t real Italians, it’s a joke/farce/nonsense"

And the perennial favourite,

"I blame Nigel Wood."

England fans expecting a 50 point victory against Italy

I saw a thread where someone seriously suggested that England should be playing against a Super League team instead