Should the RFL whilst trying to sort out what to do with the league over the next few years, seriously think about bringing back a meaningful rep game for our top players. We all know it really be passionate and a great step up for our top players whilst be a great game for selectors and coaches of the England set up and not forgetting the revenue for the RFL and TV rights
Win Win Win for me???

The RFL have tried twive in the past to resurrect this game unfortunately the clubs and players failed to take it seriously

Brilliant idea. Can't think why it's not been tried before.

It's called Leeds v Wigan.

When was the last time it was tried 20 years ago ??
Not been tried since the introduction of super league as far as can remember

Early 2000's it was tried again. And Failed.

The RFL should have stood by the concept 25 years ago and it may have blossomed into something big but i cant see it ever working now which is a shame.

Quote: marshman777 "When was the last time it was tried 20 years ago ?? Not been tried since the introduction of super league as far as can remember'" Wrong. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Leag ... _the_Roses

Quote: marshman777 "When was the last time it was tried 20 years ago ?? Not been tried since the introduction of super league as far as can remember'" Wrong. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Leag ... _the_Roses

Find a sponsor to drum up a cash prize of £250,000
Prize money gets shared equally between the 17 winning players, 15k each, losers get nothing.
That should add some spice, I'd certainly go!

Good Call great idea

^ This ^

Haven't the NRL recently announced that there will be big money on offer for winning State of Origin series and for Winning in Australia's colours? I also recall reading something about a reduced numbers tournament to be held in NZ where there was big money on offer....

Money talks, whichever language you speak......

Sure.
Maybe while they magic up £250k for a game which attracts 5,000 fans they can find a sponsor for Super League too?

Surely France cannot be too far away from competing with England for a mid-season Test. They're producing more and more SL-standard talent all the time.

A couple of problems what is Lancashire? Wigan are about the closest to being Lancashire and they are in Greater Manchester. And could it somehow include Cumbria.

The whole representative calendar is buggered at the minute, and it really needs a proper strategy from the RFL to sort it out. Especially as the lack of an international game is one of our biggest barriers to being competitive with other sports for media & sponsorship attraction.

So how about this:

EARLY SEASON-COUNTY TRIANGULAR TOURNAMENT

Yorkshire v Lancashire v Cumbria

not representing the modern unitary authorities but the traditional counties. So Wigan, Warrington, St Helens, Widnes & Salford are the Lancashire clubs; Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Castleford, Hull FC & Hull KR the Yorkshire ones.

Play the games at the biggest grounds to hand we can manage (Etihad/OT/Anfield, Elland Road, Brunton Park), each team getting one home and one away game.

Gives an early season opportunity for the best players to stake claims, gives a nod to the heritage of the game and gives Cumbria a guaranteed rep fixture annually which can be used as a platform for going on towards SL (Carlisle probably needing to be the base for a Cumbrian side).

MID SEASON - FIVE/SIX NATIONS

England v Wales v Scotland v Ireland v France (v Italy)

England games are too often one-sided because no-one wishes to play for the likes of Ireland in largely meaningless fixtures, and because the ones they get currently are two spaced out to be contract saleable.

An annual tournament in the height of summer between teams viewers naturally have an affiliation to is something we can sell to broadcasters and sponsors much more easily than we can sell Saints v Wigan or FC v KR. Also with no soccer or Union on it provides the perfect opportunity to get high-level RL onto terrestrial TV once again.

Would need to be played at venues that suggest RL deserves international recognition (i.e. not the CoS or LSV), the England team should be based in London and have one home game in the North.

END OF SEASON-GB TOUR

Providing the very top level games regularly to incentivise players to stay in their rep teams and not all jump ship to England, an annual autumnal 3-Test Tour, alternating home/away and Australia/NZ. Take these games across GB (London, Cardiff, Edinburgh/Dublin).

That said, I doubt there's anyone within the RFL with the stones to take that forward and make it work.

Edit:

Oh, and fwiw if anyone wants to say that certain sides will just always be uncompetitve, a reminder that of current SL & NRL players there are huge numbers eligible for those sides. Even Ireland (Scott Grix, Blanch, Gleeson, Bridge, Richards, Simon Grix, Finn, Amor, McIlorum, Prescott, McCarthy, Harrison, O'Loughlin, Beswick, O'Carroll, Allen, Finnigan) could be reasonably competitive.

Lancashire v Yorkshire, The Charity Shield mid season game.

Game is played for a Lancashire or Yorkshire charity, half the profits to it and half to the RFL.

LAncashire & Yorkshire teams all wear the red or white roses on shirts all year. Teams contain player born in Lancashire or Yorkshire, and 5 overseas players possible in each from clubs based in each county. With London being aligned with Yorkshire.

We need to call it WAR OF THE ROSES not county of origin.

We need to play it on a Saturday afternoon and tickets should be well priced for all £15 and £10 concessions.

It should be properly run for a long term goal, and it would be a cracking game to go to each year. Building to a 3 game series in 10 years time.

I'm free to manage it if needed