Any news on dates and venues yet? What's the hold up?

The RFL.

Out of interest, the ECB this week announced details of venues and dates for the 2019 Ashes series.

Cricket, Football, Rugby Union etc are significantly bigger than RL and doesn't it show!

3 RL games at club grounds with 'second tier teams' can be 'Knocked up' within months!! Big Nige will tell you!!

Will Nigel decide to hold one of the Tests at Leigh Sports Village?

After all, according to Nigel's marketing philosophy of "don't borrow money to invest in advertising" and "a full house, even a very small full house, looks best on TV" it's much better to have a full house of 11,000 at LSV with 9,000 fans turned away, than to have a half full Wembley with only 43,000 there and 47,000 empty seats.

Those 3 sports all have full control of their own venues, RL unfortunatly doesnt, it really is that simple, essentially RL has 1 ( relatively poor condition ) stadium of reasonable size under its control

Until the major SL clubs or the RFL are able to provide quality stadiums like the LSV ( only much bigger ) then potentially yes, we might see a NZ v England test match held there

However it really isnt the current administrations fault for centuries of lack of investement, is it?

I will scream if the three venues are the LSV, Doncaster and Hull/Langtree Park

I don't mind one match being held at Hull, Langtree or DW etc.. But one match HAS to be at Wembley to capitalise on the WC and to bring some sort of importance back to international test games and another should be at the city of Manchester or Elland Road

That is providing those FOOTBALL stadiums will be happy to let a match take place in November, and Elland road just isnt up to it, unless you are a dwarf

I'll go Hull, Hudds, Wigan. With Elland Road the possible West Yorkshire option over Hudds.

Yeah Elland Road isn't great but it's the right size and in the right city to get 35k and they would take any money offered at the moment. So it's a good choice if City of Manchester is not available. Another at Hull or Langtree.

The most important one is the Wembley game. If the RFL has any nous.

But I'm resigned to the fact they will be probably held at the LSV or Doncaster type venues

Cricket needs to really. Counties spend lots of money improving the venues in hope of getting International cricket, particularly the Ashes. Hosting Englsnd games is massively significant to a county's finances and not getting awarded one or having a rain affected Test hits them hard. In days past it wasn't so bad because they only had around 6 venues, in the last few years it's jumped up to around 10/11 venues.

Whoever gets the 3 Eng vs NZ matches it is merely a nice bonus that they didn't account for.

There's a bidding war on at the moment to see who hosts these tests.....tallaght have just raised the ante with an offer of €40 and a free tour I the Guinness plant at st James gate!

Fax if you have nothing good to say don't bother you twit

Hull want to play New Zealand in a tour match as a 150th anniversary event and Stephen Kearney seems keen on the idea too. If that happens I can't see Hull getting an England game aswell.