I think most English RL fans are quite fond of New Zealand - they are, after all, not Australia - so there isn't the level of animosity or passion in the crowd that you'll see in a big club game or for England vs Aus. Club loyalties would definitely be put aside for that one.

Now that I really just do not get. Wally behaviour. Leeds and Wigan seem the worse for this dick swinging at the moment, though plenty more are known for it.

I went to support England, if Wakefield happened to have anyone playing for England they'd probably get an extra cheer from me bit like Hodgson got yesterday from the locals. Some proper divs follow this sport at times.

I'm a Saints fan and whilst not at this match (I'll be going to Wigan). In previous games that I've been to there are people who can't get over someone in their team not being picked.

They just need to grow up. There are plenty in this team that don't play for any SL team, so there should be even less of a reason to get on their backs.

The whole club bias thing is strange - I was sat next to a family of Wigan fans yesterday, and the father was a bit of a joke. Everytime a Wigan player got the ball, he was up shouting their name in support no matter how mundane the play was - 'Go on Lockers, Go on George, Go on Faz, Go on budgie', but not a peep whenever a non-Wigan player did anything positive - though he was quick to berate any non-Wigan player for any negative, or for not giving the Wigan lads enough options..... It was getting really frustrating..

And then just to show I aint just tarnishing the Wigan lot, there was a fella in an England shirt, with 'Rhinos' printed where usually there'd be a players name across the back of the shoulders.... Ridiculous.....

I do often look around at the crowd when I'm at a game and think 'what a weird breed' - there are so many 'special' folk watch our game.

its a RL thing, the Yawnion boys are more interested in internationals sometimes than club games, as a sport we are very club based.
To be honest for the first 20 or 30 the england team never really did anything for anyone to get excited about.
Bloke I was sat next to did make the point that we as a nation tend to have a soft spot for the Kiwi team unlike the aussie team.
Personally I think a mexican wave shows disrespect to the guys on the pitch.

For 80 minutes or so they're all England players to me, and get 100% support
I even supported Leon Pryce on international duty and IMO he's a nasty dispicable piece of t!!

Going back to my post on Page 1, it's because we hardly ever play any big games. The team is not important enough to enough people often enough. As I said that was our first big home game for two years, if our clubs played at home that often we wouldn't cross the road to watch them. We need more high profile games to build interest in the team to make us forget about the club v club thing. We need good Wales and France teams to play mid season and have a really good tussle with so that after the Four Nations next year we aren't waiting another two years again before we have another big home game after the FNs.

Where I'd shove that decking drum would liven you up - most go to watch a game not listen to some mindless chimp banging a drum, has no one any empathy for other people these days.

I must agree about the drum though. I hate ours at Wire and any others anywhere else. I'd love a league-wide stadium ban on instruments in the crowd.

spot on

I have always tried to go to internationals to support GB/England yesterday I had a few Leeds fans to the rear of me who cheered on Hall and ignored others. Same with the Wigan supporters who only came alive when "lockers" had the ball. It was oh so interesting listening to the comments all club based and nearly everyone aimed at another clubs player. We need to break that down and get behind them as a team, putting aside club loyalties.

I am glad my fellow FC fans did not attempt singing Old Faithful even though the match was a celebration to the clubs 150 years.

We need a national song like union have, Jerusalem would be a bad choice and proved so yesterday. Sweet Caroline got the crowd going a tad yesterday adopt that ..............

and lose the mascot, its a bloody joke

Musical instruments are banned at the KC and should be everywhere

It's been that way for years. I remember an Ashes test at the DW and some Dewsbury fans spent the whole game abusing Andy Farrell. Very odd.

Needed free flags!

Its like many have already said our game is club based. Touring international games are just overblown friendlies because they are not a regular occurrence for fans to look forward to year in year out. We are very amateur with this kind of stuff and the media of any importance have no attraction to the game.
If there comes a time when most of the England team are playing in the NRL I can see the atmosphere becoming more alienated.

I agree with what another poster said, i think the fact there is no real dislike or needle in games against NZ as opposed to Australia who we see as a real rival and every englishman wants to beat, the atmosphere seems a bit more flat comparison.

There's more than a little truth in it. 2013 world cup final when the stadium announcer called out New Zealand there was mild applause and for Australia massive booing. Quite upset a Aussie in front of us