Some statistics from Opta;
In Game 1 there were almost 70 more carries, 15 more off-loads, 300 more metres and 40 more tackles than the Super League average.
4 fewer clean breaks than the SL average and 8 fewer penalties conceded. 13 more quick play-the-balls and 15 more burst tackles than the average SL fixture.

Make of that what you will.

Are the coaches trying to ruin this concept?

The squads are terrible.

The club coaches, most definitely.

You could be right there.

C Ablett (Leeds)
R Atkins (Warrington)
T Briscoe (Hull)
D Brough (Huddersfield)
J Broughton (Salford)
R Burrow (Leeds)
G Carvell (Warrington)
J Charnley (Wigan)
E Crabtree (Huddersfield)
L Cudjoe (Huddersfield)
L Farrell (Wigan)
J Jones-Buchanan (Leeds)
J Hodgson (Hull KR)
L Mossop (Wigan)
S Ratchford (Warrington)
J Roby (St Helens)
M Smith (Salford)
S Taylor (Hull KR)
J Wilkin (St Helens)

Is possibly the worst 'England' squad i've ever seen.

Who's available for the Exiles?

Get used to it they did the same to the old Lancs/Yorks county of origin game

Simply put.

All the players selected in Wednesdays game should not have played this weekend.

And why rest players? Are these competitive matches or trials?

TBH that is how the squad should look.
If players are going to be allowed to drop out as they are then having a look at knights players is exactly the right thing to do.
Looking at both of our lads I can imagine they are buzzing and it SHOULD help them push on.

They won't care how they got selected the fact is they did and they are both young so like I say if it is channelled correctly it should help them progress which is good for england.

The squad should look like its the best 19 England players available.

Resting players or having players withdraw injured because they played 2, 3 or 4 days before is stupid and devalues it.

True but the very second that happened then IMHO he should have shifted his aims to see who is ready in the knights.

Looks like the fans don't think this is a real game, and the England players are proving them right. For the concept to grow, it's going to need to be managed a lot better than it is at the moment, or it's going to fall apart within 2 years.

Let's face it McNamara has no idea whatsoever. Problem is he won't resign he'll wait until he is pushed and then it will be too late. What we have seen from him so far doesn't give me any hope at all.

I agree, but when you look who's in charge above him, you see why the international scene is such a joke. It's so depressing because it gives ammo to every critic of RL out there when you see a crowd like this for a supposedly international game, and it's the fault of the RFL for not promoting it properly.

McNamara "we had a really inexperienced side" ...one minute later "we had some really experienced players out there"

Clown.

And please tell me Jon Wilkin didn't say we were overawed?! By what exactly? The massive crowd or the sight of a 38 year old running at them?

The position of England coach doesn't need to be full- time. McNamara is a buffoon who would be lucky to get a gig in Championship 1, so how he's managed to get the No1 job in European rugby league is beyond me.
It was a massive mistake dubbing this as 'origin' because everyone is going to compare it with State of Origin and the Exiles games are always going to come off second best there.