Ashes series would be brilliant! Really hope this comes off!

To win it you have to beat Australia twice which is what is great about it. The WC and 4N only requires you to beat Australia once which isn't as great an achievement IMO. See NZ who have won a couple of 4N's and the WC but didn't beat the Aussies twice in any of them tournaments.

I'd say the World Cup is the international pinnacle, and if it isn't it bloody should be!

More games against the Aussies, well can't complain with that!
Return if GB? Not particularly bothered if it was England to be honour. They'll be the exact same team on paper.

I think people ignore the fact that it isn't just about playing against the Aussies that's the carrot. It's having a significantly higher chance of playing in a competitive team with a chance if winning.

Not only that, but these players are actually ENGLISH! If they're good enough and the door is open, why wouldn't they want to play for their home nation?

I must apologise to NZ, they did beat the Aussies twice in the 05 Tri Nations

This fat idiot is going to ruin the international game.

They are English but the best chance of the other home nations having a team that have at least a chance of competing (not winning necessarily but getting within 30 points for example as opposed to 70 point hammerings) today, not in 30 years time (maybe) if given a development officer, is to use heritage players who qualify to play for them. They then keep going with heritage players from SL and NRL if they can get them so that they have a team that young kids can see [inow[/i that can put in a good effort against England and France at least. That team though they may come from Dewsbury, Pontefract, St Helens and Brisbane will give those Welsh, Scottish and Irish kids a team that they can look up to and can encourage them to want to play the game themselves. When those kids have grown up then they may get a team that were born in the actual country they represent but for now they need a team of any eligible players but one that can at least compete with FT players pulling on England and France jerseys.

If more of the likes of Brough, Clark, McIlorum etc stuck with the nations they played for in the last WC rather than switching then those teams might well have a chance of becoming competitive.

Also most of the players concerned are not good enough to make the England team so are going from a team where they are getting picked and a star name to kicking their heels behind two or three others and not playing at all.

Fantastic news!

It was always the high point of the season.

Seriously , does anyone feel even remotely exited about the four nations comp?

GB & France would be better than just GB

With the emergence of players like Gil Dudson and Ben Flower in the Wigan side and with Rhys Pugsley and Rhodri Lloyd also in the squad then by 2015 who knows.

You mean like these non-English players (non-RU converts) who represented GB from 2000 until some bright spark abolished GB in 2007? Paul Atcheson, Neil Cowie, Keiron Cunningham, Richie Eyres, Iestyn Harris, Kelvin Skerrett, Anthony Sullivan, Lee Briers, Garreth Carvell, Terry O'Connor, Dave Bradbury, Brian Carney, Chris Joynt, Barrie Mcdermott, Steve Prescott, Ryan Sheridan...(and probably more)... yes, a couple represented England at one point but all went for Wales, Scotland or Ireland in the end, and until we have successful club competitions in those countries they'll still have to rely on plenty of heritage players.

In today's climate it's unlikely any would have gone for any other option than England.

Plenty of elite players would opt for their heritage teams if they also had the chance to represent GB what has always been the biggest international series (sorry, as good as they are, the RLWC or 3/4N just don't have the mystique or legend). There are those on the fringes of England who will most likely never break through, those who simply want to play for the country of origin, etc... and the rest.

The Ashes was simply another level to the 3N, 4N or WC. Should never have been abolished.

I thought the Tri Nations was better than the 4 nations. It meant 4 games minimum against the top nations where as the 4N is only 3 games max.

In the 4N if you don't make the final you feel like you have barely played! You don't learn much from just 2 games against the top nations imo

Although what you say is correct Dougy, the inclusion of Wales or PNG is the only way that these Nations will improve and although I apologise for making a RU comparison, look at Italy in their game.
They were absolute whipping boys for a number of years but, now they are up to speed.

Can I ask why? Playing every few years as GB aint going to kill all the hard work in Wales etc. surely?

Completely agree.