It's not an international, there will be no caps on offer. It is an exhibition game to give England a run out. I wouldn't release a player for it either. Having said that Widdop needs to get some time with the team as he is going to be our star halfback in years to come imo. He played well again in well beaten side at the weekend.

This thread pretty much sums up the attitude of Rugby League fans and why the game will always be confined to the M62. It's about time the fans started embracing new ideas and stopped bagging everything the RFL try to do. It is a different concept and something that will bring the game more exposure and interest.

Once upon a time a game like this would have been called a trial match and a few would have been play in the lead up to a tour . Sadly now with a selection procedure that says play for one of the top six played international before your in what is the point .

yep...its not a test match so souths and any NRL club are well within their right to hold on to the players...


anyhow...we don't need burgess or ellis...we know what they are capable off, they are the 1st 2 names on the england team sheet,their abilities are'nt in questions.....i'd lobby for widdop though

Personally i would much rather watch Yorkshire V Lancashire or England v Allstars/Exciles than playing france. Both other otions would be more competitive and do more than just thrashing france every June.

I would agree with that

Anyone else remember when Bradford were single handedly destroying RL for refusing to release NZ players?

"The trip home last year had a detrimental effect on Sam which he acknowledged. We agreed he would not go this year and he was part of that decision."

That reads to me like Burgess wouldn't have been released if it was a genuine international.

"It's not an international, it's an invented game, a trumped-up game."



So is State of Origin, Richo.

So Burgess, Ellis and Widdop should just walk in to the side at the end of the season without having the opportunity to impress the coaching staff of their international side? If international rugby is to flourish then the best players should be proud to be selected to play in that shirt no matter how far they have to travel to wear it.

I bet if it was a game against the Aussies being played in Dubai all three players would be more than keen to play in it.

Good thing it's not an international match then.

that may have happened...but when the NZRL finally complained..the players got released...

just like last year when souths CEO initially refused to release burgess...colin love rightly reminded them that under RLIF law any player called up to a international test has to be released...and sam was released..



and NZ coack kearney does'nt select ESL players for the anzac test these days cos the journey time renders the player ineffective...play fri/sat/sun,set off monday evening,arrive wednesday,play friday.....pointless

This being the main point.

I think it's extremely disrespectful of Shane Richardson to basically bag the game for no reason before it's even been played. The RFL are trying to sell a product and are trying to improve our international team, and Richardson has just sh*t all over it. All he had to say was something similar to the above, about how the travel, etc. would render him ineffective for both club and country.

i would'nt select burgess or ellis anyway...

i'd fight to get widdop over though...he still needs to prove himself imo

I wonder if Super League clubs will withdraw their overseas stars from playing this game too. Any injuries that may occur in this game would not go down well.

As I said in the other topic on this (They're Coming) I don't understand why any of the overseas players would want to be involved in this game. There is no national pride at stake because it's a made-up team. There are no caps to be won. Nothing. Just a run-out with a bunch of players you don't play with and nothing at stake.

Maybe if this became an annual charity game with some form of trophy at stake it could eventually become a worthwhile contest but right now, it seems like a waste of time to anyone who isn't English and I find it hard to believe it will be a success.

It should become a yearly thing IMO.

A sort of 'World club challenge/Ashes/ type thing'


England v the Southern Hemisphere.




Personally I'm looking forward to it.