I get quite despondent with International RL in this country. For no other reason than the lack of support we seem to generate.

For me, International RL is the pinnacle of the game, filling Wembley with people makes sponsors stand up and say, ey up, there's some people interested in that game, lets get our name on it... not so much a CC final or a GF, but the papers/media really stand up for an international game.

An interesting thing was on the Stephen Fry show about language where he was quoting a guy that said he's a patriot, but not a nationalist, that when asked what that meant said, he loves his country (patriotism) but does not hate other countries.

This is so easily transposed to RL and the club first mentality that means we can't sell out LSV for an elite international tournament. We may as well disappear up our own backsides sadly! To see people come out and say there are only bothered about their club, their players being ok and not selected and that they'll not go to any games saddens me.

Ok, admittedly I do think that it should be GB with Eng and Wal, and Ire in a selection for GB&I play off to play in a trinations with Aus, NZ, Samoa, PNG et al.

Yes I am proud to be English and would love to be able to represent my Country at International level at any sport. However I get the distinct feeling that a number of professional RL players don’t feel the same and it is this that is having a damaging effect on the success of the England RL team and it’s ability to play in front of a sold out crowds on a regular basis.

Year after year we have players who are picked for International duty who drop out because of injury or because they need an operation. I have no problem with this happening when treatment/operations are needed as a matter of urgency, however the fact is far too often these are niggling injuries that players have played with for weeks and would continue to do so if they still had a chance of winning a Challenge Cup or Grand Final winners medal for their club. As I say, I don’t have a problem of players dropping out for genuine reasons but I do feel far too many players use injuries as an excuse for ducking the challenge of facing the Aussies and Kiwis.

I think most fans realise this also and are becoming a little sick of players attitude towards representing England. I remember saving up around £2500 in my late teens in the hope of going and watching GB tour Australia in 1996 and was gutted when that tour never materialised due to the Super League war, fast forward to today and I wouldn’t watch England if they were playing in my back garden.

I'd agree that this is frustrating but assume that their main employers, i.e. the clubs, pretty much have the ultimate say over when players are operated upon.

A fact that isn't lost on me, but most Aussies would run on broken glass and through a brick wall to wear the green and gold and would more than likely be supported by their club.

The fact is our players/clubs don't have the same passion for International RL as the Aussies do. With this in mind, it doesn't take a genius to figure out why we are so far off the pace and the general RL public don't get all giddy at the prospect of watching our National team play.

It's a real shame, but unfortunately true.

Eh? NRL clubs are notorious for withdrawing their players from international duty for ops etc

The single most destructive element to international rugby league and to the RLIF is the ARL and their reluctance to take international rugby league seriously because they are far more concerned with club rugby and Origin.

I don't think the Aussies have anywhere near as much passion for the international game as the English. They have a lot of passion for Origin, but not the same internationals, hence part of the reason why the ARL generally don't care. The Aussies approach to internationals is that of bloody minded, machine-like professionalism. England or GB tend to lose because they have so much passion and emotion that their nerves get the better of them.

I am as proud to be English as any Scot is to be Scottish or any Yank to be American, I don't however stand for or sing the national anthem as I am not a royalist and like most countries we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to be ashamed of. I hate the EDF, BNP and all they stand for and the misuse of our flag for nationalist and racist purposes makes me sick. I accept that to be English is not a colour or a birth thing, but where you feel at home.

From an RL point of view, I cannot get into the England thing and would prefer to revert to GB and Ashes tours (as posted elswhere), its just my opinion and I always prefer to see England do well in ANY sport and hope we win the 4 nations.

Where is this passion you speak of? LSV has yet to sell out in an area relatively local to two of the most successful RL clubs in England one of them being the best supported in the country and this is England. Australia vs PNG in Brisbane would have far more enthusiasm. The reason Eng/GB&I lose is due to the quality of players they have the fact that Chase is no1 choice for half back is testament to that. You hear far more from Australian players and coaches about the importance of the international game than you do from the English players and coaches.

The exception to this appears to be Richard Lewis who see it as a priority but then again he was largely ignorant of RL before he joined the RFL. Australia has done more for the international game than any other country followed by New Zealand.

funny that, mine tends to drop when we end up with a Labour government (hopefully that wont be a problem for a long long long time)

Honestly I think we need to go back to having a GB team when we play the 2 big teams Aus & NZ . England is fine for playing European games.

On a personal note I'm very much English first but needs must and we need to play the top teams with every top player available to us.

I'd be proud to be English if I thought it was an achievement, but it isn't..... so I'm not.