Typical VT user

We are talking about 10 Aussies putting a blue shirt on and calling themselves a country they have probably never been to and people start creaming themselves as if the sport has achieved something. I bet in the next ten posts some idiot suggests replacing Salford with Milan such are the dribbling retards that use this forum.

It's funny that you feel the need to try and defend the idiots who make comments like the ones in that post.

There are a select few who would do this definitely. They are trolls, long term trolls.

Unfortunately, very few are actually interested in having a mature debate on the matter.

Rugby League is in a difficult position when it comes to the international game. If we're calling a spade a spade, this Italian team is just an honest attempt to get the game going there. They're not italian. They wont be greeted as megastars in Milan. And if the position of rugby league was better we would not need a team consisting almost solely of Australians representing Italy.

But unfortunately the game can be best called developing in the majority of international areas and we have to resort to this. Baby steps as they say. Not a triumph, but the best solution to a catch 22.

A bit like our recent Autumn internationals. The international game is not strong enough to put out a world cup of the quality of some sports, but we can't afford to just give up on the international game just because it's comparitively weak. Let's make the best of what we've got.

Completely useless, irrelevant comment made by a buffoon easily disregarded.

But England, who have been a power since the dawn of the game can play Rangi Chase, Reid, Widdop and the Aussie forward who was so good I forgot his name, and that's alright. Plus, back in the day before they adopted the GB moniker they usually had half a dozen Welshmen playing for England.

And if you think Henry Paul and Hape were genuine English in the other code and I forgot Vainikolo, well wow.

Give these Italians a break? If they are still 90% Australian by the next but one World Cup then you might have a point.

I'm not sure how you can put Reed and Widdop in the same category as the likes of Chase and Minichiello although the wider point stands.

Although people do have a point about Chase, it's certainly a grey area for us.

Agree with Mr Dalton, we need to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.

The 'big 3' selecting players from minor nations is counter-productive for the game, for the game to develop internationally if a player is available for Australia as well as Fiji or Lebanon, they should be encouraged to play for the minor nations, bridging the gap and giving the minor nation a player in SL or the NRL to idolise. This will develop the game at grass roots level a hell of a lot quicker.

The big 3 would still be the big 3 without Hayne, Mason, McIlorum, Brough, Harrison, Civonaceva etc but the gap would be smaller, and the minor nations not only have stars but hope aswell.

That Italian team will be VERY competative.....they could well make the QF's, where they would meet the Kiwis..... then in a one off game, anything can happen, they could then meet England for the right to play Australia.....the RLWC Final could be 'stralia v 'straLia B

You can't blame the Italians BTW.....there are only 2 professional leagues and about 750 full time professional players on the planet, so if they can track down 20 or more of these players with Italian heritage, good on them I say.....

Good point made earlier BTW......teams like this Italian lot and Fiji with Hayne and maybe Uate will boost interest and gates......

I hope you are right, I wont be holding my breath though

If you have long-term ambitions for the game, and if Italy is one country where rugby league just might conceivably be played at an increasingly high level in decades to come, where do you start? What irritates me beyond words is flat-earther rugby league "fans" who just want to call everything a "joke" and sneer at every effort that doesn't fit their worldview.

If there is a squad of blokes who want to bust a gut playing for the Italian national side, who the fsck are random prats on internet forums to tell them either what their motivations are, or what the people of Italy would make of such a thing? Are the people running the game in Italy not in the best position to sort these things out?

In the fifties, the new Italian rugby league had a couple of dozen clubs. WHAT? 24 clubs in a league in Italy?? Well, yes! There was! In fact the game got pretty popular, so much so that the international part of it was killed off in the 70s by our good friends in Rugby Onion, who were obviously nervous at the thought of RL getting a foothold of any sort.

More power to the elbows of the Italian team, the players, selectors, officials and tea lady. People have been keeping the faith with RL in Italy for well over 50 years now and they deserve applause and encouragement, not scorn and derision.

I actually think this is good for the long term development of Italian RL. Due to the country's economy the governing body over there is having a number of problems, and if it was an all 'italian' squad they wouldn't be competitive, and the competition would go unnoticed over there. They look set to be a strong, competitive side, and if they win a few games it will make the headlines and people will take note.

There is no pleasing some people, I see one chap infers that Widdop should not be in the squad. You do realise he was born and bred in Halifax before moving at the age of 16?

No,you misunderstand me. I have no objections to Widdop being in the England squad but by the same token Minicello or any other person playing his rugby league in Australia who has an Italian born parent or grandparent fulfills the eligibility requirements and has the same rights to play for Italy as does Widdop for England who learned and plays his RL in Australia also.

It just seem those who are critisizing the Italian team turn a blind eye when the big boys do the same.

Has Hayne confirmed he's playing for Fiji?