According to an article on LoveRugbyLeague, whilst players of the three big nations are earning around £15,000 per game, the Scots are being paid 'pocket money'. Backroom staff, coaches, conditioners, administrators are voluntary. England hired a cyrotherapy unit at the Ricoh which cost as much as Scotland's entire tournament budget and Scotland couldn't afford to play an international warm-up match, hence the game against a Cumbrian select. The article finished:
"Worth knowing next time you want to attack the Bravehearts for being 'plastic Jocks' - they are playing for Scotland for love of the game, not for the money"

Imagine if England had a half back of the quality of Danny Brough to pick?

It was reported on BBC1's breakfast show this morning and they are showing highlights of the game this afternoon.

I saw it on bbc news this morning.

Fantastic performance by the Scots - I thought the Kiwis got all the 50/50 calls too - the Scots were unlucky not to get the win.

Thought Matty Russell has been great all tournament - I'd have him at 1 over Lomax. And the Brough argument has been had time and time again - he might be a bit of a bell, but he's exactly the type of half we've been crying out for since Schofield. As a country, we need to create more players of his skillset.

I don't have an issue with the Scottish players getting lower match fees than the tier one nations, after all they will not add value to the tv deal (bbc didn't show games live) and the attendances at the games are much lower, so they bring in less money.

With the exposure they are getting however, it would be great if some more could be invested at grassroots level, it would be an ideal time to launch a few new amateur teams.

and surely now is the time to schedule an international in Scotland! get England to go there mid-season, use this unexpected NZ draw as promotion, promote it as 'low paid, hard working Scotland' against 'moneybags England' they've got to start somewhere and at least get the Scottish media aware they have a team and there's a World Cup on later in the year.

Sorry but they do, even more so. Would you believe that the SRL grand final was last night too? So that is a Friday, at the same time as the final of their own league comp, an England v Scotland football match, played outside Scotland.

The SRL couldn't run a p**s up in a brewery.



On Radio 5 at hourly intervals along with a feature at 8am, also on BBC TV breakfast show.



Sadly that would involve the SRL, that means it would be on a Friday night in Galasheilds with a 6pm KO. Bleedin' useless.

I dont know whether Danny Brough is a Scot, he doesnt sound very Scottish but, he's desperate to play well and perhaps show the England set up that they made a mistake (a bit like Bennett in his England coaching role ?).
No doubt that they played with amazing spirit and passion and they were "together" as a team.

It's superb for the game to have a 2nd tier international team doing so well.

As far as funding goes, surely, on the backk of that result, they should get an increase, which may give them chance to improve and compete even more in future ?.

they'll be working closely with the RFL on a date and time that hits that sweet spot of clashing with an England football game on TV, a stadium miles away from a train station and a kick-off time that means most fans won't be home before midnight. As much as we knock Union i'd love to have the RFU's organisation and planning.

Rugby League people never learn (neither the people who run the game nor the fans).

The biggest problem with our sport is the non-playing/coaching people in the game or who watch the game who are continually trying to or wanting to change this that and the other. Something they don't like after seeing it once or twice and they want it changing. What this sport needs is to get a format for everything and stick to it for a few decades.

Even if they stay together, in the WC next year it'll be warm on big pitches and teams will play their best team and they'll get absolutely hammered by all of the big three.

Let's not get carried away here, the pitch was tiny, the conditions were poor and the Kiwis didn't play full strength and it was a one-off leveller that you'll never see again.