Just asking from an Aussie perspective will this have an annual event like Origin?

From this side of the world we've only heard good things from the match

Talks are underway about whether this is repeated next year and onwards

When the fixture was announced there was some scepticism (myself included) but in pretty much every element it was a success – the attendance was good (although the crowd was a little quiet which is to be expected when it is a new fixture) and the game was well contested and played in the manner of an international match (i.e. lots of contact at the ruck and therefore slower play the balls)

There has been widespread agreement over the past couple of decades that State of Origin has helped the Aussie team to dominate international league due to it preparing the players for high intensity matches – whether this is true or not is up for debate as the NZ team seems to do well enough without a similar event. My feeling is that the week to week intensity of the NRL is a more important factor and that needs to be matched by SL (which is getting better year on year in this regard) in order for the English team to compete

As a fixture it can certainly help our International team – I don’t think it will reach the profile of SOO as that benefits from two sets of partisan fans that, by definition, can’t exist for International Origin but I hope that it continues

The exiles being in the 4 nations would make a mockery of the tournament and International Rugby League. U cant enter sides into International Test Rugby League who have no nationality. It would be laughable.

Its much more important to push forward in growing the game in the fringe nations and helping them improve!!

A classic example of a 'think about what you have just typed before you click the submit button' post

The back line still isn't good enonough, the fact that Joel Tomkins is being considered for the centres just shows hoe desperatly short of centres we are. I hope Lawrence, Watkins and Charnley all have good ends to the season and push for selection because the current options are no where near good enough., and there's no gurantee that Ellis or Burges will play in the 4 nations.

Thing is though, Westwood is as near as wasted on the bench and doesn't get to show his full potential. He's not an impact player, he's a player who, from the first whislte, is straight in giving 100%. He normally plays the full game for Warrington, and as seen when he's started on the bench for England in the part he doesn't perform as well as he does starting. IMO, you'd be better off playing Graham on the bench with Burgess at prop, as we know Graham can make a difference coming off the bench and would give us a better impact.

Westwood, along with Monaghan and Briers is the first name I look for when the squads are announced. I don't think people realize how good he actually is. He's hard as nail, 100% commited, a great tackler, a great metre-maker and rarely tires. I know stats don't show the whole picture but I believe they state he is currently better than Luke O'Donnel or Ryan Hoffman. He'd do very well in the NRL IMO, he has a great mould for it and has the attributes that the Aussies love over there.

If England had held on and won Eddie and Stevo would have been banging on about how it was proof that England are good enough to Australia and New Zealand. Not that the final try should have been scored mind as there is no way that two defenders should bounced off the ball carrier like that. The Exiles looked like that they could have sliced through the English defence and scored at will while we had to rely on their mistakes to score, as we wouldn't have broken through their defence even if they played until midnight.

A team full of 30+ year old Aussies and Kiwis (with the odd exception) beat England. Is this further proof that we need less overseas players playing in SL?

average age of the exiles was 29...with 200 caps between them...proof,if we needed it, that the exiles we're deservedly favourites for the game

Behave

So you think because the Exiles v England match has never been played before that means the supporters are in some way scared to generate any atmosphere?

Wilkin was one of the best players on the pitch

Regularly playing against the Aussies and Kiwis doesn't appear to have made England/GB better of late. Given that, why does anyone seem to think that playing a side comprised of mainly over the hill pension fillers be any better?

What is needed is cutting edge coaching & training techniques and infrastructure to develop players to the highest level.

It's a common misconception that SOO is the reason for Aussie dominance, but it began in 1980 which is just two years before the Invincibles destroyed GB.

That 1082 Kangaroo squad came from fitness and coaching systems put in place following the 1970 Lions tour and that have been built on ever since.

The answer is behind the scenes, not in a gimmick game.