Need to play Aus and NZ more often. From November 2009 to October 2011 we will have played Australia once and New Zealand once. We've little chance of improving.

Secondly, Wales or France need to improve and i think its more important for the RFL to decide on having either 2 Welsh or 2 French teams in Super League because i think one of each isn't enough to help them improve.

I also think all French players should not be counted on the quota or even possibly the salary cap. That may help increase the number of French in each SL team which would help to bing them on, in the same way there are a few kiwis at each Australian club. Imagine if it was just one frenchman in each SL team other than Catalans, that would be 13 more players exposed to SL standard every week than there is now. It's bound to help to some degree.

If we want something similar to Origin then why not a home region style competition.

Yorkshire, Lancashire, North Wales, London. The main areas the game is played in this country. A 3 week mid season break from SL and have the competition as a league table.

But it would need the RFL to really back it as they have done with the Magic Weekend. Push it as an event in the RL calendar. If we're now having MW as the season opener, we've got a large gap for an event between it and the CC.

Played in May, before the holiday season kicks in and hopefully the British weather isn't too terrible and we could have a decent comp.

If you read this thread, you'd see why most people think that would be a bad idea.

Because it's a stupid idea.

Pick 4 random areas of the UK
or
North West
North East
Midlands/Wales
South/France

Pick 4 coaches

Then let them all pick one player at a time similar to how you pick two teams at school

Can't be any worse.

Thanks for that well thought out response. You clearly put a lot of thought into it. But don't get carried away, you probably have to put a lot of thought into breathing in and out or getting one foot to follow the other when you walk

I kind of agree to a couple of your points but there's problems, but to just follow it up a little:
paragraph a) thats true, and i'd like to see a bit more but if you extend that a month either side and you over treble the games, but yes, I get your point.
Point B I agree with wholeheartedly and just to follow on that, I think this is why Wales will overtake France because they have more players in other SL clubs, just like NZ Warriors do.

Point C, while I agree in principle I forsee a major problem in that Catalans' best players will just be taken overnight. One could argue that the job is, well, to produce more players however having no cap would simply see the best players end up at the best teams and Catalans end up with youth players and a bunch of overseas players plugging the gap. IMO of course.

Its not necessarily the worst idea but its fitting it in the calender, clubs taking it seriously and the RFL obviously believe there's better ideas out there.

Maybe if you had actually read the thread, you would have not felt compelled to post such a stupid idea.

I've given my views on why GB is so far behind the Aussies at international level on other threads in the past and have no desire to repeat myself ad infinitum. My suggestion was simply something to provide a similar event to SoO.

Do I think it's what's needed to improve the international teams? No. Nothing short of a massive overhaul of coaching techniques and improvements to attracting players at grassroots/school level and retaining them will do that.

'GB' doesn't exist.

I agree fully with the second part of your post, and as an equivalent to Origin, it wasn't the worst idea I've seen. The question is, why would you want to create an equivalent to Origin? For numerous reasons outlined on this thread, it is a completely stupid idea.

You say GB doesn't exist, but that's not really true is it? The England team is pretty much the same as it was as GB and players who want to play in meaningful international games switch from other home nations to England.

Why would you want an equivalent to Origin? For the money and media exposure. Two things the game really needs in abundance.

When I was at primary school, all the kids in the year were randomly put into four houses - reds, blues, yellows and greens. These houses determined teams for sports day, swimming gala etc.
Maybe we should do that.

Yes. It is true.
It has as much chance as anything else. As long as any idea is marketed and presented in the right way, it'll make money and get people talking about it.