"After Saturday's final, the Four Nations will be put on hold until 2014 to pave the way for the 2013 World Cup" 'Pave the way' wondering what this means exactly.Is this just the Australians meaning they want a rest from international football for a year.

So what international itinerary are we likely to see autumn of next year?

Friendlies in our own hemisphere most probably

personally id like to see us england play the exiles mid season then at end of season play france in a warm up game in avignon before going down under to play png and samoa/tonga in warm up fixtures then take on the kiwis in a 3 game series.
at the end of season there should be a european cup with france, scotland, wales and ireland all competing but france and wales playing the england knights before they travel down under with the first team playing the likes of samoa, tonga, png giving the knights team and them nations some really good competitive games and a chance for steve mac to promote players during the tour if there playing well for the knights.

I'd say this

Mid season - England v England Knights and then England v Exiles

End of season - Wales and France at home, before going down under to PNG and NZ.

England Knights to play Wales, France and Samoa.

I know that sounds like a lot but we want to get as many games in as possible and get the team familiar before the 2013 World Cup. Hopefully we can keep improving and then win it!!!!!

I was thinking it would more than likely be a 3 test series against the Kiwis,but would it be feasable for it to be played down under.Think I'm right in saying the last full tour (of GB) to NZ only was in 1996,when it ended up a financial disaster and several of our players had to return home early to save on costs.Lot of water under the bridge since then,things might have changed.

More likely 3 Kiwi tests in this country would have thought.Don't see any other alternative.A 4 nations without Australia (France in their place) just wouldn't work.

England Knights

I'd like to see England go on tour of the Pacific. Test matches against PNG, Fiji and the Cook Islands. Tell the mrs we're going on holiday and then "oh look, there's some rugby on at the same time".

Buggar the Aussies. If England are to improve in the lead up to the World Cup in 2013 we have to go down under. I know the ARL/NRL are keen on the Pacific Islands coming together to play as something called the Pacific All-Stars but I'd rather we played the individual nations before a two or three-match series against the Kiwis.
I'm not keen on an England v England Knights game, rather I'd like to see us play the Exiles again mid-season with the Knights playing France or Wales on the same weekend. The European Cup should involve Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and France with the Knights playing some (if possible all) of the teams when they have a weekend off.

I don't know why people think England Knights have any place playing against international teams, they aren't an international side. Presumably the RLEF will not sanction matches between England Knights and other national teams, and if they do then it's a complete joke and the people in charge should be questioned.

I think it's called providing competitive opposition to aid International development , unfortunatly we just don't have enough countries of sufficient equal ability to play enough games to help develop the sport

It might be the five beers I've sunk but Christ!... I completely agree with you.
I'm off for a lie down.

There's quite a few gone for a lie down tonight