Whilst I'm actually looking forward to World Cup 2013, this year's international program leaves a lot to be desired.

England, Wales and France will contest the three team (obviously) Triangular Tournament. Expect a series of one-sided scorelines, weakened teams, and crowds that make the HJ last Saturday look like La Bombonera.

The fact that it has only just been announced 3 weeks before the tournament is due to start comes as no surprise, and the list of UK venues sounds like the top 3 of one of those 'Least Liveable Cities' polls: Wrexham, Hull, Salford. Casual viewers used to seeing England v France in front of 80,000 will instead be treated to a few thousand hardy souls in a 2-sided Craven Park, and the final at Sale City Stadium is hardly a worthy setting either. At least France v Wales in Lens might attract a decent attendance.

What's worse is that all this will be broadcast on the BBC, hardly creating the best impression of the game ahead of the sports showpiece event next autumn. They should have kept it as low-key as possible IMO, or alternatively organised some sort of tour Down Under even if it was just a game against NZ and some of the Pacific sides.

On the bright side tickets are competitively priced at £12 for adults and £6 for kids, although some will still moan about them not being covered by this year's season ticket. Fortunately I'll be out of the country for the duration of the tournament, so have a ready made excuse not to attend any of the games. Any RL fanatics off here planning on going to any matches?

Expect the RFL to give away the naming rights to the Triangular Tournament in exchange for a small advert on the side of 1 in every 50 Toblerone bars.

Eh? Are you on about rugby union?

Quite simply, the biggest waste of time since Telly Savalas bought himself a comb.

WTF can even a clueless Berk like MacBanana, think he gain gain from these pointless fixtures.
He should know the body of his side for next year's WC, so why risk players potentially picking up injuries. Here's one for you. One of our few genuinely class players does his knee ligaments in one of these Clash of the Titans games. There's him gone for 6-9 months. So no pre-season, and he'll be praying that MacBanana gives him the benefit of the doubt, and he can "hit the ground running" in order to be picked for the squad. GENIUS.

There are many in our sport who say the players play too many games. Well, there's two, for starters.

The RFL will be lucky to get 5k at Salford and Wrexham.

Inspired.

The players may well have benefitted from having an extra 2 weeks off, this year.

Yeah of course. What I mean is the casual non-Rugby fan will tune in, and the only previous times they've seen an England v France match will have been in front of a full house at Twickenham. This won't look good in comparison.

I know RL will never compete with the international scene of Union, but surely they could have announced this tournament a lot earlier and chosen some better venues. I can't think of many worse grounds to host this fixture than Craven Park. France v Wales is being held in a 40 thousand odd capacity stadium in Lens, which obviously won't sell out but at least it shows a bit of ambition.

The fixture at Lens is an interesting choice. It's in the North, about 500 miles away from the French RL heartland, and only about one hours drive from Calais.

They always stick one game in Hull in every competition for some reason. Probably so it's fair for all those guys on the east side of Yorks. Granted its normally at the KC though which I don't mind driving over for.

There's no chance I'm driving in to Beirut though, worst ground in SL I reckon.

After the Grand Final I won't attend another RL match until next February and if this is what's on offer I doubt I'll watch one on telly either.

Disgraceful I know. Sorry lads.

That's right let's be positive!

It's a chance to see top NRL stars playing (Burgess, Graham, Widdop et al) - Wales and France aren't push overs by any stretch of the imagination.

And what do you expect them to do - not play a game together until the World Cup?

The fact is Australia and New Zealand didn't want to play us - so what other options was there?

I wish they'd play one of the games in London it would have met with more enthusiasm.

Ah, I see. To compound unfavourable crowd comparisons, this RL tournament will be followed by the RU autumn internationals, where England play the All Blacks, Australia and South Africa....

Is it cynical to suggest that the choices of HKR and Salford as venues is down to the rumours of financial problems at both those clubs, I wonder?

Salford RLFC will not make a penny from staging the Final as the cost hire of the stadium will go to the stadium managemenet company and HKR dont want comment on going the loo using a portacabin at a international stadium.

Correct, the RFL, Salford City Council and Peel Group will be the financial benefactors of such a game, "The Reds" won't see a penny.

I'm going to the France-Wales game in Lens.

Yours,
True rugby fan.

Saville Row likes this.

Makes the venue choices even more bizarre then.

I can't remember the last time I saw a good RFL initiative.