England have a better squad (though we continue to select on reputation than form and pick players out of position) than they have for years, were facing a very efficient but unspectacular Aussie side, and we served up a lukewarm, passionless, unimaginative, error-strewn, lethargic pile of rot that was the best advert for rugby union in years. It really was that bad.

From Wayne Bennett's charmless interviews, to soulless half-empty stadiums, five-drives and a rubbish kick rugby it was painful to watch in a way that rugby league should never be.

What's the answer? WB said the players need to address their mental shortcomings, and I would agree with that. However, given the worst performers yesterday were regulars in his beloved NRL it's hard to know where to begin.

Agree with all but one part of this - that is the squad. I believe we have had much more individually talented/better individuals in the past. Players with flair, pace, skills and real grit.

The 1992 GB Touring part reads like a Who's Who.

Andy Gregory, Shaun Edwards, Schofield, Ellery Hanley, Hampson, Newlove, Offiah, Betts, Clarke, Andy Platt, Joe Lydon, Lee Jackson, Lee Crooks, Harrison etc

They managed to beat Australia once in the series 33-10. This was against a real handful Australian side with ET, Daley, Meninga, Langer, Sironen, Clyde, Lazarus etc.

Until we get talent like that again we won't get anywhere near them. And to think all this talent flourished whilst being played in ty winter conditions, 4 cups per season, in crappy stadiums and before full time professionalism and the mumbo jumbo of the modern robotic game. Damn sight better to watch too - probably why for the 1994 Home series there was an aggregate attendance of 140,000 watching across 3 games with nearly 60,000 in the Capital.

Makes you think. Hard to argue the International RL is not dying a slow death under Nigel Wood.

Yes RD, the international scene is a shadow of its former self!

For me the biggest single cause of the stagnant state of international rugby league is frankly the attitude of Australia. The Australian rugby union team has played 12 games and counting this year - they will play England 4 times. Folau now has 50 caps in 3 years and doesn't look too burned out to me. How international rugby league thinks it can grow without very regular GB v Aus series I have no idea.

And I do think having a GB team is important. Yes, the players will often be exactly the same as England but you're giving the country as a whole the chance to join in with it, not shut down any support from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. I apply what could be called the Radio 4 Today Programme test - what is more likely to get a preview feature - the Four Nations or a three match series against the Kangaroos under floodlights in big stadiums in the north and (possibly) Wembley that evokes memories in others of rugby league being a passionate sport?

Our sport desperately needs international success for an English team. It would generate exposure and additional sponsorship like cricket, RU, cycling have seen over the last 13 years. This will attract more viewers and paying supporters.
I could go on all day about what is wrong but will start with the international calender.
I agree with the post above about scrapping the magic weekend. We should use that weekend to play internationals combined with a tournament similar to the Auckland 9's. So you could have Scotland v Wales and then the next day England v France mixed in with a club 9's tournament. If we were clever with the NRL we could co-incide it so that NZ or Samoa, / PNG came over every couple of years if there was a break in the NRL calender for state of origin. As the challenge cup is seeded then the next weekend could be the challenge cup but over the same weekend would be another round of internationals. The same thing could happen down under so when SOO is on then the Pacific Islands can play or they have a 9's comp.
We played Oldham in the first round of the CC and I am sure we could have done without HILL, Currie, Clarke and Ratchford whilst they were on international duty.

They just need to get a proper calender sorted out across both hemispheres that develops the international game.

If Roger Draper is any good maybe he can turn round the fortunes of Rugby League with his high profile connections from his days at Wimbledon....good publicity & marketing could work wonders for a start. Maybe then our coaches could get away from the Aussie style template & start playing open rugby again.
To be honest though, i think it was a sad state of affairs that there was not even a token Royal at a match played on Remembrance Day...a disgrace in fact when the usual slot can be found to watch the other code.These are teams drawn from the same working class stock that were mindlessly sent "over the top" to the glory of their commanders sat miles away in safety.

Good post. Pre Super League the calendar was much more hectic :

Lancashire Cup
John Player Cup
Challenge Cup
Premiership

and tours to Australia which featured about 12-14 games.

These were games played in winter conditions too, without the number of interchanges either.

Do you think we may be mollycoddling our full time professionals a little and perhaps they are able to play more games per season ?

Quote: ninearches "If Roger Draper is any good maybe he can turn round the fortunes of Rugby League with his high profile connections from his days at Wimbledon....good publicity & marketing could work wonders for a start. Maybe then our coaches could get away from the Aussie style template & start playing open rugby again. To be honest though, i think it was a sad state of affairs that there was not even a token Royal at a match played on Remembrance Day...a disgrace in fact when the usual slot can be found to watch the other code.These are teams drawn from the same working class stock that were mindlessly sent "over the top" to the glory of their commanders sat miles away in safety.'" We need to replace the Humpty Dumpty Nigel Wood who has presided over this nonsense both at RFL and RLIF. In his 9 years as CEO of the RFL do you feel the game has got stronger or weaker? Some of his key work 2001 - Strategic Review (he authored) - Remind me how many teams have gone into liquidation since then? Stobart Sponsorship fiasco. 2015 announced the 2021 Strategy which has already failed. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/ ... ts-england

Quote: ninearches "If Roger Draper is any good maybe he can turn round the fortunes of Rugby League with his high profile connections from his days at Wimbledon....good publicity & marketing could work wonders for a start. Maybe then our coaches could get away from the Aussie style template & start playing open rugby again. To be honest though, i think it was a sad state of affairs that there was not even a token Royal at a match played on Remembrance Day...a disgrace in fact when the usual slot can be found to watch the other code.These are teams drawn from the same working class stock that were mindlessly sent "over the top" to the glory of their commanders sat miles away in safety.'" We need to replace the Humpty Dumpty Nigel Wood who has presided over this nonsense both at RFL and RLIF. In his 9 years as CEO of the RFL do you feel the game has got stronger or weaker? Some of his key work 2001 - Strategic Review (he authored) - Remind me how many teams have gone into liquidation since then? Stobart Sponsorship fiasco. 2015 announced the 2021 Strategy which has already failed. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/ ... ts-england

I think it's unfair (and too easy) to attack one man. Rugby League has some real problems which are almost impossible to solve. Even Donald Trump might find it a bit of a challenge. Biggest problem is its limited appeal and so lack of money. I love the game and its in the blood but I have struggled to convince the non-believers.

Yes I am aware of the challenges, but even to get back to the international game of the mid-90's would be a start. It's about realising the current strategy is going nowhere. I really don't know what the problem was then that we are attempting to solve now.

The appeal in the heartlands remains the same, just the focus is on the white elephant of expansionism.

In 1995 Rugby Union went Professional. They almost immediately had loads more money than us. Hundreds of young players and some older players think ... I'll play Union. So we wouldn't be able to keep the likes of Sean Edwards, Jiffy, Connolly, Newlove, Offiah in Rugby League. If you look at current England RU team at the attacking heart are Farrell and Ford (both from League stock but they've never played the game). We have really lost out to Union since 1995.

One of Rugby Leagues best sources of players was turned off over night...Welsh Rugby Union.

Dead right about the Welsh talent we used to nab. No one sums up the change better than Va'aiga Tuigamala. He was one of the best runners in the world in Union. At the time the only place to make any money was in Rugby League. So he signed for Wigan (as did Frano Botica). Obviously they didn't play for England or GB ... but it shows just how Rugby League captured the very best players in the world. They both quickly changed games when the floodgates were opened.

Doesn't really matter which ones do, if any. The country i live in isn't England, i live in Great Britain which is part of the two country union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The nationality on my passport is not English it is British. I am not an Englander i am a Briton.

Plus with Tyson Frizzell being Welsh would he not get into the Great Britain team? but for argument's sake let's say Rhys Evans and Ben Flower were good enough to play for Great Britain, they can't play for England but they can play for Great Britain.

I watch highlights packages of RL on Youtube and lament how scripted and lifeless the sport has become to be honest. Our chances of growing are shrinking