If rumours of a potentially small crowd prove correct then this may be the first but possibly the last of the Exiles. Good idea imo but another £20 plus is hard to find for lots of folk these days. Can't think that Red Hall would be happy to lose a large amount of money just to give McNamara the answers to his squad selection question marks.

Yesterday They Said they had sold over 10 thousand , so with another days sales plus the walk up i reckon maybe 15 thousand + would be a decent crowd for this first attempt at the Game ... I'd love to see it go to a 3 game series in the future . Maybe starting the season a week earlier, scrap the magic weekend too, which would create 2 free weekends for origin , and maybe have the second of the three Origin games as a midweek night match... Five years down the line this could be a pretty big series and a good competitive money spinner for the rfl, as well as great for the fans .

I'd have a game at rounds 10 & 20, then (hopefully) the deciding match after the Grand Final.

you kill 2 birds with one stone then, you have a 3 game series, aswell as a good warm up games before any prespective 4 nations or world cup !!!!

Personally I'd scrap the international game altogether if it means eight Warrington players playing in a pointless mid season fixture for England or AN Other two days before a meaningful one for us every year.

*Awaits drivel about my attitude signalling the death of the game.*

no mate i agree with you,and seeing as wigan saints leeds etc claim to have better players than us let them be picked..club 1st country 2nd for me

The problem with people like you is that you signal the death of the game. Mainly by your attitude.

Arf.

I'll redress the balance by saying I would favour this fixture over the Magic Weekend if it was a choice between the two to fill a "free" weekend.

Have to agree, if they had made a bigger thing of it and had no other games this weekend, moved the game to a Saturday evening and made a day of it schools games etc.. before it I think that it would have a bigger impact.

When it comes to a toss up between a Friday night for a one off game like this or your club game 48 hours later,club wins everytime!

personally can't wait for this game!

and i reckon if it is a hit and gets branched out into a series they could fill 15-20k in a stadium in london if they marketed it right, i went to the union 7s the other day at twickers and there were 40 odd thousand aussies/kiwis there for what was one of the most un-interesting set of rugby games i have ever seen!!

Looks a good crowd on there.

It maybe a fair crowd but the game is lacking any real intensity which is mainly down to the Exiles not looking to get out of 2nd gear, you wouldn't be happy if you had shelled out £20 on a game that comes across as little more than a half hearted exhibition match, the atmosphere reflects that as you can hear a pin drop for most of the time. England look like they are trying but the Exiles don't really look interested in breaking sweat yet they are still in front at half time, its obvious whose the happier coach at the break.

Luke Robinson has looked Englands most dangerous player, Graham in the forwards and Tomkins has pulled off 2 great try saving tackles. Our half backs look devoid of any ideas whatsoever which has been the same story in the past with GB/England.

Play that at The Stoop on a Saturday night and you would have had (believe it or not) a cracking atmosphere.

Not sure about 'atmosphere' but you might have had a ground full of drunken Aussies on working holidays rocking up to it going "bloody hell these Poms are crap mate, look even old man Hodgo's runnin rings around 'em. HEY BRETT! GO THE TIGGGES!! YEAH MAN GO THE TIGGES!"

I went the Oz/Kiwi game at The Stoop, great atmosphere, Kiwi and Oz combined would have created a great foil against the English.

like i said at twickenham the other day the lower tiers were packed out with a fantastic atmosphere, who cares if the aussie/kiwi fans are there more interested in a p-up and being in fancy dress, they'd create some noise and not just booing when sam t gets the ball!