And I'm sure it did exactly that.

It was painful viewing. Your failsafe plan for developing the game is?

im not sure what the rfl expect? there isnt a top level successful welsh, scottish or irish club team so how do you expect the national side to do any different?

the only hope of these sides performing well against england is by flooding their side with aussies or old heads who dont want to be/wont be selected for england anymore - and this doesnt sit right with the idea of developing the game.

short sighted as it is, i dont care about this tournament, but i will care when we play the kiwis and aussies - and i dont see how this is helping us.

on another note, the financial state of our game lends me to think expanding the game isnt the best idea...

Documented in other threads.

Surly doing a Lancs vs Yorke series would be much better! Not offence to the other 2 nations, but the standard is nowhere near that of ours! Or even make the series into 4 teams with Lancs, Yorkshire, Wales/rest of England and then France!

Anyone?

Lancashire / Yorkshire games happened on a fairly regular basis in the past.. I remember going to a few in the late 60's / early 70's. Usually on a mid-week evening, and when on the proper side of the pennines, invariably at Central Park, as the only ground with decent floodlights

Then, the games were poorly attended, and 2nd string players the norm, as the 'stars' of the time often stepped down for one reason or another. (I'll leave that open )

It flopped then and I (sadly) see no reason as to why it wouldn't flop again.

Because its the RFL and they're idiots.

I can't say I have the answers and logistics would be a problem but as a relatively new close follower of RL I think the answer lies in playing Antipodean opposition more regularly - in RU England and Australia sometimes play each other twice a year home and away. Even if it's not the full Australian team a contest like Eng v Queensland or NSW would be something you would really want to go to and a real test for the team. I know that this would involve much closer linking with the NRL but it really is needed IMO. It also seems a pity that the NRL champions come halfway round the world to play a single match in February, while a month or two later we are left wishing there was some meaningful opposition around for an England international.

Maybe have England v Super league dream team 2012????????

Just replace the players who feature in both with some of the Exiles players?

I might be getting confused here but then wouldn't that just be England vs the Exiles still? (apologies if it was a gag)

Tomkins- Replaced by an exiles player
Charnley- Replaced by an exiles player
Atkins- Replaced by an exiles player
Carmont- Gone home and will be replaced by an exiles player
Ryan Hall- Replaced by an exiles player
Brett Finch- Gone home and will be replaced by an exiles player
Scott Dureau- An exiles player already
Chris Hill- Replaced by an exiles player
James Roby- Replaced by an exiles player
Remi Casty- We've found one, this lad isn't as exile and could play as a 'dream team' member
Ben Westwood- Replaced by an exiles player
Gareth Hock- Replaced by an exiles player
Sean O'Loughlin- Replaced by an exiles player

So overall it's either going to have to be England vs the Exiles + Remi Casty or England vs Remi Casty on his tod.....he would probably be more of a challenge then Wales though.

The old school ties at the Beeb and the RFU must be laughing into their champers. Could Rugby League be run any worse? I think not.

Team for today Josh Charnley Super League's leading try scorer and on his internal debut last week scored 4 tries is dropped for Tom Briscoe, Could it get any worse?


Sam Tomkins (Wigan)
Ryan Hall (Leeds)
Kallum Watkins (Leeds)
Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield)
Tom Briscoe (Hull FC)
Kevin Sinfield (Leeds)
Richie Myler (Warrington)
Lee Mossop (Wigan)
Micky McIlorum (Wigan)
Chris Hill (Warrington)
Gareth Hock (Wigan)
Gareth Ellis (West Tigers/Hull FC)
Jamie Jones-Buchanan (Leeds)

Subs:

Rob Burrow (Leeds)
Adrian Morley (Warrington)
Carl Ablett (Leeds)
Ben Harrison (Warrington)

hopefully that suggests that hall and briscoe are playing for the remaining wing position in the final, therefore a positive move for josh.

i'm more worried by the fact that myler has another outing in the halves.
a truly dreadful international prospect if we are looking at having him in the line-up against the big boys.

Myler was very poor last week he's an average super league player and a bellow par international player, I'd prefer Gaskell or Lomax to Myler.