I think Yorkshire Lancashire would have had more of an edge to it.

The thing is that there is little in it for the Exiles really. Yeah it was nice for Morrison to get some sort of rep honours and Chase may have put himself in the shop window for NZ but apart from pride they had little else to play for. I hear what you are saying but you can't manufacture rivalry it has to be real and it has to have roots. Given the turnover of players the Exiles team will change year on year so personal grudges and re matches will be hard to establish. Also with little to no support on the terraces for one of the teams there is never going to be an atmosphere which is essential for this sort of game.

Yes, true. There is that also!

I can understand why you would say that, but it never did before and it would still require the build up that the Clan describes above.

The game last night was far too friendly!

Been done and it didn't.

I agree with what you are saying but I watched the cricket between Yorkshire and Lancashire last night and there was more rivalry in that than last nights game especially between the fans. I feel with the same amount of media build up that the exiles game got a Yorkshire Lancashire game would be more intense and passionate both on and off the field.

It may be like that now but it wasn't back in the early 80s when the concept needed marketing. The early Origin games were very similar to what we saw at Headingley last night but the likes of Chris Close, Artie Beetson and Wally Lewis ramped up up the hatred off and on the pitch, before and after the game.

I agree but the problem is that it will take time to build and grow which sadly doesn't happen in sport these days. If things aren't an instant success then they get binned without really having a chance to get going. If the Yorkshire v Lancashire 3 game series was persisted with for 10 years or so I reckon it would become a well established and meaningful series. It wont happen because we will be off looking for the next quick fix.

I also feel that there may be a fundamental flaw in the Exiles side - that being that many of them are 'older' players and with tighter import controls, and higher contracts in Aus, we will not see as many, nor as high quality, imports in future years. So in 5 or 6 years time, what would the quality of that side look like?

The problem with any of this is that we are talking RL here - and there is no appetite for anything that doesn't immediately hit the spot, so for that reason, they should stick with this idea - for now at least!

Its a shame Willie Mason is still not about he would have been the perfect pantomime villain that the game needed.

Next year the RFL need to get a few of the overseas player to gob off to the media about our flat warm beer, fat ugly residents and crap players that are running around in SL.

Then we need a few England players to fire back really build it up as a real grudge match.

The intensity last night was lower than most top 4/6 SL teams against each other.

These naff adverts with 4 guys stood in cloaks are just embarrassing, we must hype it up.

thats very true clan, only started to get tasty and plenty of biff in the early 90's, wally vs geyer and the shower of VB tinnies raining down on the pitch, problem is NSW and Queensland its the no1 sport really, over here its a different story, and am i right in saying that we playing origin york vs lanc way before australia were,? i think its still very much a viable idea, and it would give me a genuine excuse to boo Tompkins!

if the pre match build up was crap, blame it on the RFL's Chief Operations Director and Chief Marketing Director

Fundamental differance is that Yorkshire and Lancashire are teams of their own right and not representative teams made up from a variety of players from differing clubs. The rivalry already exists and does not need to be manufactured.

There was also a lack of intensity on the terraces too. Far too friendly. Could you imagine Leeds fans giving Sinfield some stick? Granted RL rarely allows ideas to develop, but this just didn't work

was stood at the side of a hull guy last night and he said wouldnt it be funny if willie came on a black and white stripe top with garlic bunches round his neck, laughed my a$$ off!

Would also like to say I think Morrison did Trinity proud last night, was made up for him.

In truth I thought his selection was a little political, in that they were wanting to get as many clubs represented as possible, but he had an excellent game and looked like he enjoyed every minute of playing and being involved in that environment.