The big news in all the weekend papers wasthe try scored by Chris Ashton. Chris was of course a league player with Wigan and this illustrates the big problem with our sport. He scored the try in front of over 80,000 people and live on TV throughout the world. Now comes the news that Union will be making a bid for Sam Tomkins and a few others. At the same time this was happening Australia played NZ in front of a not very full stadium, a good game but shown on BBC on Sunday afternoon. Despite this we still find most fans are not bothered about internationals and I am certain that when the next SL season starts it will all be forgotton. I still say that without a credible international scene with regular matches and touring teams the game will continue to lose its best players. The 4 nations final showed once again how far behind we are in playing standards in all aspects of the game. They are quicker,pass and tackle better and play at a higher intensity. It is time for the authorities to take this aspect of the game more seriously, if not I can see it being stuck in the M62 corridor for ever.

i Dont mean the RFL, i mean Rugby league as a whole, if it stays in just the heartlands it will slowly demise into nothing.

By focussing on growth it's not exactly expanding successfully is it? Internationally are we more competetive now compared to 20 years ago? Do we lose more RL players to RU now than we did 20 years ago?

Wudnt say Catalans expansion is a bad thing or been unsuccessful. Quins is questionable, Cru is still developing but not at a good rate - went to wrexham for our game and they we enjoyed it and the fans up there seem to have really taken to the club so things could happen there.

So the big question for debate is:
Would we have a better competition if the likes of Widnes and Halifax were in the league instead of Quins and Crusaders.

I agree, the Catalans expansion has worked because to some extent it's an extension of the M62 in the way that the Perpignan region is rugby league heartland.

Still doesnt solve the problem of wealthier sports stealing our talent at both youth and senior levels.

I think the next few years will be hard on League, Union has a genuine national spread throughout Britain thier games is improving on the field & thier club crowds are better than we get & International crowds make us look like a sunday pub league. Another thing to remember is that Union has a long established presence in League heart lands (there are more clubs with more teams playing union in Yorkshire than League) we are only slowly pushing into thier traditional areas (London & the south,Wales, Universaties & the forces). I dont belive that all is lost as atracting union players (all be it at a low skill level) with a short summer season gets the game known to kids & thier parents. It will just be very slow & is the reason we should stick with London & Wales even at the expense of our home area clubs.
As for the internationals it is the Aussies who need to make up there minds if they are serious about it. Maybe we league fans are more fickle than Union fans? the Scots turn up year after year to watch thier team yet they have never beaten the all blacks in thier history they have very little chance of ever wining the six nations & nobody watches the club game up there, no one cares that Italy are poor they still turn up, Argentina for years were terrible but Union stuck with them & they are now serious threats to even the all blacks. We will just have to ride out the next few years & hope that the latest crop of young players develop into a genuine threat to Australia & NZ.