To be fair 'some x factor I'm a celebrity bastttttard of a game dreamt up by some spotty faced gimp with a cheryl cole fixation' shouldn't even come close to that 'real' international. If it did then it would blow your argument out of the water. Let's wait and see how many turn up.

you best hope they start giving tickets out for free then

The last match at leigh had just short of 8k on with the football world cup being played and england playing early that evening so the attendance at leigh was excellent considering the whole country was waiting for rooney and co to bore them into a coma

I reckon the pointless Exiles game will be a hit and will get better and better in the years to come, possibly become the English answer to SOO. Sad that it will cost the development of other European countries and will contribute less to England than an English SOO would, but hey.

This is the problem we have in RL - little regard for the International fixtures. England v Exiles is an awesome marketing ploy by the RFL and should give us a competitive mid-season International standard game. It is innovative and serves a purpose and the England side should be playing together more often than just at the end of the year. It gives opportunity to try out selections and combinations at a good stage in the year. I fear it will be let down by apathy from rugby league's core supporters who only care about their clubs.

It's like telling football not to have international friendlies during the season. Madness.

mid-season footie friendlies ARE pointless - they have become a joke because of many reasons and have become a laughing stock and a complete waste of time serving no or little purpose. They are just a rip-off by the FA to make money with football development being well down the list of priorities

Exiles is a pathetic attempt to gee up the international season and bring a few sheckles into the RFL coffers mid-saeson with great risk to club players when more important matters beckon ie.the play-offs.
An end of season game would be a great idea IMO as a close down to the season maybe holding the event on the same day as the GF as a curtain raiser and a warm up game for the Four Nations.

Agreed, instead we waste time with gimmick joke matches like the England v Exlies game.

The Sun reporting England will play France in Avignon on Oct 21st as a Four Nations warm-up.

a friday evening ?

Apparently so Sanj. Also France play Scotland at Gilbert Brutus & Ireland in Ireland scheduled for the Autumn, dates to be confirmed.

why is there no european cup this year?, also coudnt england play france every year in pre season january time?

Isn't the European Cup held on years alternate to when the Four Nations is held in this country, to determine which home country joins England, Australia and New Zealand in the Four Nations? That was my understanding of the structure anyway.

i know what you mean but before the 4 nations was introduced dint we have a european cup every year i dont see why the tournement coudnt go ahead this year. france,scotland,ireland and england knights?

France/England Knights added to the list.

Exiles 18-man squad announced:
Buderus, T Leuluai, Anderson, Carmont, Chase, Fa’alogo, Faiumu, Fitzgibbon, Hodgson, King, K Leuluai, Manu, Meli, Morrison, O’Meley, Puletua, Richards, Soliola

exiles line up
1.hodgson
2.richards
3.king
4.carmont
5.meli
6.chase
7.T Leuluai
8.omeley
9.buderus
10.K Leuluai
11.anderson
12.manu
13.fitzgibbon
subs
14.Puletua
15.Faiumu
16.soliola
17.Fa’alogo

Steve McNamara will trim his 21-man squad to 18 tomorrow. Who do you think will/should be left out?

Ryan Atkins, Chris Bridge, Garreth Carvell, Adrian Morley, Richard Myler, Ben Westwood (all Warrington), Tom Briscoe (Hull), Danny Brough, Eorl Crabtree, Leroy Cudjoe, Luke Robinson (all Huddersfield), James Graham, James Roby, Michael Shenton, Jon Wilkin (all St Helens), Ryan Hall, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Jamie Peacock, Kevin Sinfield (all Leeds), Sean O'Loughlin, Joel Tomkins, Sam Tomkins (all Wigan).

1.tomkins
2.hall
3.shenton
4.cudjoe
5.briscoe
6.sinfield
7.myler
8.peacock
9.mcilorum
10.graham
11.tomkins
12.westwood
13.oloughlin
subs
14.morley
15.carvell
16.wilkin
17.robinson
18th bridge
carvell,crabtree and jamie jones to miss out

should be a awesome match with out doubt

Sinfield,Westwood,Myler & Peacock - let's go forward

bring in Lomax,Gaskell,Carvell & Crabtree

1- S.Tomkins
2- Hall
3- Shenton
4- Bridge
5- Briscoe
6- Sinfield
7- Myler
8- Peacock
9- Robinson
10- Graham
11- Wilkin
12- Westwood
13- O'Loughlin

14- Morley
15- McIlorum
16- Carvell
17- J. Tomkins

Crabtree, Atkins, Cudjoe and JJB miss out.

BEHOLD, my amazing predictive powers.

I don't think you needed to be mystic meg to predict that one John.

I wouldn't have had him in my Exiles team anyway. Catalans by 20.