I think State of Origin is a red herring. It's only 3 games, and the Kiwis don't have it and still won the World Cup.

The issue of greater intensity of competition is far more relevant to the fact that the NRL is a higher standard than SL. However, even that is overstating it a bit. The Aussies didn't come through our good players in the pack yesterday - they came through our average players in the threequarters, every time. Ultimately, it's about the talent we have. We have good talent in the forwards and weak in the threequarters. Making those average threequarters play more SoO-type games won't make them into players who can match Inglis, Hayne and Slater.

The SOO is only 3 games a year so I can't see how that would have any bearing on it at all.

In fact half the players that play SOO back up and play 2 games in 3/4 days which in this country we would moan about as we do over the Easter games.

We could debate why the convicts are better than us for ever but the simple fact is they born better players.

God knows why but that's just how it is.

It was good conditions for England last night. It's little bit wet, cold and a wind but they still put a score on us.

I think WindleSaints' point was that the weather in Aus makes people want to get outside and play sport and practice, where as here, kids would rather sit in and spend 2 solid days playing Call of Duty

along with cricket, league is their national sport, you would assume the majority of their schoolkids want to play either of those sports, as someone on here already said our kids want soccer, the facts are they have far more to choose from and nurture at a young age, the conditions over there are superior to here. it's always been the same and it will probably never change. its like comparing england's international football team with wales.they give england a game now and then but when it matters they just can't compete. i have been watching rl since 1970 and nothing as changed as far as england and the aussies are concerned.

I think we have some hope for the future .. We are currently lacking centre's but Calum Watkins at Leeds looks a great propect and hopefully there'll be more like him coming through the ranks at other SL clubs.

What you have to realise is that the Aussies identify players at a young age.

The clubs put them into schools which are essentially sports colleges.

IMO we need to start scouting kids not necessarily from RL, but from other sports such as football, basketball, athletics etc but who have the physical attributes and can be coached into RL players.

We also need to get to no more than three non qualified England / GB players per team.

Wigan could have 8 next season, Leeds will have 7. It has to stop.

Exactly!
I was around Jnr RL for some 13yrs, and in the winter months its more about avoiding frostbite / getting soaked by freezing rain / trying to run on pitches that look like muddy bowls of custard!
Pace, power, and ball-handling skills really dont come into it very much.

I also believe that the Aussies dont play fully competitive games until U16, in order to focus on total skills development rather than just winning matches.
Also doesnt help that RL isnt exactly at the top of most kids dream sports over here.
Bit different down under.

We have a long, long way to go yet.

Thanks Ski, that was exactly my point



They have the perfect climate for rugby league, and for lots of other outdoor sports. Our poor climate is one of the worst.
When we get our 1 week of summer (if we're lucky), and you go to the local park for example. You'll see loads of adults & children out, playing whatever sports & games they like. Some even grabbing hold of tennis raquets & having a game.
Go around now or anytime from say October-April & you'll see a few people walking dogs, or maybe feeding the shivering ducks at the very most.
Its sad, but its a fact. We do better at sports like darts, snooker, boxing etc its no coincidence that them sports are played indoors.

Thats not to say we can't produce talented RL players & other sportsman, but nowhere near the depth of talent warmer countries can.

regarding the weather.why do our junior and amateur teams still play in the winter when ours is a summer sport.i have every sympathy with the hundreds of volunteers at junior level standing out in all weather and conditions.but please tell me why you cant play in the summer?
it would at least be a start

There's a slight spot of method in the madness. I know a lot of sides do struggle enough in the winter months, and with summer being the traditional time for people to be away, you're going to stretch sp resources even further.

Just a theory, like.

Because all the kids go on holiday then.

i wonder if the games were played in the summer months,the extra players who might be encouraged to play(not just because of the weather but possibly because they wouldnt be playing football or even union)might just outweigh those who might be away on a 2 week holiday?
my local cricket club doesnt seem to have much trouble recruiting players.

Like I said, it was a theory.

Cricket is a very different sport. IIRC, cricket is the sport with the most participants in Britain...

Good post. Playing in the summer would attract new talent without a doubt. And obviously, it'll be light nights too. I remember at Portico Panthers, we had to train in the dark, cos there was no floodlights!

It's things like this that will stop us ever catching up and overtaking the Aussies.

People that take pleasure in pulling England to bits over last nights performance need to look at the quality that proved to be the deciding factor of the result more closely

Englands forwards equalled both the Aussie and the Kiwi pack's throughout the series, but we are sadly lacking the International quality backs
to cause them any problems out wide

This must have been a wonderful incentive to take into a test match, the fact that if you can contain everything that a side can possibly throw at you in the forwards but in the knowledge that their backline will not be able to trouble you out wide

How can any team defend for 80 minutes against super star players like Thurston, Lockyer, Inglis and Slater?

If you can, then i'd have thought that the coach of NSW would have worked out how to do it also in the games that count, because Queensland have put NSW to the sword in much the same way in recent years

Jarryd Hayne is a player that was voted the NRL player of the season, but he has hardly made an inpact throughout the whole series, Folau was also missing due to injury, sadly we don't have such luxuries

I don't think anyone is pulling England to bits. People are chewing the fat over what might have been and what wasn't, but there isn't anything wrong in that.

We needed to contain their backs and we did so pretty well for 60 minutes and then either through exhaustion, the loss of Shenton (so having to change things around) or a collective mental nosedive (or a combination of all three), we stopped trying to contain them. Stop making the effort with the Aussies and because they have such skillful backs, they will blow away the opposition.

It's a shame their score ended so high because it wasn't a true reflection of the match as a whole.

Inglis is an absolute freak. Pace of a sprinter, build of a Prop. If I'd won the £45m last week, I'd be on the phone to Eammon now offering to bring him over, no matter what the cost.

Aye, he can have £100k a year and his missus can have a £1m one off payment, that should tempt him.

The real problem for england is that he isnt a freak, johns, lockyer, thurston, slater, inglis, the conveyor belt of freaks continues. I forget his name but they have a 17yr old lad who is just like inglis but faster, worrying for us

Fair point; Australians are all freaks.

Jamal Idris, will be a scary day when both he and Inglis line up in the centres for Australia

thats the lad, thanks ryan!