City
Jarryd Hayne (Eels)
Will Hopoate (Sea Eagles)
Michael Jennings (Panthers)
Beau Champion (Storm)
Nathan Merritt (Rabbitohs)
Kris Keating (Bulldogs)
Mitchell Pearce (Roosters)
Keith Galloway (Tigers)
Robbie Farah (Tigers)
Tim Mannah (Eels)
Mark Minichiello (Titans)
Simon Dwyer (Tigers)
Liam Fulton (Tigers)
Interchange: Tim Grant (Panthers)
Adam Cuthbertson (Dragons)
Tom Symonds (Roosters)
Shane Shackleton (Eels)
18th man: Joseph Leilua (Roosters)

Country
Josh Dugan (Raiders)
Michael Gordon (Panthers)
Josh Morris (Bulldogs)
Joel Thompson (Raiders)
Akuila Uate (Knights)
Jamie Soward (Dragons)
Jarrod Mullen (Knights)
Kade Snowden (Sharks)
Michael Ennis (Bulldogs)
Aidan Tolman (Bulldogs)
Chris Houston (Knights)
Beau Scott (Dragons)
Glenn Stewart (Sea Eagles)
Interchange: Tim Moltzen (Tigers)
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Raiders)
Trent Merrin (Dragons)
Chris Heighington (Tigers)

How about the back 3 for Country? Could potentially be the new NSW back 3.

Since the Raiders season is already over, I can really look forward to any and all rep games.

Will be a good chance to see our potential props go at it, as well as watching to see which halves put their hands up. I'm starting to lean towards the Soward/Mullen combo for Origin anyway, so i'll be particularly interested in watching them.

Ennis vs Farah, again. Somebody needs to make their mark.

But the highlight for me is Josh Dugan vs Jarryd Hayne. I cannot wait to see how this battle goes. I suppose it's obvious who's side i'm on, but...

That Country team probably isn't far off. The back 3 is possible although Hayne will probably be FB, Josh Morris is a chance at left centre IMO. The halves and hooker will end up being those 3. Snowden will be there and possibly Tolman with Merrin and TLL although i think Mannah will be there. I've also liked the look of Tim Grant at the Panthers when i've seen them, always makes plenty of metres but then again most of them do.
Where is Dan Hunt and Weyman, why aren't they in the sides and the likes of Gasnier aswell?
And what a turnaround for Adam Cuthbertson, last year he couldn't get a game for the Sharks and now he's at the high flying Dragons and in the City side.
Another one missing again is Luke Douglas from the Sharks, how come Snowden is getting mentioned all the time yet Douglas always seems to miss out? I bet he's wondering what he's gotta do to get picked. He'll have a better chance next year when he's joined the Titans. You only have to look at Anthony Tupou, he was playing for NSW and Aus when he joined the Sharks, now he never gets mentioned for Rep sides and he was great before IMO. Sharks turned him into a tackling machine and it limited his ball playing ability and off-loads, he was a strong runner aswell.

What is the point of this game?

Queensland don't have a need for a trial to decide who their best team is and look what has happened over the passed 5 years.

If you are going to have a trial have a probables v possibles at least the core of the side get a chance to play together before the ritual humiliation that has become the SOO.

This game dates back to the early days of the Country Rugby League, an organisation that has no equivalent in Qld and thus there is no equivalent game. These days its an Origin game, just like SOO, with players representing their place of heritage. That means players from outside Sydney playing for Country. It means just as much as SOO. I'd rather play for Country than NSW. It would mean more to me. It also means a lot to the places that get to host it. It's the biggest sporting event most country places will ever see.

The point I am trying to make is we have players suffering from burn out - standards are dropping and the we expect the players to play on Friday and then Saturday in what is in reality a nothing game.

A number of the players who will make up the NSW teams haven't even been selected which surely diminishes its value/importance.

Most on here would now consider SOO as the pinnacle of the game - maybe internationals have recovered a little as the Aussies are no longer able to steamroller the Kiwis - to say Country v City is a game of equal importance/quality is ridiculous given that 70% of the Aussie national side don't play for NSW.

Another City/Country game, another useless post moaning about it's existence.

Get over it and enjoy some footy. Struth.

It's not a nothing game. If a player performs he might force his way into the NSW team. Only Morris, Gallen, Creagh, Snowden and Idris can be confident of making the NSW side, every other spot is up for grabs. This it the only game where ALL contrenders will play each other in the same game.

But apart from anything else it means a lot to Country RL. It's easy to see the people who slag this game off are s who know who don't or care about Country RL. You reckon standards are slipping? They'll bloody slip a lot further if people like you get their way and we remove one of the few things the NRL does to assist country footy. The CRL provides about 70% of NSW Origin and Test players and more NRL first graders than Sydney does. But we still have people who want to scrap any event or effort to promote and assist the game in Country NSW. It never ceases to amaze me how narrow minded some supposed RL fans can be.

Great post ECT.

It is me.
Without wanting to start any form of bunfight...I can honestly say that the AVERAGE Australian RL fan can make your average M62 flatcapper look like a well balanced individual


Mention "another' code to them....and they come out with all sorts of stupid stuff rather than just saying:
"EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION, BUT IN REALITY, RUGBY LEAGUE IS THE GREATEST GAME"

...no word of a lie, I recently had an australian try and win a financial debate based on the current AUZ/US exchange rate...as in, the exact rate today, not the mean rate over 12 or 24 months



I know League is the better game.....as do most sane posters, but some seem to feel the need to defend it when it's not under attack

Tbf GF the only Australian fans I come across that extreme are a few on here.

Ive never come over a little.....

It was in my mind when I typed it!

Sheldon, what dya reckon Sowards chances are of the 5/8th spot in the NSW team?

I think he'll get it bud.

So if a player performs great all year but has a poor C v C game he will not get selected - I think you overstate the influence one game will have on selection - it will be interesting to see how many players not playing in this game make the NSW side!!

Surely the NRL pumps a shed load of money into junior development across the whole of Australia - that surely has a greater impact on RL development than a game once a year.

For me the game seems unnecessary in an overcrowded calendar - if you want to have an exhibition game use it as a way of creating greater awareness at the start of the season - attendances need a lift that is for sure.

Said like someone who has NFI. The NRL runs the Telstra Premiership, not grassroots football. If anyone believes this game is pointless they would need only be in Albury this week, or in whichever town it is played each year, and they'd soon change their tune. But what does it matter if country people miss out on the one game they get every year? And country players miss out on representing where they are from? Armchair fans like to whinge about this game every year but the players themselves want to play in it, so who gives a toss what some numpties think.

For a change there is actually quite a few spots up for grabs so it should be a good game. Usually 75% of the squad are already certainties by now.

City vs country = Nothing game for people outside NSW
City vs country = chance for people in small country areas to see their heroes once a year, grow grassroots, rep jumper for players and heritage passion for people in Sydney, Country.

If you don't like it, you are from England or QLD. I for one will watch the test, then the CvC replay.

I like it but am from England, I'm all confused now.

That was me over reacting to people questioning its existence. I don't question the Challenge cup, really irks me!

On an different note, I can't see the justification of Fulton. Even as a Tigers fan I don't think he is right for rep footy. Good player who plays above his weight and puts the work in. Scores tries but he is outside of Marshall. Wouldn't playing a dedicated lock be mor efruitful?

Where are they playing this game?and next time they play it they should make it a double header in sydney b4 the oz vs kiwi test.

The Challenge cup is another comp that is not worthy of its name - the SL clubs have to play meaningless fixtures against NL clubs in one sided encounters - the draw was done last century - the next round is 3 weeks time the final is in 3 months time.

The things should be a top 8 comp from the previous year 3 rounds over a month with two weeks between semi and final in August.

Otherwise scrap it