news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 438607.stm Apologies if its already been posted........A state of origin series Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire, would it work? I personally would love to see it happen.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 438607.stm Apologies if its already been posted........A state of origin series Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire, would it work? I personally would love to see it happen.

It didn't work before but that's no reason to write it off outright. We would need to take a look and see why it didnt work last time. I suspect it was such a low priority and didn't enter anyone's radar apart from being something of a minor curiosity, like a mid season international friendly.

Alter the rules, put in stipulations like youth quotas, market it properly, people might just want to see it.

Your link doesn't work.

I think we could try it, get back a bit of rivalry with a three game series mid season or something

Sorry mucker, try again now it should work fine

No. Means nothing. Who are Lancashire? They don't play rugby league in Blackpool, Preston and Birmingham to any level.

Like when they did it last time there would be a sea of apathy and the lack of pride in the jersey would see a very low intensity contest.

No, doesnt make sense, doesnt fit with the game as it is, excludes large areas of the game and would be seen for what it is, a poor imitation of SoO.

We dont have enough space in the calendar, we need real and regular international competition before anymore of these type of games.

I used to agree but over time and listening to the arguments for and against i'm in the No camp.

It's parochial as Lanc/Yorks/Cumbria and there's no benefit to it, there's also no where to fit it in.

West/East/Exiles/France yes, but again no where to fit it in.

Yeah, but by that logic they don't play rugby league in Yorkshire either, because "Yorkshire" or a collective entity of the county that is North, West, South and East does not exist.

Hardly fair. The west would win too easily!

You do know i mean West Eng and East Eng?

Hence the east winning 7 of the last 10 Grand Finals.

Absolutely.

The thing is though not all those players are from the east.

A lot of them are.

The England three-quarter line is pretty much exclusively from yorkshire, first choice and probably 2nd choice. We could even cheekily claim Widdop and Reed. 2nd row and props would all be Yorkshire players bar probably Graham.

The only obvious 'western' man for man wins would be LF, Hooker, and FB.

Dont think it would get a lot of interest to be fair and wouldnt really benefit the game over here, Id go for promoting the exiles game alot more as an alternative (maybe making it a three test series)

I was thinking the other day (when McNamara mentioned players weren't match ready because they'd been knocked out the play-offs early), maybe they should do the Roses game as a warm-up for internationals during the play-offs?

Could have a two-leg series, starting in week 3 of the play-offs. First game on the Sunday (after the two Final Eliminators) and the final leg on the Friday (day before the Grand Final). Keeps the players not involved in the play-offs match ready and gives us another game to watch with a bit of history. Also gives some players a last chance to impress the coach (of both England and the Knights).

Bit like our version of the Pro Bowl.

Nope pointless and players play enough games as it is. Exiles plus two games against France in France every year would be fine.

I'd have International Origin, but make the Captains of Wales and France automatic co-captains of the Exiles, and have a guarentee of welsh and french players

To bring in a origin series we'd have to lose some league games or the cc cup.

Idealy we should start and finish the season the same time as the Nrl ending with the wcc 2 weeks after the grand final and then inti the international series.

I like this after-season chat about naff competitions - and in that i include the four nations. No-one gives a shat during the SL season.

I think that's the problem.

Nothing will re-enforce the cloth cap image of rugby league more than a 'War of t'roses' competition! An absolute no no is this (and im an ardent a Lancastrian as the next man) International origin by all means and xtend the Exiles concept to include real Welsh and French born players is a great thought for me.

Establish this properly and the away test in France each year and you have the backbone of an international calendar, as well as ticking the need for competitive England matches and French development boxes

When we get a genuine international competition , ie the French or Welsh start beating England

, then people will get interested

Grow the exciles concept. It had a very promising start and it's meant to have it's own weekend next season so let's see it kick on.

That could prove to be the link between league fixtures and internationals we crave.

It might grow if we can start winning those games as well