Hang on Wellsy, Starbug is claiming we should have some sort of psychic power as to these things. We should instinctively know the dates and programme because "some internationals" are played "at this time of year".

Is this the same Kiwis that have only beaten us once on these shores in 10 years? Head-to-head, I believe it's something like 9-6 in our favour. But because they can occasionally beat the Aussies, they're so far in front of us? They've beaten them four times and drawn twice in the last 10 years. Just happens that 3/4 of them wins were in finals. We've beaten them twice.

I don't understand why people are that desperate to talk us down that they will even make up facts to achieve it. We're on a fairly even keel with the Kiwis. They struggle over here and we struggle over there. Where's the World Cup again?...

If that was how it worked, the Premier League would never need to be advertised as everyone just knows that it's on. And the SL. And many other events, etc.

But of course this isn't how it works, the vast majority of people need reminding/informing, and this hasn't happened for this tournament.

Eg-bleedin-xactly. I despair at the people who defend that spectacle appearing on national TV. Are the RFL on a mission to make sure we never find a decent sponsor?

Its lunacy. We let the assets we have wither and die whilst chasing fantasy schemes which as you rightly say ( from a St. Helens fan too, must be halloween) have no evidence or research behind them.

Before any new ideas we need credible leadership who understand strategic planning and the need for ( and implemenation of ) good research. We're currently run by complete chancers.

Dont ' act ' silly Chris, the poster who stated he didnt know the game was on also claimed to be a long term RL and International RL fan, so if he has attended England International matches in the past in this country, they would have been played 2/3 weeks after the end of the regular season , he had no excuse, if he genuinely wanted to attend

As for the value of the games themselves ? Probably pointless from an England POV

Like I've hinted to you:

I am a long term fan of both domestic and international RL.

I have been to internationals. With the plural.

I didn't realise it was on. Because nobody had really hyped it. I knew that we weren't playing Australia this year, but this match completely took me by surprise because I have other things on. So I am in his boat. I don't know why you don't understand this view.

Quite possibly the RFL were ever so slightly embarassed by what was always going to be a farce of an actual ' Competition ' , not a criticism, just the way it is

What if he (or people in his party) had already made plans? The fixtures weren't announced until last month. We didn't know if they'd all be away or at home.

I had no idea this tournament had started until 4:30 last week when I switched the TV over and caught the last few minutes.


That's the spirit.

The other problem is that well, frankly, its just not an interesting match. Its a real shame we don't have a credible northern hemisphere international game, but trying to wish one into existence won't change that, and only serves to embarrass us. Tours were far better, but I don't blame the Aussies for being fed up of the English game. The only hope I see is an extension of the WCC to something akin to a champions league, to start building credible north-south rivalry.

So how much money do you think the RFL should have spent ' Hyping ' up a completely non ' competitive ' competition? Just so another 500 RL fans might attend, and where would you have them ' advertise ' these matches? , a billboard campaign? , busses in Hull?

That's just full of pessimism though. You want northern hemisphere competition, yet you don't want us to work for it? Where is it going to spring up from?

Whinge if we do, whinge if we don't. How can you win?

But despite the fact the game was pointless and one-sided; played in front of only 4,000 people even though its on many fans' doorstep; an embarrassment to our game that no-one knew about - it was still a story on the ten o'clock radio news as I was driving back to the soft South where none of us will ever know or care about the game.
I love the game and Test football is our best hope for success in the future. I had a great time at the game despite the one sided nature. Then again I suppose as a Broncos season ticket holder I'm used to watching an under prepared team missing one on one tackles!

As you know, I am no fan of the RFL, but didnt Mr Wood make a visit down under about 3 months ago to try to set up a last minute tour of some sort? ,it was only when that didnt happen they went for the full England team playing in this competition ?

A turd is still a turd even if you roll it in glitter

If they could persuade a haulage firm to put it on the side of trucks it would be worth millions in advertising. I'm suprised that Satchi and Satchi haven't hired Nigel Wood to be honest.

£5272.15p.

Well if that had got you and pinky winky to the game it would have been money well spent

Well the fact they hadn't organised anything 3 months ago is still very very worrying! They've known for a while now the Aussies weren't interested. This could have been announced in 2011 from that knowledge and hyped during the 4N off the back of Wales' fairly respectable performances.


I don't think international RL is a turd.

Tell us how you ' hype ' up a clearly one sided competition?

We didn't learn anything from that!
What it did confirm is that we need a new England Coaching team.
If they are that disorganised v the Aussies and Kiwis then next year's World Cup could be truly awful.

Are you trying to tell me that because it's one-sided, it's unhypable?

You suggested it could be ' hyped ' , I'm just asking how you would do it?

I only 'want' a credible northern hemisphere international competition in the same sense that I 'want' to play for Wigan despite being 40 years old and having yet to display any significant talent for the sport. Nice, but aint going to happen. Trying to build a Wales team this way is (almost but not quite) as futile as me starting training for my new RL career.

What I'm saying is that we have to accept where we are...not out of pessimism, but because we need to be realistic about how best to grow the sport. I'm not particularly hung up about whether we grow through clubs or through internationals ( very few major sports are as dominated by internationals as RU - in fact nearly all US sports have none ).

The fact is, I have no idea if we'll ever have a serious home nations comp. It feels unlikely in my lifetime, but who knows, if we can get a couple of top flight welsh clubs, its maybe just possible. However, it seems like such a fantasy at this stage, and given the much more urgent need to revitalise RL in areas where we *know* there's been a historic passion for the game, it doesn't feel useful to me.

I see more eventual hope ( and that's all it is ) in a much more extended WCC, akin to a champions league. That has more chance of one day being our rival to RU's six nations than trying to create our own home nations comp. If we build a sport dominated by club ( including international club ) competition, along with huge North-south international series every year (like our Ryder cup ) I'd be just fine with that.

Pretty much, yes. If you hype up an inevitable drubbing you just look embarrassingly desperate. Those who know the game smell the BS for what it is, and a newcomer would feel conned.

A total waste of time. A pointless exercise.

I'm not quite sure what people are expecting. A series against Australia or NZ wasn't possible. This was the next best thing. Yes Wales were disappointing, yes it was an easy game, yes the crowd was disappointing.
But on Saturday rugby league received more media coverage than for any RL event other than the Cup Final and Grand Final this year. Live, prime time coverage on BBC One, high billing on the news both BBC and Sky, high billing on the BBC website.
Given that a series against Australia or NZ wasn't possible and certainly no chance of one over her, would it really have been better to have had no internationals this year at all? The year before a World Cup? I think people are getting far too carried away simply because of the scoreline. The quality of the opposition is almost irrelevant, it's the chance to get the team together, bonding, and practicing and playing together that is important this year.