Is it worth having a triangular with England, Exiles and a Celts side? The celts side could be drawn from Ireland, Wales and Scotland and could easily attract those players who are fringing but not likely to ever get an England call up.

There are a great many of 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation celts in RL and of course it may attract people to support them on the basis of where it is played (if Tomkins was a celt and played for Leeds would he have been booed at Headingly if playing for the Celts?) and this in turn might create more of an atmosphere at that type of game.

The knock on effect for players being tested would also boost the national sides from which they were drawn (who's looking forward to seeing Dudson, Kear, James et al after the step up they have made during the 4N?).

Any thoughts?

No. One contrived team in the Exiles is too much. If anything, this team should replace the Exiles but it would probably be better if neither of them existed.

Problem is that the Exiles gave England the best mid season game they have had for years so if we don't have other national sides in the Northern Hemisphere that are capable of that it becomes a needs must. I think the tougher the mid season games the less we get caught out at the end of each season. I think that is the case this time around.

The difference this time around is that England have a much stronger squad, and Australia and New Zealand have weaker squads. The Exiles game and the 'England Knights' have contributed nothing and should be scrapped immediately.

What a ridiculous statement. The Exiles game was a far better test for England than playing against France, and the Knights concept gave young future England stars a taste of an international set up, be it bonding with other players from other clubs (which is vitally important, you only have to see interviews with the players to understand this), or getting used to the training regimes involved. Not to mention it provided a tough test for Cumbria!

Nothing except a bigger gate, a competitive match and more coverage than any other mid season games we've had?

And the Knights have been let down by Samoa not touring. It's a great stepping stone for the next generation.

Trust a rugby league fan to want to scrap something after one season.

The ' Other Nations ' concept is nothing new , it was done at the dawn of our sport , it has it's own history , and it serves a purpose

It should continue

Agree entirely.

So we should preserve something because it was done 100+ years ago? Referees also used to wear suits and flat caps during matches, should we bring that back too?
I wanted them scrapped before they had even started, because they are absolutely stupid and detrimental to RL. To be fair, I don't have any issue with the Knights concept, I just don't like the idea of them playing against international teams. The main issue I have is that the Knights could be far more effectively replaced by U20s internationals, as happens in all other sports and would provide a massive benefit to both the England national team and RL as a whole. But instead, we have this contrived team damaging the credibility of the sport because McNamara and the people in charge of international RL preferred to try and copy State of Origin and were too ignorant to think for themselves.

As for the Exiles, as long as enough mugs are willing to pay and watch the game that it turns a profit and that money is used for genuine international development, then I guess there's justification for it existing. If anyone is suggesting that it's been in some way beneficial for England though then they're deluded.

As I said , it isn't a new concept ( that is in response to those suggesting it is ) , and considering the lack of competitive opposition ( once again something that was a problem 100 years ago ) it serves a purpose

If you are going to reply to a post , at least reply to all of it , like most things , there is more than one aspect to it , but some posters only pick out part of the argument to attempt to ridicule , childish really

I did reply to all of it

No you just replied to the fact it had history , not that it served a purpose , and you made a cheap and unnecessary comparison with referees attire

Don't do that , it makes you look stupid , something you clearly aren't

If you think people are mugs for going to watch the best players in SL play against each other in a highly competitive match then you're probably watching the wrong sport lad.

We seem to have been dragged off topic by the troll. Going back to the thread I have done a bit of research and you will see the depth of declared Celts in SL and the Co-op Champs below. It is actually quite impressive and if you accept that i have put Henderson, Brough and a couple of others who have switched allegiences (how on earth does that work after you have picked up a cap?) then you can see there is plenty of quality and strength in depth.

If we were to have two or three weekends where they could play these games (I know that would be a problem as clubs need the revenue and don't like blank weekends) then we could have a triangular comp with England, the Celts and Exiles that would produce some pretty intensive footy, only benefiting all the England and Celtic lads who take part.

Any, here is the list (forgive me if I get the odd club wrong).

Higher profile players

Elliot Kear - Winger - Bradford
Jon Steel - winger - Hull KR
Lee Gilmour - second row/centre - Wakey
Kevin Henderson - Wakey - centre
Rhys Williams - Centre - Warrington
Sean Gleeson - Centre - Salford
Michael Platt - Centre - Bradford
Damian Blanch - Winger - Catalans
Josh Griffin - Centre - Wakefield Trinity

Danny Brough - Huddersfield - scrum-half
Andrew Henderson - Cas - scrum-half/hooker
Ben Fisher - Hull KR - hooker
Richard Horne - Hull - half-back
Michael Miccollurum - Hooker - Wigan
Lloyd White - Halfback - Widnes

Daniel Heckenberg - prop - London Broncos
Paul Jackson - prop - Huddersfield
Oliver Wilkes - Prop - Wakefield Trinity
Joe Wardle - Prop - Huddersfield
Gil Dudson - Prop - Wigan
Jordan James - Prop - Salford
Craig Kopzcak - Prop - Bradford
Paul Prescott - Prop - Wigan
Ryan Boyle - Prop - Salford
Eamon O'Carroll - Prop - Hull
Kyle Amor - Prop - Leeds
Luke Ambler - Prop - Leeds

Ben Flower - Backrow - Wigan
Duncan MacGillivray - 2nd row - Wakey
Calum Casey - Back Row - Leeds


Other elligable players

Ryan Fieldhouse - Fullback - Halifax RLFC
Danny Jones - Fullback - Keighley
Christiaan Roets - Centre, Backrow - Scorpions
Aled James - Back, Halfback - Scorpions
Jamie Benn - winger/stand-off - Fev
Stu Dunbar - centre - Hunslet
Iain Marsh - centre/2nd row - Workington Town
Dene Miller - centre - London Skolars
Paul Anderson - Winger- Blackpool Panthers
Mick Nanyn - centre - Oldham Roughyeds
Damian Reid - centre - Salford City Reds
Keiron Seeds - winger - Blackpool Panthers
Alex Hurst - Back - Swinton
Crawford Matthews - Centre - Hull FC
Ben Hellewell - Fullback - Warrington
Dave Arnot - Centre - London Skolars
Shae Lyon-Fraser Full Back Wigan Warriors
Curtis Macdonald Full Back Castleford Tigers
Alasdair McDougal Wing-Cen Sheffield Eagles
Lee Paterson - Wing/Centre/Halfback - Swinton
Callum Cockburn - Centre - Edinburgh Eagles
Nick Broere - Fullback - Edinburgh Eagles
Ben Blackmore - Winger - Cas Tigers
Brett Carter - Fullback - Workington Town
Joe Taylor - Centre - London Broncos
Paddy Barcoe - Centre - Leinster RL
Liam Harrison - Centre - Barrow Raiders
James Haley - Winger - Halifax RLFC
Jamie O'Callaghan - Back - Harlequins RL
Joe Taylor - Centre - Leeds Rhinos/North Dublin Eagles
Nathan Ashe - fullback/stand off - St Helens
Ian Cross - Centre/Halfback - St Helens
Vinny Finnigan - Wing/Fullback - Bradford Bulls/Sheffield Eagles
Tim Bergin - Fullback - Sheffield Eagles

John Duffy - Halfback - Widnes
Richie Hawkyard - scrum-half - Swinton
Dave McConnell - hooker - Leigh Centurion
Lee Paterson - stand-off - Widnes Vikings
Scott Rhodes - stand-off - York City Knights
Dave Vernon - hooker - Gateshead Thunder
Michael Murphy - stand-off - Limoux
Chad McGlame - Halfback - Hull FC
David Scott - Hooker - Hull KR
Daryl Clark - Hooker - Castleford Tigers
Giles Lomax - Hooker - Edinburgh Eagles
Chad McGlame - Standoff/Centre - Hull FC
Liam Finn - Halfback/Hooker - Fev
Pat Smith - Stand Off - Sheffield Eagles
George Flanagan - Hooker - Batley Bulldogs
Paul Handforth - Halfback - Halifax RLFC
Gregg McNally - Scrum half - Huddersfield Giants


Richard Fletcher - prop - Hunslet
James Houston - prop - Fev
Jack Howieson - prop - Sheffield
Neil Lowe - prop - Keighley
Ryan McDonald - prop - Whitehaven
Jim Morrow - prop - Sheffield Eagles
Matthew Tunstall - prop - Workington Town
Tom Wild - prop - Rochdale Hornets
Owen Wedgewood Prop Featherstone Lions
Sam Barlow - Prop - Halifax
Josh Barlow - Pack - Halifax
Jack Howieson - Prop - Sheffield Eagles
Paul Jackson - Prop - Castleford Tigers
Gareth Moore - Prop - Wakefield Trinity
Mitch Stringer - Prop - Sheffield Eagles
Jack Stearman - Prop - York City Knights
Aaron McCloskey - Prop - St Helens
Ged Corcoran - Pack - Toulouse

Andy Bracek - Backrow - Leigh
Ross Divorty - Backrow - Featherstone Rovers
Spencer Miller - 2nd row - Whitehaven
Iain Morrison - second row - Widnes Vikings
Keir Bell - 2nd row/centre - London Skolars
Ian Sinfield - second row - Swinton Lions
Alex Szostak - second row - Sheffield Eagles
Michael Wainwright - loose forward - Leigh Centurions
Louie Sutherland Prop- 2nd Row London Skolars
Dan Turland 2nd row- centre Gateshead Storm
Paddy Coupar - 2nd Row - Edinburgh Eagles
Michael Stewart - 2nd Row - Lincoln City
Jordan Rice - 2nd Row - York City Knights
Brad Massey - 2nd Row - Coventry Bears
Tyrone McCarthy - Backrow - Warrington Wolves
Callum Casey - Backrow - Leeds/Oldham
Elliott Cosgrove - 2nd Row - Dewsbury Rams
Bob Beswick - Backrow - Halifax RLFC
Jason Golden - 2nd Row - London Broncos
Stewart Howarth - Loose Forward/Stand Off/Fullback - Wakfield Trinity Wildcats
Kurt Hegarty - Backrow - Widnes Vikings
Simon Finnegan - Backrow - Widnes Vikings