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England v France

Burns

First Grade
Messages
6,037
England's first match on home soil since 2016. Their profile has never been as strong, and they are likely to push for No.2 rank in world. Imagine they would play somewhere in the South, as the NZ Tour is all up in the North, really spread them around etc.

What do they do?

On a Wednesday night. At Leigh. Announced as the 'England RL Elite Men's Squad'. A full 10 days before their first match in Hull against NZ. Tickets are currently 50% off.

We always bag out Australia, but this is amateur stuff from the RFL. Why, why is that at Leigh? There was two men and a dog when they played there in 2016 against France.
 

Coastbloke

Bench
Messages
4,051
I would like them to start testing out Paris again. There was a crowd less than 10,000 when France v Kangaroos played in the Four Nations a few years ago.

Time to try again. Bit of promotion? Sell it to the poms as a weekend in Paris. Etc?
 

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,290
Comical stuff really, shows what the RFL think of France when it is either this or send off their B team to play them.

If France ever beat them they probably just won't play them again like Italy...
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
A Wednesday night not-Test at Leigh. Fmd.
May as well be a training run.

When I first saw the announcement I considered making room in my travel plans for this. On second thoughts, no thank you RFL.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
I can understand why people are annoyed and how it could easily have been better but this is the reality for pro sport.
The reality is England are using this as a training run just as every team did before the current World Cup. We can’t say the sport needs to become more professional and then go mad when they start acting like more professional sports.
A Wednesday night in the south of France would have been better though.
 
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adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
I can understand why people are annoyed and how it could easily have been better but this is the reality for pro sport.
The reality is England are using this as a training run just as every team did before the current World Cup. We can’t say the sport needs to become more professional and then go mad when they start acting like more professional sports.
A Wednesday night in the south of France would have been better though.

My frustration with these "training run" internationals (Aus v PNG XIII is another example) is that they could do so much more with it without requiring any more investment from the Bigger nation.

1. Even if you're running out with a second string squad, show the opposition first string respect. Bill it as a Test Match. Play it in France. It's clear that England is only taking this half seriously so it's pretty certain the French will too.

2. Let it draw an audience. Playing professional sport without the best chance of a paying audience is almost pointless. Friday or Saturday night in France would easily double the crowd of a Wednesday in Leigh and do far more for the sport. England could still have a full 7 or 8 days until their first NZ test.

This isn't an attack on England - Almost the same arguments could apply to Australia's annual game in PNG. Give it Test billing and get it on TV. Respect the opposition and fans.
 

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,290
It is just as much of a slap in the face to the English team and their fans as it is to the French. This is their first home game in 2 years and the RFL parodies themselves and does what everyone jokes about them doing. Making it a friendly for no particular reason just makes it a bigger joke.

England shouldn't be playing home games in stadiums with less than 20k capacity ever in my opinion.
 

Storm13

Juniors
Messages
1,606
On the topic of France and your opinion towards the next WC. How do the French bridge the gap to the emergence of the Pacific Island teams???

I feel like they need to select players who are in the professional setup first and foremost before anyone from elite 1. So players from Catalans, Toulouse and English based players. Players from Elite 1 need to be looking to the English game to further their career to the National team.

In saying that the NZ game if it happens will be the best bet for France to cause an upset.
 

StadiumXIII

Juniors
Messages
176
I would like them to start testing out Paris again. There was a crowd less than 10,000 when France v Kangaroos played in the Four Nations a few years ago.

Time to try again. Bit of promotion? Sell it to the poms as a weekend in Paris. Etc?
London or even New York would have been a better choice than Leigh FFS.

On the topic of France and your opinion towards the next WC. How do the French bridge the gap to the emergence of the Pacific Island teams???

I feel like they need to select players who are in the professional setup first and foremost before anyone from elite 1. So players from Catalans, Toulouse and English based players. Players from Elite 1 need to be looking to the English game to further their career to the National team.

In saying that the NZ game if it happens will be the best bet for France to cause an upset.
France seem a long way off IMO even if they selected players from Catalans and Toulouse. Their Union team were demolished by the All Blacks recently. You'd have to hope France can produce more juniors to get into SL or better yet NRL level to catch them up. Having a New Caledonian/French Polynesia presence would help with that unless you could find a few French heritage (be it from France itself over its overseas territories) players in the NRL somewhere who have a genuine interest in representing France.
 
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LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,965
I think France are doing well considering they resource themselves....there is so much potential in France but the game is too busy chasing eyeballs in the USA, which is OK....but let's not neglect the areas we have a presence in.
It's so typical rugby league, if it's too hard we give up, take Sydney, we've given up on the North Shore, we've basically given up in the east, Balmain and St.George are areas that are a shadow of what they once were. We just keep surrendering areas.
 
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