France to host NZ in 2018 + Six Nations?

[jim_57]

I agree with Spud.. my only concern is the games not being counted as Test matches because one of the teams involved isn't a Test team. Call them England but send out the reserve team and I'm happy.

They won't be if they field England Knights. I honestly wouldn't mind if England just ran a weakened side and called it England, teams in every sport do it, just makes it very questionable if 2 Englands play the same weekend.

 

[jim_57]

Australia V NZ (NRL Grand Final is a week earlier than SL Grand Final).

W1 - England V Italy
Scotland V France
Ireland/Wales V NZ or NZ V Tonga

W2 - Ireland V England
Wales V Scotland
France V NZ

W3 - Italy V Ireland
France V Wales
England V NZ - Game 1

W4 - Euro Cup Final
NZ V ??? (Either a Euro nation that doesn't make the final, North American team or club side).

W5&6 - England V NZ - Game 2&3

How is that for a condensed schedule where England can play both the EC & 3 games V NZ. No problem with England and NZ picking 30+men squads if need be.

 

[Pommy]

I didn't think England v Ireland would sell out in 2013, but it did.

The only way you're ever going to build interest is if you f**king do it. A full England side means a tier 1 international comp, which means full strength tier 2 sides, which means more competitiveness and growth in these countries, which means a bigger and better 2021 World Cup, which means a better international game.

But nah, England can just play 3 games and the rest can play each other in an un-televised, un-promoted tournament with B sides and they can bring out their best sides in another 4 years.

What makes you think england playing in the comp is going to have broadcasters desperate to show Italy vs Wales?
I just don’t see a comp as one sided as this being a success at, least with England Knights you have the chance of competitive games.

 

[jim_57]

What makes you think england playing in the comp is going to have broadcasters desperate to show Italy vs Wales?
I just don’t see a comp as one sided as this being a success at, least with England Knights you have the chance of competitive games.

What makes you think having England Knights in the comp is going to make broadcasters desperate to show England Knights?

What is wrong with the England team winning? I don't get the obsession with teams avoiding games against teams they're better than. Realistically England might play a warm up or 2 and 3 games V NZ, for just one more week they could also play in a Euro Cup and give the local sides their shot and the 3 team pools allow the odd team out a chance to host NZ.

Selecting a 30 man squad and using 'strategic selections' would be a better compromise than having a B team in a full International tournament IMO.

For the record Australia and/or NZ could do the same when England/GB tour down here using a similar format, would be a good way to beef up tour years.

 

[Storm13]

Not going to be a popular post. But what if Wales, Scotland and England B play together under GB, would that be more attractive?

3 match series vs France or create a new Euro 4nations with Ireland and Italy.

 

[deal.with.it]

RLEF had a 3 tiered structure of euro championships.

Without sponsors and broadcasters it's gonna be piss poor regardless who plays.

 

[deluded pom?]

I don't think it's wrong though..that's the point!

In the English football league trophy,our whatever it's called these days, premier league under 23s & 21s where allowed to enter along with pro league one and two clubs..Oldham athletic had Newcastle united u23s in their group for example...

And people whinged and moaned..much like what people are doing with the knights, but the clubs got on with it and battered these premier league reserves...that's what we in rugby league need to do..just get on with it! I'd love nothing more than for them to batter the knights.

So the European cup can either go 2 ways..we have the usual affair which no one watches,no media interest and no one cares about..

Or we have one featuring a England team,it can't be the full England team cos they have prior arrangements,the RFL host the comp,play games in Warrington,Leigh,Rochdale etc to modest crowds, certainly better than the 200+ a dog without a England team, with a England presence it will attract media coverage from the BBC, premiersports/freesport..

I know which version I'd rather see...

How many turn up for these matches involving EPL reserve sides 'spud. I bet there's tens of thousands wanting to see future Championship players.

 

[Springs09]

What makes you think england playing in the comp is going to have broadcasters desperate to show Italy vs Wales?
I just don’t see a comp as one sided as this being a success at, least with England Knights you have the chance of competitive games.

Where did I say it will? What it will do is give a hell of a lot more publicity to the tournament along with a chance for Tier 2 teams to play England in meaningful games, instead of waiting another 4 years.

Yeah righto, Australia out of the World Cup then.

FFS, I love when poms whinge about Australia's contempt for the international game but then they are apparently too good to play the Tier 2 teams. You only give a shit about yourselves (not true for everyone of course).

 

[Springs09]

What makes you think having England Knights in the comp is going to make broadcasters desperate to show England Knights?

What is wrong with the England team winning? I don't get the obsession with teams avoiding games against teams they're better than. Realistically England might play a warm up or 2 and 3 games V NZ, for just one more week they could also play in a Euro Cup and give the local sides their shot and the 3 team pools allow the odd team out a chance to host NZ.

Selecting a 30 man squad and using 'strategic selections' would be a better compromise than having a B team in a full International tournament IMO.

For the record Australia and/or NZ could do the same when England/GB tour down here using a similar format, would be a good way to beef up tour years.

A lot of poms seem to be expecting NZ to be playing in a Pacific Nations tournament in 2019 while GB are touring Australia. Which they should do, but that's hypocritical to suggest if England are apparently too good for a European Nations tournament.

At TRL a lot of posters want GB to play clubs and regional rep sides on their tour instead of actual national teams.

 

[Springs09]

1. England can't physically play everyone! You understand that don't you..

2.the ability of the other nations to field their best sides has c**k all to do with England..half the Scotland team cried off for a world cup ffs!

1. Uh yeah, they can actually. It's 3 games of a Euro Cup then 3 games against NZ. How many games did England play at the World Cup?

The only reason they can't now is because they confirmed the Baskerville schedule before considering anything else.

2. Of course it f**king does.

Here's a scenario:
- England play in the Six Nations, in the same pool as Ireland like they said. A full-strength Irish team host England in Dublin.
- Now, lots of England fans could (should) travel over. This could give us our first well-attended, well-publicised rugby league game in Ireland.

Or:
England can just play NZ and we can have the exact same schedule as 2015 despite everyone whinging that we need more international footy, especially for the Tier 2 nations and the RLIF needs to do more and so on.

 

[jim_57]

A lot of poms seem to be expecting NZ to be playing in a Pacific Nations tournament in 2019 while GB are touring Australia. Which they should do, but that's hypocritical to suggest if England are apparently too good for a European Nations tournament.

At TRL a lot of posters want GB to play clubs and regional rep sides on their tour instead of actual national teams.

I think RL fans are getting scared and expencting less Internationals. The proposed schedule could see them play 6 Internationals and still have players back to their clubs before December. The general consensus seems to be that the clubs/players will never agree to that many games, even though in the past the International season has gone for 6 weeks or more plenty of times.

Thing is you could swap the name and have the same tournament/tour setup when GB tour NZ/Aus or Aus tour England. Throw NZ & Aus in a Pacific Cup whilst GB tour to beef up the schedule. I find the prospect of 3 game series pretty boring TBH.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I don't think it's wrong though..that's the point!

In the English football league trophy,our whatever it's called these days, premier league under 23s & 21s where allowed to enter along with pro league one and two clubs..Oldham athletic had Newcastle united u23s in their group for example...

And people whinged and moaned..much like what people are doing with the knights, but the clubs got on with it and battered these premier league reserves...that's what we in rugby league need to do..just get on with it! I'd love nothing more than for them to batter the knights.

So the European cup can either go 2 ways..we have the usual affair which no one watches,no media interest and no one cares about..

Or we have one featuring a England team,it can't be the full England team cos they have prior arrangements,the RFL host the comp,play games in Warrington,Leigh,Rochdale etc to modest crowds, certainly better than the 200+ a dog without a England team, with a England presence it will attract media coverage from the BBC, premiersports/freesport..

I know which version I'd rather see...

Yes and the Junior All Blacks, NZ Maori and Australia A have all played in RU's Pacific Nations Cup a number of times each. It is not that big a big deal - in the longer term future when the Euro nations get stronger, England will be forced to field stronger and stronger sides to maintain their # 1 status in the region.

 

[Springs09]

I think RL fans are getting scared and expencting less Internationals. The proposed schedule could see them play 6 Internationals and still have players back to their clubs before December. The general consensus seems to be that the clubs/players will never agree to that many games, even though in the past the International season has gone for 6 weeks or more plenty of times.

Thing is you could swap the name and have the same tournament/tour setup when GB tour NZ/Aus or Aus tour England. Throw NZ & Aus in a Pacific Cup whilst GB tour to beef up the schedule. I find the prospect of 3 game series pretty boring TBH.

I like 3-test series if they are part of a tour.

Say in 2019 if England/GB tour Oceania and NZ play in a Pacific Six Nations:

Mid-Season:
NZ v Tonga/England v Samoa DH - Eden Park
PNG v Cook Islands/Italy v Lebanon - Sydney

Week 1
NZ v Fiji - Hamilton
Tonga v Samoa - Auckland
PNG v Australia - Port Moresby
France v England - Toulouse

Week 2
Fiji v PNG - Suva
Samoa v Cook Islands - Apia
England v Tonga - Auckland
NZ v Australia - Dunedin

Week 3
NZ v PNG - Whangerei
Tonga v Cook Islands - Nuku'alofa
England v Fiji - Wollongong
Australia v Samoa - Newcastle

Week 4
Pacific Six Nations Final - Auckland
Australia v England - Sydney

Week 5
Australia v England - Melbourne

Week 6
Australia v England - Brisbane

 

[Pommy]

Where did I say it will? What it will do is give a hell of a lot more publicity to the tournament along with a chance for Tier 2 teams to play England in meaningful games, instead of waiting another 4 years.

Yeah righto, Australia out of the World Cup then.

FFS, I love when poms whinge about Australia's contempt for the international game but then they are apparently too good to play the Tier 2 teams. You only give a shit about yourselves (not true for everyone of course).

Except I just differ in opinion that them playing England in a dead rubber series is better than playing a knights team in what could be a meaningful series. If Ireland are in form or the 2016 Scotland team were playing they could win the comp. I don’t see a benefit for the teams getting flogged every game and I don’t see much benefit for England either.

 

[adamkungl]

Dear oh dear...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/article.cfm?c_id=79&objectid=11958299

Why the Kiwis won't play Tonga in 2018

NZRL chief executive Alex Hayton insists they are keen to arrange more games with Tonga but says the Kiwis 2018 calendar is already full.

The Herald understands New Zealand will host a yet-to-be-announced rare home test against Australia at the end of next season, prior to playing a three-test series against England in the UK, leaving no room for a late season clash against Tonga.

"The Kiwis are full committed at the end of next season and the only option really is a game in the middle of the year," said Hayton.

"But the Pacific test series has already been announced with Tonga playing Samoa and so there are discussions going on as to how that may be addressed."

tl;dr
US game NZ v Eng may not go ahead, NZ looking at playing Fiji mid-season.
Tonga v Samoa already announced and tickets on sale, may get scrapped for NZ v Tonga.

4 games is a packed calendar apparently.
I wouldn't count on them playing France.

NZ calendar should look like this:
mid-season
Fiji

post-season
(oct 13) w1 Tonga @Nz
w2 France @France
w3 England @England
w4 England @England
w5 England @England
w6
w7 Australia @Nz
(dec2) w8 Australia @Aus

burnout shmurnout. take a big squad.

 

[Pommy]

Dear oh dear...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/article.cfm?c_id=79&objectid=11958299

Why the Kiwis won't play Tonga in 2018



tl;dr
US game NZ v Eng may not go ahead, NZ looking at playing Fiji mid-season.
Tonga v Samoa already announced and tickets on sale, may get scrapped for NZ v Tonga.

4 games is a packed calendar apparently.
I wouldn't count on them playing France.

You would like to think France is part of their plans for the England tour as a warm up game and although not announced yet it is in the schedule.

 

[jim_57]

You would like to think France is part of their plans for the England tour as a warm up game and although not announced yet it is in the schedule.

I honestly wouldn't be too surprised if NZ go with a bare bones tour just playing 3 games V England and maybe a club side again. We'll see I guess.

 

[Springs09]

Except I just differ in opinion that them playing England in a dead rubber series is better than playing a knights team in what could be a meaningful series. If Ireland are in form or the 2016 Scotland team were playing they could win the comp. I don’t see a benefit for the teams getting flogged every game and I don’t see much benefit for England either.

Ah I see yeah let's scrap the World Cup then and NZ shouldn't play the pacific sides again.

The Knights team means it isn't a meaningful series because it turns it into a reserve grade comp. Since you haven't beaten us in 22 years we might just send out Australia A to play you in 2019, no point you getting flogged every game right? No benefit for us either playing substandard opposition.

The only way Tier 2 teams are ever going to beat Tier 1 teams is they actually play them. A full-strength Irish or Scottish or French team could beat England, as England often play complete shit. Actually that's right, you already lost to Italy...

 

[Pommy]

Ah I see yeah let's scrap the World Cup then and NZ shouldn't play the pacific sides again.

The Knights team means it isn't a meaningful series because it turns it into a reserve grade comp. Since you haven't beaten us in 22 years we might just send out Australia A to play you in 2019, no point you getting flogged every game right? No benefit for us either playing substandard opposition.

The only way Tier 2 teams are ever going to beat Tier 1 teams is they actually play them. A full-strength Irish or Scottish or French team could beat England, as England often play complete shit. Actually that's right, you already lost to Italy...

Well that’s Australia’s plan already isn’t it? Just give up playing tests?

 

[Springs09]

Well that’s Australia’s plan already isn’t it? Just give up playing tests?

Well we might as well if we wanna be consistent with your attitude of not bothering to play anyone beneath us.