England to revive mid-season Test in 2020?

[geordie_saint]

Ireland did pretty well in the '17 World Cup with a mostly English club based side. Why not try them for a test if France aren't up for it?

The SL/Championship clubs wouldn't allow it. England have to already resort to 3 x players per club. So further players from clubs simply won't work.

 

[hutch]

We've tried for years FFS...

It’s never properly been tried FFS. Reduce the super league rounds, schedule international weekends and schedule a test match FFS.

 

[jim_57]

The SL/Championship clubs wouldn't allow it. England have to already resort to 3 x players per club. So further players from clubs simply won't work.

Maybe, although I think clubs would be more willing to release 4/5 players rather than 3 if it meant they didn't travel half way across the world and back mid-season.

 

[roughyedspud]

It’s never properly been tried FFS. Reduce the super league rounds, schedule international weekends and schedule a test match FFS.

We did FFS .....( I can do this all day lol )

Seriously though.....we play them mid season,Catalans pull all their players out,we play the French 2nd string and put 60 on them....it happens time and time again...this is exactly why we started the EXILES...went to Sydney to play Samoa...or Denver to play NZ

for me...one of the reasons ENGLAND (knights) v the Celts is appetizing is because it can be a entirely SL thing...we don't have to worry about the French turning up or the NRL clubs trying to torpedo then game like they did with Denver..

 

[Pommy]

I still think a British Isles 4 nations would work

Ireland Scotland and Wales are pretty close to being the next 3 best Euro nations already

And it would have a SOO feel with so many players in the ESL

The problem is it wouldn’t have a SOO feel about it.
The sport has next to no following in those nations.
You’re not going to go in to work and brag to Paddy or jock that England beat them as he wouldn’t care. Even in the north it’s a minority sport, it would be nothing like origin.
Not only that but the teams are populated with English players who for the most part have little or no cultural links to those nations. I would qualify for Scotland and I don’t cut about in a kilt and honestly I don’t know many English people with heritage from other home nations that really embrace their cultures. It’s not the same as the pacific teams down here.
I know the only way it is going to grow is by plying games but it’s not as simple as people think.

 

[Springs09]

I don't think mid-season anythings are gonna do much unless there comes a time when we can have a 3-week window, which is unlikely.
One-off mid-season tests are never gonna do much for anyone. As it is though, England v Fiji or Samoa is probably the best option for England. Hosting one of them might also give the RFL a mid-season option that fans might buy into.

 

[geordie_saint]

Maybe, although I think clubs would be more willing to release 4/5 players rather than 3 if it meant they didn't travel half way across the world and back mid-season.

No club is going to want to play a SL/Championship game whilst missing 4-5 players.

 

[jim_57]

No club is going to want to play a SL/Championship game whilst missing 4-5 players.

Again though, you have 3 of your best fly half way across the world or you have 3 of your best and 1-2 others sit out 1 week but not have to leave England.

Realistically the former scenario would turn in to 2 weeks off for some players and the ones that do back up won't be 100%.

 

[Burns]

This simply has to happen if England are going to be a chance next year against Australia in the Ashes series.

 

[adamkungl]

The problem is it wouldn’t have a SOO feel about it.
The sport has next to no following in those nations.
You’re not going to go in to work and brag to Paddy or jock that England beat them as he wouldn’t care. Even in the north it’s a minority sport, it would be nothing like origin.
Not only that but the teams are populated with English players who for the most part have little or no cultural links to those nations. I would qualify for Scotland and I don’t cut about in a kilt and honestly I don’t know many English people with heritage from other home nations that really embrace their cultures. It’s not the same as the pacific teams down here.
I know the only way it is going to grow is by plying games but it’s not as simple as people think.

Time for England to actually do something and try grow the game in their neighbouring countries, as they should have been for the last 100 years.

Nothing ever changes if you just keep saying why things can't be done.

Whether its combined Celtic, or just Wales or Ireland or Scotland, you're right that fans buying into it would be limited. At least for a while. Maybe even a long while.

But the players would. Guys like Regan Grace who should have been selected for GB but was clearly brushed because he's not in the England setup.

It might take some time, but fans will buy into a competitive game, where the players give a shit, and is marketed well.

 

[Knownothing]

I think money is the problem. Lots of it in RU in England and France in particular. The RFU owns Twickenham, for example. It is a gold mine. They've got too much money for their own good!



Maybe in time their wealth will destroy RU in the less wealthy countries.

 

[jim_57]

Time for England to actually do something and try grow the game in their neighbouring countries, as they should have been for the last 100 years.

Nothing ever changes if you just keep saying why things can't be done.

Whether its combined Celtic, or just Wales or Ireland or Scotland, you're right that fans buying into it would be limited. At least for a while. Maybe even a long while.

But the players would. Guys like Regan Grace who should have been selected for GB but was clearly brushed because he's not in the England setup.

It might take some time, but fans will buy into a competitive game, where the players give a shit, and is marketed well.

Exactly, keep it short and sweet to start and just use mostly or all Super League players for England.

It doesn't have to prevent them from playing Aus, NZ etc whenever they want to, just use the 2 pools of 3 set up if need be.

It's all good and well to say "we shouldn't play northern hemipshere teams because they aren't good enough" but they'll never be good enough if they don't play in these type of regular games. England really risks becoming isolated somewhat by the Australia/Pacific domination, trying to create some good rivalries closer to home could seriously benifit them.

 

[roughyedspud]

Time for England to actually do something and try grow the game in their neighbouring countries, as they should have been for the last 100 years.

We don't disagree on much mate but that's absolute bullshit...

Time we did something?

Like setting up the RLEF nearly 17 years ago? Bankrolling it for a decade?? Providing admin staff ?? Providing coaching and ref clinics?? Send rep teams everywhere??

The reason there's 8-9 RLEF affiliated teams at the next world cup is exactly because of what we have done for nearly 20 years!..

But we can't and shouldn't do it all,that's why it's right for the RFL to step back and let the proper,relevant bodies take over and do the jobs they where set up to do...people whinge we are a little tin pot sport...and we always will be if ,for example , scotland looks to the RFL for funding instead of going to the RLEF/IRL and Sport Scotland,their national agency for sport, for funding..

 

[Pommy]

Time for England to actually do something and try grow the game in their neighbouring countries, as they should have been for the last 100 years.

Nothing ever changes if you just keep saying why things can't be done.

Whether its combined Celtic, or just Wales or Ireland or Scotland, you're right that fans buying into it would be limited. At least for a while. Maybe even a long while.

But the players would. Guys like Regan Grace who should have been selected for GB but was clearly brushed because he's not in the England setup.

It might take some time, but fans will buy into a competitive game, where the players give a shit, and is marketed well.

The last paragraph is the issue, fans won’t buy in to it because it’s not going to be competitive. If Australia were playing Samoa in Sydney tomorrow how many Australian fans would attend? It can be marketed as well as you want but people in the home nations aren’t interested in watching a team full of heritage players get flogged by England.
I’m not even saying I don’t want these internationals to happen I think we could easily have a euro cup with groups of three. Play one mid season and one as the first game of the international break, however don’t be surprised when nobody in England or in the other home nations is really interested in it. It’s certainly not going to have an origin feel about it.

 

[siv]

England should be able to play tests in Europe without NRL players

 

[Pommy]

England should be able to play tests in Europe without NRL players

why should a team play without half their players?

 

[Springs09]

The last paragraph is the issue, fans won’t buy in to it because it’s not going to be competitive. If Australia were playing Samoa in Sydney tomorrow how many Australian fans would attend? It can be marketed as well as you want but people in the home nations aren’t interested in watching a team full of heritage players get flogged by England.
I’m not even saying I don’t want these internationals to happen I think we could easily have a euro cup with groups of three. Play one mid season and one as the first game of the international break, however don’t be surprised when nobody in England or in the other home nations is really interested in it. It’s certainly not going to have an origin feel about it.

Last 2 times Australia played Samoa it sold out Darwin and Wollongong. Similarly, I attended a sold-out England v Ireland in Huddersfield.
It's more about having meaningful tournaments more than competitiveness. NZ fans didn't buy into the GB Tour because it's a nothing series, despite playing a competitive team.

With meaningful tournaments that can lead somewhere for all sides these games can work.

 

[Pommy]

Last 2 times Australia played Samoa it sold out Darwin and Wollongong. Similarly, I attended a sold-out England v Ireland in Huddersfield.
It's more about having meaningful tournaments more than competitiveness. NZ fans didn't buy into the GB Tour because it's a nothing series, despite playing a competitive team.

With meaningful tournaments that can lead somewhere for all sides these games can work.

so how many Australians went to that Wollongong game? Or was it packed with Samoans from Campbeltown?
I will guarantee nobody is going to think a euro cup is a meaningful competition. Let’s not kid ourselves about that. If kiwis aren’t going to get excited about playing GB I don’t know what hope there is for a euro cup.

 

[siv]

why should a team play without half their players?

Main issue is flying time

A 1 week rep weekend is too short players are basically out of action for a fortnight

Though England Aussie players have a method that reduces this impact at the Denvor test

That's why I propose a fortnight rep period or as others have suggested 3 weekend's

Soccer has struggled with the same problem where these 1 week rep windows are usually only local regionals

Socceroos in that window used to play their rep games in Europe where most rep players were based

 

[yakstorm]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/1032...merge-as-possible-2020-opponents-for-england/

New Zealand and Samoa seem to be the preferred opponents for England, but Cook Islands and Fiji are in the mix.