It’s not a case of caring about ourselves but putting a heap of points on an Irish side full of Englishmen not good enough to make the England side or an Italian side full of Ozzie’s not good enough to make the Aus side helps nobody.
England should play more games against France a genuine side but we still have to play real games regular if we wish to advance.
Yes it is. You are as bad as the Australian team you always whinge about. By your logic we can say what's the point of playing a below-par English team that we always beat? Helps nobody.
People said the same shit about Tonga before. Why should NZ bother to play a bunch of NZers not good enough for NZ? The point is - to help the game grow in places like Ireland or Italy we need successful national sides - the way they get successful national sides is with quality players - and the way they get quality players is to play meaningful tests against the big teams every year. Players aren't going to stick with their World Cup nations when they never play, and clubs aren't going to release first grade NRL and ESL players for second-rate competitions. It's why we want Tonga and Fiji and co. to play against Australia and NZ every year - because if they play one midseason game a year and that's it they aren't going to keep Taumalolo and co.
Ireland went well in the World Cup but will have no opportunity to build on that as they'll be buried away in some reserve-grade tournament for 3 years until the next World Cup. Not surprising they aren't keen on it:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/nov/22/rugby-league-six-nations-2018-ireland-england
And you've played Italy once and lost against them.
Look what the 'Lebanese side full of Ozzie's not good enough to make the Aus side' has done for the game over there:
https://www.nospam18.com/lebanon/32...ed-by-reaction-to-world-cup-success-back-home
Ireland and Italy are a harder sell but they are never going anywhere if they don't play the big sides unless they're drawn against them in a World Cup.
Not to mention you're playing a quarter-finalist. Why not invite Tonga over? Too good for them too?
England should be playing in one tournament per cycle against the European nations, with it being finally treated as a first class international event. NZ and Australia should do the same with the Pacific nations. And on all tours all three should play at least three tests against nations in the region they are touring.
We hear it every World Cup - 'the smaller nations need more games against the big 3!' and then when the opportunity is there - 'oh nah we meant the other 2, not us, we're too good'.
