Exiles game, full strength or experiment ?

[clarency]

Here's to hoping there is at least some truth to the pro comp in France.

I heard Scotland were trying to get a team set up for the Championship 1. What happened to that?

 

[Evil Homer]

Here's to hoping there is at least some truth to the pro comp in France.

I heard Scotland were trying to get a team set up for the Championship 1. What happened to that?

You heard wrong. If anyone mentioned that, it was probably just a suggestion or a fantasy. I don't think there was ever an official attempt of any kind, or even if one was actually mooted by people in Scotland. Someone in Ireland said something a while ago about wanting a Super League team there one day, but again that's a fantasy unless they can get a backer or investment of some kind.

 

[roughyedspud]

the wholesale changes to the england team rendered last nights game a very,very hard sell


personally next season i'd like to see england v england knights.....then England v exiles

 

[Kurt Angle]

The roses game failed because it didn't mean anything, and the RF didn't even try to make it worth anything.

If a roses game was a legitimate selection trial, it would work eventually. Even SOO was getting crowds of sub-25k in 1990.

But even if it was Sam Tomkins, and he gets outplayed in a roses game and is dropped, then so be it.

Tomkins will know he has to bring his best game to qualify for england.

That's how you make it the best vs the best.

 

[roughyedspud]

can we stop saying the roses game failed......it was played for 100 bloody years.....what we should have done with the roses games is what you did with your state games in 1980.......had we made it a 3 game series all them years ago things maybe would have been different....


what i do see as a failing is one guy picks the team...instead of a selection committee...we need to stop one man picking the same old tired names

 

[nadera78]

First thing we need to do is get rid of Steve McNamara.

Secondly, we need to ensure the best players are picked. If anyone pulls out with an injury then they have to sit out their next club game too.

Third, I'd make it a three game series because 1-1 means no-one actually wins anything, you need to have a winner.

Fourth, I'd have the games right on top of each other: saturday, wednesday, saturday. Keeps the momentum going and means the England squad have two full weeks together.

But we need to persevere with it, we do ourselves so much damage by dumping things if they're not an immediate success. You need to give it time.

 

[clarency]

I agree that it is foolish to expect immediate major success.

I simply think that:
1. National teams should only ever play other national teams. To do otherwise degrades it.
2. If the plan is to up the standard of English players they (the best) should be playing each other. As said earlier, a loss to the Exiles will only destroy the morale of the team.

 

[Teddyboy]

If Union had not went professional I think the England v Wale's games would of been our version of SOO as looking back at the last great welsh side it was 1995 filled with the like's Jonathan Davies, Scott Gibbs, Scott Quinnell, John Devereux and Allan Bateman etc.If a stream of Wales Union player's had continued to go to League then selection for a GB side would of been the aim.
The SL is run far too long and maybe people haven't got the money.
It's grim up north.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Has anyone got a list of Southerners (North/South split) playing in the SL?

 

[nadera78]

Top of my head: Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Darrell Griffin, Josh Griffin, George Griffin, Tony Clubb, Matt Cook, Dan Sarginson, Jamie O'Callaghan, Kieran Dixon, Omari Caro, Rob Thomas, Lamont Bryan, Ben Bolger, Olsi Krasniqi, Sam Bolger, Will Lovell, Michael Channing.

Those last couple have only played 4 or 5 games between them.

Will Sharpe was born in Nigeria, lived in Bradford and then in London from about 14/15. Although he plays for Cumbria because of his dad.

Jamie Acton was at WIgan, now Oldham. And there are a good few playing for Skolars.

 

[deluded pom?]

If Union had not went professional I think the England v Wale's games would of been our version of SOO as looking back at the last great welsh side it was 1995 filled with the like's Jonathan Davies, Scott Gibbs, Scott Quinnell, John Devereux and Allan Bateman etc.If a stream of Wales Union player's had continued to go to League then selection for a GB side would of been the aim.
The SL is run far too long and maybe people haven't got the money.
It's grim up north.

The reliance on Welsh union players going north is why there was little or no actual RL played in Wales at the time of Davies, Gibbs etc. etc. At least since union started paying tax there has been some genuine RL development in Wales.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Top of my head: Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Darrell Griffin, Josh Griffin, George Griffin, Tony Clubb, Matt Cook, Dan Sarginson, Jamie O'Callaghan, Kieran Dixon, Omari Caro, Rob Thomas, Lamont Bryan, Ben Bolger, Olsi Krasniqi, Sam Bolger, Will Lovell, Michael Channing.

Those last couple have only played 4 or 5 games between them.

Will Sharpe was born in Nigeria, lived in Bradford and then in London from about 14/15. Although he plays for Cumbria because of his dad.

Jamie Acton was at WIgan, now Oldham. And there are a good few playing for Skolars.

Give it a few more seasons and you might be able to hold a north v south game, now that would be worth watching.

 

[WireMan]

North vs South?

Don't be silly. If England vs France is a hard sell due to one French club then North vs South is going to be harder.

Better to stick with the Exiles whilst supporting growth in France (a second team maybe?).

Hopefully in a few years the French team can get genuinely competitive and we have a mid season game which as an international, is more important than a silly little inter-state game with no current world champs playing in it. ;-)


The roses concept is a good one. Rugby league is a northern game. Its amazing how many pround northerners have a problem with that.
Sport is better in the North, and more of us watch it.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Qld started that way and even had reserve graders in their team and they won, they're still winning today.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Passion.

 

[joedynamo]

First thing we need to do is get rid of Steve McNamara.

Secondly, we need to ensure the best players are picked. If anyone pulls out with an injury then they have to sit out their next club game too.

Third, I'd make it a three game series because 1-1 means no-one actually wins anything, you need to have a winner.

Fourth, I'd have the games right on top of each other: saturday, wednesday, saturday. Keeps the momentum going and means the England squad have two full weeks together.

But we need to persevere with it, we do ourselves so much damage by dumping things if they're not an immediate success. You need to give it time.

Id agree with all of the above post....give the Exiles series the support and time it deserves.

One thing I'd like to add is the suggestion that the Roses (east v West in reality) be brought back, with sides selected from players in the Championship teams...use interest generated around an improved Exiles Series to highlight all our sport.

 

[Evil Homer]

Id agree with all of the above post....give the Exiles series the support and time it deserves..

Which is absolutely none. The series has no merit whatsoever.

 

[joedynamo]

Which is absolutely none. The series has no merit whatsoever.

In your opinion, obviously ;-)



You posted earlier the only practical option was a mid season game/ series against the French and in the next sentence proved why, in reality, that idea is a non starter...at the moment.


Build the Exile series, treat it with the respect the event deserves or go back to England putting 40+ points on France and Wales and wondering why neither press nor fans are interested.

 

[Evil Homer]

Neither press nor fans are interested in the Exiles game. And unlike genuine internationals, I feel like this match has no potential to grow and will only continue to become less relevant if it is continued.

 

[joedynamo]

Just an opinion EH, but I reckon its too early to determine whether the concept is a success or failure...compared with the ‘they’re coming, blokes in hoods’ stunt , this years attempt at marketing the series was pretty insipid..Add player withdrawals in the fortnight leading up to game1 and we got the series we deserved.

[FONT=&quot]Make the changes suggested by Nadera and give it 5 – 10 years...while continuing to develop the 'lower tier' Nations.

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