No warm up game for England before 4N

[Burns]

Rugby League Four Nations Series: No warm-up for England

England will face Samoa in the opening match of the Four Nations Series after going 11 months without a game.
The fixture, in Brisbane on 25 October, comes just two weeks after the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.
"We simply won't have time for a warm-up match," said coach Steve McNamara, back from Australia for a training camp in Loughborough.
England's last game was their defeat against New Zealand in the semi-final of the World Cup.
Four Nations champions Australia face New Zealand in Brisbane on the same night that England take on Samoa in the same stadium. The rest of the series will be played at venues in Australia and New Zealand.
In the last three seasons, England have warmed up for their autumn commitments with fixtures against a representative 'Exiles' side comprised of foreign Super League-based players, but that has been abandoned for 2014.
McNamara, who is also assistant coach at NRL side Sydney Roosters, added: "It's more important for us at that stage to be preparing for that round one game against Samoa.
"We've one less week than the others to prepare for it, but we know there is limited time at end of the season."
McNamara has faced criticism for basing himself in Sydney, but says he is in constant touch with the rugby league and coaching assistants Paul Deacon and Paul Wellens.
"I get all the games and all the stats analysis every week," he said. "I have an outstanding group of staff, headed up by our head analyst, so everything is sent across.
"I'm not live at games, but we've obviously got a fair few of our players based in the NRL and it's great to see them play first hand."
He added that he would have a good idea of the opposition England will face given that most of the players feature in the NRL.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-league/27874490

Mixed feelings about this. The idea that the English will not have played any game what so ever since the World Cup is deeply disappointing. Yet considering the last time England played a warm up they were beaten by Italy, maybe its for the best? :crazy:

 

[Foreign Legion]

Real dumb idea

 

[RUG13Y]

Well England will be smashed again. 4N spoon coming their way.

 

[roughyedspud]

lol ok


england can actually take a lot from what NSW did yesterday


theres quite a few parallels between whats happened over the last 8 years in origin and england v australia over the past 10 or so...over that time england & nsw have either been woeful or fall short...basically england & nsw have to play at 110% for 80min to win where as QLD & australia have been able to cycle through the gears knowing they have the ability to score if they need too...

all that changed yesterday and england should take confidence from that imo

 

[Tiki Godzilla]

Stoooooooooooooooooopid.

 

[RedVee]

I think this means England see the Samoa game as the warmup.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

If it makes for a tighter England - Samoa game, possibly a defeat out of carelessness than I am all for it. Will spice up the 4N no end.

 

[Kurt Angle]

theres quite a few parallels between whats happened over the last 8 years in origin and england v australia over the past 10 or so

England/GB has won 1 series or tournament that has involved Australia since 1958.

That's the 72 world cup.

56 years is closer to 100 than 10.

 

[The Great Dane]

I think this means England see the Samoa game as the warmup.

That's what I got out of it too, and I reckon that might be a mistake as big as not taking Italy seriously in their WC warm up last year.

England seem to have a sense of entitlement to success, an attitude of eventually it'll happen we just have to wait for the stars to align, similar to NSW's attitude a few years ago. Until the team looses that attitude they're only going to keep coming up short IMO.

They really need to show McNamara the door as well, even Sticky would be an upgrade on him!

 

[Steve Davy]

That's what I got out of it too, and I reckon that might be a mistake as big as not taking Italy seriously in their WC warm up last year.

England seem to have a sense of entitlement to success, an attitude of eventually it'll happen we just have to wait for the stars to align, similar to NSW's attitude a few years ago. Until the team looses that attitude they're only going to keep coming up short IMO.

They really need to show McNamara the door as well, even Sticky would be an upgrade on him!

I would not be too critical of the attitude of the England team in recent years. They have lost to Australia as they do not have the same level of ability of the coaching set-up. I think even most Australians feel that the World Cup final would have been tougher against England and I do not think it is clear the players themselves would be better (after all, they did lose ot New Zealand).

I have read on the media a few times that the English often expect the England football team to win the world cup. This is completely unture, but is often repeated. I have also heard low expectations of England teams being to blame.

The fact is that English rugby league loses many of its big lads to rugby union, its nippy people to soccer (the soccer club 90 places down can compete with Super League wages) and has an infastructure far behind that of Australia. Alex Murphy turned down Everton to play for St Helens, I doubt he would do so today. That McNamara is about the best they can get is a sign of a much bigger problem rather than the problem in itself.