adamkungl
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Yep.. a lot of advantages
1 - it ties into the GB program which presumably will be continuing. It serves as a selection trial and gives the non-English players a fair crack. It's the missing step in the pathway from club to proper test football.
2 - it gives England (and Wales Scotland Ireland) players a proper mid-year, Origin like, test quality contest. All 4 nations will improve their end of year tournament results off the back of this.
3 - It's a high quality rep property to sell during the year that the English game currently lacks. If you want to make it really Origin like, make it a 3 game series and try and sell it to Edinburgh, Dublin, Cardiff, London, etc.
4 - Unlike other similar ideas, it's outward looking and expansive rather than inward looking (Lancashire v Yorkshire) or completely pointless (Exiles)
The criticisms are obvious but can be overcome
"Composite teams have no fans or passion"
This is the big one. Would England fans want to watch England play this team, and would Ireland Scotland Wales fans get behind a combo-team? Hard to say.
But if you put some marketing strength behind it and back it for a good 4 years minimum, the on-field quality should prove itself.
Also, Ireland and Scotland currently have so few Rugby League fans that almost any result is better than the current.
"We should be playing real tests with full nations"
100% true.
But what chance of England playing Ireland mid year at full strength?
And, what chance of Ireland getting within 30 or 40 points? The best team they can put out is still half part-timers. It's not a top tier drawcard, unfortunately.
As a mid-year game/series, this can kick goals that individual nations currently can not. And they will play standalone at the end of every year hopefully, and improve off the back of this game.
1 - it ties into the GB program which presumably will be continuing. It serves as a selection trial and gives the non-English players a fair crack. It's the missing step in the pathway from club to proper test football.
2 - it gives England (and Wales Scotland Ireland) players a proper mid-year, Origin like, test quality contest. All 4 nations will improve their end of year tournament results off the back of this.
3 - It's a high quality rep property to sell during the year that the English game currently lacks. If you want to make it really Origin like, make it a 3 game series and try and sell it to Edinburgh, Dublin, Cardiff, London, etc.
4 - Unlike other similar ideas, it's outward looking and expansive rather than inward looking (Lancashire v Yorkshire) or completely pointless (Exiles)
The criticisms are obvious but can be overcome
"Composite teams have no fans or passion"
This is the big one. Would England fans want to watch England play this team, and would Ireland Scotland Wales fans get behind a combo-team? Hard to say.
But if you put some marketing strength behind it and back it for a good 4 years minimum, the on-field quality should prove itself.
Also, Ireland and Scotland currently have so few Rugby League fans that almost any result is better than the current.
"We should be playing real tests with full nations"
100% true.
But what chance of England playing Ireland mid year at full strength?
And, what chance of Ireland getting within 30 or 40 points? The best team they can put out is still half part-timers. It's not a top tier drawcard, unfortunately.
As a mid-year game/series, this can kick goals that individual nations currently can not. And they will play standalone at the end of every year hopefully, and improve off the back of this game.
