Three tests series - a must. No more four nations!

[axe&smash&crush]

I think it's a must to have regular three test series between the top nations again, dissolving the four nations tournaments.

Might look something like this
2017 in Australia/New Zealand/PNG: World Cup
2018 in New Zealand/Australia: Three test series New Zealand v Australia
2019 in England: Three test series England v Australia
2020 in New Zealand: Three test series New Zealand v England
2021 in England/France/etc: World Cup
2022 in Australia/New Zealand: Three test series Australia v New Zealand
2023 in Australia: Three test series Australia v England
2024 in England: Three test series England v New Zealand

Features/positives
- regular tough competition can only make you stronger. Important for England particularly
- sense of history.
- when a major nation is not involved in a series they play two tests versus 2nd tier nations e.g 2018 England v France and England v Ireland, 2019 New Zealand v Samoa and New Zealand v Fiji.

Overtime I think this will really strengthen our international relevance

 

[Scubby]

This is the last 4 Nations. There is already a plan in place for 2017+ WCs on a 4-year cycle, a Conferation 8-team cup on alternate years and then test series between whoever in the gaps.

 

[axe&smash&crush]

Well that's something

 

[Big Salad]

The 2003 Aus vs Great Britain series is still the best series of games I've ever seen, better than any Origin or NRL. Nothing better than watching the Kangaroos play.... even better when they had Mike & Eddie in a state of despair in commentary.

Would be up for more Aus vs England series.

 

[roughyedspud]

England v australia ashes series is in the pipeline for 2018"

 

[adamkungl]

I'd like to see tour series' in year 1 and an RLIF run 4N in year 3, or vice versa. As I said in another thread, though the 'big 3' owned 4N is ending, I hope the RLIF sees enugh value in the concept to revive and expand it under their ownership.

A 2-leg 4N would be pretty great. for example..

game 1 - Aus v NZ in Sydney, England v France in Hull
game 2 - England v Aus in London, France v NZ in Avignon
game 3 - England v NZ in Huddersfield, France v Australia in Perpignan

game 4 - NZ v Aus in Auckland, France v England in Lyon
game 5 - Aus v England in Melbourne, NZ v France in Christchurch
game 6 - Aus v France in Canberra, NZ v England in Wellington

final in Brisbane

meanwhile you could have a warm-up or 2 featuring some pacific and euro nations, giving them a top ranking game before they go into their own tournament.

 

[axe&smash&crush]

England v australia ashes series is in the pipeline for 2018"

That's good news

 

[TIM !!!!!!]

2018 International Fixture

3 Test Series: ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA (in England)
3 Test Series: NEW ZEALAND v FRANCE (in New Zealand)

Four Nations Series: Australia, New Zealand, England, Fiji
(all in Australia)

 

[Pommy]

2018 International Fixture

3 Test Series: ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA (in England)
3 Test Series: NEW ZEALAND v FRANCE (in New Zealand)

Four Nations Series: Australia, New Zealand, England, Fiji
(all in Australia)

4 nations is no more after this year. Replaced by some inter continental comp with 8 team every 4 years.

It's not the 4 nations fault Australia has played so little recently. Last year England and Kiwis had a 3 game test and Australia just decided to have a rest.
I hope it is an Ashes series vs England rather than a lions series some top guy in the ARL was pushing for. I would be more than happy to see a team GB full time but I have no interest in us swapping back and forth.
I'm not sure what impact the new eligibility rules have on team GB take Tyson Frizell many people were expecting him to line up for Wales at the World Cup next year, could he line up for GB without making himself inelgibale for the Kangaroos in the future?
I know it might not be an issue considering he got called up this year and may stay in the squad long term but in talking theoretical.

 

[roughyedspud]

GB is dead

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Demolition, I agree with you.

 

[geordie_saint]

England v australia ashes series is in the pipeline for 2018"

Any ideas what NZ will do that year then?

 

[roughyedspud]

nope,in tour years its upto the individual nations to arrange their own games..so...i dunno

id like them to play some games at home..against tonga,samoa,fiji etc...that'll be good i reckon

 

[jim_57]

nope,in tour years its upto the individual nations to arrange their own games..so...i dunno

id like them to play some games at home..against tonga,samoa,fiji etc...that'll be good i reckon

No reason why these nations can't build their own tours/tournaments in their "year off" of the big 3 tours.

The possibilities are endless really.

 

[adamkungl]

I'd have year 3 as 'tour year', year 1 retain 4N (as mentioned above).

So for year 3 you could have:

Mid-season
England v NZ x3
Pacific Cup
Euro Cup
America's Cup
Lower ranked regional tournaments

^Cup winners/high ranks gain WC qualification, cup losers seeded into qualification tournament

Post-season
Aus touring UK with 3 games against England
France touring Pacific with 3 games against NZ
WC Qualifiers with losers from above Cups + winners from regionals

 

[roughyedspud]

depends on if the RLIF have qualification events for the IC cup & RLWC

there could be intercontinental cup qualification in 2018 (a big 3 tour year) for the 2019 intercontinental cup..likewise RLWCQ in 2020,another big 3 tour year,for the 2021 RLWC..

 

[adamkungl]

I'd seed the IC cup similarly based on mid-year regional cups. But that's me.. the flaw in my elaborate plans is that it probably requires more than a 4 month lead-in.

 

[roughyedspud]

My IC Qualifcation process..

Big 3 auto qualify.

2 euro qualifiers, 8 team european cup,2 groups of 4,winner of each group qualify,final to decide winner of european cup.

2 pacific qualifiers, 5 team pacific cup,1 group of 5,top 2 qualify,final to decide winner of pacific cup.

1 "world" qualifier,a comp for the likes of usa,canada,jamiaca,south africa etc...suppose it could double up as a emerging nations type comp.

All played the year before the IC cup

 

[geordie_saint]

depends on if the RLIF have qualification events for the IC cup & RLWC. there could be intercontinental cup qualification in 2018 (a big 3 tour year) for the 2019 intercontinental cup..likewise RLWCQ in 2020,another big 3 tour year,for the 2021 RLWC..

This is why I think England should play the Kiwis in a 3-match Series mid-season inbetween the WC and IC. We'd play the Aussies at the end of the year. So it would look something like this:

2017 - WC
2018 - NZ vs Eng (Summer) Eng vs Aus (Aut) Euro IC Qualifiers (Aut) Pacific IC Qualifiers (Aut)
2019 - IC
2020 - Eng vs NZ (Summer) Aus vs Eng (Aut) WC Qualifiers
2021 - WC

The Aussies/NZ are pencilled in for a Test every year already so at least England would get a home series every other year with this model; we need something like this to build momentum.