When should the Euro Cup be played?

[paulmac]

This years scheduling of the European Cup has always left me a bit puzzled.Wouldnt it be better to use this as a selection sreies for the Lions.IMO this should be the UK equivalent to state of origin.Real passion real rivalry not some county mishmash.
Instead we get it run at the same time as the Roo tour taking all the gloss off the event and making it look a bit second rate.So next year I hope the RFL shedule this tournament for June/July or just before Australia and NZ arrive in October.

 

[The Observer]

It's being staged at the best time - after the SL Grand Final. The main reason for the tournament having a lack of gloss is that the Lions squad members are not involved in the tournament.

Hopefully next year the Lions squad members will be involved and it will become a selection trial for Lions selection, which the County of Origin series has failed to do.

 

[Stevo_G]

they should scrap the origin series over there to have a home nations series as a main selection for the lions

 

[The Observer]

I don't think its necessary to scrap the County of Origin series, but just tweak it. It does need a rebranding (War of the Roses would be a good name) and it needs to be shifted from its graveyard spot mid-SL season, where it isn't a trial for anything, and moved after the SL Grand Final where it can act as a trial for England selection. I see a 2 game Origin series scheduled after the SL Grand Final as the ideal aim. I do agree with you that the Home Nations/EuroCup should be the trial for Lions selection.

Even with the structure of the season as it currently is, and given that David Waite currently sees County of Origin as the best selection trial for Lions selection, it would have been better to schedule an Origin match on the weekend of Saturday 25th October, a third Origin match on the weekend of the Saturday 1st November, the match against GB&I on the 8th of November and the Ashes test series starting Novermber 15th.

The GB squad players may have a few weeks off after the Grand Final, and I'm sure Waite iwll use that for warm weather training and team building in Tenerife, Spain, but they could go into the Ashes Series relatively short of match practice.

 

[dimitri]

they should scrap the origin series over there to have a home nations series as a main selection for the lions

i agree