It's looking like a sell out at Hull and with 20,000 gone for Wigan that's as good as sold out.

Add in 40,000 being shifted for the London test and it's all looking positive. There's as big a hunger for international rugby league as I can remember yet it still feels like we could do more and push further with more effort in terms of marketing. In hindsight I think we could have looked at a 40,000+ stadium for that last test. With 20,000 gone already at Wigan your talking there being 5,000 max left. If that's a decider there will be thousands of people without tickets who'd have liked the chance to watch an international rugby league game.

There's no way NRL sides would release players for a mid-season series. Its hard enough getting them for one-off Tests.

It's tough enough getting them to bother playing at the end of a season now.

It's a shame we can't get series mid season because that's the only way the international game will become the true pinnacle of the sport.

Exactly. You could argue that the SOO is holding back our sport IMO. Imagine if we could get games of that size and intensity between nations at the height of the season.....

With the ascent of the Kiwi, and Polynesian players in the NRL I think Origin is becoming less and less relevant. There's already signs that it's becoming stale IMO. Also, if England can continue to improve, and more players go over there and make an impact then SOO will start to just look like an insular, irrelevant series.

How is the sports one true 'big game fixture' holding the sport back? I know people who don't follow RL buthe still tune for SOO.

You wouldn't get that level of intensity in for a international as, imo, there isn't the strength in depth in England. Whilst we have have a handful of players who could make the Aussie side we aren't an overall match over a 3 series test.

The thing that makes SOO successful is not only how many quality players are on the field but also how close the games are.

For me the way forward for the game is having two truly top tier club leagues. You then maket SOO and the WC series.

Well, OALA, but try telling Aussie fans (and their media!) that. FWIW I agree with you; SoO is crushing the development of international footy. But I don't see it going away, or even diminishing in importance, anytime soon.

Same squad as last week for the first test. http://www.totalrl.com/england-name-unc ... irst-test/?

Same squad as last week for the first test. http://www.totalrl.com/england-name-unc ... irst-test/?

The sport in Europe could do with a helping hand and the Aussies could provide that by helping us deliver truly competitive, annual international matches. I admit it could take years to evolve, just as SOO did. However, it is plain that all the NRL cares about is the NRL. That attitude combined with our own supporters who think playing Leeds or Saints six times a season is all that matters is bad for the growth of the sport IMO. As long as the RL pool remains so small over here we will continue to see our biggest fish - and even those not so big - leave it.

I just don't think an international game is the be all and end all that people think. Playing Australia or NZ every season is the same as playing Saints all the time.

For me our strength is in the club game and that's where we should focus our attentions. Build the strength of the British clubs through an increasrd cap, better facilities and more publicity of the big games (Magic, GF & Easter Weekend). You then develop the WCC series into a really competitive competition.

The NRL is a ridiculous competition and we should aim to create something equally as strong.