yeah but the wolfhounds (ireland 'A') are playing serbia too

Saint Simon, you are on the right track. If RLEF staged a tournament that was
a) top level
b) regional (i.e. in Europe, not international, like the Tri or Quad Nations)

then it would expand the international game more quickly than the current setup. Currently RL has one international window, but it would be helpful to expand to three distinct windows as RU has.
1) September - October - European tournament
2) October-beginning November - European nations tour SH and play tests against 3 Southern Hemisphere teams (Kangaroos, Kiwis, Pacific Island nation or team)
3) November - European nations host three tests against 3 SH teams (Kangaroos, Kiwis, Pacific nation or Pacific Island nation or team)

This way, the current Tri/Quad nations can be replaced by home and away test series. Regional tours of test matches would allow this to happen.

A Five Nations would be good long term aim, but on the basis of both a) competiveness and b) supporter base, I think it would be best to start with a European Cup featuring England, France and Wales, playing each other at home and away. If Ireland and Scotland enter teams in Championship or C1, then that could create the supporter base, home grown player base and revenue stream to expand it to a Five Nations.

Given SL currently plays until mid October, it could be reduced to 19/20 rounds, and 3 weeks finals. This could end it in early September. The English SL clubs could make up the necessary fixtures by taking part in the Northern Rail Cup (expanded to 32 clubs), without their test players. Catalans, Toulouse and Celtic could form a similar competition with French clubs.

This could also give England more match preparation to seriously challenge the Kangaroos or Kiwis.

bring it on .

I know you Poms are thick and stupid, but even you lot would refuse to turn up and watch a pathetic England team play against Pub sides rustled up from Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

As for France, John Monie has been far too busy tasting cheese and drinking wine to take five minutes to learn how to coach....so he basically killed anything France had going for them.


Unless Australia or New Zealand are involved....the two best sides in the world (Followed by Fiji, Tonga and Samoa) then no one in your end of the planet will want to watch any test football.

Personally, I'd like to see a Yorkshire v. Lancashire game, with where a player was born being the deciding factor as to who was in which team. Possibly a cumbrian side as well.
That way there'll be no need for any aussies or kiwis, ha ha!

You need to understand that in terms of population and national importance, the English RL heartland of Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cumbria compares with SA, WA and Tasmania. If Australia had a sport played primarily in those 3 states I'm sure it would struggle for recognition the way RL has in England.

It the proposed US NRL gets up and running and is a success, the Yanks could bring through some players with very strong athletic backgrounds who could become good RL players. The pool of former college football players who don't make the pro ranks is enornous and there would be hundreds (if not thousands) of them with the potential to make good RL players.

very good . some passion