I think i have a good idea why International RL doesn't work or grow in this country, yesterday was an awful experience.

Started off with the national anthems, plenty near us not bothering to stand and talking all the way through them and being generally disrespectful.

Then you had the wally's with their "Who are ya" and "Come on Wigan!" rubbish. Was a good moment when Leilua turned to him and shouted "Samoa!".

When the Samoa player got into the face of Lewis lots of people near us shouting things such as "Punch him!" which led on to talk of their shared disdain for Lewis. He is playing for your country FFS, get behind him! The irony is the Salford fans where talking about how disrespectful the idiot shouting at the beginning was, but then didn't find it disrespectul at all as they wanted the samoan to do them a favour and "drop the little sh*t".

These sort of comments went on throughout the game from numerous different groups near us, typically aimed at both Welsby and Lewis but also some aimed at Williams.

As for the Salford fans behind us, they must have been upset that no Salford player had been picked as they had turned up just to watch "Welsby and Lewis get smashed / injured" and also to support Samoa over their own country. They actually left in a huff with around 15 mins left because England was winning!

Went to the bogs at one point and there was a Hull KR fan in the concourse shouting and bawling about how Mikey Lewis was being shunted, it was a disgrace he was on the bench for the Sake of Smith and how because he was man of steel he should have been a guarenteed starter. Like literally shouting and arguing with people over it, saying how he had come all the way from Hull to watch Lewis and he wasn't even playing (he was on the bench but ok).

Yeah, i don't think i will bother going next week, will just watch it from the sanity of my own couch. Shame too because it was actually a decent game, a little slow and lacking aggression at times for an international but decent all the same.

I thought the game was an anti-climax all be it England were very strong. I agree that club rivalries get in the way and there will be supporters struggling to cheer on Lewis or Welsby because they don't like them. There are Saints fans too that won't support England purely because Wane is the coach, its mad really.

I do actually think though that Nsemba should've played over Bateman whether people accuse Wane of Wigan bias or not. He was sensational last season and is an unknown entity to Samoa. We know what Bateman does and he's a shadow of the player he once was. Would've been nice to see Nsemba on that stage and how he handled it. He's the future going forward not Bateman.

Love Rugby League fb page reporting Australia coming over here for a 3 match series next year.
If they're available, Newcastle, Everton. Tottenham/Arsenal/Wembley, bit of ambition please

Bateman was outstanding yesterday, he topped the tackle count.
As long as I've watched RL the best balanced back threes have always has a runner, a ball player and a tackler.
I would love to have seen Nsemba play, but that back three with Knowles coming on was about right. Maybe Nsemba on the bench for the 2nd game as an interchange for KPP.

But how else does he get experience at that level? We want to see Nsemba up against the Aussies next year, no use playing him against France or against an Exiles team. A team like Samoa would've been a good opportunity to see how he copes against a big physical pack.

I see similarities between the Lewis/Smith situation.

People want to see Nsemba play but ultimately there is a lot for him to work on. He’s a freak of an athlete who we want to see play but the coaches will be patient and bring him through when they feel he is ready.

He’s yet to play a full season in SL, Bateman is a tough battle hardened player who won’t let you down on occasions like this.

I personally don’t subscribe to the give him a shirt for experience. Test shirts need to mean more than that. You need to be ready and it’s not an arena to blood a player. We need to win this series, at the moment Bateman is best placed to do that in view of the coaches and it’s hard to disagree on the evidence of yesterday.

The only thing I'd disagree on here is you don't need both Radley and Knowles. One or the other. Both are capable of 80 mins and nothing is added by the substitution. That's where Nsemba could get game time and actually add to the rotation instead of what is basically a wasted interchange.

I agree but would you have him starting, I wouldn't.
If he was to come on from the bench, who would you have left out from the four subs yesterday?

Interestingly, assuming Thompson is going to play next week, who gets left out.
Maybe the MRP can do us a favour and ban a few!!

We were sat in the South Stand and had to laugh when Welsby and then Lewis both celebrated with the fans in front of the stand they were goading only weeks/months previously. I love that sort of twist when it comes to internationals and back anyone in an England shirt to the hilt but some people just can't find it within themselves. I look at other forums and on social media and there is definitely an element of Rugby League fans who want us to fall flat on our faces, so Wane gets the boot. He can't really win in these sort of series because if he wins, he should've won by more and if he loses, he's getting hammered. Wane needs that Ashes series next year more than any other Rugby League person in the country. I think he's made for a series where we are genuine underdogs.

That was the change for me and in no way shape or form because Knowles plays for Saints. You just don't need 2 loose forwards in your 17. The Aussies aren't playing Yeo and then carrying a second 13 on the bench and that goes for sides across the world and in both major leagues. I wouldn't have had an issue even if Wane decided to play Knowles as a prop from the bench and then leave out McMeekan, Burgess, Lees or Havard but to split that 13 role seems pointless.

Thompson and Nsemba both should be involved on Saturday and that is not Wigan bias, that is because they are comfortably in our best 17 players, with one our best prop and one undoubtedly one of our best 3 second rowers (and to me the best balance of a bench is always 2 props, a second rower and a utility or second hooker).