Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sat Nov 21, 2015 5:38 pm  

The only teams that draw are England, Australia and New Zealand. By draw I don't mean fill a club stadium, I mean get 40, 50, 60k or more. That is what we need to build, get a profile outside the core audience. We need to play these fixtures regularly and keep people coming back. If the season ends with an international competition in this country then we play a three match series against Aus or NZ mid season, if we end overseas then we invite one of them here mid season. We have to play tier one internationals in this country every year. Our long losing streak isn't helped by only playing big international series than once a year either.

It would be nice if Wales and France were up to scratch but they are not. 2008 world cup, wales failed to qualify for the world cup and France finished last. 2013 Wales no wins and france just one. Both failed to qualify for the four nations next year. The lack of junior player base and development paths isn't going to be helped by getting murdered in half empty tiny stadiums once a year.

If things are put in place at the grass roots where they can build then good for them, but that's going to take a generation or more for them to get to a good place. England need to kick on NOW. There is no point playing made up teams either, a roses game/origin is of interest to me and might help with England selection but it's no substitute for real internationals.

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:30 pm  

For goodness' sake, they answer isn't 'do we play X or do we play Y' - it's how many can we play?

The Aussies & NZ aren't going to come over mid-season, only at the end of the year. So let's put that in the diary - every year a series of autumn internationals against either the kiwis or the aussies or the pacific island nations. That still give us a whole season to work with.

Yes to a Yorkshire v Lancashire match, playing on our history and putting players in the shop window for England.

Yes to playing 'Exiles'/'Barbrarians' as a one-off match which is acknowledged as being a strength test for England.

Yes to a mid-season home nations competition, where England players aren't playing for their clubs. It'll make SL more competitive (Wigan without Tomkins, Williams, Smith, Farrell & O'Loughlin for instance) and give a competition that people actually pay attention to. Yes, England might get a blowout against Ireland or Scotland but with no NRL players (Burgesses S, G, T & J; Widdop, Graham, Hodgson and Whitehead) Wales and France should be reasonably competitive.

RL Fans need to take the 'quick fix' glasses off - there is no instant solution. We need to create a competition, publicise it, play games in the sort of grounds that sugest we expect people to care and have the patience for it to develop.

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:37 pm  

Here's an idea i've had for ages, to get all Rugby league communities involved. I like the concept of the War of the Roses clashes however its never worked whether its due to the Boundaries being altered i don't know but to get everybody involved here goes.

I propose Cumbria, Humberside, Yorkshire, Lancashire. Round Robin Top 2 play off in a final. Play all fixtures as a double header. ALL Rugby League folk are proud of where they're from, hence this format and it gives exposure to Cumbria for once. I can remember getting hammered in Cumbria at youth level i'm sure they could scratch a decent team. With most clubs full time i'm sure we could fit this concept into our fixture calender and it would draw more crowds than scotland, ireland wales etc. This concept gives around 80 odd players exposure and pride for there origin. To make this concept work you can only play for England by playing in this structure. Obviously NRL players are exempt from this rule.

Do humbersiders like playing for Yorkshhire ?. Do Cumbrians like playing for Lancashire, Yorkshire i doubt it. This concept gives all Rugby League communities a platform to build from.

Examples

Round 1. Cumbria v Yorkshire, - Humberside v Lancashire Either KC or Craven park

Round 2. Cumbria v Humberside, Lancashire v Yorkshire - Carlisle Fc.

Round 3. Humberside v Yorkshire Lancashire v Cumbria - Wigan, Or St Helens

Final Headingley

This is just a rough example, if anyone can think of tweaking it any other way thats great.

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:55 pm  

Hull is in Yorkshire.

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sat Nov 21, 2015 7:24 pm  

Worlds Apart wrote:

...The Aussies & NZ aren't going to come over mid-season...

We need them to do so, let's do all we can to change that. We struggled to get teams over for the WCC last year but this year once we showed it would work more teams signed up. Surely the NZRL wouldn't turn down the money available from such a series, and with the history behind the ashes there must be a gap made in the calendar for their return.

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sun Nov 22, 2015 8:23 am  

FLAT STANLEY wrote:

Here's an idea i've had for ages, to get all Rugby league communities involved. I like the concept of the War of the Roses clashes however its never worked whether its due to the Boundaries being altered i don't know but to get everybody involved here goes.

I propose Cumbria, Humberside, Yorkshire, Lancashire. Round Robin Top 2 play off in a final. Play all fixtures as a double header. ALL Rugby League folk are proud of where they're from, hence this format and it gives exposure to Cumbria for once. I can remember getting hammered in Cumbria at youth level i'm sure they could scratch a decent team. With most clubs full time i'm sure we could fit this concept into our fixture calender and it would draw more crowds than scotland, ireland wales etc. This concept gives around 80 odd players exposure and pride for there origin. To make this concept work you can only play for England by playing in this structure. Obviously NRL players are exempt from this rule.

Do humbersiders like playing for Yorkshhire ?. Do Cumbrians like playing for Lancashire, Yorkshire i doubt it. This concept gives all Rugby League communities a platform to build from.

Examples

Round 1. Cumbria v Yorkshire, - Humberside v Lancashire Either KC or Craven park

Round 2. Cumbria v Humberside, Lancashire v Yorkshire - Carlisle Fc.

Round 3. Humberside v Yorkshire Lancashire v Cumbria - Wigan, Or St Helens

Final Headingley

This is just a rough example, if anyone can think of tweaking it any other way thats great.

The fact that you've chosen smallish grounds, ignored the south and put Humberside (a county that has been defunct for nearly 20 years) in addition to Yorkshire (a region that includes most of Humberside) means you haven't really thought this through much.

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sun Nov 22, 2015 1:00 pm  

Has RL ever had a "Possibles v Probables" game/series?

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sun Nov 22, 2015 1:41 pm  

HKRSid wrote:

Has RL ever had a "Possibles v Probables" game/series?

This is a great idea n terms of getting players ready for stern competition but, I don't know if it could be marketed strongly enough to sell 30/40,000 tickets.

The closest thing that we have as a concept is, either the Exiles or War of the Roses.

The second tier nations (Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France) are just too far away from being competitive and it appears that this I likely to be the case for many years to come.

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sun Nov 22, 2015 3:13 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

This is a great idea n terms of getting players ready for stern competition but, I don't know if it could be marketed strongly enough to sell 30/40,000 tickets.

The closest thing that we have as a concept is, either the Exiles or War of the Roses.

The second tier nations (Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France) are just too far away from being competitive and it appears that this I likely to be the case for many years to come.

But did the state of origin get many bums on seats when it first started we have to start some were we can not wait for the rest to catch up can we

Re: Bring back Exiles? : Sun Nov 22, 2015 7:04 pm  

HKRSid wrote:

Has RL ever had a "Possibles v Probables" game/series?

I don't think so, and I hope it never does.