240 replies to this topic

[roughyedspud]

if the GB option was there maybe we wouldn't have players who have represented the likes of Scotland, Wales and Ireland jumping ship to play for England.. Individual nations have to stay.. but a GB team to tour every four years should be reinstated.

the argument is the celtic nations are losing players to england cos england play in the big games/tournaments

well danny brough & michael mcllorum tried to qualify for the 2011 4 nations with scotland & ireland,by playing for those nations in the 2010 european cup........wales won it instead of scotland & ireland......but brough & mcllorum switch to england anyway..

thats where the issue is, the fact that players can switch like that.......we need to fix that instead of ignoring it and bringing back a GB team..

[Johnoco]

We have to develop good Celtic players. This means developing them practically from scratch. This is ongoing. Letting a bunch of half interested SL players jump the queue into their spots won't do any long term good, its just delaying the inevitable.

Trashing them and calling them pointless will not do any good either. We need to be like Magnus Mackeson, we've started so we'll finish.

[terrywebbisgod]

We need to be like Magnus Mackeson, we've started so we'll finish.

He was a stout fellow.

[gingerjon]

the argument is the celtic nations are losing players to england cos england play in the big games/tournaments

well danny brough & michael mcllorum tried to qualify for the 2011 4 nations with scotland & ireland,by playing for those nations in the 2010 european cup........wales won it instead of scotland & ireland......but brough & mcllorum switch to england anyway..

thats where the issue is, the fact that players can switch like that.......we need to fix that instead of ignoring it and bringing back a GB team..

Yup. The international transfer market is what belittles our sport the most.

[roughyedspud]

and it's going to go mad next year before the world cup

[clement]

I hope GB return if only on a touring basis every four years and as an Englishman(if i was good enough)would love to pull on the famous Red,White and Blue jersey.

[roughyedspud]

im sure every englishmen would.............the problem arises when its 17 englishmen...or even 25 englishmen in the whole squad....


it does'nt represent GB does it...

[JohnM]

the thread started thus: I read on twitter (usual suspects) yesterday that it is being proposed that the GB team is returning. not that the GB team is actually returning. Just lets hope that the official powers that be do not give any credence to or spend any time and money on this disruptive idea with just one year to go to the Rugby World Cup

[gingerjon]

I hope GB return if only on a touring basis every four years and as an Englishman(if i was good enough)would love to pull on the famous Red,White and Blue jersey.

This.

Make the GB jersey an aspiration, a genuine reward.

Someone mentioned the Olympics. A jersey only awarded every four years is the equivalent you're looking for.

And, to repeat: that was the ###### plan until the ARL/NZRL decided not to play ball.

[Johnoco]

the thread started thus: I read on twitter (usual suspects) yesterday that it is being proposed that the GB team is returning. not that the GB team is actually returning. Just lets hope that the official powers that be do not give any credence to or spend any time and money on this disruptive idea with just one year to go to the Rugby World Cup

Whilst it is by no means definitely going to happen, it seemed a bit more than just terrace talk. The publisher of a rival paper to RLE for instance, seems to think it is a certainty.

[roughyedspud]

its not going to happen...

[JohnM]

a rival paper to RLE

RLE has a rival? Wash your mouth out with soap and water!!

Edited by JohnM, 06 November 2012 - 01:18 PM.

[dhw]

This isn't limited to Wales.

I'm asking because I don't know but how many times have Fiji, Tonga and Samoa played since 2008?

Compare that to the opportunities offered by other codes. It's ridiculous that we don't know from one month to the next, let alone one year or World Cup cycle to the next, what the fixture list is going to look like.

And it will get worse as the money in Australia is really now only for the clubs and Origin.

To be fair to them. What opportunities do they have? Legibility rules should be tightened up and surplus monies from the WC could be used to help kickstart a pacific islands tournament after the NRL season finishes.

[Lesmets]

Great Britain was Always the traditional national side of these islands ,rugby league will never amount to anything in Scotland or Ireland so it stands to reason GB should be the sole national team with the best players representing the team regardless of where they hail from in the islands ,Also gave RL a point of difference from Union and would have got a indirect boost from the Team GB hype around the Olympics!

[gingerjon]

To be fair to them. What opportunities do they have? Legibility rules should be tightened up and surplus monies from the WC could be used to help kickstart a pacific islands tournament after the NRL season finishes.

The 2008 World Cup profits were meant to be used for this exact purpose.

They were not.

[gingerjon]

Great Britain was Always the traditional national side of these islands ,rugby league will never amount to anything in Scotland or Ireland so it stands to reason GB should be the sole national team with the best players representing the team regardless of where they hail from in the islands ,Also gave RL a point of difference from Union and would have got a indirect boost from the Team GB hype around the Olympics!

What differentiates league from union is the quality of the rugby.

[Johnoco]

Great Britain was Always the traditional national side of these islands ,rugby league will never amount to anything in Scotland or Ireland so it stands to reason GB should be the sole national team with the best players representing the team regardless of where they hail from in the islands ,Also gave RL a point of difference from Union and would have got a indirect boost from the Team GB hype around the Olympics!

A trolls opinion is worth nothing. Go away.

[JohnM]

Great Britain was Always the traditional national side of these islands ,

you mean like unlimited tackles, balls with handles, refs with blazers etc?

The facts (remember those?) are that between 1908 and 1985 England have played Wales on no less than 59 occasions. Kind of traditional, don't you think?

[gingerjon]

you mean like unlimited tackles, balls with handles, refs with blazers etc?

The facts (remember those?) are that between 1908 and 1985 England have played Wales on no less than 59 occasions. Kind of traditional, don't you think?

You come here all la-dee-dah with your facts and your "what happened in 1990 was the exception not the rule". You make me sick.

[Lesmets]

A trolls opinion is worth nothing. Go away.

Ohh dear is that your best ? Careful not to lose that brain cell next time you sneeze ,wouldn't want you to forget your log in details lol!