gingerjon

Deliberately not watching the semi finals this year as I want to properly enjoy the final without knowing what's coming. A couple of people whose opinions I trust - i.e. they're not the kind that think that Eurovision is lost by us because of nasty politics nor do they think that Eurovision is simply some bizarre camp idea they have in their heads - seem to think the UK song and act are going down well in Europe. But, I presume, Ukraine will win by a country mile, regardless?

Shall we do the one about it being Warrington's year again instead? Maybe how Wigan fans don't stay till the end? Or London's travelling support travelling in a taxi? All the classics, all the time.

It actually does! The campaign starts now.

Basically, I'm just drawing it back to why we've got IMG on board and that is to maximise profit. That may overlap with lots of lovely ideas about new international tournaments - mid season or otherwise - but not necessarily. IMG may find the safest way to hit the required profit is to sell tv rights to a home Ashes tour, hire three mid-sized northern venues, guarantee the NRL/ARL a risk-free fixed sum, and then sell 20,000 tickets three times over to see Great Britain narrowly lose three test matches. And repeat. (*) (* = please note I don't believe this will be the answer but I can see how it might be. The risk free part being the thing that will widen eyes both here and with the lazy NRL)

You are mistaken. England play one of the bunch that includes Andorra, San Marino, the Faroes, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein at least once a year, sometimes twice, as one of those teams will always be drawn in England's qualifying group for either the Euros or World Cup. They don't play them in the Nations League and they never choose friendlies against them.

There are a lot of ideas on here which require fairly significant investment. Not a huge amount about how to turn that into profit - the sole point of the arrangement with IMG - beyond, "Well, that's bound to happen." IMG are not Sport England, they are on board to grow the profit margin. They are not on board to altruistically grow the game. They may see contraction with no new developments at all as the best way to achieve that. It would be the simplest after all.

But they'll get it right next time, just you see.

Went there a long time ago, not sure it's changed much looking at photos. Can't remember there being too many seats.

Just as well no one has been thrown to the wolves.

I see the trial match for this combined team starts tomorrow

It's an incredibly light punishment so I think everyone is accepting he has been stupid rather than malicious - but that 'insiders' gambling is an integrity issue and there needs to be zero tolerance towards it.

Behave.

I see what you did there. It is pitiful across the board, really. I'm not sure if we can be even said to have foundations at international level in the UK any more.

Found a handy database - which does seem to be as current as possible. Last match is in 2018, next is the mid season v France. https://rugbyleague.wales/wales-fixtures-and-results

I'm struggling to remember them being involved in anything since then. I know they've had a couple of women's matches but ... Google not helping.

This is a genuine Q: when did Wales men last play a full international at all?

They don't share facilities with a union club (I don't think) so, again, it would be dependent on the bankrolling side of things for WWR. But do agree with other posters on the big difference between the impact in the M4 corridor and the rest.

National Express Leeds to London return on the day - £26.30.

The short version of my feelings about this: we've been here before. Many times.

Git

You're very angry this morning. This is a partnership entirely by and for two bodies (and a joint third) that are completely and totally controlled by the clubs. Either IMG somehow break that and create something that none of us expect - and, as I said, it would be a failure if it looked like anything that had been mooted by any of us on here - or, as seems far more likely, it looks a lot like everything that has gone before. Not least because they've been involved multiple times before.

I could also have pointed out that it's not the RFL, Super League, the new venture, or IMG's responsibility in any way shape or form to develop the game in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France or anywhere else so expecting or wanting them to do things at their own expense in that regard is a delightful fantasy. Scotland featured one Scottish national in that 2016 tournament. That's the biggest barrier to playing them in Coventry, or anywhere else, regularly.

You could just say, "I don't know." We obviously need internationals to raise the profile of the game. It's the shortcut to the general public that works for every sport. If IMG can work out how we can find enough players for enough European teams for a regular, decent tournament then good luck to them. It appears to have defeated everyone else - although that's mostly because no one can be bothered. I'm not sure they will either, TBH.

How much money did those games make?

Or you could ask the couple of family members to chip in rather than pretend that nearly £600 is a normal outlay for an individual to make a pathetic point?