boxhead

Its a shambles. What the format is will decide this games future in a few years time. All of the combinations look like desperate stuff to try and appease everyone.. What happened to the last plan? Clubs given guarantees to not be relegated and build their juniors and set some foundations. It did not work out? What England does next year will set the game in the Northern Hemisphere for years if not decades, I worry about it, still there is always SOO :-)

Should be a good contest.

Around 25.2 years of age

Average age is 27.5

The Burgess boys have done well, there is no doubt about that. I am not sure if their achievements in the NRL make them certainties for the English Test team? I do not see enough of SL to have an informed view. Beating Club sides it one thing, even if that Club side has a Test Prop in their pack. It is not the same as beating a Test pack with the best of the best representing their nation in a Test game. Its looking good for England for the World Cup. I fear the backs are not quite good enough and the generals of the team in the Halves are not anywhere near good enough or balanced to make the team deliver its potential. You need 2/3 to win IMO. Better Forwards Better Halves Better outside Backs. England may have the Forwards but as the saying goes "Forwards win games" that has not been seen recently. Englands Pack has been touted as the best in the game for a decade (in England) Either Forwards do not win games or they have not been as good as imagined. Top class Halfbacks win more games IMO, they get the best from a team and deliver what is needed to get a result.

Costigan was born in PNG and moved to Australia when he was a boy. He has played for QLD as all players can if they played their first grade games in QLD and can qualify as an Australian citizen to represent Australia. No different than Lote Tuqiri, Petero Civoniceva or Akuila Uate.

Good luck to him. Can not imagine which NRL clubs were chasing him. He is the typical player that can earn similar money in SL as he would in the NRL but the difference is he is rated player and guaranteed a spot at Leeds whereas that would not be the case in the NRL where grafters are a dime a dozen. Maybe I am biased, I have seen the shirts him and his wonky mate promotes and that is enough for me.

"There was a lot of rubbish coming out of Australia saying that I was looking to move home but that was never my intention. It was flattering that club's were enquiring about me but I have never felt more at home at a club than I do at the Rhinos" What does it even mean? "lot of rubbish coming out of Australia" and then in the same sentence "It was flattering that Clubs were enquiring about me": Which NRL Clubs were chasing you? Perhaps it was Parramatta wanting him back......................Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo Name names Brett.

That is not correct. Its the main winter sport in two states in Australia. AFL is the main winter sport in four States and competing in two others

It was at the time. They were basket cases and fighting amongst themselves. The South Sydney Juniors Leagues Club was the cash cow and they no longer wanted to support the main club financially. If it was not for Crowe and Holmes a Court they would be gone. When those two pull out, Crowe is looking to sell his share and has been for some time, it will be like a Balloon and a Needle meeting really close up.

The writing has been on the wall for several years. None of it is good for the game in General and particularly for the English game.

I think there is a bit more to it than that.

Unfortunately he is a bench player that has not delivered on his expected potential.

"I am officially retiring at the end of this year. Thank you to everyone that has followed Rugby League & allowed me to travel all over the world playing a sport I love for the last 20yrs. Without you all this wouldnt have been possible. I will truly miss playing this great game!" tweeted Menzies. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/manly-legend-steve-menzies-to-retire-from-rugby-league-two-months-before-turning-40/story-fni3fbgt-1226674560684 What a great bloke and ambassador for the game.

For England or France? He would qualify for both as a resident surely.

Manly is my bet.

I suspect his close connection with Manly Sea Eagles will kick in somewhere in the near future.

Great Player, I hope he moves into Coaching, he would have a lot to offer.

I thought this part of the article was worth a separate mention. With so many sports stars and their agents squeezing their sports for every last cent or pent, it's refreshing to hear top Australian rugby league players eligible to represent Italy in next year’s World Cup in the UK have offered to play for free. Roosters legend Minichello has played for Australia and recently made a comeback at fullback for NSW amid an injury crisis, but has long been out of the reckoning for Australian selection. His dad arrived in Australia aged 13 and the family still identifies strongly with the Italian heritage. "My family will just be proud to see me running around in an Italian jumper," he said. http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/australia-news/italys-nrl-stars-to-turn-out-in-rugby-league-world-cup-for-free

No different than the last World Cup, Australia supplied about 100 "heritage players" to various teams. If that is changed then the World Cup will become a comp of three strong teams and a bunch of park players in the rest of the teams. I am neither for or against it.

Not sure about that. Anthony Minichello Mark Minichello Aidan Guerra Shaun Berrigan Vic Mauro Craig Gower James Tedesco Anthony Laffranchi Cameron Ciraldo Kade Snowden Terry Campese Add some local Italians to complete the team. That team is not much worse than the Exiles team http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/australia-news/italys-nrl-stars-to-turn-out-in-rugby-league-world-cup-for-free

I think it will be a great game, as mentioned with the NRL players in the Italian squad it could be pretty entertaining where the ball gets some air and attack is the order of the day.

I did not realise Izzy Folau got a release from Union to play in game one. Great Journalism there.

I would say that but I think its the other way around. The last deal with a few random players on a dozen trucks seemed like the RFL was rolled badly. What did it do for the game? NOTHING.

For any Sponsorship deal to work out it needs to be a partnership where each party gets something from the deal. There seems to be an inability to sell the game as an asset to potential sponsors.