fighting irish

Fed up of this thread now.

This is a very valid point. For that reason he might fail Shaun Wane's nationality test.

Remarkable acuity, from so far away.

I don't know mate. Perhaps heritage players could be used. I just think it might freshen up a tired (and well tried) format. I agree that the two sides selected in the post above looks like an exciting match up.

How about picking a London and South of England side (including Welsh origin players) and making it a three way tournament?

That sounds a bit (Bill) Clintonesque

You two lovers?

My immediate response is yes it is, but your are grossly over-simplifying it. First of all the men carrying the ball, in Rugby League are lighter (naturally), faster and more skillful players. The speed of impact in Rugby League is on average much higher than in the Eton Wall game which is RaRa, due to both the faster players and the extra room our blokes have to run in. The defences in Rugby League are far less crowded than RaRa due to their virtual abolition of the ruck, ensuring all 15 men are spread across the field, on the gain-line. This makes it much more difficult to defend in league and far easier in RaRa. RL players (forwards) are more elusive than the RaRa behemoth trundle-trolls which are so predictable most decent tacklers would have no problem stopping them. Our players, are faster, side step, dummy, bump and spin, reverse pass offload etc. etc. etc whereas their dopes just haul-ass two metres or so before hitting the deck to begin again. So yes, but for many more reasons than you first admitted, Rugby League is far far more entertaining than boring-ball.

It would be like putting makeup on a cadaver

I agree with this model for the near future. I believe though that a tournament between France and the home nations (plus Jamaica or USA perhaps) should be introduced and the winner of that tournament would provide England with their second game. Once the tournament winners defeat England then England can be drawn into the tournament proper.

And a lot of them have all got the same dad.

Good luck Eddie, to all concerned. It's great to hear stories like this.

That's quite a result for Ghana isn't it?

Yes I have and I've had nights out in the city centre there a few times too. Mainly on and off Broad Street. Really enjoyed myself. I don't know if I'd risk it in Leeds though.

I agree mate, he's a great player.

Steady on Harry.

I imagine, IMG will be looking for some way to re-present the game to new and old spectators alike. Tinkering with the Super League structure may make sense but it can't (and never will) be a complete solution. I expect that they may propose the introduction of short form games (9's) which provides a new product to draw in newcomers (viewers and players and backers). Also, of course, regular International matches, offer another new, fresh high quality ''product'', serving up ultra competitive games, with enormous potential to draw in many new people. I hope (and expect) that they will sharpen the presentation of all our output, making it look and sound fresher, lively and exciting in order to strike a chord, with the younger generation and deliver their message to many many more people than we have managed to reach up to now. I don't know that IMG will have a part in what I'm about to say next but the game (the amateur game) must grasp the nettle, nationwide and institute development programmes, similar to the North East (and Wales) in order to ensure the game halts the recent decline and begins to spread, grow and consolidate right across the country. I just don't accept that Rugby League can't be ''sold'' into new areas, because all the young people in this country are already committed to Soccer, Cricket or RaRa. That's just eyewash. We don't need a fortune to do it either, we just need leadership (to create the plan) and the will to carry it out. Ask Romeo Monteith, from Jamaica, the chaps in Ghana or Nigeria, and Serbia and everywhere else where the game is springing up around the world. They are living proof that it can be done, in new areas and in most cases without large sums of money to squander on making it work.

If I drive to watch this, where can I park?

Re-read the post you responded to.

You are bleating like a dieing calf, in a snowstorm. IMG are a very successful company and they have taken on this partnership of their own volition. Just because you can't imagine how they might improve things, (you ''the businessman'' who'd never heard of ''risk reversal'' as a sales tactic) doesn't mean they don't know how to boost the games finances or won't be able to. Why don't you stop whining, and wait and see?

Why isn't he going back to Cas' then?

Well it's all very interesting but who's in the league, when's the opening weekend and where's the fixture list?

poor bug ger.

That's outrageous

Well what do you make of all this?