State of Origin as International

[Just Browny]

Gstarck looks like a welcome addition to the board. He certainly provides some, erm, fresh viewpoints.

[David Wild]

Figment of your imagination

 

I know in union you like to re-write history but here in Rugby we generally tend to rely on facts.  Australia are the current world champions.

[gstarck]

Are you intentionally trying to look like stupid or is that just accidental?

The results of the club challenge proves my point and I expect this year to be another clean sweep to the NRL teams. Now you can bang your head against the wall until the cows come home, it doesn't change the fact that the NRL is superior in every way and is the ultimate test for rl players.

But don't take my word for it. You just have to read the reactions of the average Aussie fan when an NRL player leaves to play in the Super League. It's generally along the lines of "He's going to make easy money before retirement" or "he's no longer upto NRL standard." This is the view held by most outside of England on the Super League.

[Futtocks]

The results of the club challenge proves my point and I expect this year to be another clean sweep to the NRL teams. Now you can bang your head against the wall until the cows come home, it doesn't change the fact that the NRL is superior in every way and is the ultimate test for rl players.

But don't take my word for it. You just have to read the reactions of the average Aussie fan when an NRL player leaves to play in the Super League. It's generally along the lines of "He's going to make easy money before retirement" or "he's no longer upto NRL standard." This is the view held by most outside of England on the Super League.

It is more interesting to hear the excuses when an Australian player fails to shine in Superleague. The "average Aussie fan" might just be a teensy bit biased towards his own domestic competition and possibly not as well-informed as he thinks he is.

[RSN]

I hope not because I would fear for some drubbings by both states by New Zealand in the coming years.

You have the combined full strength team of NSW and Queensland 20 points down at half time to New Zealand, what good is it going to be splitting them up?

Not to mention all of Australia's best players are aging as opposed too New Zealand who have:

Roger Tuivesa Sheck - 22

Jesse Bromwich - 25

Jason Tamoauolo - 22

Shaun Johnson - 25

Dean Whare - 26

Martin Tapau - 22

Whilst Australia have:

Jonathan Thurston - 32

Cooper Cronk - 32

Cameron Smith - 32

Billy Slater - 32

Greg Inglis - 29

New Zealand will be hitting their prime in the next 2 - 3 years whilst Australia don't exactly have the class in the wings to replace what is going to be retiring shortly.

[The Future is League]

The results of the club challenge proves my point and I expect this year to be another clean sweep to the NRL teams. Now you can bang your head against the wall until the cows come home, it doesn't change the fact that the NRL is superior in every way and is the ultimate test for rl players.

But don't take my word for it. You just have to read the reactions of the average Aussie fan when an NRL player leaves to play in the Super League. It's generally along the lines of "He's going to make easy money before retirement" or "he's no longer upto NRL standard." This is the view held by most outside of England on the Super League.

We can never forget Mark "Spud" Taylor was meant to be the No1 prop in the world when he signed for the London Broncos/Quins and was badly found wanting. Then went back to Australia and played SOO.

Don't mention Brett Mullins to Leeds fans, or Toni Carroll, who went back to Australia and played SOO and Internationals. Greg Eastwood was very average at Leeds and look what he's done at International level.

Alfie Langer was no great shakes at Warrington but was called back to Australia to play SOO.

[Dunbar]

The results of the club challenge proves my point and I expect this year to be another clean sweep to the NRL teams. Now you can bang your head against the wall until the cows come home, it doesn't change the fact that the NRL is superior in every way and is the ultimate test for rl players.

But don't take my word for it. You just have to read the reactions of the average Aussie fan when an NRL player leaves to play in the Super League. It's generally along the lines of "He's going to make easy money before retirement" or "he's no longer upto NRL standard." This is the view held by most outside of England on the Super League.

The NRL is the best RL competition in the world, nobody would deny that.

If it is the ultimate test for Rugby League players though then Mike Cooper and Josh Hodgson have proved that English Super League players are eminently capable of passing that test never mind when our top tier players such as Graham and Burgess go over and excel.

[bobbruce]

We can never forget Mark "Spud" Taylor was meant to be the No1 prop in the world when he signed for the London Broncos/Quins and was badly found wanting. Then went back to Australia and played SOO.

Don't mention Brett Mullins to Leeds fans, or Toni Carroll, who went back to Australia and played SOO and Internationals. Greg Eastwood was very average at Leeds and look what he's done at International level.

Alfie Langer was no great shakes at Warrington but was called back to Australia to play SOO.

Wasn't it Mark Carroll

[The Future is League]

Wasn't it Mark Carroll

Yes my mistake. Anyway he was a total disaster when he came over.

[bobbruce]

Yes my mistake. Anyway he was a total disaster when he came over.

Yeah absolutely smashed.

[Futtocks]

Yes my mistake. Anyway he was a total disaster when he came over.

And his excuse when he arrived back in Australia? Weakness due to lack of food, as he couldn't get KFC or McDonalds... in LONDON! 

[Ullman]

Yeah absolutely smashed.

[B rad]

I think Super League and NRL are different types of competitions that suit different types of players. NRL is more intense, Super League is more free flowing and attacking. If your the type of player that doesnt make alot of mistakes and has a high work rate you will shine in NRL, if your thing is beating players and scoring tries then Super League is probably more suited for you.

 

 

I know its going a long way back, but when Super League Europe clubs played Super League Australia clubs, the dominance of the Australian clubs or maybe more the style that they play was very apparent. Australian clubs are maybe a little more professional as well. The training standard probably a little higher. Also the junior development systems are a bit stronger. Kids can study Rugby League as a subject in some schools now, not sure if that's the case in England.

[deluded pom?]

But don't take my word for it. You just have to read the reactions of the average Aussie fan when an NRL player leaves to play in the Super League. It's generally along the lines of "He's going to make easy money before retirement" or "he's no longer upto NRL standard." This is the view held by most outside of England on the Super League.

What do those same Aussie fans say when a fair few of those same players return to Australia to play NRL?

[Futtocks]

What do those same Aussie fans say when a fair few of those same players return to Australia to play NRL?

"Mate... mate mate mate, he looks good because he was rested, yes that sounds good, rested by that time in England when he would have obviously dominated Superleague but he couldn't be bothered to show his superior skills, erm, yeah, and and and he was picked on by the obviously racist referees who don't know the proper rules and, err... oh yeah, those times he got knocked base over apex or easily stepped around on live TV, well they were faked by the same people who did that Roswell thing probly."

[Barnaby Reddin]

Bear with me on this. 

 

Quite possibly the daftest suggestion I've read on this forum during the off-season....or possibly ever.

 

International RL needs to grow and in all probability, this growth will be slow and organic as there isn't the cash to "fasttrack" countries of expansion. This means that the best we can hope for at RLWC 2017 is a lower % of heritage players running out for the smaller nations than we had in 2013.....this will be progress. Ideally a successful 2017 will see domestic comps gaining traction in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji and as a result more domestic players being capped for these nations.....I believe that Ireland has 3 Irish Born players in their current squad and this is a step up from 2013......a successful RLWC for the Wolfhounds and the game will continue to gain traction......this development won't happen overnight.

 

Your suggestion is simply another contrived "quickfix' for the scenario where we already know 3 of the 4 Semi finalist.........if we did let Qlnd/NSW enter as seperate entities, then we'd already know the 4 semi-finalists.

[Hvy wg]

Ahem. Jeff Lima.

Useless at Catalans, still got a NRL contract.

Sia Soliola. Been good in SL for years, not a single Aussie considered him. Went back to Raiders "omg he's so good best secondrower ever maaaate". While the whole NRL may be a better level than the whole SL, the World Club Series showed last year that it's not that huge of a difference and that SL top teams can challenge top NRL teams and I'm confident we could win the series in a close future.

 

[deluded pom?]

Sam moa. Willie Manu left his best years in SL yet still went back to a NRL contract. And there's many more.

[CGD]

Elliot Whitehead

 

Josh Hodgson

 

Great players, I reckon!

[MatthewWoody]

I don't like the idea, but using QLD and NSW for some International fixture would help. 

I'm thinking of something like a special SOO edition, with England and NZ as guest teams. 

 

OR QLD/NWS could tour Europe (read: England and France), play England and the French and then have a State of Origin match in London. 

 

But I definitely don't like the idea of replacing Australia in the whole International scene. The Kangaroos are our All Blacks (in terms of the legendary team etc. etc.) and we should exploit their brand. 

[Allora]

I don't like the idea, but using QLD and NSW for some International fixture would help. 

I'm thinking of something like a special SOO edition, with England and NZ as guest teams. 

 

OR QLD/NWS could tour Europe (read: England and France), play England and the French and then have a State of Origin match in London. 

 

But I definitely don't like the idea of replacing Australia in the whole International scene. The Kangaroos are our All Blacks (in terms of the legendary team etc. etc.) and we should exploit their brand. 

 

 

The problem there though is if NSW or QLD beat England where does that leave the International game?

[deluded pom?]

The problem there though is if NSW or QLD beat England where does that leave the International game?

With dodgy Aussie refs?

[MrPosh]

Gstarck looks like a welcome addition to the board. He certainly provides some, erm, fresh viewpoints.

Yeah. There was a time when new trolls would come out with some subtle introductions, but this stuff is just silly.

[Allora]

With dodgy Aussie refs?

 

 

Only the Aussies do that.

We would never see our Ref look after a Test we played in, it would smack of bias especially if they were the Ref in the deciding game of a series.

Always a Neutral Ref is what we want, its the only fair way.

[JoneslessBishop]

I don't think the states should play internationals, but I do think the popularity of SOO could be used to boost the profile of the international game.

As part of the new TV deal, from 2018, SOO will have one standalone, NRL free weekend, with the Pacific Nations already pencilled in to play each other to fill Aussie airtime outside the SOO test. NRL NZ and England players would also be free.

SOO have been considering on-the road games to interntionalising their brand, with Wembley mooted.

How about a Wembley SOO test Saturday, which would sell out due to expats, as well as RL fans traveling down from the north, with England playing NZ at the Olympic stadium the following day. Smaller venue as less expats will attend, but enough RL fans still in London to sell out what is still an iconic and high-profile venue.

What a weekend that would be. In June so not clash with football or RU seasons. Would really sell our sport a big time