GB Lions Squad

[Scubby]

4 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Can you imagine playing 3 games in basically a week; two of which will be the Aussies?!

I can, but then I've always backed my ability. Even at 40+ I could still give a basic pass to my centre given a two-on-one. Sadly, Wayne isn't interested 

[GeordieSaint]

2 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I can, but then I've always backed my ability. Even at 40+ I could still give a basic pass to my centre given a two-on-one. Sadly, Wayne isn't interested 

He doesn’t coach the U13s; but glad to hear you back your ability against kids. 

[Scubby]

Just now, GeordieSaint said:

He doesn’t coach the U13s; but glad to hear you back your ability against kids. 

You won't win anything with kids GS. Experience is required for the big games. In fact I have years of experience playing the Mark Percival touring role.

[GeordieSaint]

Just now, Scubby said:

You won't win anything with kids GS. Experience is required for the big games. In fact I have years of experience playing the Mark Percival touring role.

Everyone needs H2O... ?

[paulwalker71]

2 hours ago, glossop saint said:

Looking for Scots? How about Brough, Addy, Walker etc?

Brough will be too old by the end of 2019. 

Addy? Well even as a Bulls supporter I just don't see him being good enough

Walker? Well one of them is banned and the other couldn't even make the grade with us when we could barely field a starting 13 at the beginning of last year.

Taking players like that really is tokenism - at least the likes of McIlorum or Flower or Amor are decent level SL players

[glossop saint]

24 minutes ago, paulwalker71 said:

Brough will be too old by the end of 2019. 

Addy? Well even as a Bulls supporter I just don't see him being good enough

Walker? Well one of them is banned and the other couldn't even make the grade with us when we could barely field a starting 13 at the beginning of last year.

Taking players like that really is tokenism - at least the likes of McIlorum or Flower or Amor are decent level SL players

Sorry Paul, I didn't make my point properly.  My point was that there are no born and bred Scottish players, I was listing English Scottish players (similar to Kopczak, LMS etc).  

Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a place for heritage players I don't think that the purpose of the Lions should be that heritage players who aren't good enough to get into their first choice nation to represent their second choice nation.  If we are going down the route of token picks then at least make them genuine born and bred celts (Grace, Flower), which could well prove very very difficult.

[17 stone giant]

This GB Lions tour is a farce. There is not enough strength in depth in Wales, Scotland and (if included) Ireland to justify having such a team. It's just another example of rugby league trying to imitate rugby union when it doesn't have the ability to do so.

Great Britain RL worked when it was the national team for all competitions. We had The Ashes home and away as well as series against New Zealand and matches against France etc. GBRL was never the equivalent of the rugby union British and Irish Lions. The RU team only play once every four years in away tours in either Australia/New Zealand/South Africa. They rarely play any other nations and even more rarely play at home (2005 against Argentina being the only time in 30 odd years). I just don't understand what the RFL is trying to achieve with this Lions tour. My only hope is that it will end up being for The Ashes and that we can they stay as GB for The Ashes on home soil in 2020. There has to be some consistency.

 

 

[damp squib]

10 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Ireland are yet to be fully convinced of taking part but the RLIF have stepped in claiming its be unfair on RLWC qualification if they didn’t. according to Ashe (who is an advisor to Bennett) the 9 ‘Celtic’ players will be allowed to play in one RLWC game before heading off with GB.

Did you get any more information about this? How can the RLIF tell a full member nation they have to be officially involved in a representative side that only represents 11% of the population? What right do they have to make this decision?

Also how does it make RLWC qualifying unfair? If it's because Ireland won't be missing players like Wales and Scotland would then why doesn't that apply to France, Italy etc. who also won't be missing players due to the Lions?

If what you say is correct then Rugby League Ireland are finally making the right decision for the future of the sport in this country and it's very worrying that the RLIF would be trying to strong arm them into changing that. I can't help but notice that the genius behind "Bring back GB" has also recently been installed as RLIF CEO which makes it even more dodgy that they're getting involved.

[welshmagpie]

43 minutes ago, damp squib said:

Did you get any more information about this? How can the RLIF tell a full member nation they have to be officially involved in a representative side that only represents 11% of the population? What right do they have to make this decision?

Also how does it make RLWC qualifying unfair? If it's because Ireland won't be missing players like Wales and Scotland would then why doesn't that apply to France, Italy etc. who also won't be missing players due to the Lions?

If what you say is correct then Rugby League Ireland are finally making the right decision for the future of the sport in this country and it's very worrying that the RLIF would be trying to strong arm them into changing that. I can't help but notice that the genius behind "Bring back GB" has also recently been installed as RLIF CEO which makes it even more dodgy that they're getting involved.

Basically Wood said a full strength Ireland vs Wales and Scotland minus their best 3 would be unfair and an uneven playing field. RLI will stand their ground, they want a domestic player in the 30 for PR and community reasons on the Emerald Isle. Wood has other ideas. 

[damp squib]

31 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

Basically Wood said a full strength Ireland vs Wales and Scotland minus their best 3 would be unfair and an uneven playing field. RLI will stand their ground, they want a domestic player in the 30 for PR and community reasons on the Emerald Isle. Wood has other ideas. 

If RLI are concerned about PR then they shouldn't be involved under any circumstances.

I can't understand why Ireland should be held to a different standard than Italy, France or any other nation that has to go through a qualifying process. Why are we tied to decisions made by Wales and Scotland? 

Wales and Scotland have their own governing bodies so if they want to jeopardize their WC qualifying chances by taking part in the Lions that should be their decision, but Ireland shouldn't be penalised just because they rightfully have no interest in Nigel's nostalgia trip.

Nothing turns me off this sport like RL Ireland and it's relationship with the RLF/RLIF/Nigel Wood's latest fiefdom.

[Scubby]

5 minutes ago, damp squib said:

If RLI are concerned about PR then they shouldn't be involved under any circumstances.

I can't understand why Ireland should be held to a different standard than Italy, France or any other nation that has to go through a qualifying process. Why are we tied to decisions made by Wales and Scotland? 

Wales and Scotland have their own governing bodies so if they want to jeopardize their WC qualifying chances by taking part in the Lions that should be their decision, but Ireland shouldn't be penalised just because they rightfully have no interest in Nigel's nostalgia trip.

Nothing turns me off this sport like RL Ireland and it's relationship with the RLF/RLIF/Nigel Wood's latest fiefdom.

True Ireland should give the RFL the finger if that is how they feel. They will get national funding for performances as Ireland - nothing else. The RFL stopped having a say in Scotland/Wales/Ireland etc. when they pulled all the development money out. Touche. 

If the RFL wants to split the profits from the tour and TV deal equally between those 4 nations then that is another matter. But I won't be holding my breath.

[yipyee]

On 19/02/2018 at 5:55 PM, Man of Kent said:

I’d have thought the likes of Amor, McIlorum, Finn, Russell, Addy, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Kopczak and Grace will have a fair shout of a squad place.

Whether they are in the starting XIII is a different matter.

McCarthy scarsbrook lol 

All the above are English apart from grace...

All the above played for tier2 nations as England didnt want them 

[Man of Kent]

10 minutes ago, yipyee said:

McCarthy scarsbrook lol 

All the above are English apart from grace...

All the above played for tier2 nations as England didnt want them 

LMS would be there for morale!

There’s plenty of non-England players who could take squad places for the lesser fixtures. But, yeah,  I wouldn’t want Matty Russell or LMS playing in a test against Australia 

[Spidey]

16 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

LMS would be there for morale!

There’s plenty of non-England players who could take squad places for the lesser fixtures. But, yeah,  I wouldn’t want Matty Russell or LMS playing in a test against Australia 

What’s the point in them being there then?

Seems like token players for an unneeded concept

[jim_57]

3 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Basically Wood said a full strength Ireland vs Wales and Scotland minus their best 3 would be unfair and an uneven playing field. RLI will stand their ground, they want a domestic player in the 30 for PR and community reasons on the Emerald Isle. Wood has other ideas. 

What about France, Russia, Serbia, Italy and any other country that won't have players taken for GB? 3 players from each of those going to sit it out for "fairness" sake? What an absolute joke.

[roughyedspud]

4 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Basically Wood said a full strength Ireland vs Wales and Scotland minus their best 3 would be unfair and an uneven playing field. RLI will stand their ground, they want a domestic player in the 30 for PR and community reasons on the Emerald Isle. Wood has other ideas. 

That's effing disgusting..

[GeordieSaint]

12 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Basically Wood said a full strength Ireland vs Wales and Scotland minus their best 3 would be unfair and an uneven playing field. RLI will stand their ground, they want a domestic player in the 30 for PR and community reasons on the Emerald Isle. Wood has other ideas. 

Wood should told to poke his snout of another governing body’s business. He has no right to interfere in the RLI’s business. He is the wrong man for the RLIF and the sport.

[nadera78]

18 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Wood should told to poke his snout of another governing body’s business. He has no right to interfere in the RLI’s business. He is the wrong man for the RLIF and the sport.

Absolutely! Wood gave birth to this nonsense, knowing it would damage the Celtic nations RLWC qualification events, and now seems to be insisting they take part against their will. The man's spent ten years damaging the sport at domestic level and now he's been let loose on the international game. We're in big trouble here.

[bobbruce]

If you are leaving it to the coaches of each country to select the 3 players going and they have important games at the same time. Why wouldn’t they just send 3 fringe players. 

[roughyedspud]

31 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

Absolutely! Wood gave birth to this nonsense, knowing it would damage the Celtic nations RLWC qualification events, and now seems to be insisting they take part against their will. The man's spent ten years damaging the sport at domestic level and now he's been let loose on the international game. We're in big trouble here.

I hate to tell you all I told you so....but....ya know...

[fairfolly]

If you think Wood was a joke wait until we get Rimmer in as C.E.O. 

[jim_57]

If this is true and Wood is throwing his weight around as RLIF boss to support his RFL plaything/nostalgia trip then it is truly sickening and I honestly wouldn't blame people involved in Ireland from walking away from the game.

[GeordieSaint]

2 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

If this is true and Wood is throwing his weight around as RLIF boss to support his RFL plaything/nostalgia trip then it is truly sickening and I honestly wouldn't blame people involved in Ireland from walking away from the game.

Agreed - Wood needs fo look after the sport for everyone’s benefit; not just England, NZ and Australia. If it’s true, he’s confirmed my opinion that he’s unfit for the CEO role at the RLIF.

[Dave T]

I would agree with the last few comments, however to play devils advocate:

Did I read that the Irish did want to be involved for PR purposes? But would maybe only want 1 person. If that is the case, then I think it is entirely reasonable for Wood (in the RFL capacity) to say no to that request. For an enforced quota in the Lions squad I would have no issue with a commitment that at least 10% of players would be from each of the 4 partners - meaning in a 30 man squad there would be at least 3 from each partner. I don't think it is appropriate for one of the partners to request only one to be selected so they could qualify for the WC - when the other partners commit to the 3 (or 10%). Ireland are entirely justified in saying they want nowt to do with it anyway (as are Scotland and Wales).

Of course, that is still polishing a ######, and the natural solution to this (and retain the Lions) is to arrange qualifying outside of the tour window, which is achievable and we still have loads of time to be able to do that.

[Scubby]

8 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I would agree with the last few comments, however to play devils advocate:

Did I read that the Irish did want to be involved for PR purposes? But would maybe only want 1 person. If that is the case, then I think it is entirely reasonable for Wood (in the RFL capacity) to say no to that request. For an enforced quota in the Lions squad I would have no issue with a commitment that at least 10% of players would be from each of the 4 partners - meaning in a 30 man squad there would be at least 3 from each partner. I don't think it is appropriate for one of the partners to request only one to be selected so they could qualify for the WC - when the other partners commit to the 3 (or 10%). Ireland are entirely justified in saying they want nowt to do with it anyway (as are Scotland and Wales).

Of course, that is still polishing a ######, and the natural solution to this (and retain the Lions) is to arrange qualifying outside of the tour window, which is achievable and we still have loads of time to be able to do that.

A natural solution to this is for England (qualified) to tour and play Australia (qualified) for the Ashes over 3 tests and then two in NZ (qualified). Leave Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland, Italy and Russia to qualify for the World Cup - which is their top priority. Wood's interests lie with the world game now. If they don''t then he should sod off.

My understanding is that the GB tour is not even close to being signed off with the NRL. The man who singularly conceived the idea has left the building. Time for common sense to prevail and to stop ####ing about.