Nigeria want to play England Knights

[The Future is League]

I say let it happen and it will make Nigerians more aware of our game and perhaps encourage more Nigerians to take up our game

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/9671713/nigeria-want-to-follow-jamaica-by-facing-england-knights-in-a-match/

[Wellsy4HullFC]

Who have Nigeria played in the past? I think it would be very irresponsible to put them up against seasoned full time professionals.

[fighting irish]

Great idea.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

I’m sure a lot of countries (Serbia, Spain, the Scandinavian nations etc) want to play England, I mean, who wouldn’t? We’re the premier nation in the northern hemisphere, it doesn’t mean it should happen though. 

While it’s good to dream and create some headlines for yourselves (which I think this is), they need to stay grounded and start by playing comparable nations first. 

Ade Adebisi is a former Skolars teammate (I think) of Jermaine Coleman, current Skolars coach and Jamaica coach. You have two national sides there and I’m sure one or either can help provide the Skolars’ ground and you could have Nigeria v Jamaica in a London Borough where there is likely to be many residents with heritage in those countries. 

[wackojacko]

5 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Who have Nigeria played in the past? I think it would be very irresponsible to put them up against seasoned full time professionals.

Pretty sure this MEA Championship is their debut so maybe a little premature, even if they can call on some SL and NRLyoung guns.

[Ash Hope]

1 hour ago, wackojacko said:

Pretty sure this MEA Championship is their debut so maybe a little premature, even if they can call on some SL and NRLyoung guns.

Yeah it is, that said.

Below are a list of potential players:

Muizz Mustapha, Tuoyo Egodo, Rob Worrincy, Jayden Okunbor, Jason Saab, Will Sharp, Sadiq Adebiyi

There's stacks more too.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

24 minutes ago, Ash Hope said:

Yeah it is, that said.

Below are a list of potential players:

Muizz Mustapha, Tuoyo Egodo, Rob Worrincy, Jayden Okunbor, Jason Saab, Will Sharp, Sadiq Adebiyi

There's stacks more too.

But these aren't exactly stand out players. Scotland and Ireland without their better players would do them quite easily still.

[tms]

why not play an england rep side made up of championship players

[Harry Stottle]

10 minutes ago, POR said:

why not play an england rep side made up of championship players

Go on then, name your team, I can't  imagine it would be anything other than very good,  easily it would be a top 3 SL team. 

[deluded pom?]

2 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

But these aren't exactly stand out players. Scotland and Ireland without their better players would do them quite easily still.

I disagree Wellsy. I could quite easily see a heritage Nigeria beating a domestic Scotland or Ireland.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

2 hours ago, deluded pom? said:

I disagree Wellsy. I could quite easily see a heritage Nigeria beating a domestic Scotland or Ireland.

Oh they'd likely beat a purely domestic Ireland and Scotland, but I'm talking your usual non-World Cup year Ireland and Scotland.

The Knights would murder them.

[Manfred Mann]

6 hours ago, Ash Hope said:

Yeah it is, that said.

Below are a list of potential players:

Muizz Mustapha, Tuoyo Egodo, Rob Worrincy, Jayden Okunbor, Jason Saab, Will Sharp, Sadiq Adebiyi

There's stacks more too.

Of those 7 players, 5 are wingers -- although Jayden Okunbor could also play in the centres -- and two are back row forwards. But there are no reputable full backs, halves or hookers that I know of.

It would be crazy to play a cobbled together mostly young team like that against the England Knights.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Running before they can walk. Most of the heritage players are over 30 and/or wingers/Centres. They would struggle big time against England Knights! Plenty of other FULL Nations they could play like Serbia, Russia, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Greece etc in the UK or even back home in Nigeria.

[The Lad]

I think getting the England knights more games can only be a good thing and teams that are new want legitimacy, maybe getting the england stamp of approval is big and the english knights can do that. Hopefully a mixture of home and away games as it grows the game in those area's and gives the knights valubal experience of going to a different country to play games, so it is a good thing.

However the level of competition needs to be looked at, while England's stamp of approval is what teams may want is getting beat 70-0 a good thing. Maybe the answer would be the knights play L2 teams like Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, PNG. And a England under 21 play  Spain, Jamaica and Japan. But the L2 teams are good enough to play england and would the others feel disrespected playing under 21?.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

I like the idea of forming an England U21’s to play developing international sides, although i would make it slightly older at-U23’s. If all the teams below had fixtures every year it would make a good international stepping stone for players and give the likes of Wales, Serbia etc a good standard of opposition.

England

England Knights 

England U23’s

England Academy 

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

I like the idea of forming an England U21’s to play developing international sides, although i would make it slightly older at-U23’s. If all the teams below had fixtures every year it would make a good international stepping stone for players and give the likes of Wales, Serbia etc a good standard of opposition.

England

England Knights 

England U23’s

England Academy 

Who are they going to play (excluding the academy)as regularly as you say who will be competitive for them, it is not even a good opposed training game for those teams even France are nowhere near strong enough if you take away the Southern Hemisphere and British player's from their domestic teams, don't  jump down my throat look at the recent results for evidence.

[Harry Stottle]

PS Sir Kev  why I have got you, you put the laughing emoji in my comment on a select Championship team, please explain and tell me your expierence of the Championship of late, saving for your clubs recent visit to Odsal.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

I have always thought that the England Knights should be more of an age restricted side and it should be used to target players under a certain age who are showing promise and could become a full international in years to come.

No offence meant to these players but Sam Powell (27), Jack Hughes (27), Oliver Holmes (26), Tom Lineham (26) and Chris Atkin (26) are too old, IMO, to be playing in this Set-up. I’d rather see it used to develop the likes of Morgan Smithies, Matty Lees, Jack Welsby, Harry Newman and other players of that sort of age group. 

[fighting irish]

Keeping these players in as part of the elite training squad is important if only so they can step up into the first team if there are injuries.

I think choosing a younger group to play emerging nations, to give them that ''stamp of approval'' at home makes a lot of sense.

I also think that the England Amateur team (or the Welsh) could do a great job here to raise the profile of the game in places like Nigeria, where there is something going on, worth supporting.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Who are they going to play (excluding the academy)as regularly as you say who will be competitive for them, it is not even a good opposed training game for those teams even France are nowhere near strong enough if you take away the Southern Hemisphere and British player's from their domestic teams, don't  jump down my throat look at the recent results for evidence.

England - Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, France

England Knights - Annual games against France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland. Plus one tour every 4 years, like the recent tour of PNG.

England U23’s -  Italy, Serbia, Canada, USA, Jamaica, plus any other emerging nations.

[Harry Stottle]

9 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

England - Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, France

England Knights - France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland,

England U23’s -  Italy, Serbia, Canada, USA, Jamaica, plus any other emerging nations 

Agree with the first,  but unlike yourself I don't dismiss the GB team, the second suggestion, the Knights teams opponents would only be strong enough in those years they bring in all the heritage players i.e. World cups and finally the Under 23's again in Italy's case only if those Australians with Italian names are available, those others you mention plus otger emerging nations - waste of time and money.

Why France twice?

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

5 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Agree with the first,  but unlike yourself I don't dismiss the GB team, the second suggestion, the Knights teams opponents would only be strong enough in those years they bring in all the heritage players i.e. World cups and finally the Under 23's again in Italy's case only if those Australians with Italian names are available, those others you mention plus otger emerging nations - waste of time and money.

Why France twice?

France are ideal opponents for England Knights, but it would be foolish for the full England side not to have a warm up game against France before say the 3 match test series against Australia in 2020. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

A Welsh side with Ben Flower, Gil Dudson, Morgan Knowles, Regan Grace, Elliott Kear, Rhys Williams, Rhys Evans, Matty Fozard, Lloyd White etc would give the Knights a game. All those nations are only going to get stronger by playing regular internationals.

[Ash Hope]

18 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

But these aren't exactly stand out players. Scotland and Ireland without their better players would do them quite easily still.

And Scotland and Ireland have had years to develop their talent. In a year Nigeria have set up a African competition and have got NRL and Super League players on board - same as Jamaica moving forward very fast. Award the promising nations not the stagnant ones...

[Ash Hope]

12 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

Of those 7 players, 5 are wingers -- although Jayden Okunbor could also play in the centres -- and two are back row forwards. But there are no reputable full backs, halves or hookers that I know of.

It would be crazy to play a cobbled together mostly young team like that against the England Knights.

'Crazy?' Jamaica have the issue of having limited options in the halves and forward pack, in comparison to the backs, what's your logic for them playing them then?