Replacing this year’s series with Australia?

[Gerrumonside ref]

So this year’s series with Australia is off and England could still probably do with a tune up ahead of the World Cup.

How should it be replaced?

See poll

[superten]

how about super league champions v England

[Hela Wigmen]

Out of those options, I’ve voted for the first one.

France, Jamaica, Scotland, Ireland and Wales all rely on Championship players to some degree and with that league being up in the air and most likely cancelled, can we seriously expect any of those nations to get a competitive nineteen man squad together with or without Championship players, of which who won’t have played for at least 7 months by the time an International game can be scheduled?

For one year and one year only, I would probably bring back the England v Exiles game with the players coming from the Antipodean players in Super League or failing that an England v Super League Rep XIII that’s made up of players from Super League sides regardless of their nationality, Englishmen included.

[Gerrumonside ref]

4 minutes ago, superten said:

how about super league champions v England

It’s not a bad concept, but surely it would deprive England of a few players?

[Hela Wigmen]

1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

It’s not a bad concept, but surely it would deprive England of a few players?

That and the Super League champions would likely have players missing who were due operations. From memory, Roby, Percival and Knowles were booked in to have operations after the Grand Final last year and Makinson dislocated his shoulder. England v Saints at the end of October would have been a poor spectacle. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Was it 1988 the last time ‘Rest of the World’ was used for rugby league?

There seems to have been two games - one against Australia (the Aussies won 22-10) and one at Leeds vs Great Britain (GB won 32-30 I think).

Ive found the shirt used for the Rest of the World side:

[17 stone giant]

England v Toronto

[Griff]

I think you're going to have to wait and see how much time the revised domestic season is going to take up.

[Eddie]

England v France, a proper test match. X v Rest of the World games are just gimmicks and not to be taken seriously by players or fans. The strongest French team with all players available would be decent. 

[paulwalker71]

33 minutes ago, Eddie said:

England v France, a proper test match. X v Rest of the World games are just gimmicks and not to be taken seriously by players or fans. The strongest French team with all players available would be decent. 

... and therein is the problem

[Tommygilf]

I'd like to think all 3 international games would be explored.

Exiles or whatever would be a genuine test (especially if we were SL only), and France and Wales need the exposure and gametime as much as we do before the World cup. 

A county competition could be good but I think it would fail to small mindedness and just being Yorkshire v Lancs.

[Nomad XIII]

4 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Was it 1988 the last time ‘Rest of the World’ was used for rugby league?

There seems to have been two games - one against Australia (the Aussies won 22-10) and one at Leeds vs Great Britain (GB won 32-30 I think).

Australia played a ROW side in 1997. The match was organised by the ARL, the Super League war having left them short of options. Wigan released Jason Robinson and Gary Connolly for it.

[17 stone giant]

I voted for nothing, because I got a bit depressed because none of the options looked very appealing.

But on reflection, I suppose I'd have to go for France. They are the closest thing to a decent team.

[Hela Wigmen]

3 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

I voted for nothing, because I got a bit depressed because none of the options looked very appealing.

But on reflection, I suppose I'd have to go for France. They are the closest thing to a decent team.

I would have probably voted France but some of their players come from Toulouse and Elite 1. With Elite 1 cancelled and the Championship up in the air right now, that’s why I went with the Exiles. 

I know it didn’t really work but as a one off given the circumstances we face this year and thinking of what would give England the best possible test, I had to go that way. 

[Yakstorm]

11 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Was it 1988 the last time ‘Rest of the World’ was used for rugby league?

There seems to have been two games - one against Australia (the Aussies won 22-10) and one at Leeds vs Great Britain (GB won 32-30 I think).

Ive found the shirt used for the Rest of the World side:

The Rest of the World brand last appeared in 1997, losing 28 - 8 to Australia at Lang Park.

The team also played in 1957 (11 - 20 v Australia), 1960 (27 - 33 v Great Britain)

Now if they were going to play such a game, wouldn't either the Exiles or Other Nationalities brands be better than ROW? 

[Man of Kent]

England vs Rest of the World. 

[OL14.yeds]

England vs Exiles.

Gets the England side together under Wane, and providing Super League gets going again I reckon an Exiles side would be stronger than a French/Welsh side that features players that haven’t played due to comps being cancelled (assuming the Championship goes the same way as Elite 1).

Some may see it as a gimmick, but it would be a chance for the players to get game time played under the new coach, more important with a World Cup coming up.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, OL14.yeds said:

England vs Exiles.

Gets the England side together under Wane, and providing Super League gets going again I reckon an Exiles side would be stronger than a French/Welsh side that features players that haven’t played due to comps being cancelled (assuming the Championship goes the same way as Elite 1).

Some may see it as a gimmick, but it would be a chance for the players to get game time played under the new coach, more important with a World Cup coming up.

Playing France and/or Wales would help their build ups too. 

[OL14.yeds]

8 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Playing France and/or Wales would help their build ups too. 

Very true mate, but I’d have thought Wane would prefer a sterner test.

Perhaps one game vs an Exiles team, followed by a game vs Wales/France, where England could experiment with selection would work.

[Gerrumonside ref]

5 hours ago, Yakstorm said:

The Rest of the World brand last appeared in 1997, losing 28 - 8 to Australia at Lang Park.

The team also played in 1957 (11 - 20 v Australia), 1960 (27 - 33 v Great Britain)

Now if they were going to play such a game, wouldn't either the Exiles or Other Nationalities brands be better than ROW? 

England vs Rest of the World has more cache in the U.K. than ‘Exiles’ I feel.

It is a sporting team that was used many times in soccer during the post war boom.

I’m not massively bothered either way, but I think the term ‘Rest of the World’ is more self explanatory than ‘Exiles’ if you had to ask me to choose.

The most important thing is that England gets a good tune up match if no touring side can come due to the virus.

[Hela Wigmen]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Playing France and/or Wales would help their build ups too. 

They can play each other then as both are potentially staring down the barrel of having a decent % of their squad having not played for the best part of 7-8 months by the time November rolls around. 

[17 stone giant]

1 hour ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

England vs Rest of the World has more cache in the U.K. than ‘Exiles’ I feel.

I think it would if this was a genuine RotW team. By that I mean one that is made up of many of the best players from the rest of the world. That's what the concept is normally about. I don't think it really works when it's a RotW team made up of players who just happen to play in England.

[Eddie]

24 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

I think it would if this was a genuine RotW team. By that I mean one that is made up of many of the best players from the rest of the world. That's what the concept is normally about. I don't think it really works when it's a RotW team made up of players who just happen to play in England.

It would have to be the latter, the best players will be playing in Australia. 

[Sports Prophet]

21 hours ago, superten said:

how about super league champions v England

Imagine how embarrassing that could turn out

[mrfranco]

21 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Out of those options, I’ve voted for the first one.

France, Jamaica, Scotland, Ireland and Wales all rely on Championship players to some degree and with that league being up in the air and most likely cancelled, can we seriously expect any of those nations to get a competitive nineteen man squad together with or without Championship players, of which who won’t have played for at least 7 months by the time an International game can be scheduled?

For one year and one year only, I would probably bring back the England v Exiles game with the players coming from the Antipodean players in Super League or failing that an England v Super League Rep XIII that’s made up of players from Super League sides regardless of their nationality, Englishmen included.

Yes, I like the England vs Super League idea (at least given the options this year...)

England get first pick on any English players, but Super League can pick absolutely any SL players who are not in the named England squad