Sat 29 Apr: Intl (Men): England v France KO 16:30 (Sky)

[WN83]

5 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I thought they looked a special group in 2018 when they won that series 2-0.  Holroyd, Havard and Smithies in the pack, Welsby, Newman and Smith were the pick of the team and I am pleased to see them progress to full international honours. 

2 more years and we could have a very good England team for the 2025 Cup.

It was a cracking side and they’re now starting to break through in to the full set up (or the fringes of it for most). We’ve obviously seen Welsby jump ahead and break in but there were so many lads in that side who have become regular Superleague players. Usually you’ll look back at an old academy team and 5 or 6 might have gone on to be first team regulars in Superleague (if not less) but you’ve got 10+ from that team (guys like Newman, Shorrocks, McDonnell and the Senior twins as well) and it may well be that 5 or 6 become regular England players. 

[Phil]

12 minutes ago, Leonard said:

Whatever the name, I was very disappointed with him today. Strutted around but had no impact. 

????

[Phil]

12 minutes ago, Leonard said:

Whatever the name, I was very disappointed with him today. Strutted around but had no impact. 

????

[Phil]

12 minutes ago, Leonard said:

Whatever the name, I was very disappointed with him today. Strutted around but had no impact. 

????

[Phil]

12 minutes ago, Leonard said:

Whatever the name, I was very disappointed with him today. Strutted around but had no impact. 

????

[Dunbar]

Well, I have said it over and over again like a broken record over the last few years. 

The single biggest area we have been behind the Aussies is the tactical kicking game.

Williams was superb and Smith is a very good long tactical kicker while Wlaker kicked a 40 20 from dummy half (ar least one that I saw).

This is so important.

[wilsontown]

Well, I watched this in the pub, just because I'm a regular there and they'll put it on for me. Friends kept asking me what is this game, is it in some competition, is there a trophy etc and I didn't have a good answer. It turns out there was a trophy which looked like Berry's in Leeds had knocked it up for about £25.

Help me out here. This is York where RL is not exactly unknown. 

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, wilsontown said:

Well, I watched this in the pub, just because I'm a regular there and they'll put it on for me. Friends kept asking me what is this game, is it in some competition, is there a trophy etc and I didn't have a good answer. It turns out there was a trophy which looked like Berry's in Leeds had knocked it up for about £25.

Help me out here. This is York where RL is not exactly unknown. 

It was a test match.

[wilsontown]

1 minute ago, Dunbar said:

It was a test match.

Of course, but what does that mean to your average punter?

To be fair I was sat with a bloke who went to Aus vs NZ at Elland Road and wasn't sure which code it was and what competition it was in. 

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, wilsontown said:

Of course, but what does that mean to your average punter?

To be fair I was sat with a bloke who went to Aus vs NZ at Elland Road and wasn't sure which code it was and what competition it was in. 

It means the same as an England football International outside of a tournament (although they label them a friendly).

And it means the same as the Autumn internationals that sell out in Union every year.

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, wilsontown said:

Well, I watched this in the pub, just because I'm a regular there and they'll put it on for me. Friends kept asking me what is this game, is it in some competition, is there a trophy etc and I didn't have a good answer. It turns out there was a trophy which looked like Berry's in Leeds had knocked it up for about £25.

Help me out here. This is York where RL is not exactly unknown. 

In other things that never happened today. 

Why would they keep asking you if you told them first time?

And who asks about trophies?

 

[Gooleboy]

I thought that Catalans and to a degree Toulouse, entering the English League was to improve France as an International team. Well after watching that, it isn't happening.

 

 

 

 

 

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

2 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

I thought that Catalans and to a degree Toulouse, entering the English League was to improve France as an International team. Well after watching that, it isn't happening.

 

 

 

 

 

Without Catalan the score would have been 150 plus. 

[wilsontown]

10 minutes ago, Leonard said:

In other things that never happened today. 

Why would they keep asking you if you told them first time?

And who asks about trophies?

 

I'm just a random person on the Internet and you don't have to believe me. But I'm telling you what happened. No-one  could understand what the game was for and tuned out at half time because the result was a forgone conclusion.

I want the best for our game and I don't appreciate being accused of lying.

[WN83]

5 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Well, I have said it over and over again like a broken record over the last few years. 

The single biggest area we have been behind the Aussies is the tactical kicking game.

Williams was superb and Smith is a very good long tactical kicker while Wlaker kicked a 40 20 from dummy half (ar least one that I saw).

This is so important.

I think that 1, 6, 7 and 9 bring a bit of everything to the table. I’d probably like a strike runner in there somewhere but guys like Farnworth and Young can bring that in the end of season games. I’m optimistic about the future ‘if’ we get the games to build these lad’s confidence in. I look at Williams and Smith today and think they look a good pair but then you have Lomax, Dodd, Lewis and more besides waiting in the wings. We’ve been in worse positions. 

[WN83]

21 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

I thought that Catalans and to a degree Toulouse, entering the English League was to improve France as an International team. Well after watching that, it isn't happening.

 

 

 

 

 

I think they would improve ‘if’ they could get a first choice team out there.  The question tonight needs to be why were they missing so many players? We know why we were missing players and some clubs should feel ashamed but we can cope. The French need their best side out there and Toulouse and especially Catalans need to have serious questions asked of them if they’re pulling players out. They have ambitions of their own as clubs, of course they do, but ultimately they play in the British comp to enable the game to grow in France, by producing better players for the national side. If they neglect that responsibility, then what’s the end goal? I think Catalans in particular have been lucky to avoid criticism this past 15+ years for what has been very little progress made by the French national side. Filling their side with English and Aussie/Kiwi players isn’t why they were brought in IMO.

Edited April 29, 2023 by WN83

[ATLANTISMAN]

52 minutes ago, wilsontown said:

Well, I watched this in the pub, just because I'm a regular there and they'll put it on for me. Friends kept asking me what is this game, is it in some competition, is there a trophy etc and I didn't have a good answer. It turns out there was a trophy which looked like Berry's in Leeds had knocked it up for about £25.

Help me out here. This is York where RL is not exactly unknown. 

To have a trophy was naff

[WN83]

2 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

To have a trophy was naff

The players all did their best not to take it off each other. Matty Ashton got stuck with it for a few mins and tried his best to con somebody in to taking it off him, without much success. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

To have a trophy was naff

They only added it for Wilsontowns imaginary conversations. 

[Dunbar]

The other thing that struck me today is just how big and athletic modern day Rugby League players are.

I was thinking how Tom Holroyd was a bit of throwback to the tough nuggety props and then checked and he is 6' 2" and 18 stone!

[headtackle]

I thought it was a good run out today which has hopefully given a confidence boost to the many debutants ahead of harder battles ahead

Williams was class during and after the game.  Spent ages taking selfies 

France very disappointing.  Not much Gallic flair on display but a few big hits

 

[moorside roughyed]

Glad we won. Would've liked France to be more competitive, result was obvious by halftime. However George Williams was a revelation,he's brilliant. So glad he's a Wolf .

[Tippytoe]

2 hours ago, Madrileño said:

100% @Phil

Unfortunately this forum is littered with the same kind of thoughts...ie: France is not our problem.

It is short-sighted navel gazing, and will eventually kill the sport off as a viable professional concern in Europe. 

However, there is a weird sort of anti-foreigner vibe among a lot of English fans. It is tragic, as an idiot can see that it is very much "our job" to improve the game in one of only 2 European Countries who play professionally. However I have found that some of the  (particularly older) fanbase are impossible to shift in their views. 

So what is your epiphany to remedy this conundrum? 

[JohnM]

2 hours ago, Phil said:

Actually John, I think it must be our job, I know nothing of that sort will happen but the alternative is the death of NH rugby league 

Understood, Phil. And if we were to organise a proper and intensive series, we'd be playing a big part.  Random one- off games is not in my view, the answer.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

It means the same as an England football International outside of a tournament (although they label them a friendly).

And it means the same as the Autumn internationals that sell out in Union every year.

I think it means much more than a football friendly, there nowhere to hide in rugby, you can’t just have a knock about.