England vs Samoa Series

[The Masked Poster]

6 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Here's a thought. Instead of holding these games in "the heartland" where a significant number of fans have already paid to see upwards of 10, 20 or more games this season and so might just say "enough is enough....I'll watch it on TV" , why not have these games in areas where people have not already paid hundreds of £s to attend regular season games? 

 

They tried that in Huddersfield last year....didn't work.

[Mojo]

19 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

Yes. If Samoan players are asking whether a 2-match series can really end 1-1 then I'm inclined to view them as a bit of a joke too.

You do know points differential can decide the winner if it was 1-1 right?

[17 stone giant]

1 hour ago, JohnM said:

Here's a thought. Instead of holding these games in "the heartland" where a significant number of fans have already paid to see upwards of 10, 20 or more games this season and so might just say "enough is enough....I'll watch it on TV" , why not have these games in areas where people have not already paid hundreds of £s to attend regular season games? 

 

The obvious response is that you need to do both.

You can't not play England matches in the heartlands, just because some people have potentially already paid to watch club rugby league throughout the season.

You have to assume that quite a few of those people (as well as the wider population that don't attend club matches) would like to see their national team play, and are happy to find another £25 (it's not extortionate pricing) to do so.

Ideally what you want is three matches - one in Yorkshire, one in the land that once was Lancashire, and one in London. The fact that they didn't do this last year, is I think very poor.

It's obviously more complicated this year as there are only two matches. Does London miss out, or do you stick with London and just play one in the heartlands? They opted for the former. Others perhaps would have preferred one in London and maybe one in a large stadium up north (Elland Road, Etihad, etc.).

[JohnM]

As with all things Rugby League, there is no right answer, and I take your point. Stadium availability might have been an issue in any case. 

I was at the Emirates match between England and Samoa and was impressed by the number of neutrals around us, who had gone  because it was an Internaional game. Some were union followers, some just sports fans.

[Click]

1 hour ago, 17 stone giant said:

The obvious response is that you need to do both.

You can't not play England matches in the heartlands, just because some people have potentially already paid to watch club rugby league throughout the season.

You have to assume that quite a few of those people (as well as the wider population that don't attend club matches) would like to see their national team play, and are happy to find another £25 (it's not extortionate pricing) to do so.

Ideally what you want is three matches - one in Yorkshire, one in the land that once was Lancashire, and one in London. The fact that they didn't do this last year, is I think very poor.

It's obviously more complicated this year as there are only two matches. Does London miss out, or do you stick with London and just play one in the heartlands? They opted for the former. Others perhaps would have preferred one in London and maybe one in a large stadium up north (Elland Road, Etihad, etc.).

Last year they had 3 tests in the heartlands - They didn't "opt" for one over the other, London clearly isn't in the picture.

[sam4731]

2 hours ago, Mojo said:

You do know points differential can decide the winner if it was 1-1 right?

I'd prefer golden point after the second test to decide the series winner.

[Mojo]

1 minute ago, sam4731 said:

I'd prefer golden point after the second test to decide the series winner.

Yeah same here

[sam4731]

1 minute ago, Mojo said:

Yeah same here

Especially after the last match between the sides was decided the same way. Bit more jeopardy.

[Just Browny]

4 hours ago, Mojo said:

Just read a recent article from the samoan camp asking what happens when it's 1-1 and the reply was nothing no golden point or aggregate pts just a draw... geez not even a trophy. What a joke

I seem to remember this happened in a series against New Zealand, although in that case it was because there was a draw in one of the games. Very surprising that people can't get their heads around the idea of a drawn match or series.

[gingerjon]

25 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I seem to remember this happened in a series against New Zealand, although in that case it was because there was a draw in one of the games. Very surprising that people can't get their heads around the idea of a drawn match or series.

I think it was then decided that GB had won the series because they'd won the previous series between the countries.

[Dunbar]

15 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I think it was then decided that GB had won the series because they'd won the previous series between the countries.

That was the 2002 series.  Great Britain took the Shield as hosts, New Zealand had won 6 of the last 7 games against Great Britain (the other was a draw).

[Barley Mow]

19 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I think it was then decided that GB had won the series because they'd won the previous series between the countries.

It wasn't decided that they had won the series, the series was a draw.

That situation was an anomaly because 2002 was the inaugural year for the Baskerville Shield. This new trophy had been commissioned for GB v NZ Test Series and they were left without an outright winner to present it to. The trophy was kept by GB as hosts, but the series was a draw.

I find it more odd that the same trophy is used for series between GB and NZ and England and NZ.

Edited October 20 by Barley Mow

[Intake Don]

There’s nearly 200 of my lads rugby club going to the game at Headingley players and parents. Me and my family are also going Wigan next week not got my tickets yet. My favourite part of the rugby season shame the RFL & NRL don’t think the same. If we got the International scene sorted I believe the club game would take care of itself in terms of popularity 

[Hopie]

3 hours ago, Just Browny said:

I seem to remember this happened in a series against New Zealand, although in that case it was because there was a draw in one of the games. Very surprising that people can't get their heads around the idea of a drawn match or series.

James Lowes went for glory to attempt to score a try instead of passing to someone for a winning drop goal attempt, greedy sod! 

[moorside roughyed]

On 19/10/2024 at 22:07, dead man inc said:

I will definitely be going, had already shelled out £150 for the train tickets

I checked & did get half way line concession ticket for the kid  at last weeks GF.

Nice one mate, enjoy the matchday and the game. £150 on train tickets . Haven't been on a train in years,sounds a bit steep to me. I'm probably out of touch with the pricing .

[dead man inc]

27 minutes ago, moorside roughyed said:

Nice one mate, enjoy the matchday and the game. £150 on train tickets . Haven't been on a train in years,sounds a bit steep to me. I'm probably out of touch with the pricing .

The tickets were actually reasonable compared to some i’ve taken this year/in the past (I’m travelling from London) I’d rather get train & sleep/drink (£150 was for me with railcard discount & a child discount ticket.)

At least the 2.30 KO means I can get a train up & back on the same day… because of later KO & no trains running back after game, I recently had 8 hours driving to KR & back for the semi & 9 hour round trip driving to the GF - not fun

Edited October 20 by dead man inc

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

Well, if the website can be believed (big if, I know) then it's looking like it could be a decent crowd at Leeds as there's hardly any seats left 

[Archie Gordon]

9 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

Well, if the website can be believed (big if, I know) then it's looking like it could be a decent crowd at Leeds as there's hardly any seats left 

Leeds has a good track record. Maybe being the Saturday game helps bring folk in from outside too.

Hoping they don't discover that there's a section of seats that were never put on sale ...

[sweaty craiq]

21 hours ago, JohnM said:

As with all things Rugby League, there is no right answer, and I take your point. Stadium availability might have been an issue in any case. 

I was at the Emirates match between England and Samoa and was impressed by the number of neutrals around us, who had gone  because it was an Internaional game. Some were union followers, some just sports fans.

Some great ticket offers in London for that game

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

25 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Some great ticket offers in London for that game

Were they as good as getting free tickets with a Wigan season ticket purchase?

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, sweaty craiq said:

Some great ticket offers in London for that game

Did you take any of them up? 

[Bull Mania]

3 hours ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

Well, if the website can be believed (big if, I know) then it's looking like it could be a decent crowd at Leeds as there's hardly any seats left 

Hopefully they're not using the same website the World Cup used. Remember trying to buy tickets for the south stand for the Ireland Jamaica game. Kept getting an error saying there were not enough tickets available in that stand (they were 6 of us) this was after hearing a radio advertisement saying tickets were running out forthe game. Got each of my friends to try just in case it was my device or account. Got same thing. Eventually we brought an individual ticket each. They were 6k in the stadium for the game... 

 

On the series. I just can't get enthused (and I know international RL is the way we need to grow the sport) just feels too similar to the Tonga series which was drab to say the least. I know they're selling it as "revenge" they beat us in the semi etc but we smashed them by 50 points in the group stage and the semi just felt like a freak game. If the international calendar was actually organised and we knew the ashes was all set in stone and at which venue next year, we could have sold this as preparation for that tournament and I think it would have shifted more tickets. Instead it feels a little like the Tonga game, we win, then what? 

[sam4731]

2 hours ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

Were they as good as getting free tickets with a Wigan season ticket purchase?

Yeah. You get a ticket without getting a Wigan season ticket.

[sweaty craiq]

7 hours ago, JohnM said:

Did you take any of them up? 

No but brother in law did - took his Mrs and her family 12 tickets cost £60

[JohnM]

5 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

No but brother in law did - took his Mrs and her family 12 tickets cost £60

We made a weekend of it, took the caravan to Theobalds Park, tube in, (cost just a few quid) met up with Arsenal fan and former colleague, had a great time. He came up here for the WC final -another long weekend, Indian cuisine, etc He's now coming up here for a return fixture, as it were, long weekend, Indian cuisine again. We're now considering the next world cup down under, though health conditions might make that prohibitive.

That's the power of proper International rugby league. It creates such opportunities. Might not have gone to the Samoa game otherwise.