War of the Roses (Again)

[KiwiRL]

4 hours ago, fenster said:

People who voted leave get 50% off tickets too.

Piers Morgan on sideline interview duty. 

[fenster]

6 minutes ago, KiwiRL said:

Piers Morgan on sideline interview duty. 

Haha!!

yeah, Robbie Paul-esque.

[17 stone giant]

I'm in two minds about this.

On the one hand, I'd love to be so much more ambitious than just bringing back Yorkshire vs Lancashire. I rather they took inspiration from the cricket Hundred and went for something that could draw in people from all parts of the country.

But equally, if there's little money to do much else, maybe this is better than nothing at all.

I don't have a strong opinion either way really. If it does come back, I'll judge it based on what the sport actually delivers.

If the players care and the fans care, and if the organisation is good and it's played in some decent stadiums etc., I'm sure I'll watch and enjoy it. But if the opposite is true, I'll probably watch it for 15 minutes and then forget about it.

So, in that respect, it's entirely up to everyone involved in rugby league what you make of it. It's your game - as players, fans, administrators. You'll be judged on what you present to the outside world.

[fenster]

19 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

I'm in two minds about this.

On the one hand, I'd love to be so much more ambitious than just bringing back Yorkshire vs Lancashire. I rather they took inspiration from the cricket Hundred and went for something that could draw in people from all parts of the country.

But equally, if there's little money to do much else, maybe this is better than nothing at all.

I don't have a strong opinion either way really. If it does come back, I'll judge it based on what the sport actually delivers.

If the players care and the fans care, and if the organisation is good and it's played in some decent stadiums etc., I'm sure I'll watch and enjoy it. But if the opposite is true, I'll probably watch it for 15 minutes and then forget about it.

So, in that respect, it's entirely up to everyone involved in rugby league what you make of it. It's your game - as players, fans, administrators. You'll be judged on what you present to the outside world.

Wasn’t it a shambles last time with clubs pulling out players due to “injuries”?

[17 stone giant]

9 minutes ago, fenster said:

Wasn’t it a shambles last time with clubs pulling out players due to “injuries”?

I only watched it once in about 2003(?). I'd never heard of it before that, but I was flicking through the Sky Sports channels one day and there it was.

It was something that did interest me as I knew the players from England/GB matches, but I don't think it ever got played again.

[fenster]

4 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

I only watched it once in about 2003(?). I'd never heard of it before that, but I was flicking through the Sky Sports channels one day and there it was.

It was something that did interest me as I knew the players from England/GB matches, but I don't think it ever got played again.

Says a lot but from what I remember it turned into a bit of a joke with players pulling out and poor crowds with lopsided results.

smacks of desperation for me and a clear sign that the game is fast running out of ideas sadly.

[sam4731]

The thing is lots are people are mentioning what happened last time but that just seems a ridiculous argument to me. Almost a whole generation has passed. Yes, we might make the same mistakes as last time and if we do, we only have ourselves to blame but a lot of the people who watch RL now (me included) were not around the last time the fixture was played.

Like I've said, we're going through options for how to approach the mid season international (Exiles, France), both unsuccessfully. Why not try something else and if it fails, it fails. If you're argument is 'WotR has been done before and failed', how are you justifying playing France every year?

[fenster]

3 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

The thing is lots are people are mentioning what happened last time but that just seems a ridiculous argument to me. Almost a whole generation has passed. Yes, we might make the same mistakes as last time and if we do, we only have ourselves to blame but a lot of the people who watch RL now (me included) were not around the last time the fixture was played.

Like I've said, we're going through options for how to approach the mid season international (Exiles, France), both unsuccessfully. Why not try something else and if it fails, it fails. If you're argument is 'WotR has been done before and failed', how are you justifying playing France every year?

Personally I’d persist with playing France in France until they improve.

the French have a few exciting youngsters coming through who need to be exposed to international RL and keep them interested in the game and not defecting to union.

[sam4731]

7 minutes ago, fenster said:

Personally I’d persist with playing France in France until they improve.

the French have a few exciting youngsters coming through who need to be exposed to international RL and keep them interested in the game and not defecting to union.

I genuinely think they'd be better off playing Wales, a team more at their level. Who knows, in a few years we could have a thi series if they improve.

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

1. Put on a fixture vs France with minimal effort/marketing
2. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to Yorks v Lancs
3. Put on a Yorks vs Lancs fixture with minimal effort/marketing
4. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to an All Stars/Exiles game
5. Put on a fixture vs All Stars/Exiles with minimal effort/marketing
6. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to a game vs France
7. Repeat Step 1

There's a common denominator here why many of these 'attempts' continually prove unsuccessful...

[fenster]

1 minute ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

1. Put on a fixture vs France with minimal effort/marketing
2. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to Yorks v Lancs
3. Put on a Yorks vs Lancs fixture with minimal effort/marketing
4. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to an All Stars/Exiles game
5. Put on a fixture vs All Stars/Exiles with minimal effort/marketing
6. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to a game vs France
7. Repeat Step 1

There's a common denominator here why many of these 'attempts' continually prove unsuccessful...

Pretty much nailed it there mate.

we should stick with France but do it right.

imagine if RU had given up on say Argentina or Japan or todays nations of similar standing like Uruguay, Portugal and Georgia etc.
 

 

[17 stone giant]

How about a tournament involving teams representing Yorkshire, Lancashire, Exiles/All Stars, and France?

Obviously Exiles/All Stars wouldn't have many fans, but it would give fans from the other three teams more than one match to build up some affinity.

And you'd expect the final to be Yorkshire v Lancashire, I presume.

 

[Damien]

41 minutes ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

1. Put on a fixture vs France with minimal effort/marketing
2. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to Yorks v Lancs
3. Put on a Yorks vs Lancs fixture with minimal effort/marketing
4. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to an All Stars/Exiles game
5. Put on a fixture vs All Stars/Exiles with minimal effort/marketing
6. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to a game vs France
7. Repeat Step 1

There's a common denominator here why many of these 'attempts' continually prove unsuccessful...

Some of these are very obviously flawed concepts in my opinion and no amount of marketing will help them. 

[17 stone giant]

14 minutes ago, Damien said:

Some of these are very obviously flawed concepts in my opinion and no amount of marketing will help them. 

Is England v France the only 'not flawed' one, in your opinion?

[JM2010]

2 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I genuinely think they'd be better off playing Wales, a team more at their level. Who knows, in a few years we could have a thi series if they improve.

If they do go back to playing Yorkshire vs Lancashire then I hope they use the weekend to play other fixtures such as France vs Wales also

[sam4731]

2 hours ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

1. Put on a fixture vs France with minimal effort/marketing
2. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to Yorks v Lancs
3. Put on a Yorks vs Lancs fixture with minimal effort/marketing
4. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to an All Stars/Exiles game
5. Put on a fixture vs All Stars/Exiles with minimal effort/marketing
6. Lack of competitiveness and/or audience leads to calls to return to a game vs France
7. Repeat Step 1

There's a common denominator here why many of these 'attempts' continually prove unsuccessful...

Number of times we have played the following matches in the last 30 years:

England vs France: 22

England vs CNA/Exiles: 6

Yorkshire vs Lancashire: 3

We're really doing WotR to death aren't we.

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

40 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

Number of times we have played the following matches in the last 30 years:

England vs France: 22

England vs CNA/Exiles: 6

Yorkshire vs Lancashire: 3

We're really doing WotR to death aren't we.

Give it another 20 years and you'll be as cynical as the rest of us

[sam4731]

16 minutes ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

Give it another 20 years and you'll be as cynical as the rest of us

Can't be cynical if I don't get my generation's WotR to be cynical about. 

Edited September 1, 2024 by sam4731

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

9 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

Can't be cynical if I don't get my generation's WotR to be cynical about. 

As I say, give it 20 years

[17 stone giant]

5 hours ago, sam4731 said:

Can't be cynical if I don't get my generation's WotR to be cynical about. 

[Hopie]

3 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

That isn't the meme you are looking for, I found it so you can go about your business:



 

[JohnM]

England Vs Referees. That WOULD be an nteresting three-game series to stoke national media and spectator attention.

[fenster]

18 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I genuinely think they'd be better off playing Wales, a team more at their level. Who knows, in a few years we could have a thi series if they improve.

France should be playing both every year.

[fenster]

When the tri-nations was a thing I remember the French playing both Australia and New Zealand in France when both nations weren’t playing against England and if I remember correctly didn’t disgrace themselves in both games so why can’t the French head down under and play PNG, Fiji and the Cook Islands when they aren’t playing fixtures in the pacific bowl?

[ATLANTISMAN]

56 minutes ago, JohnM said:

England Vs Referees. That WOULD be an nteresting three-game series to stoke national media and spectator attention.

Dragons played Kendall on Saturday so not a new concept