WIGAN WARRIORS head coach Matt Peet has called for a revival of the ‘War of the Roses’ between Yorkshire and Lancashire following a poor international showing at the weekend.
England ran out 40-8 winners against France last weekend at the Stade Ernest Wallon, the home of Toulouse Olympique, but that fixture only attracted 4,500 fans with no television broadcast.
For Peet, that type of spectacle is not what the rugby league fraternity in the northern hemisphere wants to see.
“I think we are all honest enough to know that it’s not what we want to see when we watch an international game,” Wane said.
“When these players have worked so hard to reach what is the pinnacle of sport, you want them to be playing in from of big crowds on television.
“So when that doesn’t happen, you are disappointed for the players more than anything.”
Peet has also called for the revival of the Yorkshire-Lancashire fixtures that permeated rugby league around the turn of the century.
“Everyone I speak to within our club shares the same frustration. It’s for the owners, CEOs and the people at board level to try and impact that and work with the RFL so what more they can do.
“I’m close friends with Shaun Wane as well as some of the staff in the England set-up. We all want the same thing – we all want England and international rugby league to be on the best stage it can be.
“How do we get there? Well that’s for the administrators of the game on both sides of the world to work together and sort out.
“I would like to see Yorkshire and Lancashire revitalised and given another go. It would be a stepping stone towards an England shirt for more players and you could get more coaches involved.
“The fact is, we took a game to France and the supporters didn’t come out for whatever reason so I would like to see that (Yorkshire vs Lancashire).
“But, I also understand that I’m in my job and people are in other jobs and they have deemed that not to be the right approach.”
For Wane, he is keen on international fixtures during the season – if it is on a free weekend.
“I think, as long as it is on a free weekend, our lads would want to play and I’m sure of our staff would want to be involved too.
“It becomes a pathway for staff as well and more coaches would get a taste of representative action.”
Click here to get the digital edition of League Express
Click here to subscribe to the print edition of League Express
League Express is also widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
