Stand alone rep weekend great, but where’s our Ashes?

Whatever happens: please please please give PNG more quality games.

No the scottish and welsh did not enjoy the GB olympic football team. There wasn't a single scotsman picked for the mens team so they didn't give a shit at all, and while there were welshmen picked, they couldn't bring themselves to sing God Save the Queen. There were no headlines, nor attention from the sport fans in Cardiff or Glasgow. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2179523/London-2012-Olympics-Fury-Welsh-Scots-snub-National-Anthem.html There may have been more GB pride then but those days are over. It peaked and began it's decline under Thatcher. Nationalism is on the rise again and fan behaviour reflects this. Kieron Cunnigham is no more welsh than Shaun Matiland is Scottish, He was born and raised in St Helens, Merseyside by parents who were raised in St Helens. As for Viduka's kids they can relate all they want, won't stop how ridiculous it would be for them to play for Croatia considering their grandparents moved to Australia in the 1960's and they have spent there entire life as Australians.

For international league to mean something, all you need is to have a 3-Test series EACH YEAR between Australia and New Zealand/England/Great Britain. That would be a minimum and it would work. Very, very simple.

"Kieren Cunningham, Scott Quinell, John Deveraux, Alan Bateman, Jonathan Davies, Scott Gibbs, Iestyn Harris". I'm well aware of Welsh contributions to GB rugby league teams of the past. In fact Wales have been pretty much the sole contributor to GB teams (appart from England and Brian Carney). That is all irrelevant because if a GB team was picked tomorrow, no current Welsh players would make the team. "Having such a narrow deafitist picture , and not being patient and starting small, then you may as not bother". That's not what I was saying at all. But if a GB team were to be selected tomorrow it would be made up entirely of English players. Wales got belted last year 80-12 by England, and Scotland and Ireland aren't even considered good enough to play against England. There wouldn't even be one or two token Welsh players. The team would be entirely English, so what's the point? Don't get me wrong. I'm all for getting Wales, Scotland and Ireland up to the standard required so that some of their players are picked for GB. But sending the England team masked as Great Britain to Australia to contest the Ashes is pointless. They may as well just play as England.

So do scot's and welsh kids not want to play for the British and Irish Lions in rugby union, should we scrap that too. And you say a Lion's tour is an exception, I think you should look at the history of GB league sides, there was a lot of pride in the 70's 80's, and 90's in the GB rugby league shirt yes they didn't win much but there was pride. And like I said a GB side would be only 1 every 4 years. Really kids want both to say it can apply to one sport when you look at the history of GB rugby league is nonsense. And in soccer to GB at the Olympic's send a GB team, and the scotish and welsh fans enjoy that too and don't mind. And Kieron Cunningham still has some welsh heritage, so he can identify with wales, just as any other player can connect to there grandparent's homeland. Will Mark Viduka;s kids not be able to relate to croatia, os samoan kids not be able to relate to Samoa. I take it you want the grand parent rule scrapped.

Scots and Welsh kids don't want to play for Britain, they want to play for Scotland and Wales. Go over there and listen to how much they hate the english and would rather stick it up then than play for the Union. The Rugby Union Lions Tour is the only exception to this. Keiron Cunningham is English btw, he only qualified for Wales under a grandfather rule.

and i likewise see the merit in yours yet i struggle to see how changing what is simply just the flag and putting some blue on the uniform is going to be that big a point of difference when all the players and majority of the fans will be English. Making a real event out of a tour is what i could see making the difference, ie playing local or NRL sides in regional areas where a test match isn't being played.

Couch cough Kieren Cunningham, Scott Quinell, John Deveraux, Alan Bateman, Jonathan Davies, Scott Gibbs, Iestyn Harris. Plenty of star studded Welsh talent has contributed to GB rugby league team, over the last 20 years. And bigger picture, exposure. You get one or 2 , it attracts headlines, then people get inspired kids watching then next time it becomes 4, becomes 5 becomes 8 to 10 even per match. Think bigger picture, and in the lion's rugby series, series by series some teams have more or less players. Having such a narrow deafitist picture , and not being patient and starting small, then you may as not bother.

I'm all for bringing back GB tours, but there is seriously no point if the GB team is the England team plus one or two token Welsh players (except for Pat Richards - who's only Irish because of heritage - I doubt any Scottish or Irish players would even be close to making the team). Plus, I don't agree with an 'Ashes' series being played between Aus and GB. The Ashes is England. Scotland and Ireland have nothing to do with it (and it really has nothing to do with Wales either, unless people want to start referring to the English cricket team correctly as England and Wales). I would love to see the rugby league Ashes return, so long as it's played between Aus and England. Keep it pure; don't dilute the rivalry with Scottish, Welsh and Irish people (again, not that any of them would make the team, in which case playing as GB would be pointless).

I'm looking forward very much to this world cup - especially USA. The vast majority of their team will be AMNRL players (unfortunately no USARL players due to the split). I think they will surprise a few teams too. Matty Elliot will have some tricks up his sleeve for sure.

I like the idea, but here's my proposal (for 2015, only): Rather than the 'usual' ANZAC Test of Aus v NZ, why don't we mark the 100th anniversary of ANZAC day with a 'proper' ANZAC Test? By that, I mean a combined Aus & NAZ team (the ANZACs) v a GB team. Think of it as a chance to get even on the Empire...

Look at that will you. How did they manage all those spectacular tries under a 5m rule mummy? Players need 10m or the game will grind to a halt. #not

Lovely Chris, yes that was a time where Ireland Scotland, Wales and England could join together and be competitive. CVery nice, but in this day and age your going backwards by trying to revive a Lions series. Leave that to union and let them be the laughing stock. Comeon mate, would you ever wanted to be grouped in with south Africa and the Kiwis. ?? No way. This contest was used to help build the Brittish isles into a major force, and sell tickets. Nothing more, it is a fluff competition and should be looked at as nothing more. Laugh your head off while the lions are raking million s from union folk and our country has a genuine contest between Queensland and New South Wales. Our two own very homegrown contest, world-class, and we get to cheer for our boys, not someone elses muppets. Public Rugby league enemy number one. Yes we now have a new cash for comments horror on our books. this guy is single handedly trying to take down rugby league , kill off all the hard work that goes into growing the game, single handedly. "Paul Kent". He not only wants to get rid of our Country game, rid us of our talent pool, but he also wants to get rid of a Australian icon, our Anzac Test. ??? What next, get rid of Origin and cut the World cup because he dont like it. This guy needs to be stopped, he has a voice and is obviously working for every code except the NRL. Why would anyone, Anyone want to chop years and years of Hard work and building up rivalries, and then want to chop them down, cut them. ??? This guy is trouble, trouble with a capital T and must be stopped. I was always suss about him. Now he is on my hitlist. This country has 2 institutions, Country, which is looked at a milestone for Country poeple who have to compete against our city Bretheren, and Anzac's. "State of Origin " after over 30 years is also getting a Australian pretege about it, ??? does he want to chop this down as well. ??? It is only 30 odd years old Paul Kent, surely you can chop this as well. This guy is dangerous, and now goes on the list. Soory, in modern terms, the ignore button. cheers.,

You always make me laugh Johno. I agree with some of what you say but you seem to forget that the 1billion dollar deal is going to be mostly used to keep the game in Australia alive and competitive with AFL rugby league is not going to suddenly over throw union in the pacific

Guys rugby league in 2013 is on the up be patient. - RL in 2013 now has serious and real money for the 1st time to invest and expand the code in OZ/NZ, with the TV deal. It's Australian rugby that's broke. -RL in England and France are doing well. Good tv ratings in ESL, French team in ESL is helping lift the standard in France. -Fiji/Samoa/Tonga/PNG will send there strongest teams maybe ever at world cup 2013. -The ASHES I hope it comes back. It should be done every 4 years as part of the 4 year world cup cycle. -Rugby league in England/France/Wales will all get stronger. And maybe Irleand/Scotland/Italy -USA/Canada/Jamaica all getting better A lot of UK's best players are coming out to OZ now too to play which will help lift the standard. So RL is on the up, the RL World cup in ay 2017 is going to be really high standard I predict, teams like France will be better in 4 years time. And rep weekend next year include Fiji VS PNG say, that would be good , not just Samoa VS Tonga. You could play Fiji VS PNG in Townsville, Cairns, Darwin, Suva, Port Moresby, West Sydney, Auckland

The rep weekends should be expanded.... Anzac test = excellent City v Country = excellent A couple of new ones for the same weekend... Combined Pacific islands v PNG test QLD city(Bris & Goldie) vs QLD country (the rest)