Club over Country? : Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:57 am  

Was I the only one who tuned into the England V Exiles last night and wondered why I even bothered by the end? It was boring, soulless and lacked any sort of intensity bar a couple of Rangi Chase sowardly snipes.
It showed how much of a dead horse it is by the empty stands and the fact that the crowd started chanting club chants during the game either for their own team or abusing another. This is even before thinking about clubs pulling their players out and players like Ben Westwood choosing to have surgery so that he ready for Warrington's next game.

Growing up the pinnacle of the RL calendar was the Internationals at the end of season whether it be an Ashes series, a NZ tour or a World Cup. I remember watching the Aussies up at Thrum Hall and how close our boys got to beating the likes of Mal Meninga and Alfie Langer. Then getting excited seeing Karl Harrison wearing a GB shirt and John Bentley charging down the Wembley wing in an England shirt as well as the cream of English talent giving their all for the Lions or cross of St George. Now it's developed into a sideshow, a distraction from the rigours of club RL where players are picked out of position, big-names and egos are picked over talent and preference is given to players with debatable heritage if any at all and players swap countries like transferring teams. Yesterday evening's game was more like a pre-season friendly exhibition game rather than a full-blooded International, no matter how much the SKY team tried to hype it up. RL fans even at SL level are no mugs and they could see the product on the pitch was nowhere near as good as club rugby and a different world away from the proper 'Origin' game in Australia.

Are we moving towards football where players openly say they get more pumped up and aim to play better for their club side over their country? Anyone who has watched the two State of Origin games so far will see how much it means to the 34 players who take the pitch, the coaching staff and the 80,000 people who turned up in the pouring rain to watch. Did we see any of that emotion and pride last night? No, we haven't seen it at International level for a long time and as long as players and clubs choose SL over England and the RFL keep flogging dead horses like the Exiles game we won't get anywhere near the Aussies.

Re: Club over Country? : Sun Jun 17, 2012 8:01 am  

International RL died when GB turned into England and the Aussies stopped touring. It really is as simple as that.

Re: Club over Country? : Sun Jun 17, 2012 8:48 am  

Was at the game last night n it was boring.The crowd were quiet not one chant of come on England,supporters cheering for their own club players and abusing others.By end of game groups of people stood chatting not even watching game.We went to say we had been to the new Saints ground and not impressed with that either,back of stands not filled in so when it rained it blew in the front of the stand at one end and the back of the stand at the other,puddles of water under south stand and standing on concourse having drink you got wet.We can say we been but definitely won't be going again unless Fax play there.

Re: Club over Country? : Sun Jun 17, 2012 8:39 pm  

Added to this dead-rubber of a fixture, Fax alone had about five players involved in the senseless Wales & Ireland games, that could have been critical to our season had they all played yesterday. RFL madness yet again.