I’m honestly not sure how this game is going to ahead, with injuries and COVID together.

3 players for England each team and 3 players for Combined Nations. Huddersfield and Hull FC could both only name 18 man squads this week due to covid and injuries.

Beconme a meaningless game I'm afraid, but we'll get to see some players who mght not have featured I guess....

Inclined to agree. Looking at it with current injuries and NRL players not being included, I’m expecting Oledzki, Smith, Tetevano, Hurrell and Prior to be included, unless they can’t due to COVID.

John Bateman, Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors)
Daryl Clark, Mike Cooper, Ben Currie, Joe Philbin, Stefan Ratchford (all Warrington Wolves)
Tom Davies, Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons)
Luke Gale, Ash Handley, Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos)
Morgan Knowles, Alex Walmsley, Jonny Lomax, Tommy Makinson (St Helens)
Reece Lyne, Joe Westerman (Wakefield Trinity)
Paul McShane (Castleford Tigers)

The game is a joke at times. Where’s the advertising for this game? Where’s the build up? Is it even on Sky? Why hasn’t it got its own weekend? Stories of clubs being called begging for them to release players for both teams. Clubs must be going crazy.

What a shambles this fixture is. Is there any appetite for it at all and does it help England’s preparations at all?

I wouldn't put a huge amount on Australia and New Zealand showing up for the WC. And even if they do, the notion that this game is useful preparation seems pretty far-fetched

How come Warrington have 5 players in the 19?
Thought the maximum was 3 per team.?

Certainly not Australia.

If we're going to do a "Combined Nations" I'd rather see us make it an invitational like the Barbarians in RU. Except we'd probably run it by calling them the "Pirates" or something.

You could spice the side up with just one or two overseas players maybe - but again this is the kind of thing which needs international co-operation in a sport not famous for that.

The prospect of Leeds players injuring other Leeds players in this kind of game fills me with dread. I dunno I've never been a fan of these "Exiles" type fixtures or our pretty poor attempts at Roses as a pale imitation of Origin. We never stick with anything like this even if Roses could work (Combined counties East and West would make a decent fixture to be fair)... anyway rant over.

I'm quite looking forward to this game. Two relatively evenly balanced teams with lots of players on both sides with something to prove. Lack of preparation could haunt the Combos but I think the addition of unselected English players has given it a bit of edge that wouldn't otherwise be there.

How come no Saints players in the combined team??