ENGLAND V SAMOA PREVIEW

[moto748]

I thought McMeeken was fine, to be fair. Of course I would have liked to see Junior play. I rate him better than KPP and certainly better than Bateman. Who's always got a penalty in him. Fortunately today the ref was pretty easy-going (and rightly so). Ashton was very good, and certainly impressed more than the star NRL winger on the other flank. Herbie was great too.

[josie andrews]

Smith was unlucky not to get mom for me.Thought ashton had a great game but not keen on young.Surely marshy and ashton for wings?.Also why keep playing older players like bateman and mckmeekan? Nsemba better than both and KPP also.Well at least lewis scored so the commentator could cream himself

I thought the same about the older players. Bateman is an argumentative player now wanting to fight all the time.

[fozzie58]

It’s a shame it’s only this weird 2 game set up as I thought Samoa very patchy at best,which given the big travel they’ve done is no surprise but hey ho.

As for the team Bateman I only really saw when they kicked off KPP average frankly neither would have been in my team,Farnsworth and Radley both very good and would have edged Williams for mom.

[Ipinwigan]

Well Ashton was very good and no chance that Marshall gets in the team now.

I think Wane should give Nsemba a run out next week, solid performances from Bateman and KPP, but nothing outstanding, trouble is I think Wane will just stick with the tried and tested.

[Southern Softy]

I got very bored very quickly.

Not a patch on decent club RL (by which, of course, I mean Wigan).

[Blackpool_Pie]

International RL is dying a slow painful death. Lack of intensity, poor crowd turnout, terrible coverage across the media etc. I'm just not interested in watching it that much anymore

[josie andrews]

International RL is dying a slow painful death. Lack of intensity, poor crowd turnout, terrible coverage across the media etc. I'm just not interested in watching it that much anymore

So you won’t be bothered if the discussion regarding an Ashes Tour with Australia comes to fruition?

[the pieman]

International RL is dying a slow painful death. Lack of intensity, poor crowd turnout, terrible coverage across the media etc. I'm just not interested in watching it that much anymore

its sad to see, but if we all took that attitude, then it will completely die

Tonga / Samoa are 2 very good international sides, but it feels like the English fans are only interested in playing v Oz. With some of the names on show on Saturday, there should be 25k fans there to watch it. Again, we will have complaints about ticket prices , lack of promotion /coverage but it think thats just that RL fans love to moan about everything and anything

i've posted previously that international rugby needs a defined calendar which all nations buy into. Samoa were a replacement this year for Tonga, who decided not to your cos the NRL put pressure on them, however, it should be proper 3 test series, with a warm up match (1 minimum), so they are at least prepared for the intensity of a test. they looked goosed at points on Saturday

i know we'll never get back to the tours of the 80s / 90s that i 1st remember when the Ozzies came over / GB went over there and played 3 tests, plus a host of club matches too. However, we should embrace international RL as the pinnacle of a players career and give them the stage and crowds to perform, at the minute the game is failing the players big time

[josie andrews]

International RL is dying a slow painful death. Lack of intensity, poor crowd turnout, terrible coverage across the media etc. I'm just not interested in watching it that much anymore

its sad to see, but if we all took that attitude, then it will completely die

Tonga / Samoa are 2 very good international sides, but it feels like the English fans are only interested in playing v Oz. With some of the names on show on Saturday, there should be 25k fans there to watch it. Again, we will have complaints about ticket prices , lack of promotion /coverage but it think thats just that RL fans love to moan about everything and anything

i've posted previously that international rugby needs a defined calendar which all nations buy into. Samoa were a replacement this year for Tonga, who decided not to your cos the NRL put pressure on them, however, it should be proper 3 test series, with a warm up match (1 minimum), so they are at least prepared for the intensity of a test. they looked goosed at points on Saturday

i know we'll never get back to the tours of the 80s / 90s that i 1st remember when the Ozzies came over / GB went over there and played 3 tests, plus a host of club matches too. However, we should embrace international RL as the pinnacle of a players career and give them the stage and crowds to perform, at the minute the game is failing the players big time

And the New Zealand tours of that era

I went to both the England Wheelchair & Men’s game this weekend & looking forward to next week

[the pieman]

International RL is dying a slow painful death. Lack of intensity, poor crowd turnout, terrible coverage across the media etc. I'm just not interested in watching it that much anymore

its sad to see, but if we all took that attitude, then it will completely die

Tonga / Samoa are 2 very good international sides, but it feels like the English fans are only interested in playing v Oz. With some of the names on show on Saturday, there should be 25k fans there to watch it. Again, we will have complaints about ticket prices , lack of promotion /coverage but it think thats just that RL fans love to moan about everything and anything

i've posted previously that international rugby needs a defined calendar which all nations buy into. Samoa were a replacement this year for Tonga, who decided not to your cos the NRL put pressure on them, however, it should be proper 3 test series, with a warm up match (1 minimum), so they are at least prepared for the intensity of a test. they looked goosed at points on Saturday

i know we'll never get back to the tours of the 80s / 90s that i 1st remember when the Ozzies came over / GB went over there and played 3 tests, plus a host of club matches too. However, we should embrace international RL as the pinnacle of a players career and give them the stage and crowds to perform, at the minute the game is failing the players big time

And the New Zealand tours of that era

I went to both the England Wheelchair & Men’s game this weekend & looking forward to next week

to be honest Josie, i think the NZ touring sides took a few years to catch up with the Ozzies in terms of how our fans perceived them, but there were many great contests between our 2 nations as we are / very similar in ability. however, we regularly had big crowds on for the club matches and test matches

that's why i made my comment about Tonga / Samoa. They have some excellent RL players who are playing top grade NRL and Super League. Jerome Luai is considered one of the best 1/2 backs in the world at the minute, plus Roger Tuivasa-Shack (i know he's getting on a little) plus Tonga had Jason Taumalolo here last year. We really should be getting 20k plus, and hopefully if those teams continue to come over here, then they will get rewarded with appropriate crowds