Five of us are away in about twenty minutes time, heading for the first test.
Staying in High Wycombe tonight, with a bit of karaoke thrown in as well.
Train to stadium tomorrow, and an unhealthy breakfast at our usual cafe, then into the stadium to take in all the pre-match build-up, before we lock horns with the 'Roos!
Bring it on, and................
COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!!!
Spelly.
Oh dear! What a pity! Never mind!
Too many Wane era old boys, old tactics. Slowing the game down tells its own story!!!
Not a great advert for the game after the hype was it? Loads of empty seats and a very poor England.
There must be a better FB in England than Welsby, the bloke's useless.
Just got on the M40 on the way home.
Not good enough!
I said at half-time "The next score is massive." They got it, and it was GSAM.
On to Everton next week, but not holding my breath.
Spelly.
Totally outclassed in every aspect of the game. Lewis once again invisible. Williams didn't look fit and Welsby looked out of his depth.
Aussie game built on speed and open play. Our game, like SL, is built around the predictable 5 drives and a kick.
I think the only way we can compete next week is to try and rough up the Aussies, but I reckon they will outclass us at that too.
Having said that watching the Aussie machine was probably worth the admission ticket for those who were at Wembley.
1) Totally outclassed in every aspect of the game. Lewis once again invisible. Williams didn't look fit and Welsby looked out of his depth.
Aussie game built on speed and open play. Our game, like SL, is built around the predictable 5 drives and a kick.
2) I think the only way we can compete next week is to try and rough up the Aussies, but I reckon they will outclass us at that too.
3) Having said that watching the Aussie machine was probably worth the admission ticket for those who were at Wembley.
1) Couldn't agree more mate! They played some lovely football at the times they needed to, but kept it tight too, with some stern defence, as our only score came when the game was lonnnnnnnnng gone!
2) Rough it up? I'm not sure on today's performance, that we've got that in us!
3) It wasn't a cheap couple of days, but even when the quality on show are wearing the "wrong" colours, it still looks good!
Everton next week, and the station for Lime Street is only five minutes walk from my house, but as I eluded to earlier, my optimism has somewhat diminished!
Spelly.
Got to say that a pre match plan of get stuck into 'em wasn't encouraging.
The voice over surprise that Munster was so effective indicates that somebody doesn't watch the NRL games!
He and Grant (plus Hughes of course) do that for the Storm every week!
I was puzzled about just how Munster would rub along with a new scrum half but they managed just fine.
Wilkin's answer is more money rather than more training!
As soon as the montage came up at the start of the show, I said to my Dad, look at the players GB have had in the past. There isn't a star in this team, this is the worst we've been since I've ever watched. We couldn't beat the Aussies with Joe Lydon, Ellery Hanley, Schofield, Davies, Edwards, Offiah, Newlove, Morley, Farrell, Burgess. These also-rans have got no chance.
It's hard not to have been surprised by this result. And no amount of propaganda from those with a vested interest is going to change that.
Our competition is second rate, and filling all of the top sides with up to ten overseas players, does nothing other than paper over the cracks which are immediately exposed in contests like this.
Until the sport gets a proper grip on the game and all its problems, then it is going nowhere.
It makes my blood boil that what was once a fantastic, honest sport has now given way to at best average mediocrity that passes itself off as a sport that literally everyone should be watching.
@darth-vadar .... and what is even more annoying is that, with few exceptions, the players we bring in are either looking for a pre-retirement payday or nowhere near NRL standard.
It is the same the other way too. Just how many of the so called SL "stars" are actually successful in NRL beyond perhaps one season? Dodds, Thompson, Bateman, Williams etc.
The SL is light years behind NRL is standard and management. Yes, bringing in overseas players adds interest to the game, but the RFL should invest more in developing our own players (and coaches) to develop players and grow the game from grass roots up. At the moment, they only seem to be interested in a few Clubs, in SL with big money backers. That is a route to killing the game.
The best thing that could have happened was for the NRL to have taken over Super League.
Like 'em or loathe' em, they have a structure and a plan honed over many years that in general benefits the whole of their sport and not just the chosen few.
Gone would have been the 'back of a fag packet' short term approach to all things connected with the development of the sport, and replaced with a well balanced and sensible long term structure.
Forgetting the Ashes for a moment, the recent fiasco regarding the expansion of SL whilst having no idea of fixture planning for an expanded Championship just about sums up the state of the game of RL over in the UK.
No other sporting body would ever run their game in this fashion.
But, having made a dogs breakfast of the changes expects to get a better deal from Sky!!!!!!
Believe me, there's not enough room on here to list what is wrong with the sport of Rugby League!! 😭
What we have lost is the honest to goodness 'coach' who can develop and shape a player.
With the advent of Sky, player contracts etc rugby league clubs followed Soccer and took on 'managers' whose aim is to buy ready made players at whatever cost.
The sad thing is, that if the fans can see what is wrong with the game, then why can't the Administrators?
I love the rugby debates that are going on, but it frustrates me that none of the 'experts' ever talk about the real 'elephant(s) in the room'.
I wonder why that is?!!!
Turkeys voting for Christmas is the phrase that immediately comes to mind.