As, stupidly, bans count towards International games, I wonder - does that count for players who don't play for England? So, could the RFL ban an Australia/New Zealand International from playing for their National team come world cup season? Or vice versa, can an England International be banned from an England game for something he did whilst playing in the NRL?

Genuine question.

Ya.

See: James Graham and his biting ban last Autumn.

I think what HBK-aholic means is if a NZ international (I say NZ as no Australian player playing in SL will get selected for international duties) playing in the SL GF is a naughty boy and picks up a 3 match ban from the RFL - will this mean that they can't play in the first three games of the WC for NZ?

Agreed.

The game has gone soft these days replacing the absence of real biff and dirtyness with hyperbole instead.

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62XSX_w8aQkPrefer how it used to be myself[/url.

I love the ref's reaction on that. Hilarious.



Pretty sure even in those days you'd have walked for that more often than not though!

You don't see many pro players who can throw a punch like that these days either. Lovely shot.

Watching that again, & the Westwood/Green incident, I have a controversial theory that all Aussies are soft. Both acting unconscious after a mild slap. All other teams in the WC should just chin them as neither Broadhurst or Benny were sent off. I loved Whitfield? telling Bernardin to get up & some cod'ead in the corwd shouting "Beautiful. Beautiful." You could go on holiday back then & leave your door unlocked as well.

You could. All your stuff would've been gone and a load of smackheads would have moved in. But you could.

Course nowadays we have a recession, so you can't afford to go on holiday and you've pawned all your stuff anyway.

They didn't have recessions in the 80s.

...more than any other recorded match I have the one I enjoy re-watching the most is the 1978 wembley cup final. Lots of skill, no predictable last tackle kick and copious face in the mud rubbing. Lovely stuff. (Still think Noonan took a bribe to ensure his team losing though).