Shhhsh. It's a secret. They don't want the fans to know there's any games to be played.

Marketing genius.

The Knights are playing Ireland and Scotland in a triangular tournament at the same time. It will be the full England squad that takes on Wales and France.

So basically a chance for a few training sessions together followed by a couple of opposed practice sessions.

......unless you are determined to make RL a perpetual laughing stock at international level. The game should stop pretending there is enough strength in depth to have 'home nation' teams.

The Exiles were created with the purpose to offer England a higher intensity game, compared to the mid-season whipping of France.

What good can playing France do?

Expect a poor quality game watched by a low attendance.

Price to pay for Bailey's non-selection, I'm afraid.

BAZINGA

i'm sure bailey doesn't want to be in the england set up no matter who it is they are playing against i suppose he cant be bothered going to the training camp in south africa aswell.

lack of ambition

classic bailey

A lot of the problems around the international game at present could be solved quite simply.

1. Reduce the number of games against Australia & New Zealand

2. Make fixtures against Australia & New Zealand (outside of the World Cup) played by Great Britain

3. Allow players to play for both GB & their constituent nation

4. Establish a regular home nations tournament during the summer, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales & France

5. Play all England home games at either Wembley or Old Trafford.

shockingly, then people might give a crap about the international game. It'd also mean that sides other than England would be half-decent, as you would not be sacrificing the chance to play in the biggest games by representing a smaller nation within the UK.

For instance, the Ireland team under such a system could also include Sean O'Loughlin, Martin Gleeson and Ben Harrison. The Scotland side Iain Henderson, Dale Ferguson, Danny Brough and Darrell Griffin. Not only would there be big-name SL stars in the teams, but they'd be more competitive against the likes of England, making international fixtures a real test, and a home nations championship something worth watching.

You want England to play Scotland at Wembley?

Are you worried the Hull fans or jocks would wreck the posts?

For suggestion 5 do you really think that the RL has the clout to demand those venues when it best suits the game ??? Somehow I really cannot see England v Ireland/Scotland/Wales/France bringing the crowds flocking in. Instead we will have the spectacle of severe RL embarrassment at presiding over a 3/4 empty stadium in Manchester, never mind its counterpart in London. Who exactly will foot the bill for the empty stadia when all of this happens ?

Grand ideas all, but again the only matches that will really count for anything will be the (GB) ones versus Aus/NZ. The game will simply never gain any credibility by trying to replicate/shadow the much bigger RU and its highly attended well established tournaments.

Never had you down as an optimist. Those fixtures would struggle to 1/4 fill Leigh Sports Village.

not straight away, no. These things take time. However, when you play an international fixture at a McStadium in the middle of nowhere, it immediately sends the 'this is something you shouldn't give a about' signal.

England v Scotland at Wembley, or England v Ireland at Old Trafford, are clearly fixtures that would be understood, and could produce good games. By having them at big grounds, you very clearly say that international fixtures are things we should care about.

Having done some research, an Ireland side under a federalised 'Lions' system would look something like:

1. Scott Grix
2. Damien Blanch
3. Chris Bridge
4. Martin Gleeson
5. Pat Richards
6. Simon Grix
7. Liam Finn
8. Eamon O'Carroll
9. Michael McIlorum
10. Kyle Amor
11. Tyrone McCarthy
12. Ben Harrison
13. Sean O'Loughlin

and a Scotland side...

1. Daryl Clark
2. Kevin Gordon
3. Joe Wardle
4. James McManus
5. Michael Robertson
6. Richard Horne
7. Danny Brough
8. Chris Armit
9. Ian Henderson
10. Darrell Griffin
11. Oliver Wilkes
12. Lee Gilmour
13. Dale Ferguson

both teams who would be capable of giving an England side a reasonable game.

England vs Scotland and England vs Wales are hardly games that I would describe as good games.
If we are honest the only international games worth watching are against aus and NZ.

I think playing games like England Scotland at wembley would hardly sell at all and would have very poor attendance figures, hardly helping the international game and looks a joke on the box

Peter Smith says a contract announcement will be made tomorrow. I believe this is Bailey.

You're right....just glad I didn't leave the post with my original lazy '1/2 empty' statement: at the last moment I actually cogitated perhaps that might be taken too literally by some pedants on here

Bailey is already inder contract for 2013 according to GH. www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-4905573

Bailey is already inder contract for 2013 according to GH. www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-4905573

Quote ="rhinoms"Bailey is already inder contract for 2013 according to GH. www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-4905573'" Didn't this happen last year as well, 'oh yeah bails is under contract just forgot to announce it' Read between the lines, TMFMISL wants to be under contract with Leeds for 2013 so is. Does what he wants.

Quote ="rhinoms"Bailey is already inder contract for 2013 according to GH. www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-4905573'" Didn't this happen last year as well, 'oh yeah bails is under contract just forgot to announce it' Read between the lines, TMFMISL wants to be under contract with Leeds for 2013 so is. Does what he wants.

You wouldnt argue with him would you

And get a good whipping.......

I'm starting to think you maybe looking into this a little too much!

Blow me.

The strange case of Ryan Bailey's never ending contract. My guess is that he signed a 15 year contract at age 16 and now they just string us along every year

It's what he does best: winding up the opposition.

Every year Hull & Wire come sniffing round in the hope TMFMISL's available and every year they get knocked back