It is never going to be credible.

The Exiles aren't a real team, nobody really sees it as a great honour to wear an Exiles jersey, they have no supporters, and the Super League clubs (and their supporters) would rather not risk a key player getting an injury in this game.

Saying it will get more credible over time is like saying London Broncos just need a bit more time.

At the next big review of the game the Exiles match will be on the table as something to potentially scrap to reduce the number of fixtures for international players in the season.

That has happened at pretty much every test I have been to, doesn't really bother me unless it gets a bit OTT, for example Hull fans singing old faithful after we beat New Zealand the other year. Booing our own players however is pathetic and I would rather people like that just stayed at home next time.

For me, though, our sport needs a good international game to become a bigger sport (for a start Great Britain need to return!) and England need to be a real challenge to New Zealand and Australia. At the moment I think the quality of youngsters coming through in this country is of the highest quality in a higher number than I've get seen in my lifetime (I'm 31) but for them to play well for England they need to play together for England. Down under they have the ANZAC test and State of Origin as well as the whole NRL competition to play at as high a level as you can get. Over here I'd rather see England play the Exiles as it's a bigger test and a higher quality game than playing France and Wales. So in that sense I think it's essential.

We need a bit of biff in one of the games to spark something off, dunno if it will ever happen though.

Lions tour pretty much nailed on for 2015. All golds aren't a problem, especially on British soil and I don't think we are as far behind the Aussies as some would have you believe. When did NSW last win a series? Yet I keep hearing how superdooper Origin is.

I wasn't there..But did see the game on TV and Tomkins was getting booed when he touched the ball... If you're saying it didn't happen you are the liar pal..

I think people have to be realistic about what the Exiles game is. It's a training exercise, and it's up to the England coaching team whether or not they deem it worthwhile. If they do it will stay and if they don't it will go. It isn't going to be some big game because as already stated by others, the Exiles aren't a real team, there's no real reason for their players to be overly motivated, and there's no reason for anyone to support them (although they do seem to sell a few shirts!)

It is undoubtedly a more challenging fixture than playing Wales, France or anyone else outwith Australia and New Zealand though, so as training exercises go it's probably the best England will ever realistically have.

I went on Friday and will fully admit I was bored throughout, other than when Exiles scored a couple of tries and it looked like they might come back a bit more, but I'd be bored watching any friendly fixture involving Warrington too and in real terms a friendly is exactly what it is. It probably belongs on a training ground rather than a Super League ground, but if nearly 8,000 people are prepared to pay to watch it then that's fair enough. As for the atmosphere, booing, etc. I didn't sing/cheer/boo once, but I did find it amusing that Warrington players in Exiles jerseys were being supported far more than non Warrington players in England jerseys. The reality is that few people will have genuinely cared who won the game, so a number just decided to enjoy themselves in whatever way they saw fit. So what? It won't be like that when England play their World Cup games, but Friday night was not a World Cup game.

Nah it isn't he is shocking in defence, he was rubbish against the Giants in the Challenge Cup and even worse against Saints at your place, his tackling technique is very poor and can't see him getting anywhere near the England team in future.

He couldn't tackle a pig in a ginnel!!

I was there and didn't hear him being booed.

I was there and he was getting booed constantly, but it was mostly playful and he got a very good reception when he went round the ground afterwards. He was also applauded when he did good things during the game.

The exiles did much more damage to the bar in the Village hotel than they did to the England team.

With the prospect of a GB touring team, do you think the Exiles team might benefit from being expanded into a wider group to include the players from other home nations?

Those left out of the current England set up whether by their own volition or that of the coach might make the game more competative by having a point to prove. A team full of 'Brough's' opposite guy's that have 'their jerseys' might just provide the intensity needed to put bums on seats and give a better run out.

went kendal on the ale..far better and before you ask...i never watched any of the game werent interested

The standard of the Exiles team shows just how poor the level of Antipodean imports is at the moment, and they're only going to get worse.

Scrap this fixture, and give Lancashire v Yorkshire one last try - but as a single game rather than series. In addition, the England side should then play France every year.

As Dropkick says it's about the best trial we could have. Alternatives are Lancs vs Yorks or Possibles vs Probables but none is going to set the pulse racing.

well considering regular matches currently don't, nothing do.

i'm all for knights versus england/possibles probables. Only downside to it, there's zero guarantee that macnamara would drop someone from the full team if he were outplayed by his oppo.

Personally i wanted to see someone get smashed in the first tackle at friday's game, or someone get shoulder charged to fook, to set the tone.

You'd like to think a prop would do that to someone he'd like to displace in the rep team, surely?

The only way to get a truly competitive fixture, in my humble.

West v East would at least create a rivalry for the fans.

Yeah. You know what your talking about.

No, really.

Hardaker 1 - No Nowt Huddersfield Feckwit 0

You're a bit obsessed with this West v East. In sure you throw it out there when the league structure comes up too



Can't see it generating much interst. peope dont identiy themselves as West or East. I've never heard someone use the terms.

If its rivalry your after then you might as well go with Lancashire v Yorkshire.

England possibles v probables stays closer to the current format of giving England some preparation. Like others have mentioned McNamara will have made up his mind anyway. He's not going to drop someone because they were poor for one game.

I'd never watch the game though. Just sounds like a glorified training session.

Going to keep banging my Exiles drum. Give it say five years (one game per year) and drop it if The Exiles are getting beaten easily every year.

The last two games have been crap but the first one at Headingley was great and the one at Langtree not bad. Much better than games against the French.

It's all a bit nonsense though, even my W v E, and there are negatives with them all Lancs v Yorks?
Wire and Widnes are Cheshire, Saints are Merseyside, Wigan and Salford are Gtr Manchester.
Plus it makes us look parochial and London players play for who?
Oh not to mention players like Tomkins, Ben Harrison, Rhys Evans (opted for England)

Ideally i'd like Home nations played through the year mid week stop team hopping and have a GB touring team with the home internationals used as recruiting.

If you think Hardaker is good enough to face the Australians it is you who knows nothing.

rhys hanbury tore him a new last night for that try