Lessons to be learnt

Brian Carney's Set of Six is all about England v The Exiles which exposed the frailties of Super League.

The big talking points in the world of rugby league

Each week Brian Carney takes a look at six moments in Super League that have made the headlines - and not always for the right reasons! Players, coaches and decisions all come under Brian's scrutiny as he picks his 'Set of Six'. Find out who and what caught Brian's eye this week - and then use the feedback form below to have your say. CROWD
14,000 was the official crowd at the England v The Exiles and I think that is pretty healthy. The rugby league paying public should be congratulated - I guess a lot did not know what to expect from this fixture so to get that turnout was good. I have been critical in the past about the size of crowds that attend international games and it has not been great, but for a new concept the figures, in rugby league terms, are not bad. ATMOSPHERE
I heard from a lot of people at the game that there was a rather strange atmosphere. They did not know what to expect and I would have liked the RFL to make more of an atmosphere for the game. I would like to have seen Headingley decked out in colours and livery to make it unique for the occasion. We had a new team and a new jersey and I would have liked them to try and make the game special and not like a normal game of Super League. BOOING
It beggars belief that Sam Tomkins was booed by so-called England fans. That is just totally unacceptable. Once again we are reminded that we have cretins in all walks of life - even in rugby league. If you are an English rugby league fan there is no question about who you cheer for, no matter what club that player plays for. EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
I was just going to leave this like it is and let you all guess what I mean, but for me this is the most important point. There are some deluded people within our game who think we are at this high standard - well I hope this is an eye opener for them. The RFL have really stuck out their necks with this fixture. They have exposed the premium brand of rugby league in this country and it has been found wanting. With all due respect to the Exiles, they should not have beaten England. In their day The Exiles players were some of the best players in the world, but they are not at that stage now and I think they would admit that. It is a big risk to take with your brand and I am assuming that the RFL thought all this through and that they are confident that they can sell the same England team to take on the best on the world in the Four Nations. But this shows us exactly where Super League is at and I hope people take notice. If the game serves a purpose in allowing us to know where English Rugby League is at and react accordingly then that is a good thing. MISSING PLAYERS
I have heard a lot of people say that England would have won if they had all their players. I agree that the likes of James Roby, Sam Burgess and Danny Brough would have strengthened England but disagree that they would have made a difference in the result. Injured and missing players work both ways and let's not forget that The Exiles were restricted as well. I am thinking of players like Michael Monaghan and Ryan Hoffman in particular who would have added to their squad. So I do not really buy into the missing players argument for England. STAND-ALONE FIXTURE
Asking players to front up again two days after the Exiles is difficult. Clubs who contributed a lot of players were certainly disrupted and it is a big ask for both players and clubs. To do the game justice and to lessen the burden on the players I think a stand-alone fixture would be ideal. But where do you fit it? The fixture list is already bursting at the seams with games. Perhaps we need to look at reducing the teams in Super League?