Fireworks, but no sparks.

Hey up there, welcome to me new blog. I'm Red and I like to have a ramble about anything this great game of Rugby League throws up. I'll be using this blog to discuss issues away from Fortress CP and you can leave your messages in the comments box below if you feel like it.

Now then, having been kept up all night by bleedin' fireworks, I expected some sort of spark this morning when I awoke at 5am to watch that shower of tripe in red n' white (no, not Rovers - I mean England!) against the Kumuls of Papua New Guinea.

Stan's men were no match for our boys but when half your squad is made up of domestic players you're not going to stand much chance against the Super League elite, let alone the Aussies and Kiwis. They give everything for the jersey, them Papuans, but their defence is more penetrable than Giggsy on a night out round Witham!

Fair play to 'em though, 'cos I reckon we Makali Aizue'd more ball than they did, even if Tony Clubb did score four tries. He's a bit of a unit that lad but SL's leading missed tackler was arguably our best centre all tournament - and he only played 80 minutes.

Any road, what did you expect to happen? You can't walk onto the top dog's manor and try to steal his dinner - he'll bite your bloody leg off. And that is pretty much what happened to us; we went to Oz and New Zealand looking for points and came away with a good hiding. So it looks like our boys will be returning with their tails between their legs, and arms in slings, and ankles in support straps...

The 4Nations is a crackin' concept because it encourages international competition from emerging countries and the reward for winning these titles is a match against the world's elite - but God help Wales next year!

I urge every rugger-following fellow out there to stick with it, stick with McBanana (he is a 'Ull lad, afterall) and think on, we're only just starting to get to grips with the new domestic quota rules and the locating of top young players to potentially fill England shirts isn't going to happen over night. The likes of Widdop, Harrison, Clubb, Briscoe, Eastmond and the Tomkin brothers have only come through in the last 18 months so there is plenty of promise there and, I imagine, a lot more to come.

One player who has probably had his day is Paul Cooke. James Rule has come out and told everyone that East Hull's prodigal son can flip off. So I do wonder what happened with Wakefield; maybe John Kear bit off more than he could chew a second time around or the Wildcats are in a bit of financial trouble and couldn't pay his wages. God knows, but I hope Sir. Rodders cheque cleared.

Right then, I'm off to pick a fight with a large Willie Mason cardboard cut out and prey that Charlton Athletic beat Barnet at Underhill for 43 big ones.

Ramble over.