International Selection

If you ever wondered how we select the BARLA GB team. I willl try to give you a insight into it. First players need to represent the 3 Counties or Combined Services or Student Rugby League. If you think a player is good enough put him forward to one of them. You can nominate a player by contacting a 3 Counties rep or a BARLA rep who will pass it on.

The International set up is a web of officials that cover most of the Country.
This Consist off the following:-

Mick Turner International Manager (Yorkshire)
Who overseas all the international Set up.
Jackie Reid International Chairman (Cumbria)

Open Age
Mick Turner International Manager
John Jefferson Assistant International Manager (Cumbria)
Mick Fishwick Team Manager (Lancashire)
John Fieldhouse Head Coach (Lancashire)
Gary Charlton Assitant Coach (Cumbria)
Dennis Sunaman Physio (Yorkshire)
Steve Manning PRO (Lancashire)

Under 23's
Roger Fagge Manager (Yorkshire)
John Pattinson Team Manager (Cumbria)
Kevin Thompson Coach(Lancashire)
Kevin Armitstead Assistant Coach (Yorkshire)
Stephen Thompson Physio (Yorkshire)
Phil Hodgson PRO (Yorkshire)

Under 21's
Mick Fishwick Manager (Lancashire)
Tony Spence Coach (Yorkshire)
Martin Oglanby Assistant Coach (Cumbria)
Jamie Hobbs PRO (Yorkshire)
Physio to be appointed

Under 18's
International Manager
Martin Sowerby (Yorkshire)
Dave Whalley Team Manager PRO (Lancashire)
Ian Sampson Head Coach (Yorkshire)
Andy Wood Assistant Coach (Lancashire)
Physio to be appointed

As you can see the network of people above cover all aspects of the game and give us a wide network towards selection.
If a player does not get picked up by the Counties he can still get selected as long as he has not refused to play for the Counties. In the 23's and 21's we look at the County Squads first but due to numbers we then go for nominations. All players for BARLA GB and the County teams must be bonefide amateurs, this is checked at The Rugby Football League. If you do not apear on a Clubs current register or as a ex-pro you are ok. We take into consideration a players behaviour off the field as well as on it to try to get the best tourist to represent our Country. I hope this as given you a brief insight into our selection process. 117 players achived BARLA International honours in 2008.

Given that playing in County games is a prerequisite of International selection, how many Pacific tourists are absent from this Friday's game at Ince Rose Bridge?

At the last count, around 13 Lancashire/Yorkshire based GB tour players were not involved in Friday's game.

What Mick actually said was...

Mick Turner wrote:
If a player does not get picked up by the Counties he can still get selected as long as he has not refused to play for the Counties.

Which means what exactly????

It means that the BARLA GB players have to make themselves available to be selected by the counties. The counties don't have to pick them. They may want to look at some other players coming through, or simply not agree with the BARLA GB manager that they are the best available. seems quite clear to me.

So just remind me of the point of the county championships then?? Obviously no longer the pathway to international selection. Still think it's a rule that should be made a little clearer - or better still done away with completely as no one take's a blind bit of notice of it.

In the opening post the criteria is "must represent.........", nothing about being available.

Will Mr Turner, or someone on his behalf, actually admit that the County games are no longer a requisite for International selection and therefore are just cluttering up the fixture list in a busy end of season, and further that there is no longer a pathway to selection and that players are picked totally at the whim of the management?