Clint Newton proposes a 'War of the Roses' for rugby league

(GETTY IMAGES)

Hull Kingston Rovers star Clint Newton has revealed his ambition to see a War of the Roses style match incorporated in the new Exiles concept.

The Australian is proposing an encounter between Yorkshire against Lancashire for players under the age of 23 as a kind of warm-up to the main event should the international Origin fixture be repeated in the future.

Steve McNamara’s England were beaten by the foreign imports team 16-12 at Headingley in last Friday’s inaugural game, with a late try by Samoan George Carmont just 45 seconds before the final hooter proving the difference between the two sides.

Newton told PROBIZ Tryline that he would love to see the clash become an annual event, but he has reservations about whether that will be possible.

The former Newcastle Knights man said: “I think there’s a possibility it could be a regular fixture, for how long I’m a little bit sceptical on. I just don’t think they are going to have the number of quality players available over the next couple of years to give England the kind of game they need and they want.”

Those later comments refer to the situation of salary caps with the NRL set to raise the salary limitations to $7 million per year and increasing the number of players allowed in a squad at the same time.

Newton, who has also played for Melbourne Storm during his career, has some strong views about how the British game be improved, as demonstrated by his suggestion to the RFL to give younger players the chance to mix with senior internationals both in a training and match environment.

Newton added: “I thought before the Exiles game that any Englishman that wasn’t picked for English team and that was under the age of 23, should play in a Lancashire against Yorkshire curtain raiser and get those young kids playing against each other on a big stage.

“Then if the Exiles game does fizzle out, you’ve built a base of players playing in that match and it becomes the pinnacle game over here.”

It is an interesting suggestion and you can hear more details about it in the latest PROBIZ Tryline in which Newton also airs his views on the Willie Mason situation and the possibilities of him ever playing for either the Exiles or England.

As ever, there is a comprehensive run-through of the most recent news from Super League, and the Independent’s Dave Hadfield will give you the lowdown on the latest round of action.

PROBIZ Tryline is available to listen to on The Independent’s website and through iTunes. Click here for more details.