Attitude of Exiles turns the Origin encounter into must-see fixture

He was one of the lynchpins of Nathan Brown’s team which has undergone an amazing transformation at the Galpharm Stadium over the last few years.

Competing for silverware is now the norm for the Giants, and that winning mentality is something full-back Hodgson has in abundance.

The 33-year-old joined Warrington over the winter, but he was back on the right side of the Pennines last Friday playing for the Exiles against England at Headingley Carnegie.

Amazingly, Hodgson, crowned Man of Steel in his time at Huddersfield, only the fourth Australian to win the prestigious award, never played for his country. At 33 that boat has probably sailed, so the Exiles match was the perfect chance for the best overseas players in Super League to play representative rugby.

Players like Hodgson – who earlier in his career turned out for New South Wales in the State of Origin games – Castleford’s Rangi Chase and Wakefield’s Glenn Morrison were able to finally compete on the international stage, an honour previously denied them as they ply their trade in England.

An impressive crowd of nearly 15,000 turned out at Headingley – a fantastic crowd and one which would probably have been higher if not for club games just 48 hours later – to see the Exiles win 16-12.

Word from the Exiles’ camp is that many loved facing the Poms, never mind beating them, but the match was beneficial for Steve McNamara’s England.

England, minus quality players including Danny Brough, James Roby, Gareth Widdop, Sam Burgess and Gareth Ellis, were given a good workout by the Exiles and unlike previous summer encounters against France probably got a taste of what intensity and craft awaits them at the end-of-season Four Nations tournament in October.

It was interesting to note the conservative approach of England to the more flamboyant Exiles – Wigan’s Thomas Leuluai was the only player included who was chosen by Australia or New Zealand for last autumn’s Four Nations series.

There was certainly no disgrace in defeat for England and it would be interesting to see what sort of game the Exiles would give the current Aussies or Kiwis. How about the Exiles acting as a warm-up match for the tourists in October?

Training this week will have been interesting, with players like Hodgson having bragging rights over English team-mates.

It was interesting to note that on Sunday all four of the top teams in Super League failed to win.

They supplied a huge chunk of the Exiles side which played just 48 hours earlier, and it cannot be coincidence that it had an impact on the club results on Sunday.

It would be great to give clubs the weekend off next season and turn the sport’s International Origin Match into a must-see fixture.