St Helens Star sports editor Mike Critchley 'mouths off' about Saints and Rugby League in general in this regular column. But do you agree with him? Let us know by clicking on the link at the bottom of each article.

I haven’t got Sky so have not watched the British Lions tour to New Zealand, but I have listened to the Test matches on Radio Five Live.

I have to say I did not choke on my cornflakes as I listened to the All Blacks run in try after try last Saturday morning. In fact I took a degree of grim satisfaction from hearing them get turned over by a better footballing team.

So much for Sir Clive’s genius selection and coaching policy – maybe he was thinking about past glories or his future in the round ball game too much.

Before you get the wrong idea, this is not an essay simply to put the boot into rugby union. The game itself is not as bad as most league fans think – unless you are watching a team that just wants to pick and drive all afternoon - it is just that we are spoiled rotten in Super League.

Jealousy does not come into it when I pick up the tabloids and broadsheets every day and see page after page of Lions tour coverage, whilst our code is shoved into a corner with the speedway and badminton.

What would rugby league fans give to have national newspapers dishing out colour supplement and posters, as they have been?

Coverage like this is priceless – but instead of sitting on the sidelines whingeing about it we have to understand why union gets all this coverage and address it.

Clearly it is nothing to do with the quality on the pitch, because league is far more entertaining on all fronts, unless people actually like watching scrums and kicking contests.

The old school tie brigade may have an input in some sectors, but it is nowhere near as prevalent as it used to be.

So I reckon it comes down to geography. Because union is spread the length and breadth of this country, with a club in every town, it has national appeal.

That is why it is essential that we break out of the north. It really annoys me when people grumble about London because if we stick to being a northern game, we would just wither away.

And if union beat us hands down with their national spread, they top that with their international links. There is a degree of spin here because despite the fanfare of their World Cup it is only England, Wales, South Africa, France, New Zealand and Australia who are going to win any meaningful international tournament.

People who were not previously interested in rugby union – including many women - lapped up the last union World Cup. We need to emulate that and in the Tri Nations are building something good.

We need to step that on by developing the French and having Les Catalans in Super League next year is a bold and adventurous step.

It might not be popular to say it around here, but this team will benefit Super League and the international game 100 times more than either of the sides that are relegated this term.

People who grumble about the French coming in or travelling to London cannot also complain about the pitiful press coverage we get.

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