londonrlfan

Hard to get excited over this WC. Only 10 teams with 8 automatic qualifiers, the majority from the tiny Pacific Islands. The highlight of any WC are the debutants, but there won't be any this time around, or next time. Also blocking teams due to heritage players, then letting others in, makes no sense. This is what happens when the NRL get involved, they dilute it and ruin it. No doubt they'll be praising themselves afterwards about it being the best WC ever.

How many Olympic sports are truly global? Football, Tennis, Athletics, Basketball, Gymnastics, Swimming, Skateboarding? The argument that it must be a global sport gets thrown out the window when Cricket is accepted, the majority of the world have never heard of it. RL will never get in due to RU's influence, however it should focus on regional games - ie Pacific, European, Pan American etc.

They're playing in the WCQ, so they're unavailable.

As opposed to what though? The All Stars? Yorkshire v Lancashire (God forbid)? The latter really would send the sport back to the dark ages

But if Aussies don't want to go there, then it opens up more opportunities to give players from PNG and the likes of Fiji etc full time contracts. It's not a situation where their fanbase will depend on how well they're doing. It's the national sport and games will sell out regardless.

We don't know until we try

Yep, the Pacific Cup/Bowl can even double up as qualifiers too. If we're only having 10 teams from now on, there shouldn't be any automatic qualifiers, except for the hosts.

Then ideally, all the players will be from PNG and the South Pacific, which would do wonders for the international game.

Ideal scenario, would be something like this: Year 1: World Cup Year 2: Regional qualifiers for the Second Major international tournament, ie Intercontinental Cup Year 3: Intercontinental Cup - 8 teams from all regions Year 4: World Cup qualifiers Gives everyone meaningful games and has two big events every cycle to gear up to. Most major sports have World Champs and Olympics etc, football has the Euros, Cops America etc alongside the WC.

No they're not scheduled, but the World Series is in 2025, so when else would they be? A 10 team WC with 9 automatic qualifiers isn't a WC, but an invitational tournament.

If we didn't replace our second major international tournament, with outdated 3 test series, we wouldn't have had this problem.

Loads of comments about Fiji, PNG and France. But Fiji and PNG are in the Pacific Bowl and Fiji are hosting it, while France are in the WCQ and shouldn't be given automatic qualification just to give Eng a game. France need to start winning more games. The only option is Lebanon, and I don't see how the RFL can think we're above playing them. Potentially one game in the Arabian gulf would be amazing, if doable? Otherwise it could potentially promote RL in this country to a new audience, ie Muslims and Arabic speakers. Knowing the RFL though, it will be two games v the All Stars at Leigh and Warrington.

No lol. We're badly run enough as it is. The RFL abandoning Wembley for England games was a huge mistake. 67k in 2013 and not been back since. Regardless how of rubbish the New Wembley is, it brings prestige to the international game.

It is, but unfortunately the RFL have zero ambition and don't want to grow the sport outside of the M62.

Problem is France and Wales will be playing European WCQ next year