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James Graham. https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2021-rugby-league-world-cup-cost-date-postponed-cancelled-australia-new-zealand-reaction-james-graham/news-story/a98132835f7ab78758f874791c4b48ec “We’re here watching the Olympic Games go on, we all witness Wimbledon happen featuring athletes from all around the world, there’s a Golf Open happening, the Wallabies and All Blacks are about to tour to Europe. “What that tends to suggest is it is not a Covid issue. I know speaking to people back home, they are really angry that the commission are hiding behind Covid and perceived player welfare and using hypothetical situations. “What it tends to suggest is that it is not a Covid issue, it is a lack of prestige, a lack of respect, a lack of any potential financial gain for the NRL and clubs to get off this World Cup. “Peter V’landys spoke about when rugby league is in a time of crisis we come together. Maybe he should live by that and help get this World Cup on. I’m not saying he is hiding behind Covid but that is what he is being accused of back in England.”

I think Peter Sterlings off the cuff remark, about the tournament (without Aus and NZ) was poorly judged and obviously extemporaneous (without any forethought). It revealed an underlying and now poorly disguised contempt for ''the rest'' which I'm sure is ubiquitous down under and I'm ashamed to say, prevalent over here. We need to change this attitude, right across the world. There's a hypocritical element (even amongst people engaged in development work) if they see newcomers as lesser human beings. We must get beyond seeing fledgling nations as ''Mickey Mouse'' and begin treating the organisations and the people involved with the respect they deserve, given that they are committing to ''our'' game and doing the best they can with the energy they can muster. Where's the basic human decency, the kindness towards kindred spirits?

As an Aussie I am very unhappy and angry with the ARL...

It's always amusing when someone lives down to your expectations, Phil Gould has done that and more. I know he's probably trolling but he really is an obnoxious, myopic, cretinous old moron.

I don't have tickets, yet, but I'm planning on one group game and the semi at the Emirates. If this goes ahead without Aus and NZ I will add in a couple more games to reward the bravery of the organisers. I suspect many will do the same.

We are going to Chester Zoo in a couple of weeks, we won't be admiring the Panthers or Eels even if you paid me.

I know you didn't like that game, but the RFL with its limited resources have been the cheerleaders of World Cups, test series, 3 and 4N tournaments, mid-season tests, WCCs and so on. They often do things badly but their attitude to international RL is far better than the Aussies.

We were trying to get a mid-season International in to help prepare for the World Cup - which is one more than Australia. Strange example to give - that game only existed BECAUSE we care about international RL and desperately wanted to put a game on in the face of great obstacles.

The damning thing about PVL Is that he claims this is all about protecting the players from Covid, yet he restarted the NRL competition last year in the middle of Covid before any other sporting competition in the entire world! There was no concern about player safety then, with all the appropriate bubbles etc, so why the sudden concern now when the World Cup organisers have bent over backwards to ensure bubble protocols will be followed?

It’s doubly depressing considering this World Cup was going to be the most competitive and most intriguing , with a handful of sides looking very strong and with justifiably big ambitions . We’ve waited for this kind of scenario as playing talent has become more spread out , and it gets cut off at the knees for spurious reasoning and wanton self interest . This World Cup would have been great , I was really looking forward to it , it had at least a level of unpredictably I can’t remember . It would have been great for the game overall , and across all three competitions , and the sheer throwaway contempt and disregard from quarters down there really is hard to stomach . All we can do now is go and put on the best show we can and support it best we can

In the spirit of conversation rather than argument, I disagree with this. If we look at the game in Australia and the UK, in reality little has changed in a very long time. The same clubs and the same cities/regions are at the top table and while some tactical wins are useful against the AFL or ARU, the balance of power in established nations remains pretty static on a macro level. What would really benefit the game is a high profile international schedule providing publicity and awareness of a game that is taking off in many nascent countries. The high profile awareness of events like the World Cup coupled with grass roots development will create an opportunity for our game to break free of its geographical boundaries and become a global sport. By its actions, the NRL is harming this but they are too introverted to see it (edit to say) or, more likely, they don't care.

We all at things differently and I can’t see anything you’ve mentioned having merit. Going ahead is the best option IMO and cancelling it altogether is the second best. For me a postponement is the worst option. There are no guarantees for 2022. The cost of postponing will be sizable. Going up against a Football WC too is foolish. The ARLC don’t seem interested in the RL WC and I that won’t change next year when they find other reasons not to support it. Handing all power to the ARLC is the last thing the sport needs. International RL should not be dictated to by any body within the sport. As for the financial situation, the WC organisers are in the best position to make a call on that one. Your assumed pessimism regarding people turning off the tournament is speculation and unproven. Again, the WC committee will consider all such factors and will move forward accordingly. The glass is still half full to me.

Just listening to the Triple M Saturday Scrum pod and Jammer was excellent. He goes on to make the point that the ‘eight weeks off’ thing has always been an issue but it never stopped the likes of Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith playing finals football for Melbourne, then touring/play in World Cups for the Kangaroos - noting that the last World Cup final was in December - then go round again the following year. They just found a way to make it work, as indeed the ARLC has done with State of Origin and the NRL during Covid.

It has to go on. All the expenses and match fees for the players are coming from the Workd Cup not the NRL. For the first time, Tonga, Samoa and Fijian players are actually going to be rewarded. Add to that the prize money of getting to and winning the final it could be pretty lucrative for these nations. That has never happened in the history of RL. These countries have always been treated like dirt.

Unless something drastic happens, forget about composite teams and bring in the next two strongest teams. They would be delighted to take part and would give the game a lot of publicity in their countries No good messing around they have had their chance. Although Aussie and NZ will be missing, it's to be hoped those with tickets still attend the revised games, otherwise you will be playing into the above hands. Also the organizers have done an outstanding job and deserve everyones support.

I mean that shows the intellect of the troll. Good teams care, rubbish teams don't. Doesn't make any sense. And he is a club official.

But this is exactly what we need! There has to be pushback from every possible angle!

This is about the only thing left in the papers now, it`s out of The Australian which is s national broadsheet. English boss has called on the PM Scott Morrison to explain Australia’s World Cup withdrawal (theaustralian.com.au) Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been dragged into the stoush over the World Cup after one of England’s most powerful officials called on him to explain why Australia was willing to send athletes to the Olympic Games and Paralympics, but not rugby league’s showpiece international tournament. Rugby Football League chair Simon Johnson, who earlier accused the ARL Commission of cowardice and pandering to their clubs, demanded that the Prime Minister justify the decision, which threatens to destroy the tournament. “Our government has backed this decision fully,” Johnson said. “(England Prime Minister) Boris Johnson has spoken to Scott Morrison on numerous occasions. Scott Morrison will have to explain why Australia has no problem sending athletes to the Olympics and the Paralympics, sending his rugby union Wallabies team to England and Wales, but not their rugby league teams. “It is very difficult to explain. This is a very significant and damaging move.” I`d love to think this was going to go somewhere but I fear they`ll just dig their heels in now, unfortunately not enough people care.

I have a watchNRL subscription and see pretty much every show and games and build up. The World Cup is hardly mentioned at all. No one is working for the World Cup at the end of the year, no one is talking about who will be in the Australian backline, no one is talking about retaining the World Cup. It is who is playing a Origin level, who is a future Origin star, who would shine in the Origin arena. It is great Bennett, Stuart and Robinson piping up now - but where has everybody been all season? Covid has made an insular country 10x worse. The AFL with no international opportunities available at all must be laughing their asses off.

My view on progressing here. If we get guarantees that Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, PNG et al are coming (and it's a big if) then we should absolutely progress with the tournament. They have some of the best players in the world (as do England) and we will probably get some of the elite players who would have played for the Kangaroos or Kiwis as well. It's a no to any Australian or Kiwi rebel teams for me - a World Cup is a nations tournament and if Australia or New Zealand decide not to participate then that is on them. Replace them with other nations and get on with it. I desperately hope that there is some kind of reverse and the Kangaroos and Kiwi's come as I still crave a fantastic World Cup but without them we can still have a celebration of the sport... and maybe give them pause for thought on their decision. All this being said, all it will take is one PI nation to pull out now under pressure from the NRL and the domino effect will mean they all pull out and then the whole thing is off. If that happens then some people at the top of the game in Australia and New Zealand will go down in history as saboteurs of our game and they should be ashamed of themselves (as they should be already).

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Stuff like "Invitational" and "President's" teams just make me think either of RU and cricket tours where you play thrown-together squads like this as a warm-up before the real internationals, or events like basketball All-Star games where, even though It's nice to be selected, the game itself ends up having next to no real competitive element and in the case of basketball, just looks like a giant 3-point shooting and dunk contest spread out over the length of a full game. Replace Aus and NZ with actual nations.

Just to point out. The RFL are, I'm happy to admit, completely out of their depth most of the time and basically living hand to mouth. But they emerged from the pandemic in profit (just). Australian Rugby League lost $24m. I don't care how ruthless and shouty anyone is. Reduced TV deals, effectively ending meaningful expansion and ending international competition are what the leadership over there are in charge of. Balls to 'em.

I am sorry, I am not on Twitter myself, but if you are or if anyone else out there is on Twitter, can they start sending messages to the female and wheelchair Australian and New Zealand players and asking them, what do they think? Why are they not questioning in this decision by V’landys Etc Surely they are as furious as so many of the male players are!

Can't the All Blacks and Wallabies take their spots.. they are already going to be their... plus I would p.. off the NRL and it would be great to see 2 union sides get hammered. Win, win.

A good read from Matthew Shaw: It would appear you're in a bit of a hole here, V'landys. Maybe you haven't really thought this one through. Maybe you didn't anticipate the severity of the backlash. Or is it you just don't really care about international rugby league? You're not doing a great deal to convince people otherwise at the minute are you, V'landys? https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/peter-vlandys-rugby-world-cup-21126668

The Tongan invitational 13 side has been sensational - and was a result of a governing body being a d***head. Parallels here too Australia 13 would still be Australian players and would still be passionate and would still be very good. Non obsessive fans (I.e. not us on here) would understand exceptional circumstances etc - Covid I say we do it

I know it may seem ridiculous but I think this could be the parting of the ways with the Aussies. It's been building for some years now and this could be the final straw. What with the Denver(no Covid then) game and the last WC in in Aussie, which I believe were both run at a loss. They are just not interested in furthering the game. IT's a good bet their interest in the Islands is solely to strengthen the NRL teams and no more. The reason being the majority of youngsters no longer want to pay League. There numbers have really dropped off. I was surprised by the NZRL decision though.

The GB was really England so there has always been an England presence of players if not in name. France were the instigator of the WC in RL and France the first nation to hold a WC. It was mainly through a man Paul Barrière who also was behind the formation of the International RL board. He refused to have his name attached to the WC trophy. He learned about RL when fighting for the French resistance and became heavily involved with RL after the war. When people today think about the RL WC, they forget the efforts of those before them and even the present WC committee have made. That in itself should create a feeling of respect for the WC. Maybe I'm too sentimental.

Really, you're actually defending the bloke? The irony is that his twitter feed has a tag line "Silence, is the best reply, to fools" and yet the guy can't keep his mouth shut from spouting off right, left and center (never mind the low intelligence use of commas lol)

Given the various responses and explanations on here and in the Aus press and social media, it is now more clear than ever that this has nothing to do with Covid.. other than as a smokescreen. Vlandis is shamefully and disgustingly hiding behind the deaths and illnesses of Covid victims to promote his personal agenda.

It's almost refreshing to have the pretence that the Aussie care about anything other than the NRL and Origin vanish. If this doesn't convince us that we need to really work on other international assets then nothing will. Maybe we should start that process this November.

Oh dear. And he lost all the credibility he had over the course of 60 seconds. Bad luck.

No delays. It should go ahead on the scheduled dates.

It must be made clear to all eligible Aus and NZ players that the reason they will not be taking part as national, invitational, UK based or dual nationality teams is that Vlandis has renaged, defaulted, welched, bottled, chickened out and if they want to take part, they have to depose him. Not one backward step from the organisers.

Germany and Malta for me:

More strong words (and attitude) from Simon Johnson. I imagine the UK Government are doing something behind the scenes on this one too…

Well, UK Govt has funded the tournament to the tune of £25M. Cazoo have signed a 7 figure sponsorship deal for the tournament. There are partnerships with huge organisations such an UNICEF, wide-ranging broadcast deals with the BBC. Then you would have ticket refunds, costs of stadium rentals, infrastructure costs, staffing costs, overheads. Millions already pledged to meet bio-secure demands of the NRL. In short, I don't know, but potentially huge.

If there was a significant and public outcry, from players who may have been selected on merit for Australia and New Zealand then I'd say print up some green and gold and black and white jerseys and let them play. If the players don't make their desire to play known publicly, then I'd much rather bring in the USA and Brazil. Give the game over there (in the America's) a huge boost

Wouldn't be the first time Australia had lost 24-0 in England after failing to show up.

In 2017 I watched a limited England team push Australia all the way in a WC final in Brisbane, travelling the extremities of the 2 nations to get there. Losing in a final to a forward pass which was the only score of the game. Could it be the NRL are running scared?

As will I. I already have tickets for the Australia v Italy game and if the tournament goes ahead with, say, USA v Italy, I will certainly go. In fact, it is more likely to be a competitive game. If the organisers hold their nerve, then they can count on my further support. Ok, it would be out of spite, but ticket sales are ticket sales! I wonder if this decision will cripple NZRL as an international force? A lot of their players used to start off with Samoa or Tonga before changing allegiance to NZ. Now, they would have option of playing in front of packed houses with almost crazed Tongan fans creating an incredible atmosphere with adulation from the entire country or playing for NZ in front of a quarter full Westpac Stadium. It's a no brainer for me. We attracted good crowds for non Aus / NZ games in 2013 and people didn't go to watch Cook Islands, the USA or Italy because Aus / NZ were in the same tournament. They wanted to see those games in their own right. To this tournament, Aus and NZ are not as important as they would like to think they are. This is a direct threat to the NRL, which is why we have seen this reaction this week. Hold our nerve and we'll be fine (unless the Pacific Islands pull out). Can't wait to see Aus and NZ having to qualify for the 2025 tournament against Niue, Cook Islands and South Africa though!

Postponement to next year is a non-starter, V’landys et al have shown by this disgusting act of bastedry that he/the NRL etc do not give a flying you know what about the World Cup! They will not come over next year, either!

I am not a big fan either. But what a massive two fingers up to the ARLC/NZRL if their own player base does this… same with the Pacific Islanders… I’d accept them simply out of spite!

This week the 14 countries who have committed should be asked to name their preliminary squads - say 35 to 40 players each and name all the NRL players and see how much the Aussies start going crazy...

Wayne Bennet has his say and supports any Souths players who want to go. Calls out NRL on double standards. “Who is going to deprive them? It’s not the right of the club,” he said. “We don’t have an option when it comes to playing Origin or for Australia. If we refuse to play for Australia we get stood down. What’s going to happen for these players that want to play for their countries? “It’s a complete double standard. If a player wants to play and the club says he can’t but if a player doesn’t want to play and the game says you’ve got to play. There’s got to be a balance there.” Bennett was not taking aim though at Australia or New Zealand for pulling out but insisted international rugby league does not revolve around those two nations. https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/wayne-bennett-has-called-out-double-standards-in-a-passionate-fiveminute-defence-of-international-rugby-league/news-story/8ce5da4841f9ea2a971a2376ae497c37

The way around that is for those teams to play as the national teams of Australia and New Zealand, wearing the same uniforms as the Kangaroos and Kiwis.

Personally I think they are a disgrace for pulling out. Now I will cut to the chase. The World Cup MUST go ahead with or without them.No one team(or club)is bigger than the sport. And I would give Australia and New Zealand 48 hours grace to change their minds. And if after 48 hours grace,they still refuse to partake then get hard.Expel them from ALL international tournaments and countries turn around and refuse to tour both countries.Expel the NRL clubs from any international club tournament(s)...PERMANENTLY and without exception or mercy. Time to show them some teeth and prove to them that we can not only bark but bite as well.And hard.

In the long term this has to be a wake up call to everyone in the game from Junior amateur club Chairmen and coaches right the way through every level of the professional game and the RFL. Most of all the warring Chairmen and Chief Execs of Superleague need to stop bickering, stop being selfish and stop being myopic about their own club and understand they are charged with the wellbeing of this great game. We need to pull together like never before and become stronger than we’ve ever been! I mean that in every sense of the sport, financially, participation, player pathways, marketing, broadcasting and media to name but a few areas into which we need to pour effort and resources. We need to be vibrant and strong so that we can bring into effect a balance of power across the two hemispheres. If this episode doesn’t drive that message home to those who matter then they themselves are part of the problem!

Vossy knows https://twitter.com/AndrewVossy/status/1418552001332334592?s=19