Exiled Wiganer

I would have thought that some might reflect on the ferocity with which people called Dutton a liar over ticketing issues when it may well be that what he said was based on the (incorrect) information given to him…

I have tried to understand the points you are making, but I am really struggling to do so. First, your response to my comment that if you got rid of the qualification by ancestry rule, then France would easily be in the top 8 made no sense. You have to read both parts of that sentence to understand the point I am making. Applying that test, we would have strong teams from Australia, New Zealand, England, PNG and France. Second, your suggestion that our game cannot expand geographically is defied by actual facts. We have far more countries playing our game than was ever the case in my day, and we are at the point at which the interest in our game makes it clearly the biggest football code in the Australia/NZ/Island region (I am not sure what the right term is for that). This is a game that gets billion dollar TV deals. It can be done because it is being done as we speak. Third, league was once a much bigger sport in France and indeed the bigger code of rugby, but for various reasons, including the inevitable union interference, it declined. But that market was there once, and it can be created again. However, leaving aside those points, and focussing on France, I don’t know what the solution is, but it’s very much in England’s interests to do all we can to help them.

We could ditch the grandparent qualification rule, in which case France would be one of the top teams again.

The Verve.

Really good game. I like the Canada kit. As role models and leaders in their nation, the Orchids are a very big thing. There’ll be millions of happy PNGers after the last couple of days.

It’s a good watch. Brazil are digging in, but class will out.

I would go with 16/17 of the Newcastle team with Bateman for Lees. They looked so good, and the balance in the side is so grooved because they can all play up tempo Wane ball (with Radley as Lockers) in their sleep. Under pressure, that familiarity with the structure is a huge advantage for us.

We have 8 predictably “strong” sides: Oz NZ Eng Fiji PNG France Samoa Tonga - for the next world cups at least so could see Samoa and Tonga at the top table. France missed out but were in a hard group, and Lebanon’s current mix is strong this time round (but there is a big risk that it won’t be in the future…). Of the others I like what Wales is doing (and bear in mind they could have Knowles and a couple of good NRLers of England hadn’t nabbed him). But after that it’s a stretch to see what we’re trying to achieve for a lot of the rest. Tbh, I would be inclined to ask them, and hear what they make of being thrashed: has it helped or not?? If they’re making progress then stick with what we’re doing, if not work out a plan B (eg 2 super groups and 2 groups from 9 to 16). The people ideally placed to comment are yue countries being thrashed…

JT transforms Tonga, and they should have enough to crack Samoa.

I was taking a quick look at the 95, 2000, 08, 13 and 17 tournaments, and a few things struck me: - this is the first time the groups have all had to stand on their own 2 feet, with no super group, no fancy formulae and no group matches between 2 of the big 3; - this is the first one in only one country, as opposed to giving non host nations home games; - the vast majority of crowds have been within “expectations” with the first exceeding them and the rest being ok. And that’s with the “high” prices. I would say that there have been 2 catastrophic crowds in Hull and Warrington; - we are going into the business end now, and may get 5 out of 7 competing games. If the organisers are to believed the semis and final are selling very well. We could get 420/430 by the time we’re through (we sold out OT when we didn’t make the final last time), especially if England win next week. plus, and this is huge for the future: we have 3 other world cups running alongside this, with likely record NH crowds at all of them… (and the RLWC team had had to cobble itself back together after last year’s crushing blows). In attendance, viewing reach, width of participation and I assume gross income terms everything I have seen has been encouraging. If the IRL gets a decent return then that will flow into Wales, Serbia, Scotland, Ireland and so on. in terms of raw enjoyment I would so far place it behind 2013 but at least on a par with the others (95 was invisible), and well ahead of 2000. But maybe that’s a problem with nostalgia - you should never go back. success? It depends how you look at it…

I was reminding myself about 2013 and they had a couple of things in their favour which we don’t. France and Wales both played home games and they had a super group.

The Wire crowd looks good to me. I am sure I have seen sparser crowds there for Warrington games. The only disappointing crowd so far this round was the shocker at Saints.

I am not sure the point you’re making. The facts have been set out by Martyn above.

Am I right that this is the first World Cup in which the big 3 are all in different groups?

Wow! Tonga! Ours is the most unforgiving sport. Good crowd figure. The Cooks are better than that. Lovely people.

I have bid for lots of things in my life, and never once have I done so without taking responsibility for delivering the thing I bid for. There is fault on a number of sides, but the bidders must share it.

It’s exactly as Martyn says above.

I have stayed in the seat I have paid for plenty of times. It’s your choice what you do.

What’s terrifying is that her side has been given the oxygen of publicity, and that even people who might be inclined to hear Ireland RL’s side have swallowed it whole. I would like anyone on here in similar circumstances to go to Harley Street and stay in a 5 star hotel, and see how much sympathy they get. It’s a disgusting misrepresentation.

That’ll show the suckers who’ve paid £70 for the benefit of the international game.

Looks and sounds great.

Neither triumph nor disaster. Looks and sounds good enough to me.

Well that’s more than Elland Road’s capacity, so I think it’s unlikely. You are aware we are using the other venues for the semi and the final?

Yes, indeed. Which got the biggest crowd in RL history for a game not involving 2 of the big 3 nations.

Play an international in London every year. It’s where the biggest market is.