eal

Will hopefully be a lot better than Luke Keary.

Wayne Bennett speaking enthusiastically with the media is a sure sign he is losing the plot. Lewis Dodd wasn't really all that great in SL, not sure why anyone thought he would be good in the NRL. Who is actually responsible for his Souths signing?

Permanent holiday?! Has anyone ever gone on a cruise or stayed in a resort? Nice for a few days but pretty quickly you get bored. I guess one could leave the resort in Port Moresby and mingle with the locals roaming the streets with machetes looking to kidnap wealthy foreigners. I hope V'landys has a ransom fund in the back pocket? "The Overseas Advisory Council, which is the crime-watching branch of the U.S. State Department, argues that crime in New Guinea cities, notably Port Moresby and Lae, are among the highest in the world. Raskols, which is the PNG term for criminal gangs, are active throughout the country. Kidnappings, home invasions, car-jackings, gang rapes (called “pack rapes” in New Guinea) and armed robbery are routine. OSAC recommends the use of security escorts, 24/7 guard surveillance of homes and places of business, and the wearing of personal tracking devices to allow for easier rescue in the event of an abduction."

Correct.

I really fear England are going to struggle. The first game might be close, but once the Australians are clicking I think it could easily be 20 point margins. The big variable is how many SOO players decide to represent heritage teams instead.

Pro D2 is a lot of fun, particularly some of the crazier games between teams lower in the table. Anyway, I do wonder if we will see more of this? Not sure if I can think of a ready-to-go RL example as currently one would need to get cameras set up at Championship and League One games, whereas the Pro D2 already has all that covered.

I'm not sure what I would classify as the biggest lie, but I have a particular interest in French RL so it came to mind. Vichy was for sure damaging, but French RL peaked after WWII during the 1950s and 1960s and France even defeated Australia 2-0 in 1978. The declines of the 1980s to present day cannot be blamed on something that happened in the 1940s, it has come about due to chronic mismanagement, lack of innovation, and disastrous events like a nationally televised grand final being abandoned after 3 minutes due to brawling.

French RL would be good if it weren't for the Vichy Government.

The Pro D2 semifinal played on Thursday has 14,000 views on YouTube so far.

Is Scottish international Bailey Hayward a dark-horse candidate for GB selection?

This is an interesting story about a YouTuber convincing Pro D2 (French second tier professional club rugby) to sell him broadcast rights for UK and Ireland. Surely a first-of-its-kind broadcast deal? I wonder if we will see more deals like this, particularly for competitions below the top tier? Pro D2 is already broadcast in France so no expense of setting up broadcast equipment etc which would no doubt be the obstacle to buying rights to the Championship and League One. https://www.planetrugby.com/news/youtuber-secures-free-to-watch-broadcasting-rights-to-french-league-in-astonishing-landmark-deal

Lebanon aren't a legitimate international team. They are nothing more than an every four years pick up team. There is no plan or trajectory for growth locally. The fact that Wales misses out on the World Cup but Lebanon don't is a travesty.

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/inside-the-growing-unease-around-png-expansion I doubt the PNG NRL project will ever happen. It would be much more sensible for the NRL to invest in a professional domestic league for the country and instead focus on another NZ team. Even if this project does get off the ground, it will never attract elite players and PNG is decades away from providing elite players itself.

Are games on the BBC also available on iplayer? I can usually watch iplayer with a VPN from overseas.

Talk of a Perth boycott. Good on them, the NRL is treating WA like an open cheque book. https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league/nrl-on-track-to-draw-a-reduced-crowd-for-double-header-in-perth-c-18327815?fbclid=IwY2xjawJk4iJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlRDHGqvUYJDziXNdt1eQWwuueeH0AQlBOx3uTQ2dx4wSKFGY25g0mC3a66d_aem_ZVi-53q78odngCdY3xy2_w