Sports Prophet

That is the exact conundrum in applying a simple solution of bans only counting in the competition the offence took place. Let’s suggest in the RLWC Final, Latrelle Mitchell loses his cool and makes a deliberate head high tackle on an English opponent and then starts throwing and landing punches on protesting players which sees two players and the tackled player all ruled out for the rest of the match with failed HIA. I would like to think any subsequent ban would be applied in the following NRL season. I still can’t think of any better solution than what is being applied to Crossland.

That Samoan fan day coverage looks to show a very impressive event. The Pacific Island and maybe NZ fixtures will no doubt be the highlight of the tournament and go a long way to determining if the tournament is a success or not.

We certainly do know the BBC were offered partial coverage. The IRL’s objective was to make a dollar and if a BBC partial coverage alongside a wider tournament coverage behind a paywall was financially better, then it would have been accepted. Whether the BBC bothered to make a partial bid is only known by a select few.

I agree this would help, but the NRL have the European game over a barrel there too. I expect the next focus of PVL Ball will be the international game and suitably including provisions in the upcoming RLPA income agreement which have held the international game back for over a decade now. I don’t expect England to be left out in the cold of any future plans if they don’t join the NRL now, but I do believe the best interest of England will certainly feature in those plans if they are a partner, where otherwise, I think they will be left to feed on the scraps of what is outside the NRL international strategy.

I stand with you.

Strewth JD, this has been on the cards for 18 months. I don’t believe anyone can be accused of acting in haste and I find it very fair to be frustrated that a few permutations around a 15 team schedule is being thrashed out now.

There is nothing to disagree with your post JD, but for heavens sake, this has been the talk of the past few seasons. I can’t fathom why a 15 team fixture list is a matter only being thrashed out now. All parties are stringing this along terribly. NRL, RFL, clubs. I appreciate not rushing into a decision, but neither do I see any urgency from anyone. It is infuriating.

it’s funny the culture difference. In Aus, NRL and AFL season tickets are being sold already, with no idea who is the home team for Magic/Gather Round or whether there are any out of town home matches. In the case of the AFL, the season starts with only 15 of 24 rounds confirmed. Rounds 16 to 22 are released after Rd 9 and then only late in the season are the last two rounds released.

News to me. I don’t have faith in him surviving. I see him quitting his role as head coach.

To be specific… it’s what the RLPA don’t want.

I love a good deadline. Especially the big whooshing noise it makes as it goes flying by.

This is potentially the biggest business change for all these clubs in the next 20 years. why does it take until now to thrash this stuff out? Don’t these guys bloody talk to each other?

Tooooooot tooooooooooooot toooooooooooot toooooooooooooooooooooooooot…

Is it a rock, paper, scissors style vote?

If your NRL club have no mathematical chance of making finals and you finish playing the season, for a club you won’t be playing with next year anyway, and then pull out of a WC… I am happy to say there is a culture problem with international footy. It’s one thing calling out the Aussie public for not watching, but we need the players to give a hoot first before fans will. Right?