thebrewxi

Thanks. That doesnt really tell us what's going on though. Rather than being postponed, Bath are playing Oxford today in what they are calling the "West of England Plate Final." Others seem to have just stopped. Theres no media as far as I can see about what's actually going on.

I wish it was all a lot better published somewhere so we could understand.

Just been informed the RFL have stopped the West of England League for 2021. So perhaps neither team have ceased, just the league has stopped.

Bizarre. They seemed like a great start up set up. I might bowl down there this afternoon anyway and see. Such a shame if theyve gone pop. They were signed up for the euro xiiis too.

I was going to walk down to Droitwich Rugby to watch Worcester V Gloucester today; but I've been looking on social media and can't find anything about it. Does anyone know anything about the West of England league and know if these two clubs are playing today?

So I signed up for a year a couple of months ago! I've just emailed them and told them they Murdoch needs to at least give me my money back for this morning.

Where the same money wont be on the table and it will be lost in the other, bigger world cup. They actually just don't want it played at all. Watching watch NRL they arent even bothering to talk about this; doesn't get mentioned on their daily NRL 360, NRL tonight etc programmes... and theyve cancelled all their games today because of covid. !

It never used to be a pro-onion paper. Not sure what happened.

I was there. Great day. Great League. Rubbish atmosphere. And that was with lots and lots of northern fans in attendance. Missed the last train home too. Had to get an expensive, ###### taxi ride all the way back to Worcestershire (with my Welsh mate berating the taxi driver for hogging the middle lane all the way there!- I still berate him for it now, the chap was just doing his job) fun times

I'm running over a lot of this in my head today, and I remember a summary Tony Smith made a week or so ago to the BBC. He suggested the whole thing, and how I feel vs how a fan of an NRL club feels, is massively biased by how the general public in the UK vs Aus feel about Covid. Here, almost everyone know someone who's had it, if not had it themselves. Most have also been double vaccinated. In my case I have had 2 jabs, I suspect I had it in March 2020, and I spent the weekend hanging around a load of 20 somethings at musical festival and I'm fine now. We've had Wimbledon, Silverstone and the Euros. Yes 130+K people have died, but we need to start coming out of this, and we understand we need to be careful, but we can't put off these big events for ever, and we've proved we can manage it ok. Oz: No one is double jabbed. If you go to the UK as a player it is likely you will get it. We don't know anyone who has had it. It kills people. We don't understand what massive outbreak looks like and we are scared. Are we as nations juts so far apart in our heads for this to work this year, and 2022 too (I'm not sure how Aus will ever open up TBH). ... or is it just coup as I originally thought?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/30/nrl-clubs-stand-firm-with-australia-and-new-zealand-over-rugby-league-world-cup "NRL clubs stand firm with Australia and New Zealand over Rugby League World Cup" I love this headline! the NRL clubs are Australia and NZ. This is not new news! It is just basically the people behind the throne coming out and publicly saying what they whispered into their puppet's ear a week ago. Why is it a new thing, deserving new headlines, to give their side more credence?

Why have Souths and Raiders been put at front of house to deliver this message from the 16? Is it because they are the only clubs with more than 1 English player, to apply a bit more informal pressure.? If so, that stinks.

Best comment on CKs yet though... whatever happens, Australia and NZ won't qualify from their group, therefore will need to go through qualifiers for the 2025 world cup. I'd love to see the Kangaroos have to go off to Chile and Vanuatu between SOO matches.

He was sort of suggesting due to the NARL, USARL turmoil over there, plus distance they haven't been approached.

He's also suggested 2 of Serbia, Spain and South Africa have already been sounded out to replace NZ and Aus...

Just listened to Chasing Kangaroos from the last few days, and Mr Carbone is thought provoking as always. He's mentioned that the League World Cup 2021 is getting £25M funding from the UK government (which is more than the Sky broadcast deal) as part of the levelling up and "open for business" government narrative. If the World Cup was to be staged in 2022, that narrative changes and the 25M is not on the table any more. Surely if this is the case then it's World Cup 2021, or not at all.

And the golden boot isnt really a thing is oz. It's the Dalley M that they think is the best player in the world.

you mean, you can't believe the NRL clubs have done this.

Yep, that is what's coming. If the NRL eventually do see the benefit of internationals in say 10 years time, they will do it under their own NRL World Cup banner. The fact it might kill the professional game off in Europe whilst getting there I don't think has even registered. Remember when the big football clubs tried a coup for the European Super League earlier this year? Is that coup attempt any worse than this? The only big difference is I haven't heard any one Australian fan group coming out and condemning this. I'm assuming they are all complicit with Fox and their NRL clubs I guess. History doesn't seem to be part of the psyche

But, assuming we keep the same sort of dates for 2022 as 2021, the latter stages of the RL WC will be lost in the build up to, and start of, the Football World Cup. I genuinely can't believe people in Australia are suggesting it is moved by 1 year. No other sport tries to go toe to toe with a Football World Cup. I don't think Australians have a grasp on world sport, and League outside of their own country. Perhaps if it was moved back to July August time it might work. Let's see how many Australians suggest that as a compromise.

I subscribe to Watch NRL, and after being away all weekend I've binged ove rthe last 48hrs, including on NRL360, NRL Tonight, etc. The one sided coverage of the pull out on Fox, when the world cup actually gets a mention, is incredible. All the usual suspects (bar Wayne B), coming out saying it is the right decision, postpone until 2022 (they genuinely have no f&^%ing idea about the actual World Cup happening at the same time, nor how much the RFL and League in the UK is banking on the League WC for it's future) It's been like watching North Korea News Corporation.

This is all good thought provoking debate. I hadn't really considered the insurance of the players and impact on NRL. Can anyone explain what happened when all the tongan lads decided to play for tonga and not nz and aus; who covered the insurance? Remember when Thomas Leuluai broke his leg playing for the Exiles; who covered his insurance?

You know when we have those theoretical conversations on here about what if Trbojevic played for Serbia, what if Tadesco played for Italy, Moses still played for Lebanon, Cook Islands had first pick of eligible players, etc.......

Just keep playing and improving for the next couple of years. Hes very young. I suspect he'll get his chance for quite a few caps.

My word, you really are well travelled, Groundhopper!. Interested to get your thoughts on Droitwich, I mean Worcester, Jaguars if you catch them at all versus the others on the Western League you've seen. Think the Jags may struggle this year.