fighting irish

Hilarious! I needed that.

I thought at first, that this decision was an emotional outburst by Vlandys (with little forethought) following the news that the World Cup would go ahead, whether they were in it or not. Now, I'm convinced it was premeditated and carefully planned some time ago and timed precisely, to cause the maximum damage to the IRL and the RLWC organisers. This is a coup d'etat like any other and the perpetrators are just as ruthless. I'm still hoping that they can be turned back but when it comes to influencing the players and public opinion, (our only hope) they have demonstrated a quite breathtaking control of the flow of information (the press) during this whole affair. A control which would be the envy of Kim Jong-un. Where are the Australian investigative journalists? Where are the honest newspapers who stand for truth and transparency and fully integrated story telling? Are there none? Is freedom of the press a thing of the past in the Antipodes? It seems they are well positioned to silently kowtow to the Chinese when they (invade) come ashore in Port Darwin.

No its not! lol

Isn't it true, that with greater numbers of non-Australians playing in the NRL that a good deal of the ''best'' players are not Australian and therefore not eligible for the SoO? If this is the case and a growing trend then claiming it's the pinnacle of the game will become more and more difficult.

This is the function of the IRL surely. I'm sure we could get a good following here (in Wales) for Wales v Jamaica, or Wales v USA or Canada etc. These games are mutually beneficial and (I believe) more attractive because of the unpredictability of the results than a lop-sided Wales v England match. I'm very eager to see some structure created where these games can be established and built upon year on year.

I don't know what you mean when you say ''no one refused to watch it'' but surely the spectator numbers (television and live) fluctuate up and down? Rocket was suggesting that the numbers have been declining lately. I'm just implying that it's a treadmill (I believe) they can't get off. They have to keep flogging it (even if the horse is dying) because they haven't got any other horses.

They've got no option but to keep on playing it.

Just to add, I think that the world cup could still be organised on a 4 yearly cycle. Invitations to Australia, New Zealand, England.... in fact all RL playing nations would be issued. If those invitations are not accepted then so be it. The comp, goes on without them. The whole idea here, is to develop the rest of the world until we have more Nations capable of defeating the big 3/4. The IRL World Cup would, in time, become irresistible to the big 3/4 because of the size and quality of the competition. Let's stop whining and get on with it.

I accept that the fall from grace of international rugby league in the minds of the Australian fans is real. It's also real in the minds of English fans regarding games against (uncompetitive) France, Wales etc. This is a kind of catch 22 for International Rugby League, so here's my take on it. The IRL should focus (all) its efforts on creating International competition amongst the ''other'' nations, developing the game and establishing regular matches (which can be sold) between roughly equivalent, competitive National teams. Perhaps, the winners of said competitions could then challenge England in the NH and Australia/NZ in the SH at the end of the comp in a one off, winner takes all match. The jeopardy of such a challenge match would, I believe create a lot of interest. Once the winners of the NH and SH International competitions begin to beat England and Australia roughly half the time, then those nations can be incorporated into the International comps. Where there's a will there's a way mate and I'm not prepared to accept that we should do nothing.

I don't think the indiginous teams are going to come here, with the blessing of the ARLC nor should we welcome them alone. If they did, the outcry from the other players, who would have been selected for Australia would be heard from here and rightly so. For me, the only way through this is with ''rebel'' unsanctioned rep teams made up of the best players who declare their desire to be in it, or two non-qualifiers (USA + A.N.Other). We (the organisers) can't welcome the indiginous teams and condone what the ARLC have done by leaving out the other eager players (Cherry-Evans et al) that makes us look as bad as them. I say, unless Aus and NZ climb down and opt back in, we should quickly appoint two ''rebel'' coaches/managers and select the best invitational teams we can muster from all the willing players. Then (crucially) print up the Green and Gold and the Black and White jumpers, so they can rightly feel/claim that they are playing for their respective National teams. If we haven't got the cojones to go that far, then bring on the USA option.

Also the daily infection figures are dropping like a stone (as predicted).

I may have missed something but the way you phrased ''You cannot overstate the significance of Tonga staying on board..'' suggests to me that Tonga are in. Have they declared their intention to take part? Have I missed that announcement?

Give him a poke from me?

I believe V'landys is using him as a mouthpiece. He's saying the things V'landys is too politically astute to say for himself. Gould is a just a pig of a man who doesn't care what other people think of him. He believes he is unassailable.

Has he got a twitter or facebook account? Get on it and give him heaps.

Three cheers for honest Elliot Whitehead! ''Four minutes V'landys'', the wombat!

where can I read it mate?

Those who control the flow of information, control the world. By the time the players realise, it'll be way too late. Rocket?, RP? Scubby? What can we do, to keep getting this message, (that the ARLC are being utterly dishonest and deceitful and grossly exceeding their authority), out into the public domain in Australia and New Zealand? The press are virtually silent on the subject, certainly not unbiased. Can't the AFL be provoked into voicing this kind of criticism?

I would encourage all NRL players to seek places in the other competing Nations teams. I'm open minded about the indiginous teams, or Aus and NZ invitational sides (as long as they wear the Green and Gold and Black and White chevrons) but I would prefer to see the USA and another NH team included in the hope that there's a moral revolution in Australia resulting in the appointment of some decent, honest (trustworthy) men, to run the game over there.

Are you seriously suggesting that the tournament be cancelled when they are using their scurrilous, baseless nonsense, as a smoke screen to mount a coup d'etat? Or that we play into their hands, facilitating their takeover of the IRL whilst incurring huge costs and possibly bankrupting, or at least, seriously undermining NH RL for years to come? That we tacitly condone the dashing of the rest of the World's athletes (and their own) ambitions, hopes and dreams? You may argue that their players are the best in the world, but the administrators are slimy, amoral, deceitful and untrustworthy propagandist tyrants. Aren't you concerned with matters of right and wrong? I would argue that the behaviour of V'landys et al, in these matters makes them utterly unworthy of being a part of World-wide sporting alliance and ought to disqualify them from taking part in the World Cup. It's supposed to be a meeting of sportsmen, not despots.

Oh mate, shame on Australian RL.

The image that came to my mind was that of Lorena Bobbit. Of course, we should be careful who we get into bed with. It's understandable that the organisers believed they were trustworthy. Who would have expected we'd be eviscerated and emasculated by our own? How naive, how foolish, how tragic. Stabbed in the dark, while asleep in the honeymoon bed, our gifts laid out before them, at our most innocent, at our most vulnerable. Shame on Australian RL.

Please summarise the article in the Australian for me? What ''new'' information does it reveal?

Fair enough,

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