Matterhorn

The problem is with the lack of internationals. Correct me if I am wrong but last time England V Australia was in the final of 2017 world cup. There is now almost a whole generation of players from both countries who have not played the other side. At least with the 4 nations that happened at the end of each year whether in England or Aus/Nz It is an absolute joke that this has been allowed to happen - regardless of Covid or Pacific Cups or players resting after NRL ends.

Let's be frank its the best of a bad situation. Sounds like with most of the world cup teams needing there players from the NRL they have factored in costs as well as travel on NRL players. Lets hope we don't have fake pools made up again - but with 10 teams its hard not to have uneven pools of teams. 2 pools X 5 in each ( 4 games each) - top 2 to semis but that would make logical & practical sense and rugby league has very rarely done that before. I really hope France can qualify - i know the ball is in there court to do so - but with them being the previous host that obviously couldn't & them being the host of the first world cup we really need them in, for the tournaments credibility. I only hope we can put the word "WORLD" back in Rugby League World Cup in future years & not being a Pacific Cup + England + a few qualified nations reliant on NRL players to compete. I hope I'm around one day to see Greece, Jamacia, the United States & even a few roughies like Serbia, South Africa or Canada qualify - then we can call it a genuine Rugby League World Cup.

So what happens in this next World Cup & PNG / Fiji / Cooks or whoever get 50+ scores by Aus/Nz/Eng. Do we wet the bed again & have a 6 team world cup in 2030 to ensure we have close competitive games. Going by World Cup Rugby League Results on past tournaments & apply this criteria to the NRL we may as well have a 8 team comp next year a kick out st george / west tigers & whoever else runs in the bottom 8 to keep the broadcasters happy. At some stage to be taken seriously we need to grow the world cup pie & not shrink it into a cupcake.

How can they call it a world cup when potentially 70% of the countries involved are from the Pacific? Throw in England + Lebanon + another Euro/Africa/Asia/America qualifier. Good luck getting taken seriously in the Olympics with 9s if that is the highest we are going to raise the bar. It would be like FIFA hosting a 10 team world cup & having the top 7 south American nations + England + Germany + a qualifier from 187 other nations. Sounds like it was drawn up on the back of a Tiger's Beer Coaster in a Singapore Hotel after took much chili mud crab left the people attending needing a quick toilet break so they could end the meeting quickly.

I still think 10 is too small - 12 minimum at least with the carrot to say the next one after will lift to 14 or 16 to show they are serious about growth & development of participating teams.

Hot of the Sydney Press: The Rugby League World Cup has been postponed for 12 months and Kangaroos tours will return as part of a huge shake-up of the international calendar. The International Rugby League has released a plan for Test football until 2030, which includes pushing the showpiece RLWC to 2026 after France pulled out as host of the 2025 edition. The tournament will be held in the southern hemisphere, with the women’s version to be staged as a separate event in 2028. That will give the elite women a chance to shine on their own stage. Other major changes include the scrapping of the World Cup 9s and trimming the number of teams involved in World Cups to maximise competitiveness. From 2026, RLWC competitions will feature 10 men’s, eight women’s and eight wheelchair teams. The changes were rubber-stamped at an International Rugby League board meeting in Singapore, where powerbrokers gathered to discuss how to grow the game while overcoming France’s withdrawal. The traditional Ashes clashes between Australia and England will return, including the Kangaroos’ legendary tours of the United Kingdom. The other focus is providing quality content for the rising Pacific nations, while providing regional and World Cup qualifying tournaments for developing nations. An announcement on the matches coming up at the end of the current season is yet to be made. However, the plan is to hold two tri-series tournaments: one involving Australia, New Zealand and Samoa, the other featuring PNG, Fiji and the Cook Islands. Those matches are expected to be formally announced in the next fortnight and the latter could strengthen PNG’s bid for an 18th NRL licence. The schedule will finally provide some clarity on the plan to grow the game beyond Australia and New Zealand. “It is no secret that the Achilles heel for international rugby league for far too long has been the absence of an international calendar,” said IRL chair Troy Grant. “The ad hoc nature of tournaments and international matches, and the absence of any clarity for nations, players and fans to plan their seasons, is over. The international calendar respects player workloads and importantly also reduces the impact on professional clubs. “The standards have improved dramatically in recent years regarding player welfare and player workload issues, and they were key considerations in the calendar design. “After we secure the future of international rugby league, our calendar will help rejuvenate and allow the game to grow globally, recognising the elite in our game and providing pathways for development of the game across all levels. “The Ashes return, with England men’s and women’s teams to tour Australia in 2025, while international tours are back, with Tonga heading to England in 2023 in an historic start to the new era.” Powerbrokers hope the ongoing stoush between the NRL and the Rugby League Players’ Association doesn’t disrupt the plans for Tests at the end of the current season. The NRL has shown a commitment to also grow the game by taking the opening matches of its premiership season to Las Vegas in 2024. “The Commission has a focus on growing the international game, with a strong desire to grow rugby league in the Pacific in particular,” said ARLC chairman Peter V’landys. “That starts with having an international calendar for at least the next five years. “Of equal importance is that there is now a strong plan in place to grow the women’s game at international level. This aligns with the growth of the NRLW competition and the growth of the women’s game at grassroots level.”