Mickybooboo

I think you inadvertently sum up my point. Australia vs England has traditionally been one of the the big games in a World Cup. We haven’t played that yet. (We may not at any point) England V Samoa drawing 40,000 is a phenomenal effort which suggests two things: 1. There is a greater variety of games that can generate big excitement (we have traditionally relied on games involving the big 3 to get anything near that sort of attendance in the past) 2. We still have some of the biggest drawing games to come

The advantages for 2017 over this version were very much evident. - Aus v Eng opener -NZ and Tonga both playing pool games in NZ -PNG playing pool games at home In fact, only the 2000 version is a real apples for apples comparison, and even then the biggest game (Australia v England) had been a pool match. I know people will disagree with me, but I think an average of near enough 10000 for the pool games is an excellent result when you consider that there’s no ‘super group’ and all games are in the one host nation. (NZ games are the exception - the quality in that team deserves to play in front of better crowds) Well done England, long may the growth continue.

Sorry about formatting - no idea what happened there.

I am one of those people who have for a long time (near on a decade) read these forums without commenting on them. I need to comment because I’m disappointed with A COUPLE of the crowds, but I know there’s more to this. Im an Australian writing from a lifetime’s love of the game of rugby league where I have lived within and without of heartland areas. I grew up in the Riverina in nsw which is a straight 50/50 split between league and Australian rules. I also lived in Sheffield, South Yorkshire for 2 years (what a wonderful place) and Melbourne for 12 years. Please, please understand the positive impact this World Cup is having on the international game. For the first time that I can remember in Australia, the World Cup is beyond being taken seriously. After the opener in Newcastle, all the talk has been about deficiencies in the coaching of Samoa, not the legitimacy of the tournament. People are in tipping comps and talking about tight finishes in the Tonga v png game or Wales v the Cook Islands. At work today kids I teach were talking about the part time nature of the wales team and how they’re going to watch their next game. This has NEVER happened before. This is the first time ever where a World Cup would have been better served to be stage in Aus or NZ than in England. PNG, Tonga, samoa, Fiji would have drawn big crowds THIS time around. I know we’ve fluffed the comps before but there is a genuine engagement here and it is this side of the world where the growth of the game is real. I hope Greece and Scotland and Ireland kick on, but even teams like Lebanon would draw big numbers here. What I am getting at is that this comp, even if it is poorly attended, will be the launching pad of our great game. I’ve felt the disappointment of being an RL fan in the uk, but it will have long term benefits. If it only breaks even, and France only breaks even, but we have more competitive teams the next time it comes back (which I know might be 12 years away - I reckon a combined NZ/PNG comp should be after France) it will mean a sustainable, long term version of the WC that will be a huge event every 4 years. My two cents - hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful footy!