Asia Pacific livestream link for all today's games

[deluded pom?]

Conversion missed 0-56

[londonrlfan]

Serbia must look and this and think, why bother? Why bother playing and developing RL, when the governing body just wants the teams with the most Aussies being rewarded? It's the same with South Africa. I know they were upset with Lebanon being full of heritage players and then withdrawing from a competition because they couldn't get enough heritage players, despite having a domestic competition.

[deluded pom?]

4-56 ktc, best try of the match so far IMO.

[deluded pom?]

Conversion missed 4-56

[deluded pom?]

4-60 ktc

[deluded pom?]

Conversion successful 4-62

[Big Picture]

Well these are officially sanctioned RLWC qualiftiers (a RLIF competition) so someone has given them the green light. Maybe it is our larger than life friend at the RFL who is chairman of the RLIF. He is not that fussed about minimum standards as we've seen.

A few heritage players strengthening a country's team and who won't be allowed to switch countries later is one thing, a team full of heritage players who are not bound to that country from then on is entirely different especially in cases like Italy and Scotland where domestic activity has more or less fallen apart.

[deluded pom?]

8-62 ktc

[deluded pom?]

Conversion successful 10-62

[Scubby]

A few heritage players strengthening a country's team and who won't be allowed to switch countries later is one thing, a team full of heritage players who are not bound to that country from then on is entirely different especially in cases like Italy and Scotland where domestic activity has more or less fallen apart.

 

Agree entirely. But if rules and criterion are sloppy then people will exploit it. It is the rule makers who set the agenda.

[deluded pom?]

14-62 ktc

[Scubby]

What a great try. These guys can play! Great to see.

[deluded pom?]

Conversion missed 14-62

[deluded pom?]

FT 14-62

[deluded pom?]

What a great try. These guys can play! Great to see.

 

They had a dig in the last ten minutes and all credit to them. To be honest I wasn't too impressed with Serbia when they had the ball last week or for the majority of this match but as you said they can actually play. 

[damp squib]

They had a dig in the last ten minutes and all credit to them. To be honest I wasn't too impressed with Serbia when they had the ball last week or for the majority of this match but as you said they can actually play. 

 

In every interview with a Serbian RL representative that I've seen they've highlighted proper coaching as their biggest need and you can really see why. Physically they were more than a match for Wales and Italy but their defensive structures and last tackle plays were awful.

[Scubby]

In every interview with a Serbian RL representative that I've seen they've highlighted proper coaching as their biggest need and you can really see why. Physically they were more than a match for Wales and Italy but their defensive structures and last tackle plays were awful.

 

This is always the case. As I mentioned earlier, RL is a brutally honest game where teams without structures get walloped regardless of effort, size and strength.

[Futtocks]

This is always the case. As I mentioned earlier, RL is a brutally honest game where teams without structures get walloped regardless of effort, size and strength.

It's all very well them playing other inexperienced nations, and it is great that they have competition in nearby countries, but you're spot on about structures.

 

When the likes of Spain or Serbia play international matches against opposition with experience at pro/semi-pro level, the need for good coaching is seen pretty starkly.

[Futtocks]

Oh, and the streaming problems I had were at my end of the chain. A few restarts, and things improved in time to just miss the end of the match.  

[USRLFAN]

1037 at Belgrade for the Italy game.  Interesting that Bergamasco did all the kicking 7/11.