4 Nov: RLWC2017 (Group B): New Zealand v Scotland - Match Thread

[Lowdesert]

Brough and two others sent home for boozing.

[Lowdesert]

9 hours ago, absentee thoughtlord said:

With regret, I'm inclined to agree. I simply don't get the feeling that RL will ever have a home in Scotland. The place just isn't bothered.

No disrespect to the few players and enthusiasts trying their hardest there, but if ever there was a case of throwing good money after bad, promoting the game north of Hadrian's wall is it.

Focus on other Pacific islands, North America, Serbia, Russia, and even the Caribbean. The potential benefits to the international game are far, far greater.

There are still players there having a go.  The game is too tough for enthusiasts and any person that puts boots on and plays this game, kudos to them.

I could be wrong in this but I thought the RFL had relinquished support an given SRL the reins.  Maybe half a dozen teams, some comments on our forum from some of the lads too.  They seem entirely bothered.

http://www.scotlandrl.com/

[GeordieSaint]

1 minute ago, Lowdesert said:

There are still players there having a go.  The game is too tough for enthusiasts and any person that puts boots on and plays this game, kudos to them.

I could be wrong in this but I thought the RFL had relinquished support an given SRL the reins.  Maybe half a dozen teams, some comments on our forum from some of the lads too.  They seem entirely bothered.

http://www.scotlandrl.com/

I think the Scottish RL are getting some unfair stick here. It’s not their fault they’ve been accepted into the competition and they aren’t going to turn down the place are they?!

There will be enthusiasts working hard north of the border including in the student  game to keep the sport alive up there. I personally think they’ve been given a raw deal by the RFL in the middle of the last World Cup when funding was withdrawn. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the catalyst for the demise of the sport in its old format up there.

[Quinskolar]

Time to start again in Scotland. Build a domestic comp on solid foundations. No country should be given a free pass. 

[sigesige00]

13 minutes ago, Quinskolar said:

Time to start again in Scotland. Build a domestic comp on solid foundations. No country should be given a free pass. 

Yes, Scotland needs a professional team competitive in the Super League.

[Exiled Wiganer]

No country is given a free pass. We have sensible rules for qualification and enough scots have qualified to allow them to put together a decent side. Their draw against the kiwis last year was a real highlight of the 4 Nations. They still have a strong side if everyone is fit. They were depleted, have insufficient depth and found a kiwi side in full flow. I agree that there should be rules regarding local representation for the next World Cup, and maybe there will be. But what we have are in line with plenty of other sports. 

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

No country is given a free pass. We have sensible rules for qualification and enough scots have qualified to allow them to put together a decent side. Their draw against the kiwis last year was a real highlight of the 4 Nations. They still have a strong side if everyone is fit. They were depleted, have insufficient depth and found a kiwi side in full flow. I agree that there should be rules regarding local representation for the next World Cup, and maybe there will be. But what we have are in line with plenty of other sports. 

Spot on. The bigger problem here is that we do silly things like give free qualification because they did well in 2013. That said they would probably have qualified above all the alternativea mentioned.

There clearly needs to be a rethink on the approach to the game in Scotland, but I dont ever want to see anyone give up anywhere.

 

[JonM]

23 minutes ago, sigesige00 said:

Yes, Scotland needs a professional team competitive in the Super League.

They need an amateur league on a par with those in Serbia, Spain, Czech Republic etc. If there was a professional team operating in Scotland, it would be unlikely to feature any Scottish players.

[sigesige00]

13 minutes ago, JonM said:

They need an amateur league on a par with those in Serbia, Spain, Czech Republic etc. If there was a professional team operating in Scotland, it would be unlikely to feature any Scottish players.

No problem as a start for domestic RL.  Players who have not played for other countries can become Scotland international after several years, right?  (Could anyone tell me RLIF's regulation?  In RU, it's 3 years.)

[londonrlfan]

Would they have been any worse if they'd given David Scott a run out? Everyone says domestic players would mean thrashings, but even pro players can get thrashed. 

[Allora]

1 hour ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

No country is given a free pass. We have sensible rules for qualification and enough scots have qualified to allow them to put together a decent side. Their draw against the kiwis last year was a real highlight of the 4 Nations. They still have a strong side if everyone is fit. They were depleted, have insufficient depth and found a kiwi side in full flow. I agree that there should be rules regarding local representation for the next World Cup, and maybe there will be. But what we have are in line with plenty of other sports. 

How many local Scots played in that draw against New Zealand?

There were Aussies that I had no idea felt they were Scottish turning up to play.

 

[bobbruce]

3 minutes ago, Allora said:

How many local Scots played in that draw against New Zealand?

There were Aussies that I had no idea felt they were Scottish turning up to play.

 

Why do you have an issue with Aussies playing for Scotland through heritage but not Aussies playing for Fiji , Tonga or Samoa. 

[londonrlfan]

It feels to me that Scotland and Ireland get a free pass because of union being played in those countries. It seems silly to me, we don't have to have the exact same countries as union at the world cup. I'd rather have Serbia or Russia there. I wouldn't mind seeing actual Serbians lose 74-6, but English and Aussies losing by that score is bad for the sport. 

[Quinskolar]

To be fair the Irish have a good local domestic comp and deserve to be in. They have a side playing in next years CC.  Scotland however...

[Allora]

1 minute ago, bobbruce said:

Why do you have an issue with Aussies playing for Scotland through heritage but not Aussies playing for Fiji , Tonga or Samoa. 

Because Tonga, Fiji and Samoa have a core of players that were actually born there or have very strong connections with their heritage.

I do not believe that is the case with some heritage players that have represented Scotland from Australia.

The Countries you named are building the foundations in their Countries for our game, what is Scotland doing in this regard?

 

 

[londonrlfan]

2 hours ago, GeordieSaint said:

I think the Scottish RL are getting some unfair stick here. It’s not their fault they’ve been accepted into the competition and they aren’t going to turn down the place are they?!

There will be enthusiasts working hard north of the border including in the student  game to keep the sport alive up there. I personally think they’ve been given a raw deal by the RFL in the middle of the last World Cup when funding was withdrawn. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the catalyst for the demise of the sport in its old format up there.

Serbia don't get any money, Russia have the government trying to interfere, Spain have no money or coverage, yet all these can have domestic competitions. I'm tired of everyone blaming Sport England, why should they pay for Scottish sport? It seems they want to leech off the RFL rather than do their own development. If they were serious about development, then David Scott would be the first name on the teamsheet. Scotland just aren't interested. It's not like union is massive over there either. Yes they get good crowds for the Six Nations, but their domestic crowds aren't much to shout about. The sport is ignoring genuine development of the sport in Europe to cater for the likes of Scotland. I guarantee we'll be saying the same things in four years time as the RLIF just don't learn. 

[londonrlfan]

5 minutes ago, Quinskolar said:

To be fair the Irish have a good local domestic comp and deserve to be in. They have a side playing in next years CC.  Scotland however...

Ireland have definitely got their act together over the last few years. It just shows what can be done. I don't see them blaming the RFL for anything. 

[Dave T]

7 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

Serbia don't get any money, Russia have the government trying to interfere, Spain have no money or coverage, yet all these can have domestic competitions. I'm tired of everyone blaming Sport England, why should they pay for Scottish sport? It seems they want to leech off the RFL rather than do their own development. If they were serious about development, then David Scott would be the first name on the teamsheet. Scotland just aren't interested. It's not like union is massive over there either. Yes they get good crowds for the Six Nations, but their domestic crowds aren't much to shout about. The sport is ignoring genuine development of the sport in Europe to cater for the likes of Scotland. I guarantee we'll be saying the same things in four years time as the RLIF just don't learn. 

How are they ignoring others to cater for Scotland?

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

Ireland have definitely got their act together over the last few years. It just shows what can be done. I don't see them blaming the RFL for anything. 

Ironic as a thread has emerged this morning criticising the RFL for wantng the Irish to fund their own website.

[londonrlfan]

5 minutes ago, Dave T said:

How are they ignoring others to cater for Scotland?

The fact they make up rules that you need a domestic competition in order to compete, then don't follow through with them. There are nations with domestic competitions who aren't even allowed to enter qualifiers. 

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, londonrlfan said:

The fact they make up rules that you need a domestic competition in order to compete, then don't follow through with them. There are nations with domestic competitions who aren't even allowed to enter qualifiers. 

Which nations tick all the boxes and are refused entry?

[londonrlfan]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

Which nations tick all the boxes and are refused entry?

Countries with domestic competitions that didn't compete:

Czech Republic

Philippines

Norway

Netherlands

Ukraine

Poland

Greece

Vanuatu

[GeordieSaint]

12 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

The fact they make up rules that you need a domestic competition in order to compete, then don't follow through with them. There are nations with domestic competitions who aren't even allowed to enter qualifiers. 

How is that Scotland’s fault in terms of admittance to the tournament? It’s the organisers and the RLIF’s fault for not having any balls and getting rid of them.

The funding removal had nothing to do with Sport England surely as well? It was the RFL who withdrew the funds unless you are telling me the RFL was misappropriating them? Clearly Scotland’s foundations were not as robust as the Welsh/Irish ones hence the collapse of the community game or their administration weren’t as driven as their other Celtic counterparts. 

[Dave T]

9 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

Countries with domestic competitions that didn't compete:

Czech Republic

Philippines

Norway

Netherlands

Ukraine

Poland

Greece

Vanuatu

Tick all the boxes was the question.

[Exiled Wiganer]

Feelings running high! There are no free passes there are simply eligibility rules which are in line with other sports. It would be interesting to hear what the Scots'plans are for their game. I have a sense of what Italy are trying to do - and bear in mind what the u----- s---- have done to them over the years - and similarly with Lebanon and all of the Pacific islands. I even have a sense of what Ireland is trying to do, but nothing from Scotland. It must be pretty well hidden if the great and the good on here are in the dark.