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Lions tour 2019 (Merged Threads)


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16 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

There was no need to mention Australia, none whatsoever

If you are able to listen to the podcast that I linked to above, you will hear that Sinfield's made similar comments in response to a question by Dave Woods.

Dave Woods said to him: "There must be disappointment that Australia are not involved. Is there the potential that at the eleventh hour Australia might say "yes, we will play a test match against you".

Sinfield then gave his reply to say that he was "disappointed" about it.

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Just now, 17 stone giant said:

If you are able to listen to the podcast that I linked to above, you will hear that Sinfield's comments were made in response to a question by Dave Woods.

Dave Woods said to him: "There must be disappointment that Australia are not involved. Is there the potential that at the eleventh hour Australia might say "yes, we will play a test match against you".

Sinfield then gave his reply to say that he was "disappointed" about it.

The answer is no. They have their games, we have ours. Well, the answer is no, if you want to try and generate some interest in the fixtures we have arranged. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

The answer is no. They have their games, we have ours. Well, the answer is no, if you want to try and generate some interest in the fixtures we have arranged. 

 

So Sinfield pretending not to be disappointed would somehow make everyone more interested in the fixtures that have been arranged? Given that the comments are mostly going to be read by people who know about and have some interest in rugby league, I think Sinfield standing there pretending not to be disappointed would just seem ridiculous. It would to me anyway, because I'm massively disappointed that we won't be playing Australia. If Sinfield had put on an act and pretended not to care, I'd have thought him an idiot for trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes, and if he genuinely wasn't disappointed about not playing Australia, I'd have doubts about his suitability for his role. Because everyone involved with rugby league should be disappointed, and I would go so far as to say ashamed, that Australia won't be playing Great Britain this year! Especially given that it would have been in Australia and they wouldn't have needed even to travel!

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7 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

So Sinfield pretending not to be disappointed would somehow make everyone more interested in the fixtures that have been arranged? Given that the comments are mostly going to be read by people who know about and have some interest in rugby league, I think Sinfield standing there pretending not to be disappointed would just seem ridiculous. It would to me anyway, because I'm massively disappointed that we won't be playing Australia. If Sinfield had put on an act and pretended not to care, I'd have thought him an idiot for trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes, and if he genuinely wasn't disappointed about not playing Australia, I'd have doubts about his suitability for his role. Because everyone involved with rugby league should be disappointed, and I would go so far as to say ashamed, that Australia won't be playing Great Britain this year! Especially given that it would have been in Australia and they wouldn't have needed even to travel!

Talking about fixtures that GB aren’t playing on the day we’ve given life back to an old concept and have announced opponents is just daft. 

Its the third and fourth paragraph on the BBC’s sport website, a leading news source in the U.K. and we’ve got a bloke involved in the team seemingly more bothered about who we’re not playing than who we are. It’s simply Rugby League being Rugby League and shooting itself in the foot again. How do you expect to garner interest from casual fans or news with this sort of attitude? If one of the biggest names we’ve had play the game in the past 15 years is saying about how “disappointed” he is, why would people want to watch it? Our TV numbers for Internationals aren’t bad and then you get buffoons like Sinfield saying stuff like that when Australia at the time of the press release had their fixtures released, is a bit of a slap in the face to the opponents we are going to face and just plain idiocy. 

I’m sure Sinfield’s disappointed about a number of things and there’s a time and a place to discuss those things and yesterday was not the time or place to do so. Whatever his opinion, diplomacy was needed on the day we bought back GB and announced the fixtures. 

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2019 international rugby league schedule confirmed

June 22: Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland

NZ v Tonga (Oceania Cup)

Kiwi Ferns v TBC

June 22: Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney

Samoa v PNG (Oceania Shield)

Fiji v Cook Islands

October 18-19: Western Sydney Stadium

Rugby League World Cup 9s

October 25: WIN Stadium, Wollongong

Australia v NZ (Oceania Cup)

Jillaroos v Kiwi Ferns

October 26: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Tonga v Great Britain (Lions tour)

November 2: Eden Park, Auckland

NZ v Great Britain (Lions tour)

Australia v Tonga (Oceania Cup)

Samoa v Fiji (Oceania Shield)

November 9: Christchurch Stadium

NZ v Great Britain (Lions tour)

Fiji v PNG (Oceania Shield)

November 16: National Football Stadium, Port Moresby

PNG Kumuls v Great Britain (Lions tour)

PNG Orchids v Pacific All Stars

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/03/05/wayne-bennett-to-coach-great-britain-in-lions-tour-of-southern-hemisphere/

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32 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Has there ever been much interest in GB touring NZ? Why will this one, with atrocious planning be any different?

It's been 20 odd years since NZ was the highlight of a tour down under, OK it has been part of a couple of Tri Nations comps, but it was always the 'next leg' of the tour down under after the rigours of 4 to 6 weeks in Australia.

Must agree with you and I can think of much more degrading term than 'atrocious planning' to be attached to this tour, how much we can blame the Aussies for their reluctance to play GB is debatable, we are less than 8 months away from the first game that should limit about 80% of those who who may have aspired to go had this tour had a 2 to 3 year window for individuals to both finance and plan, I should imagine those who do travel will be wealthy enough and most probably retired so no work commitments to get leave from.

I think that a tour to Aus would always take preferance, but to imply there would be little interest in this tour had if it been properly planned and organised is a little unfair, if you don't make the trip, I would not believe you for one moment when these games are televised you are anything but 100% committed supporting GB and viewing them all.

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29 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Has there ever been much interest in GB touring NZ? Why will this one, with atrocious planning be any different?

I was there in 2006. Went to the games in Sydney, Brisbane and Wellington. Wellington was half full at best and it was GB's first test there for 10 years. The triple header idea tells you all you need to know about the potential for GB in NZ. 

With this stupid idea we have even lost the opportunity to have a rematch the 2017 epic World Cup semi final. Or will we just lazily call it that (but just in a nicer shirt) and quietly forget Wales, Scotland and Ireland?

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51 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Talking about fixtures that GB aren’t playing on the day we’ve given life back to an old concept and have announced opponents is just daft. 

Its the third and fourth paragraph on the BBC’s sport website, a leading news source in the U.K. and we’ve got a bloke involved in the team seemingly more bothered about who we’re not playing than who we are.

I'm not sure if he made any comments about it other than in the Dave Woods interview. If he did, you might be right that he should have swerved talking about it. If, however, it's solely from the Dave Woods interview, I'm not really sure what Sinfield could have done differently. He was talking to a rugby league guy in Dave Woods, and he gave an honest answer to the question. I assume that it was Dave Woods choice to then put the comments in his BBC article.

Whatever, though, I honestly don't think it's a huge deal that is going to affect very much, so I'll leave it there.

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3 minutes ago, bamfordsbeans said:

Under the circumstances this is not a bad schedule.

The triple header at Eden Park should be interesting.

Is Hamilton likely to get as much interest as Auckland from the Tongan's?

Tonga got 18,000 against Samoa and 24,000 against NZ in the world Cup there so it would seem there is interest but a lot of those will have been fans of Samoa and NZ of course. Depends how much stock the Tongan fans put in the GB name I suppose. 

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2 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

The Ashes in 2020 should now be contested by Great Britain and we should play the tests in Cardiff, London and Manchester, with a warm up game against France in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

 

What so England don't play on home soil for 3 years before a World Cup, also on home soil? Madness.

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The Triple header is on the same date at the Rugby World Cup Final in Japan. Could very well feature New Zealand and England in it. It will kick off at 10pm NZ time.

Assuming the GB v NZ Test is at 7:30pm, most of the ground will start emptying, if they even attend.

hilarious.

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2 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

2019 international rugby league schedule confirmed

June 22: Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland

NZ v Tonga (Oceania Cup)

Kiwi Ferns v TBC

June 22: Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney

Samoa v PNG (Oceania Shield)

Fiji v Cook Islands

October 18-19: Western Sydney Stadium

Rugby League World Cup 9s

October 25: WIN Stadium, Wollongong

Australia v NZ (Oceania Cup)

Jillaroos v Kiwi Ferns

October 26: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Tonga v Great Britain (Lions tour)

November 2: Eden Park, Auckland

NZ v Great Britain (Lions tour)

Australia v Tonga (Oceania Cup)

Samoa v Fiji (Oceania Shield)

November 9: Christchurch Stadium

NZ v Great Britain (Lions tour)

Fiji v PNG (Oceania Shield)

November 16: National Football Stadium, Port Moresby

PNG Kumuls v Great Britain (Lions tour)

PNG Orchids v Pacific All Stars

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/03/05/wayne-bennett-to-coach-great-britain-in-lions-tour-of-southern-hemisphere/

as the 22nd June is also the 2nd State of Origin weekend... any chance England could play France or Wales???? course not because we have a full round of super league that weekend grrrrr!

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7 minutes ago, RP London said:

as the 22nd June is also the 2nd State of Origin weekend... any chance England could play France or Wales???? course not because we have a full round of super league that weekend grrrrr!

Didn't the players selected for the mid-season International last year miss a round of SL games? Or was it the year before? 

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13 hours ago, RP London said:

Cheers for that.

I get that the naming etc and cock up today is not good but all the branding is the same/similar.. it's gb&I lions etc... often referred to as the lions especially after the last cock up with Carney... and yes people should have been more careful today absolutely. 

Understand the kit issue it was just that it seemed to be today's cluster fluck of a launch, and I think we are all desparing about that for one reason or another, that had seemed to make you go "not supporting" but can understand this point in addition. 

Impression I had got was Ireland got behind the union lions well.. surprised it's not so.. maybe more because those i know are more invested. 

I should point out, lest I be accused of praising Union, that the changes to the team name occurred because of the collective action of the Ireland born and raised players in the squad who insisted on it on threat of strike, not because the Union authorities are less ignorant that the League ones. For obvious reasons that will never happen with the RL Lions. Brian Carney had received assurances before he agreed to play for the Lions that changes would be made to make it more inclusive but when he turned up on press day he had to explain to them why he didn't want to do a photo-shoot in front of a Union flag. One player isn't enough to change things and we don't even have that any more.

12 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

On Ireland, I of course understand the dismay from some, being Irish catholic heritage myself. However, doesn't RLI represent on an "all Ireland" basis? Wouldn't that make at least some of the players eligible and indeed aligned to a GB side?

I agree it would all be simpler if this was just England Scotland and Wales but its not. 

I've thought about this and there are a few issues with it.

1) It still doesn't work, as Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britain, it is part of the UK (hence the name on the passport "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland").

2) From a strategic point of view, British-identifying people represent less than half the population of the North, making them less than 15% of the total population of Ireland. Is it worth alienating the other 85% for the sake of being a bit more conscientious with the name/colours? Not to mention that any potential professional team in Ireland will almost certainly be based in Dublin.

My preference (if scrapping GB isn't an option) would be to go with the Olympics model. Keep the name GB and the jersey/crest etc. That's what GB fans want after all. However Ireland are not officially involved in it and any future RL superstar who emerges from the six counties can choose to play for either Ireland or Great Britain. This isn't a perfect solution (it contradicts my point 1) but it seems like a reasonable compromise that currently has a precedent in international sport.

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