Clogiron Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 According to Fox Sports Aus the NRL is expected to announce on Thursday that Australia will be withdrawing from the test series so that they can stage the State of Origin at that time. As the game's biggest money spinner they view it as vital to the future of the game's finance's down under. Make of that what you will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckymunksy Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Better for us we can extend the season to December start the new one in March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Big Mal says hold your horses and make no calls yet and I’d tend to agree with him . Cool heads are at a premium at present , as are people who can see what lies ahead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleD Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 I hope this doesn't happen but I can see the Test series being first in line if there are any casualties to fixtures..............as the Aussies don't care about it and it won't be a big money earner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clogiron Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 2 minutes ago, DoubleD said: I hope this doesn't happen but I can see the Test series being first in line if there are any casualties to fixtures..............as the Aussies don't care about it and it won't be a big money earner Whereas for the RFL it would be at their time of need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Knowing the RFL we can brace ourselves for another NZ Test series. Now if they got Tonga, NZ and Samoa/France for a nice little 4 nations then it wouldn't be the end of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSantos Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Good. Means i dont have to travel back in November Running the Rob Burrow marathon to raise money for the My Name'5 Doddie foundation: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ben-dyas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 1 minute ago, Damien said: Knowing the RFL we can brace ourselves for another NZ Test series. Now if they got Tonga, NZ and Samoa/France for a nice little 4 nations then it wouldn't be the end of the world. Assuming it's a possibility, a straightforward swap for three tests against three other countries would be fine. I don't even care if England win easily, I'm just keen to have some rugby to watch and pay for. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 8 minutes ago, gingerjon said: I'm just keen to have some rugby to watch and pay for. Hallelujah to that . Indeed any live sport , any semblance of comfort and normality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleep1673 Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 by October it will be all over, or we will all be dead anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 It’s probably the “safest” thing that can be cancelled at this stage, so I can understand it, even if I am selfishly disappointed by this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sports Prophet Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 It’s a scary thought. Heaven forbid it actually succeeds and the NRL consider post season SOO to be a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerner80 Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 If this does happen, couldn't OZ pick a side minus the SOO players? It may not be as star studded but a selection of NRL players who aren't quite good enough to play SOO is still a formidable opponent and one I would pay to watch. During the SL war in 1995, didn't OZ go to the world Cup without some pretty big names and it was still a good tournament and a decent OZ team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPosh Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 2 minutes ago, Southerner80 said: If this does happen, couldn't OZ pick a side minus the SOO players? It may not be as star studded but a selection of NRL players who aren't quite good enough to play SOO is still a formidable opponent and one I would pay to watch. During the SL war in 1995, didn't OZ go to the world Cup without some pretty big names and it was still a good tournament and a decent OZ team? I think it would be better to pick players for State of Origin who aren't quite good enough for test football. To be fair, you could stick 17 sheep in blue and the Sydney media would get excited. People called Romans they go the house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manfred Mann Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Why don't people consider the option of playing PNG later this year? Thatisland nation is quite isolated, and may not have the Covid-19 virus yet. With a team that includes classy players such as Alex Johnston and Edene Gebbie (South Sydney), Rhyse Martin and Wellington Albert (Leeds), David Mead (Catalans), Justin Olam (Melbourne), Lachlan Lam (Sydney Roosters), Stargroth Amean and Wartovo Puara (Barrow), Watson Boas (Doncaster) Edwin Ipape (Blacktown Workers), and Luke Page (Burleigh Bears), they will be a great competitor for England, as they showed when they beat England last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 20 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said: Why don't people consider the option of playing PNG later this year? Thatisland nation is quite isolated, and may not have the Covid-19 virus yet. With a team that includes classy players such as Alex Johnston and Edene Gebbie (South Sydney), Rhyse Martin and Wellington Albert (Leeds), David Mead (Catalans), Justin Olam (Melbourne), Lachlan Lam (Sydney Roosters), Stargroth Amean and Wartovo Puara (Barrow), Watson Boas (Doncaster) Edwin Ipape (Blacktown Workers), and Luke Page (Burleigh Bears), they will be a great competitor for England, as they showed when they beat England last year. Because the risk of the virus to a country like PNG would be monumental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Strewth. Crying off already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnM Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Why not hold it in China? https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/china-life-returning-normal-coronavirus-outbreak-slows-200317084803189.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertAM Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 5 minutes ago, JohnM said: Why not hold it in China? https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/china-life-returning-normal-coronavirus-outbreak-slows-200317084803189.html All fine until Covid 20 makes an appearance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE RED ROOSTER Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 8 hours ago, Damien said: Knowing the RFL we can brace ourselves for another NZ Test series. Now if they got Tonga, NZ and Samoa/France for a nice little 4 nations then it wouldn't be the end of the world. Just back from Australia on Monday and cancelling the Ashes series was being floated to accomodate in order to acciomodate the extension of the NRL season if games are cancelled. One point you should bear in mind when considering alternative nations is that, France excepted, the others would be made up largely by NRL players and if the NRL season is extended then permission will not be forthcoming for player release. Quote When the pinch comes the common people will turn out to be more intelligent than the clever ones. I certainly hope so. George Orwell You either own NFTs or women’s phone numbers but not both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleD Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Manfred Mann said: Why don't people consider the option of playing PNG later this year? Thatisland nation is quite isolated, and may not have the Covid-19 virus yet. With a team that includes classy players such as Alex Johnston and Edene Gebbie (South Sydney), Rhyse Martin and Wellington Albert (Leeds), David Mead (Catalans), Justin Olam (Melbourne), Lachlan Lam (Sydney Roosters), Stargroth Amean and Wartovo Puara (Barrow), Watson Boas (Doncaster) Edwin Ipape (Blacktown Workers), and Luke Page (Burleigh Bears), they will be a great competitor for England, as they showed when they beat England last year. Everywhere is affected. All rugby activity has been suspended in PNG until June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sports Prophet Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 22 hours ago, Southerner80 said: If this does happen, couldn't OZ pick a side minus the SOO players? It may not be as star studded but a selection of NRL players who aren't quite good enough to play SOO is still a formidable opponent and one I would pay to watch. During the SL war in 1995, didn't OZ go to the world Cup without some pretty big names and it was still a good tournament and a decent OZ team? That would diminish any faint remainder of credibility the international game has left in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whippet13 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 32 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said: That would diminish any faint remainder of credibility the international game has left in Australia Surely no more than unilaterally cancelling an international tournament in favour of a domestic one would do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerner80 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 15 minutes ago, Whippet13 said: Surely no more than unilaterally cancelling an international tournament in favour of a domestic one would do. Agree. Tbh OZ must have 75-100 players who are of a good enough level to probably beat a England 13. Taking away 40 of them will still make for a competitive series and there will still be interest in the games here in the UK and some interest down under too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blind side johnny Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 We will probably need to extend our own season in any case, playing games in the balmy months of September and October. It wouldn't be the worst outcome. Anyone who thinks "it" will all be over by October is delusional. Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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