No test series

[Clogiron]

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

[muckymunksy]

Better for us we can extend the season to December start the new one in March. 

[DavidM]

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 

[DoubleD]

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

[Clogiron]

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.

[Damien]

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.

[MattSantos]

Good. Means i dont have to travel back in November

[gingerjon]

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.

[DavidM]

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 

[Bleep1673]

by October it will be all over, or we will all be dead anyway

[Hela Wigmen]

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. 

[Sports Prophet]

It’s a scary thought. Heaven forbid it actually succeeds and the NRL consider post season SOO to be a good idea.

[Southerner80]

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?

[MrPosh]

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. 

[Manfred Mann]

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.

[Hela Wigmen]

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. 

[Man of Kent]

Strewth. Crying off already.

[JohnM]

Why not hold it in China?

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/china-life-returning-normal-coronavirus-outbreak-slows-200317084803189.html

[RobertAM]

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

[THE RED ROOSTER]

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.

[DoubleD]

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

[Sports Prophet]

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

[Whippet13]

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. 

 

[Southerner80]

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. 

[Blind side johnny]

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.