Would you rather?

[DoubleD 5,923]

Which would you rather?

[voteronniegibbs 160]

can I finish my JD and coke before  I commit myself ?

[Niels 1,375]

I quite like Australia winning the world cup (or beating GB to be more accurate) as it is still one of the few certainties in life I can rely on

[Hela Wigmen 2,264]

Australia to win the World Cup. 

They’re more often than not the best nation on the planet, they could probably name two or three different seventeen man squads that would beat anyone else and they actually have a proper plan in place for International Rugby League and don’t carry a bizarre chip on their shoulder. If anything, I want them to win it next year. 

Edited November 26, 2020 by Hela Wigmen

[Bedfordshire Bronco 1,729]

If the real question is.... 

How much lockdown would you agree to for England to win the WC then my answer is 3 months and 2 weeks

I'd take 2 months to see any other nation do it (and by that I mean NZ or Tonga obviously) 

[voteronniegibbs 160]

43 minutes ago, Niels said:

I quite like Australia winning the world cup (or beating GB to be more accurate) as it is still one of the few certainties in life I can rely on

[Tonka 777]

You missed out: 3. Gnaw off my own nut sack

[The Rocket 1,025]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

Which would you rather?

Now Double, I`m starting to think you`re getting a little bit obsessed with this `Australia winning the World Cup` question.

I thought it is more of a question of who is going to come second !

[HKR AWAY DAYS 278]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

Which would you rather?

Christ, that's tough, that...

[Blind side johnny 6,365]

Live in a world where the soap won't lather?

[Sir Kevin Sinfield 2,053]

Who wins the World Cup after the 3 month lockdown?

[Tommygilf 7,017]

Been in lockdown since mid October anyway so just give me an England v anyone but Australia final and I'll be happy

[DavidM 10,126]

16 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Australia to win the World Cup. 

They’re more often than not the best nation on the planet, they could probably name two or three different seventeen man squads that would beat anyone else and they actually have a proper plan in place for International Rugby League and don’t carry a bizarre chip on their shoulder. If anything, I want them to win it next year. 

So if we play them in the final you’ll be cheering them on ?

[Hela Wigmen 2,264]

Just now, DavidM said:

So if we play them in the final you’ll be cheering them on ?

I will be honest, I won’t be cheering either on, I’d watch it as a neutral and not be fussed either way. 

 

[17 stone giant 1,320]

29 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I will be honest, I won’t be cheering either on, I’d watch it as a neutral and not be fussed either way. 

Is that a recent thing or did you feel that way in 2017 too?

[Saint 1 1,822]

I'd take another 4 months in lockdown for an England RLWC win. No longer than that though because I want to play/coach/watch live rugby again! 

[Chris22 1,359]

Worst thing about this thread is that both of these things will happen!

[DavidM 10,126]

I predict we will beat Australia in the World Cup Final . They can lock us down but they can’t take away our blind optimism !

[Hela Wigmen 2,264]

37 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

Is that a recent thing or did you feel that way in 2017 too?

Been like it long term. Internationals don’t really bother me in terms of emotional attachment. I simply enjoy watching Rugby League at International level.

You see, I’m 30, so my recollection of Rugby League and International Rugby League begins from around 1997/98 really, so these Tours my Dad speaks of and I’m sure older posters on here remember with great fondness have never really happened in my lifetime, so I don’t have that attachment to the GB brand as people older than me. 

I’ve also never bought into the Great Britain brand. Decent badge aside, I’ve always viewed it as a figure of the past. Due to my age, the game, in my mind, has never had the influx of Welsh players convert from Union that we saw as a game between the sixties to early-to-mid nineties and I’ve never really got the point of why we’re representing countries with little to no rugby league in them and more often than not, even fewer players actually born in Scotland, Ireland or Wales. Beyond Brian Carney and maybe Regan Grace last year, we’ve not had any players actually from those countries who deserved to be included for International recognition in my time.

As for England, that was an after thought in my childhood and teenage years and I suppose that’s bred into not really being bothered by them as an adult. We had England ‘A’ for a strange, short period that are infamous for fighting with Tonga at Widnes. We then had a period of England playing and hammering France and then the Exiles concept pushed on us, which was never really that good of a concept and players, clubs, coaches and fans were never really behind it. Maybe the contempt the England team are held with by Super League and its clubs has seeped through to me. Maybe it’s because we play so few games that I’m just not really that interested, England have played three home Internationals in four years, the irregular schedule just doesn’t grip me.

England and Great Britain have suffered an identity crisis over the past twenty to twenty five years and have, in Rugby League fashion, never stuck with one for any length of time, gave either that much time to grow and just hoped to make it work without much of a plan. Of course, you’d get some people cheering them on regardless of what they were called but I’m just not one of them. The whole return to Great Britain last year was a strange move, was it ever explained? Will we ever see it again? Why didn’t we just go as England two years before a World Cup?

Even if the unlikely happens and England win a World Cup, my general apathy towards the administration of the game makes me think, much like the 2013 World Cup, which was great, we’d fail to push on and build upon it anyway.

I’m thoroughly looking forward to the World Cup, providing we can go. It’s the stuff like seeing the likes of Munster, Tedesco etc, the Haka, the war cries and the Fijian post match hymn circles that I’m looking forward to, rather than supporting any particular nation. 

Edited November 27, 2020 by Hela Wigmen

[DavidM 10,126]

19 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Been like it long term. Internationals don’t really bother me in terms of emotional attachment. I simply enjoy watching Rugby League at International level.

You see, I’m 30, so my recollection of Rugby League and International Rugby League begins from around 1997/98 really, so these Tours my Dad speaks of and I’m sure older posters on here remember with great fondness have never really happened in my lifetime, so I don’t have that attachment to the GB brand as people older than me. 

I’ve also never bought into the Great Britain brand. Decent badge aside, I’ve always viewed it as a figure of the past. Due to my age, the game, in my mind, has never had the influx of Welsh players convert from Union that we saw as a game between the sixties to early-to-mid nineties and I’ve never really got the point of why we’re representing countries with little to no rugby league in them and more often than not, even fewer players actually born in Scotland, Ireland or Wales. Beyond Brian Carney and maybe Regan Grace last year, we’ve not had any players actually from those countries who deserved to be included for International recognition in my time.

As for England, that was an after thought in my childhood and teenage years and I suppose that’s bred into not really being bothered by them as an adult. We had England ‘A’ for a strange, short period that are infamous for fighting with Tonga at Widnes. We then had a period of England playing and hammering France and then the Exiles concept pushed on us, which was never really that good of a concept and players, clubs, coaches and fans were never really behind it. Maybe the contempt the England team are held with by Super League and its clubs has seeped through to me. Maybe it’s because we play so few games that I’m just not really that interested, England have played three home Internationals in four years, the irregular schedule just doesn’t grip me.

England and Great Britain have suffered an identity crisis over the past twenty to twenty five years and have, in Rugby League fashion, never stuck with one for any length of time, gave either that much time to grow and just hoped to make it work without much of a plan. Of course, you’d get some people cheering them on regardless of what they were called but I’m just not one of them. The whole return to Great Britain last year was a strange move, was it ever explained? Will we ever see it again? Why didn’t we just go as England two years before a World Cup?

Even if the unlikely happens and England win a World Cup, my general apathy towards the administration of the game makes me think, much like the 2013 World Cup, which was great, we’d fail to push on and build upon it anyway.

I’m thoroughly looking forward to the World Cup, providing we can go. It’s the stuff like seeing the likes of Munster, Tedesco etc, the Haka, the war cries and the Fijian post match hymn circles that I’m looking forward to, rather than supporting any particular nation. 

Each to their own , I’m not arguing , but I just can’t get my head round that if I tried until the WC . I think country is an emotional attachment to start with , sports I don’t follow I’ll want england to win ... or GB in the Olympics , and add in a sport I really like and follow and I’m all over it and massively invested in wanting us to win and do well . And if we win , by definition to me it’s massive for the country and game here 

Edited November 27, 2020 by DavidM

[Davo5 4,725]

6 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Each to their own , I’m not arguing , but I just can’t get my head round that if I tried until the WC . I think country is an emotional attachment to start with , sports I don’t follow I’ll want england to win ... or GB in the Olympics , and add in a sport I really like and follow and I’m all over it and massively invested in wanting us to win and do well . And if we win , by definition to me it’s massive for the country and game here 

That’s because your normal David,well as normal as a jam eater can get !!

[17 stone giant 1,320]

48 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

England and Great Britain have suffered an identity crisis over the past twenty to twenty five years and have, in Rugby League fashion, never stuck with one for any length of time, gave either that much time to grow and just hoped to make it work without much of a plan.

I don't think that's entirely fair. What actually happened was a slow transition from GB to England. It began properly with GB being split for (and since) the 1995 world cup, and then from 2008 onwards when England began playing test series and four nations instead of GB. Part of the reason Richard Lewis gave for doing that was to achieve consistency - e.g. not to be playing in a world cup as England one year, and then GB the next. As you rightly point out, it was a very odd decision to suddenly bring back GB in 2019, especially given the predictable make-up of the squad.

I don't buy into the magic of GB nowadays either. That is not to say it didn't used to be magical, but the reason it was is because it was our national team. We played as GB in the major events. That's why it was special. Not because of the shirt or the current badge (which was only introduced in 1986 anyway). Once the privilege of playing in the major events was taken away from GB and given to England, GB ceased to be special.