Rep Weekend

[Sports Prophet]

I see no advertising on NRL app about any rep weekend events outside of Origin 2. Have I missed something?

Why haven’t any of NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands organised a single fixture?

Is it because without the NRL to organise it for them, these nations can’t organise a thing?

[Hela Wigmen]

https://www.intrl.sport/news/eyes-on-world-cup-as-mid-season-tests-sidelined/

[nadera78]

38 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

I see no advertising on NRL app about any rep weekend events outside of Origin 2. Have I missed something?

Why haven’t any of NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands organised a single fixture?

Is it because without the NRL to organise it for them, these nations can’t organise a thing?

The mid-season international fixtures are a relatively new thing. The NRL started them as a way of padding out the weeks when Origin was taking place and there were no NRL fixtures, so they had more games to include in their broadcast packages. They had total control over them. Which was fine for a while, until they realised that having them on at the same time as their showpiece event emphasised how many players preferred to play international RL if forced to choose and so they hurriedly dumped the competing fixtures. Nothing can be allowed to get in the way of Origin.

The various NGBs don't have the resources to organise events like this, and besides, from their perspective what would be the point in forcing Jarome Luai, etc to choose between a NSW jersey and a Samoan one?

 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

52 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

I see no advertising on NRL app about any rep weekend events outside of Origin 2. Have I missed something?

Why haven’t any of NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands organised a single fixture?

Is it because without the NRL to organise it for them, these nations can’t organise a thing?

They don’t have any money so yes.

[jim_57]

NZ and all the Pacific Nations would have been able to field 90-100% full strength teams with players based in Australia this year, so COVID isn’t really an excuse this time around.

Hopefully it makes return next year.

[Mathius Hellwege]

2 hours ago, nadera78 said:

The mid-season international fixtures are a relatively new thing. The NRL started them as a way of padding out the weeks when Origin was taking place and there were no NRL fixtures, so they had more games to include in their broadcast packages. They had total control over them. Which was fine for a while, until they realised that having them on at the same time as their showpiece event emphasised how many players preferred to play international RL if forced to choose and so they hurriedly dumped the competing fixtures. Nothing can be allowed to get in the way of Origin.

The various NGBs don't have the resources to organise events like this, and besides, from their perspective what would be the point in forcing Jarome Luai, etc to choose between a NSW jersey and a Samoan one?

 

unfortunately true, they are very short-sighted

[Mathius Hellwege]

3 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

https://www.intrl.sport/news/eyes-on-world-cup-as-mid-season-tests-sidelined/

of course covid ist not the true reason....how sad

[Sports Prophet]

I cannot accept COVID and limited international travel as reason for no games this year.

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, nadera78 said:

 

The various NGBs don't have the resources to organise events like this, and besides, from their perspective what would be the point in forcing Jarome Luai, etc to choose between a NSW jersey and a Samoan one?

 

And there is the issue in itself. The NRL are damned if they do organise the Pacific Tests (as derided on this forum, by many over the years, for this very topic) and damned if they don’t.

[jim_57]

23 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

I cannot accept COVID and limited international travel as reason for no games this year.

Yeh PNG & Fiji may have called on a local player or 2 normally but with Hunters & Silktails based in Australia there wouldn’t be an issue fielding a near full strength team.

[Sports Prophet]

1 minute ago, jim_57 said:

Yeh PNG & Fiji may have called on a local player or 2 normally but with Hunters & Silktails based in Australia there wouldn’t be an issue fielding a near full strength team.

Correct. Let alone Samoa, Tonga and NZ.

[unapologetic pedant]

4 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

I see no advertising on NRL app about any rep weekend events outside of Origin 2. Have I missed something?

Why haven’t any of NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands organised a single fixture?

Is it because without the NRL to organise it for them, these nations can’t organise a thing?

I`ll be generous and assume you`re not overlooking the women`s Origin game on the Friday night.

This has rated as well, in some cases better, than the regular NRL game on Nine in that slot.

[thebrewxi]

Philippines v Brazil is on

[Mathius Hellwege]

so few posts...clear signal, that the M62 fans here on this board do not care more for international rugby than the powerbrokers of the NRL

 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

20 hours ago, jim_57 said:

NZ and all the Pacific Nations would have been able to field 90-100% full strength teams with players based in Australia this year, so COVID isn’t really an excuse this time around.

Hopefully it makes return next year.

Agreed, Covid is a poor excuse, at least some International games should be going ahead on the rep weekend, even if it’s restricted to players based in the NRL, just as the England v Exiles game is limited to Super League based players.

[Hela Wigmen]

Covid isn’t a poor excuse, given the need for testing and bubbles given players will be travelling from different clubs in different states, it’s a big risk to get players all together for meaningless (as in, they’re just friendlies) games at this stage of the year. 

It’s a shame but things are a bit weird at the minute and hopefully they’ll be back next year. 

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Covid isn’t a poor excuse, given the need for testing and bubbles given players will be travelling from different clubs in different states, it’s a big risk to get players all together for meaningless (as in, they’re just friendlies) games at this stage of the year. 

It’s a shame but things are a bit weird at the minute and hopefully they’ll be back next year. 

I don’t see how it’s more risky than SOO being played in Brisbane on Sunday week.

[Hela Wigmen]

39 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

I don’t see how it’s more risky than SOO being played in Brisbane on Sunday week.

Money talks.