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World Cup in Doubt…Again


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Just now, Dunbar said:

 

Bit of mixed messaging here. Has anyone actually heard any quotes from any players.

I don't trust the Aussies as far as I would throw them and frankly I don't care what anybody thinks.  They are narrow minded and parochial.

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1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Phil Caplan on the Forty20 podcast says we'll find out tomorrow. The RLPA (player union) is in favour of playing, it's the (unbelievably selfish) clubs who are kicking up a fuss.  

Tell the clubs to #### off

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12 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

 

Bit of mixed messaging here. Has anyone actually heard any quotes from any players.

I made the point earlier in the thread that we often hear the players are not interested, but the Kiwi players went to Denver despite the noise, and by and large the players have always travelled over well without issue. I don't think the players will be the biggest issue at all. 

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10 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I made the point earlier in the thread that we often hear the players are not interested, but the Kiwi players went to Denver despite the noise, and by and large the players have always travelled over well without issue. I don't think the players will be the biggest issue at all. 

I would agree. I know they are professionals but they are also human beings and playing for your country and winning a world cup is a universal attraction across all sports, why would we expect Rugby League players to think any differently. 

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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37 minutes ago, Devon Ram said:

If the World Cup does not go ahead, a number of Tests involving Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, PNG, Lebanon and Fiji may take place. At the end of the statement, this bit says a lot. 

No doubt all under NRL control which the NRL will sell the rights for....

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2 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I really dont see how the RLWC will go ahead and IMHO for what its worth I think that deep down the organisers will be happy for another year to sell it, outside of the RL community 99% of the population i fear have no idea its on.

 

Is it likely to have less cut-through with the general public next year though? If held in November 2022, it could be in direct competition with the football world cup.

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5 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I really dont see how the RLWC will go ahead and IMHO for what its worth I think that deep down the organisers will be happy for another year to sell it, outside of the RL community 99% of the population i fear have no idea its on.

 

Surely the country will be searching out events to go to when the social restrictions are lifted.  We see all the trial events sold out. People are desperate to get back to big events and our World Cup could be the catalyst for this.

I see absolutely no reason why this tournament can't go ahead.

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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3 hours ago, Devon Ram said:

If the World Cup does not go ahead, a number of Tests involving Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, PNG, Lebanon and Fiji may take place. At the end of the statement, this bit says a lot. 

Yes.  Those are the words that  made my blood boil.

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39 minutes ago, RayCee said:

This is a watershed moment. Who runs the game internationally? At the moment Australia, with the RLIF its lapdog. Let's see if said dog has any teeth.

Not knowing a great deal about the internal politics of Australian RL, but is the view of NRL clubs representative of the broader RL community? Could this be akin to the farce in the buildup to the All Stars game where SL clubs were the ones making threats that everyone here thought was ridiculous?

I was born to run a club like this. Number 1, I do not spook easily, and those who think I do, are wasting their time, with their surprise attacks.

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4 hours ago, Barley Mow said:

Is it likely to have less cut-through with the general public next year though? If held in November 2022, it could be in direct competition with the football world cup.

And the NRL clubs will just make up another excuse for the players not to go! 

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4 hours ago, Barley Mow said:

Is it likely to have less cut-through with the general public next year though? If held in November 2022, it could be in direct competition with the football world cup.

Is the FIFA WC being hosted in England next year?

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2 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Is the FIFA WC being hosted in England next year?

It's in Qatar, in November. 

I don't think it's over-dramatising things to say that if the Aussies pull the plug on the World Cup, that's probably the end of professional RL in Europe. I don't see how we have any chance of recovering from the financial losses.

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9 hours ago, RP London said:

except....

suggests that maybe the players do and that we should be more annoyed (if we have to be) with the clubs rather than the players

I don't think anyone seriously doubted this. The few who mentioned the players only did so to deflect away from the NRL and its clubs.

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51 minutes ago, JonM said:

It's in Qatar, in November. 

I don't think it's over-dramatising things to say that if the Aussies pull the plug on the World Cup, that's probably the end of professional RL in Europe. I don't see how we have any chance of recovering from the financial losses.

Is it no coincidence then that Shane Richardson, an respected administrator known to be respected in your part of the world, is assigned to produce a report( no doubt by the NRL, he has done others for them) basically saying here`s what needs to be done, or at least, you`ve got two years to do something up here or there won`t be a next TV deal and basically you`re on your own.

Bloody great coincidence if the month before the NRL pull the plug on the WC he`s up here basically saying you`re own your own, here`s some suggestions  now do something.

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17 hours ago, Spidey said:

@ghost crayfish - full article is towards the start of this thread

Thanks. That wasn't a quote from the NRL though, it's a sentence from the writer of the article contextualising and summarising the impact. Of course some clubs are raising things like that - most clubs are self-interested like this. That doesn't make it the NRL's position though.

I really hope the tournament goes ahead, but I understand that some players might have concerns (particularly from the NZ Warriors, who have barely been home since early last year) and clubs are always going to be clubs about stuff like this. The NRL is in the tricky spot of representing those concerns and trying to find solutions, when their players are going to be filling the bulk of the teams - meaning the NRL also has to work with governing bodies from each of those countries, as well as the annoying RLPA (time and time again, they seem to be nothing more than a painful road block) and the self-interested 16 clubs. Meanwhile Sydney and Brisbane have just been put back in lockdown, our vaccination rollout is a shambles and our border restrictions are tight. With all of this in mind, much as I hate to say it, I actually could understand if the NRL decided it'd be easier to just not send half its players and coaches over to the UK right now. Hopefully the whole game implications (and opportunities) keep them focused on solutions, but it's gonna be hard managing the usual suspects from club land and the RLPA.

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I don't mean to play devils advocate here, but you have to understand what the Covid situation is like over here. Players have spent large amount of times in bubbles to ensure the game goes ahead here. NZ Warriors players will have spent almost two years away from their homes due to COVID.

And with no end in sight to the quarantine restrictions and an appallingly slow vaccination rollout by our Government, I can completely understand why 500 players and officials from here would not want to travel to the UK for 2 months at the end of the season. It would put huge pressure on our incoming hotel quarantine facilities at the end of the tournament - and that's if players are granted an inwards travel exemption to return in the first place - otherwise they risk been stranded in the UK for months and months.

Someone also raised the Olympic example. The Government gave an exemption for Olympic athletes representing Australia. I think the public can accept that because they are representing Australia on the biggest stage. However a majority of the players going to the RLWC will be representing nations other than Australia, so the Government will find it more difficult to justify. It is quite political issue presently with disagreements between various levels of Government on how many travellers should come to Australia - given all our cases of COVID have come from returning travellers.

I love the RLWC - I've attended the last 3 of them. But given the current COVID situation, and the fact that more than half the players at the WC live in Australia, I really think 2021 is has come too soon during the pandemic. Postponing 12 months is the best solution in my view.

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14 minutes ago, goldcoaster said:

I don't mean to play devils advocate here, but you have to understand what the Covid situation is like over here. Players have spent large amount of times in bubbles to ensure the game goes ahead here. NZ Warriors players will have spent almost two years away from their homes due to COVID.

And with no end in sight to the quarantine restrictions and an appallingly slow vaccination rollout by our Government, I can completely understand why 500 players and officials from here would not want to travel to the UK for 2 months at the end of the season. It would put huge pressure on our incoming hotel quarantine facilities at the end of the tournament - and that's if players are granted an inwards travel exemption to return in the first place - otherwise they risk been stranded in the UK for months and months.

Someone also raised the Olympic example. The Government gave an exemption for Olympic athletes representing Australia. I think the public can accept that because they are representing Australia on the biggest stage. However a majority of the players going to the RLWC will be representing nations other than Australia, so the Government will find it more difficult to justify. It is quite political issue presently with disagreements between various levels of Government on how many travellers should come to Australia - given all our cases of COVID have come from returning travellers.

I love the RLWC - I've attended the last 3 of them. But given the current COVID situation, and the fact that more than half the players at the WC live in Australia, I really think 2021 is has come too soon during the pandemic. Postponing 12 months is the best solution in my view.

Do you know that the majority of players don’t want to come ?

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1 hour ago, goldcoaster said:

I don't mean to play devils advocate here, but you have to understand what the Covid situation is like over here. Players have spent large amount of times in bubbles to ensure the game goes ahead here. NZ Warriors players will have spent almost two years away from their homes due to COVID.

I do as I live next door, have seen the sacrifices the Warriors have made and keep a close eye on what going on generally in Australia and of course here. 

1) If any player feels he isn't up to going, that should be respected.

2) The clubs should butt out of the situation, it's not helpful when they make statements about preseason training being affected. It's international RL which they shouldn't have any influence over. 

3) If sufficient players wish to attend for a particular nation, then a team can be put together and represent their country. There are quite a few different nationalities already playing in the UK. Taking advantage of that will lessen international travel.  

4) Other sports are playing major tournaments. 

No one is saying this is easy for players, nations, the organisers but will 2022 be any easier? I'd like to see it done and move on. 

My blog: https://rugbyl.blogspot.co.nz/

It takes wisdom to know when a discussion has run its course.

It takes reasonableness to end that discussion. 

 

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1 minute ago, Mark S said:

Could there not be a compromise where the tournament is delayed until Spring or Summer 2022? A month long break in the season won’t do any harm and the weather should be much nicer 

If the NRL clubs are talking about the impact that the World Cup has on player prep for season 2022 and availability for pre-season trials, I can imagine their reaction to losing players for 6 weeks mid season (or halting the season for 6 weeks).

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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