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Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)


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8 minutes ago, Jim from Oz said:

This is an interesting view:

 

 
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Brad Takairangi
 
@Bradtaka_
· Jul 23
Aus and NZ pull out of #RLWC2021 . How about the Indigenous all stars and Maori all star teams take their place?? 🤔🤔

Seen a quote from Blake Ferguson supporting this idea, says he'd love to play as would others he knows.

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2 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

So what are all the countries saying? Are Samoa, Tonga, PNG, Fiji etc. all stating that they intend to play?

Well this is their best chance ever of major honours in any sport, coupled with a shot of decent prize money with one of the above odds on to make the final infront of the biggest crowd they will ever run out in front of at OT.

Or they could just not bother?

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1 hour ago, Hela Wigmen said:

No. They’re all either awaiting further information or consulting players, it seems. 

Lets see if the supposed toughest men in sport live up to their reputations, at the end of the day if they are that good then NRL clubs would never drop them.. or they could play in Europe

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Personally I think they are a disgrace for pulling out.

Now I will cut to the chase.

The World Cup MUST go ahead with or without them.No one team(or club)is bigger than the sport.

 And I would give Australia and New Zealand 48 hours grace to change their minds.

 And if after 48 hours grace,they still refuse to partake then get hard.Expel them from ALL international tournaments and countries turn around and refuse to tour both countries.Expel the NRL clubs from any international club tournament(s)...PERMANENTLY and without exception or mercy.

Time to show them some teeth and prove to them that we can not only bark but bite as well.And hard.

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There are a few on here in favour of Maori and Aboriginal teams filling the slots, personally I'm against it simply because it runs the risk of making the WC look completely tinpot if one of them wins, or worse we get a NZ Maori vs. Aus Indigenous final.

 

Plus you know the Aussie press would just love it if the Indigenous side won because they can then spin the line that RL in the wider world is so ###### that teams can't even beat a side that isn't even the "real" Australian squad.

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1 minute ago, MidlandsJohn said:

There are a few on here in favour of Maori and Aboriginal teams filling the slots, personally I'm against it simply because it runs the risk of making the WC look completely tinpot if one of them wins, or worse we get a NZ Maori vs. Aus Indigenous final.

 

Plus you know the Aussie press would just love it if the Indigenous side won because they can then spin the line that RL in the wider world is so ###### that teams can't even beat a side that isn't even the "real" Australian squad.

Yes, these are good points

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Perhaps another solution is to replace Australia and New Zealand with an Australian invitation 13 and then New Zealand invitation 13? 
 

but again I suppose that runs the risk that one of the sides will win and the press will just laugh??

Just trying to run through ideas in my head here, not saying we need to do this! Just want a solution to be found so we can continue with the World Cup, if all the other sides are willing to go then the tournament must go ahead!

 

It reminds me a bit of the boycotted Olympics in 1980 and 1984, they went ahead anyway and they were still fine Events.

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Stuff like "Invitational" and "President's" teams just make me think either of RU and cricket tours where you play thrown-together squads like this as a warm-up before the real internationals, or events like basketball All-Star games where, even though It's nice to be selected, the game itself ends up having next to no real competitive element and in the case of basketball, just looks like a giant 3-point shooting and dunk contest spread out over the length of a full game.

Replace Aus and NZ with actual nations.

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11 minutes ago, MidlandsJohn said:

Stuff like "Invitational" and "President's" teams just make me think either of RU and cricket tours where you play thrown-together squads like this as a warm-up before the real internationals, or events like basketball All-Star games where, even though It's nice to be selected, the game itself ends up having next to no real competitive element and in the case of basketball, just looks like a giant 3-point shooting and dunk contest spread out over the length of a full game.

Replace Aus and NZ with actual nations.

Yep I can understand that viewpoint 

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1 hour ago, MidlandsJohn said:

There are a few on here in favour of Maori and Aboriginal teams filling the slots, personally I'm against it simply because it runs the risk of making the WC look completely tinpot if one of them wins, or worse we get a NZ Maori vs. Aus Indigenous final.

 

Plus you know the Aussie press would just love it if the Indigenous side won because they can then spin the line that RL in the wider world is so ###### that teams can't even beat a side that isn't even the "real" Australian squad.

The way around that is for those teams to play as the national teams of Australia and New Zealand, wearing the same uniforms as the Kangaroos and Kiwis.

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Don't think we should try to replace Aus and NZ with any team representative in any way of Aus and NZ. The players ned to feel the impact of Vlandis stealing their moment, their opportunity.

Read his Wkilpedia entry and you'll see the naked ambition of Vlandis.  Its a power grab, no more no less. Capitalising like he has on the misery of those who have suffered -or worse, died- from Covid is a cheap and dirty trick. As youll read, in the past, he couldn't have cared less about the well being of horses. Now he couldnt care less about the well being of players. 

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The damning thing about PVL Is that he claims this is all about protecting the players from Covid, yet he restarted the NRL competition last year in the middle of Covid before any other sporting competition in the entire world! There was no concern about player safety then, with all the appropriate bubbles etc, so why the sudden concern now when the World Cup organisers have bent over backwards to ensure bubble protocols will be followed?

 

 

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Unless something drastic happens, forget about  composite teams and bring in the next two strongest teams. They would be delighted to take part and would give the game a lot of publicity in their countries 

No good messing around they have had their chance.

Although Aussie and NZ will be missing, it's to be hoped those with tickets still attend  the revised games, otherwise  you will be playing into the above hands. Also the organizers have  done an outstanding job and deserve everyones support.

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1 hour ago, voteronniegibbs said:

Leave Australia and New Zealand where they are. Play the world cup without them. Then over the next decade invite Tonga PNG and Samoa on northen hemispere tours. They'll prove very popular with the passion they play the game and crowds will fill stadiums. At the next world cup Australia and New Zealand can be left out again as their ratings will be so low they will need to play qualifying games against each other.  If deemed good enough they will still have to prove they are trustworthy enough to get a place. 

I think only the quater finalists, plus the next host nation, from a WC get automatic entry for the next one, so Aus and NZ will need to qualify if they do not participate this year.

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Wayne Bennet has his say and supports any Souths players who want to go. 

Calls out NRL on double standards.  

“Who is going to deprive them? It’s not the right of the club,” he said. 

“We don’t have an option when it comes to playing Origin or for Australia. If we refuse to play for Australia we get stood down. What’s going to happen for these players that want to play for their countries? 

“It’s a complete double standard. If a player wants to play and the club says he can’t but if a player doesn’t want to play and the game says you’ve got to play. There’s got to be a balance there.”

Bennett was not taking aim though at Australia or New Zealand for pulling out but insisted international rugby league does not revolve around those two nations.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/wayne-bennett-has-called-out-double-standards-in-a-passionate-fiveminute-defence-of-international-rugby-league/news-story/8ce5da4841f9ea2a971a2376ae497c37

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James Graham.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2021-rugby-league-world-cup-cost-date-postponed-cancelled-australia-new-zealand-reaction-james-graham/news-story/a98132835f7ab78758f874791c4b48ec

“We’re here watching the Olympic Games go on, we all witness Wimbledon happen featuring athletes from all around the world, there’s a Golf Open happening, the Wallabies and All Blacks are about to tour to Europe. 

“What that tends to suggest is it is not a Covid issue. I know speaking to people back home, they are really angry that the commission are hiding behind Covid and perceived player welfare and using hypothetical situations. 

“What it tends to suggest is that it is not a Covid issue, it is a lack of prestige, a lack of respect, a lack of any potential financial gain for the NRL and clubs to get off this World Cup. 

“Peter V’landys spoke about when rugby league is in a time of crisis we come together. Maybe he should live by that and help get this World Cup on. I’m not saying he is hiding behind Covid but that is what he is being accused of back in England.”

 
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9 hours ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

In reality the Government of Queensland has told the NRL one more covid breach and they'll shut down the comp... I have a feeling australia and nz would then play.

I would love the Queensland government to do that

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Just listening to the Triple M Saturday Scrum pod and Jammer was excellent.

He goes on to make the point that the ‘eight weeks off’ thing has always been an issue but it never stopped the likes of Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith playing finals football for Melbourne, then touring/play in World Cups for the Kangaroos - noting that the last World Cup final was in December - then go round again the following year.

They just found a way to make it work, as indeed the ARLC has done with State of Origin and the NRL during Covid.

Edited by Man of Kent
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