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Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)


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15 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

If the NRL pressure means players have to choose between their employers and a national jersey then 99% of them will, entirely correctly given they have bills to pay, choose the people who pay their salaries.

 

 

28 minutes ago, tiffers said:

.

It is a brave decision to step up against your employer. They all have families, mortgages and an income to earn... threatening the biggest payday of your lifetime (for most) is a big step! Putting that on the line deserves a huge round of applause at the very least!

This is the thing I don`t get. There has been strike action in Rugby League before when the stakes were just as high relatively speaking. And on both occasions the NRL, it was actually the NSWRL, conceded. Even during the Super League war, the groveling way both comps fought over star players was revealing.

As far as I can see the players hold all the aces in this, because do you think Souths are going to sack Latrell or Cody if they threaten strike action, or the Bulldogs Addo-Carr, no way, and if they go after the lesser names they`ll feel the ire of the big names. 

Bring it on I say, " Everybody out ".

n.b. and it`s all about TV contracts, the players don`t front, Nine and Foxtel immediately will be after another downgrade. 10x`s millions of dollars.

Edited by The Rocket
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Here’s a good suggestion. There are quite a number of NRL fans who are saying they will cancel their NRL club memberships if their club blocks players from playing. Other than players, perhaps us fans need to take the lead with this

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3 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

Yeah, I reckon NRL clubs would definitely drop the likes of Lattrell Mitchell for wanting to play in a WC. . . . . . hang on a minute

Which is fine if you are Lattrell Mitchell... if you're a fringe player then that is a whole different ball game to be one of the first to step up.

We need the stars to step up now.

It's despicable that the NRL and clubs have put these players in this position.

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Just now, DoubleD said:

Here’s a good suggestion. There are quite a number of NRL fans who are saying they will cancel their NRL club memberships if their club blocks players from playing. Other than players, perhaps us fans need to take the lead with this

The only fan pressure the NRL will care about is Australians.  And bar a handful, they don't give two hoots.

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3 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

It seems to me that NRL is now a rival sport intent on destroying anything it can’t control. 

I've been saying this the start. **** the NRL if WC doesn't happen. All the merch sales and subscriptions from the UK stopping may not bring the NRL down but hopefully it will hurt them going forward 

I'll always watch NH league but as I've said before I'll probably watch more cricket/union now NRL is gone. 

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There are many big stars in the NRL that are bigger than their clubs. But most play for Australia and NZ - neither of whom are coming. 

There are far fewer Jason Taumalolos, Justin Olams and Jarome Luais but there are lots of Taane Milnes. It's the latter that will worry about their next NRL contract and Samoa, Fiji, PNG and Tonga rely on them.

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40 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

A lot of people stopped watching League after the the Super League war, if this gets ugly and it becomes clear that the players wishes aren`t being met and the clubs are being their usual ugly selfish bogey man selves, don`t be surprised to see another tranche of fans walk away.

Good article in the Herald today with Roy Masters ridiculing Peter Beattie.

Masters; " he ( Beattie ) has always got an answer , even when you don`t ask him a question ".

We need more of this.

I read that article but think its very poor really. It may well be right about Beattie but its pretty poor in the way it tries to make out this World Cup is only being fought to still take place because of politics. Its a pure deflection piece and its almost like he is trying to say there are no RL reasons for the World Cup to still take place.

The funding for the World Cup was in place well before Covid and the World Cup is being fought to take place this year, well because its due to and because it has been organised and scheduled to. That is before the reasons why next year is such a bad idea and may not even work anyway with all the excuses being used this year will still being relevant next year, in the form of players refusing to take vaccines, or may still exist as Covid will certainly still be here.

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29 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

It`s a little baffling why some posters are seeing this as cause to abandon their general interest in Rugby League.

That would be to succumb to the very presumptuous belief that we`re castigating the NRL for. Namely, that the NRL owns Rugby League.

Ultimately we all follow RL for pleasure, for entertainment and because we grew up watching the game. Luckily for us, the world has literally 100s of different options for us to spend our spare time and energy and we are free to make our own choices.

You don't keep hanging around with the majority of people you went to school with for a reason. Once the obligation of sitting in a classroom everyday is done, you get to decide which people you want to hang around with and which you leave behind.

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13 minutes ago, Damien said:

I read that article but think its very poor really. It may well be right about Beattie but its pretty poor in the way it tries to make out this World Cup is only being fought to still take place because of politics. Its a pure deflection piece and its almost like he is trying to say there are no RL reasons for the World Cup to still take place.

The funding for the World Cup was in place well before Covid and the World Cup is being fought to take place this year, well because its due to and because it has been organised and scheduled to. That is before the reasons why next year is such a bad idea and may not even work anyway with all the excuses being used this year will still being relevant next year, in the form of players refusing to take vaccines, or may still exist as Covid will certainly still be here.

My take on it is, I don`t care how we justify arguing that it should go ahead, if it`s because Boris sees votes in Northern England because Northerners like Rugby League more than "darts, pigeons and even soccer" than so be it, if Roy wants to be condescending to British politics and English League fans, it`s mostly tongue-in-cheek, and he`s playing to his readership. But at least he makes the point England really want it to go ahead. Let the Oz public see that.

I do think though that the last several paragraphs do point out the hypocrisy and flimsiness of the arguments being put forward by the ARLC, maybe not as forcefully as we`d like, although he does take that shot at Beattie, but nonetheless, he does show the contradictions in their arguments.

 

 

 

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Gould is right   "Nothing will survive or grow in International rugby league "

In the words of the great Marlene Dietrich "Let's call it a Day!"

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

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5 minutes ago, DavidM said:

This is what it’s ultimately all about . It’s a power game plain and simple 

The Australians will play international RL on 1, erm 2, erm 3, erm 4, erm 5, erm 6 conditions....

  • We play by NRL rules
  • We have an Australian referee and video referee
  • We play in Australia
  • We decide when Australia want to play
  • We don't play when it doesn't suit Australia
  • We take most of the revenue from international competitions

 

Edited by Scubby
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8 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I think the RL coup d'état is now in plain sight!

 

Staggering really.  It would be like the PRemier League saying they should run FIFA just beacuse they are the richest.

Gould and his like think they are the superheroes of RL but will actually be those who bring about it's death.

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53 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

It`s a little baffling why some posters are seeing this as cause to abandon their general interest in Rugby League.

That would be to succumb to the very presumptuous belief that we`re castigating the NRL for. Namely, that the NRL owns Rugby League.

It's more than that though. I am not going to get into the details as everyone will have different views and different vilians but the sport has self destructed from the inside through self interest and protectionism more times than I can count... on both sides of the world.

Sabotaging the World Cup is just the latest and most high profile.

I have hoped beyond hope that the sport would prevail but I have given up willing it so and desperately believing it will become what we all want it to become... that way madness lies.

I don't wish any part of the sport to fail. I am beyond blame. I just don't care any more and that it when you know you are detached.

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"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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22 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

NRL now saying talks have started with Maori and Indigenous sides. Stick a fork in it, the World Cup is done. 

Those talks already began earlier in the week, Addo-Carr met Abdo..........they were always set to reconvene

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1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

Those talks already began earlier in the week, Addo-Carr met Abdo..........they were always set to reconvene

NRL: We will guarantee A$5000 player participation fees and A$100k to the winners of the Aboriginal v Maori All Stars Game in February 2022. Please go away and talk up the benefit of a full off season.

A & M: Okay, done! You guys are awesome.

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I still think they should go over the clubs heads straight to the players , who should shout loud about wanting to play.  The clubs are playing bully but if the players push back then what ? They can’t drop or sack them despite their bluster and any sanction against players wanting to play in a World Cup will look terrible . I’m more in hope mode though anything else as time goes on . I feel for players there immensely , decisions are being taken for them by others saying they only have their interests at heart - which to me is a massive irony . 

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5 minutes ago, Scubby said:

NRL: We will guarantee A$5000 player participation fees and A$100k to the winners of the Aboriginal v Maori All Stars Game in February 2022. Please go away and talk up the benefit of a full off season.

A & M: Okay, done! You guys are awesome.

Sadly this wouldn't surprise me.........I hope the players have enough nous to see through this

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5 minutes ago, Scubby said:

NRL: We will guarantee A$5000 player participation fees and A$100k to the winners of the Aboriginal v Maori All Stars Game in February 2022. Please go away and talk up the benefit of a full off season.

A & M: Okay, done! You guys are awesome.

Sponsored by THE SAME PEOPLE WHO SPONSOR EVERYTHING IN THE NRL

*wild applause for expansion*

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Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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