Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[Mr Frisky]

On 14/12/2021 at 14:30, Eddie said:

Bad news for England, we need to win the opening game big time. 

I remember the 2017 mid season England game v Samoa in Oz . When, before the game the Aussie commentators counted up the number of NRL players in each team and as Samoa had more NRL players than England they said we didn't have a chance....... As they said SL was miles off the NRL.......

Samoa will be a good test but England will break them down after the break for a win.

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Yes, but it does negate your "enemy is doing it, so you're copying them" argument.

Mine was a response to commentary specifically around RU.

The response could easily have applied to any or many sport/s had the previous comment called for it.

[Sports Prophet]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

""So had the NRL and NZRL been told in August that “around the time the 2021 RLWC will be taking place, there will be widespread outbreak of a new variant...."

They'd have been lied to, as that is not what happened.

Ummm, ok. Current affairs isn’t your chosen field?

[Damien]

35 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Ummm, ok. Current affairs isn’t your chosen field?

Current affairs would have seen the tournament finish long before Omicron would have caused any issue. Anything else is ifs, buts and maybes.

[Sports Prophet]

23 minutes ago, Damien said:

Current affairs would have seen the tournament finish long before Omicron would have caused any issue. Anything else is ifs, buts and maybes.

You are right Damien. But let me put it this way…

There was a very high risk of a huge new Covid breakout in the UK due to its free movement of domestic and international citizens. A very high risk that in turn that has resulted in the cancellation of domestic sports the world over. It could easily have been the World Cup Semis and Final that were cancelled and all four teams severely depleted with exposed players. Couldn’t it?

The NRL and NZRL reservations appear to me to be more and more justified by the day.

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

Ummm, ok. Current affairs isn’t your chosen field?

        

[Davo5]

3 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Ummm, ok. Current affairs isn’t your chosen field?

Just as Rugby League obviously isn’t yours.

[Tommygilf]

19 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

You are right Damien. But let me put it this way…

There was a very high risk of a huge new Covid breakout in the UK due to its free movement of domestic and international citizens. A very high risk that in turn that has resulted in the cancellation of domestic sports the world over. It could easily have been the World Cup Semis and Final that were cancelled and all four teams severely depleted with exposed players. Couldn’t it?

The NRL and NZRL reservations appear to me to be more and more justified by the day.

No it couldn't 

[Exiled Wiganer]

DNFTT. 

[Sports Prophet]

On 26/12/2021 at 22:45, dkw said:

Christ that's a terrible take and an embarrassing effort to exonerate the antipodean cowards. 

Anyone who doesn't see it was a decision the cowards made entirely because of self interests and a belief their insular competition is so more important than an International programme is an idiot.

Whatever the reason, I’m not sure the word “coward” applies. Selfish… definitely.

We will soon learn to what lengths the NRL will go to avoid representative football outside SOO. The 2022 RLWC will be upon us in no time. I’m looking forward to a year of spite which should fuel the event into being the most partisan it’s been for a long time. The Poms are great, vocal supporters in any instance. If Australia and England are both good enough to meet in the later rounds, I expect the a hostile reception for the Kangaroos unlike anything they’ve been welcomed to before.

Only a miracle would see them meet at Elland Rd. That would be big. The more realistic venue will be Emirates or Old Trafford. I’m not sure of the field dimensions for the Emirates, but Old Trafford would be in England’s favour I expect.

edit* thanks @Cumbrian Fanatic, since learned that they can only meet in the final. In which case, I hope both teams are good enough to get there. I want them to cross paths and it’s definitely my preferred final.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Sports Prophet

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

11 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Whatever the reason, I’m not sure the word “coward” applies. Selfish… definitely.

We will soon learn to what lengths the NRL will go to avoid representative football outside SOO. The 2022 RLWC will be upon us in no time. I’m looking forward to a year of spite which should fuel the event into being the most partisan it’s been for a long time. The Poms are great, vocal supporters in any instance. If Australia and England are both good enough to meet in the later rounds, I expect the a hostile reception for the Kangaroos unlike anything they’ve been welcomed to before.

Only a miracle would see them meet at Elland Rd. That would be big. The more realistic venue will be Emirates or Old Trafford. I’m not sure of the field dimensions for the Emirates, but Old Trafford would be in England’s favour I expect.

It truly would be a miracle if England and Australia meet at Elland Road given they are in different halves of the draw and cannot meet before the Final.

If the seeding works out Australia will play New Zealand at Elland Road and England will meet Tonga at the Emirates.

[Sports Prophet]

.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Sports Prophet

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

It truly would be a miracle if England and Australia meet at Elland Road given they are in different halves of the draw and cannot meet before the Final.

If the seeding works out Australia will play New Zealand at Elland Road and England will meet Tonga at the Emirates.

Right you are @Cumbrian Fanatic! 

What an unique/absurd way to set up a finals series. Why would the organisers have teams from the same group, potentially cross paths again before the final.

[Damien]

A small thing but good to see as all too often RL doesn't get a mention in these kind of calendars:

 

[DI Keith Fowler]

31 minutes ago, Damien said:

A small thing but good to see as all too often RL doesn't get a mention in these kind of calendars:

 

Think we were missed off a few this year which showed an interesting level of prescience. 

[Sports Prophet]

4 hours ago, Damien said:

A small thing but good to see as all too often RL doesn't get a mention in these kind of calendars:

 

That’s good news.

IIRC from the same time last year, the forum blew up because the BBC didn’t include the RLWC in it’s top 10 events for 2021.

 

[Mr Frisky]

10 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

That’s good news.

IIRC from the same time last year, the forum blew up because the BBC didn’t include the RLWC in it’s top 10 events for 2021.

 

To be fair they were correct though....

[Guest]

As I mentioned elsewhere, there is a RL related storyline in Coronation Street at the moment. Get a few mentions of the RLWC thrown in and world domination will surely follow. 

 

[Sports Prophet]

I will take the honour of the first 2022 post for this thread  

2021 did not take place. So it’s time to get put that aside and get geared up for 2022. The silver lining I think is that 2022 will be even bigger and noisier for the animosity that English RL players and fans should be harbouring for the next 10 months.

I’m not sure I can think of a better English coach that could drum the national identity of that English badge into the players than SW. I hope he has the skill to instil belief into the players of a nation that has fallen agonisingly close so often for so long.

I hope MM can draw on his coach of old by getting a truly talented nation to instil a siege mentality to draw out his player’s inner warrior spirits that can back up the Hakka they challenge their opponents with before each match.

I really want to see Samoa rise to the challenge that Tonga have laid down. The Samoans of late have turned up to events unfit and unprepared and I hope the players believe they possess as much, if not more potential than their Pacific neighbours and a long run into the pointy end of the 22 WC is not beyond them.

Speaking of belief, last year’s test match against England should give the French a lot of confidence that with another 12 months behind them and the announcement that they will host 2025, the players should really be confident of a second stage appearance.

Can the ageing and predominantly heritage players of Tonga pull out one last hurrah, or have they done a good enough job to inspire any 2022 breakthrough stars to choose their heritage over their birth nationality to give them some much welcomed youth and exuberance?

So many stories and so many things I want to see, but what I absolutely want to see the most, is the RFL to market the hell out of these stories leading up to the WC and ensure that the 2022 RLWC is a must watch event. Full crowds, dominating TV audiences, 1st class fan experiences and to deliver a monumental two finger salute to the administrators of the sport in Australia, demonstrating first hand the potential value of the Kanagaroos and the international game, if only it was given the financial and administrative attention it deserves.

[Damien]

What a fantastic idea and what a great way to make the opening weekend really special. Great work by Newcastle yet again:

From Friday 22 October - Sunday 24 October, The Newcastle Rugby Foundation will host one of the largest ever Rugby League festivals on the opening ceremony weekend of RLWC2021 in Newcastle. The Squads on the Tyne RLWC2021 Festival will be open to schools (primary and secondary), junior rugby league clubs, touch rugby and Masters Rugby League (35+ years) teams.

The Festival commences on Friday 22 October with the primary and secondary schools’ event. On Saturday 23 October, the day of the opening fixture between England Men and Samoa Men at St James' Park, junior clubs from across the country will continue the weekend festival of Rugby League.

The junior festival will see teams ranging from Under 7s through to Under 16s take to the field as they compete against teams from around the country.

On Sunday 24 October, the girls take centre stage as they take to the field. Following the action at the festival, Scotland Men take on Italy Men at Kingston Park from 14:30. The Masters and touch rugby festivals will take place across the weekend offering different times to get involved in the action.

https://www.rlwc2021.com/squads-on-the-tyne

[Damien]

This really will make the opening weekend a carnival of Rugby League. It would be great to expand this to other weekends too and would certainly help sell tickets.

[Dave T]

7 hours ago, Damien said:

This really will make the opening weekend a carnival of Rugby League. It would be great to expand this to other weekends too and would certainly help sell tickets.

I've always liked the idea of world cups being a bit of a festival, taking over one or two cities each weekend and staging all the games there. Obviously this doesn't do that but it does far more than just staging a game in a random place. 

I think it could work well in France, but it doesn't look like it is on the cards. 8 games across one or two cities, take over the city centre with a festival fanzone and play at the various grounds in a city on Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon and it would really tap into travelling fans who can get an awful lot of RL in with a weekend trip. 

Edited February 1, 2022 by Dave T

[JohnM]

27 years ago.

 

[Exiled Wiganer]

Any excuse to show a leggy blond. Oh, Simon, we miss you so...

[The Future is League]

High optimism for world cup.

A good Dave woods article

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/60303479