Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[Cardypaul]

[theswanmcr]

I feel sorry for whoever has to write the prepared RLWC2021 press statement for tomorrow.

How do you put together a professional response when all you want to do Is call the NRL a bunch of bullying ******?

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, theswanmcr said:

I feel sorry for whoever has to write the prepared RLWC2021 press statement for tomorrow.

How do you put together a professional response when all you want to do Is call the NRL a bunch of bullying ******?

You call them a bunch of bullying ****** , and suggest they have to legally underwrite the 2022 WC to the tune of £ 100 million , in case they forfeit 

[Joe Aitcheson]

58 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

Arnt the Aussie RU team playing in the UK around that time? - maybe go and watch them??

I presume that was tongue in cheek Mr Frisky, the Aussies have been pathetic but the rugger b******s have been far worse, as you’d know if you knew your RL/ru history. I just hope that the person at RLHQ who decided back in the 80’s not to renew the patent on the title “Rugby World Cup” was sacked with immediate effect.

[Chris22]

You reap what you sow.

 

[Damien]

13 minutes ago, Chris22 said:

You reap what you sow.

 

The NRL will have no one to blame but themselves.

[Tonka]

In early 2021 I got tickets for the WC final for me and my 3 best mates.  Was really looking forward to it as a big post-lockdown event.  One was married to my sister - they’ve divorced and he won’t speak to me any more.  Another has developed a brain tumour - it’s 50/50 whether he will even be alive.  And now they’ve cancelled the tournament because of those stupid, stupid b*stards in Australia.  Still, chin up eh?

I’m inclined to blame Australia for all of the above. 

[Mr Frisky]

24 minutes ago, Tonka said:

In early 2021 I got tickets for the WC final for me and my 3 best mates.  Was really looking forward to it as a big post-lockdown event.  One was married to my sister - they’ve divorced and he won’t speak to me any more.  Another has developed a brain tumour - it’s 50/50 whether he will even be alive.  And now they’ve cancelled the tournament because of those stupid, stupid b*stards in Australia.  Still, chin up eh?

I’m inclined to blame Australia for all of the above. 

Any good news??

[Tonka]

Just now, Mr Frisky said:

Any good news??

Everything else is fine

[Big Picture]

1 hour ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

It's all well and good everyone wanting to cut ties with the NRL but they are the only real credible professional competition in the world. The NH game is managed incredibly poorly, it's just had a massive hit on TV revenue and seems intent on infighting. This forum is a great example with the 'traditionalists' v 'expansionists' (whatever those terms are supposed to mean) arguments that reflect the way the game is. UK RL cant agree what the best approach is and every 'plan' seems to be focused on promoting one thing to the detriment of another. 

If they can pull off a successful WC next year it might provide the boost the game needs, but failure will be a hammer blow. I dont think the UK game has the personnel or finances to turn it around and the game will continue to decline. NRL buy out at rock bottom price is almost inevitable to me at this point and might be the only option to retain fully professional RL.

In the event that Sky walk away in two years' time, how would such a buyout retain fully professional RL in Britain?

[Matterhorn]

51 minutes ago, Chris22 said:

You reap what you sow.

 

Can you blame him he is guaranteed to play an international for his country? Something NZ league players can't do. Instead they watch there fellow sportsmen on television representing NZ at the Olympics,Cricket,Rugby Union etc.

At best he may not play league for NZ until the end of 2022 & that is if NZ understands the piece of paper they sign next year leading up to the tournament starting.

[DC77]

2 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

Arnt the Aussie RU team playing in the UK around that time? - maybe go and watch them??

Aussie RU doesn’t have pot to p-ss in. Playing internationals is their lifeline.

Its the complete opposite with Aussie RL. Unfortunately for quite some time internationals haven’t been enticing due to the lack of money as well as competitiveness. 

That Aussie RU, Aussie cricket, and the Aussies at the Olympics, are all prepared to take the necessary measures/sacrifices to go overseas and participate, completely shuts down the “insular” Aussie claims. Give them enough of an incentive and they will come. Until such time international RL is competitive or lucrative their attitude towards it won’t change. If the shoe was on the other foot and England hadn’t lost a series to Australia in 50 years, had a domestic league with earnings that dwarfed everything outside it, there would be similar apathy here. The Aussies could have handled their pull out better though. Judging by his comments on this the Gould fella seems to spout nonsense too.

[Matterhorn]

Me personally I think SOO has killed international rugby league progressing.

In Australia its talked about during NRL games. Even in the offseason they talk about emerging Origin camps to net as many eligible players coming through.

To me SOO reached its peak during QLDS recent dominance - when Cronk,Slater,Smith & Thurston played. With Smith / Thurston almost guaranteed Immortal status down the track.

That's why the NRL are keen to keep on flogging it as its there major cash cow & anything that gets in the way is just collateral damage - thats why they went to all lengths to play it at the end of last year instead of touring (remember that darn COVID again)

What is more insulting is they call it the pinnacle & the best of the best which is insulting to 40% of players in the NRL not eligible or I guess the ones that aren't they find a loophole where they can. To me its just a glorified club game now & while i will never say game 3 was rigged, QLD were given the rub of the green during the game. I mean its hard to sell the concept when NSW get a 3-0 whitewash.

The NRL can't afford International Rugby League to take the shine of if. It means SOO goes down the pecking order or suffers in popularity. Even in the 80s/90s NZ/Great Britian played tests during the Aus League season/SOO season. No chance of that happening now.

So lets compare the world cup in the Australian mainstream media. A story to say AUS/NZ have withdrawn & now another story to say its postponed.

Its chalk/cheese & part of the reason International Rugby League is like the poor cousin.

Until that mindset changes I fear its like banging your head against a wall as the cards unfortunately will always be stacked against International Rugby League & in Australia's favor.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Matterhorn

[Liverpool Rover]

7 minutes ago, Matterhorn said:

Me personally I think SOO has killed international rugby league progressing.

In Australia its talked about during NRL games. Even in the offseason they talk about emerging Origin camps to net as many eligible players coming through.

To me SOO reached its peak during QLDS recent dominance - when Cronk,Slater,Smith & Thurston played. With Smith / Thurston almost guaranteed Immortal status down the track.

That's why the NRL are keen to keeping flogging it as its there major cash cow & anything that gets in the way is just collateral damage - thats why they went to all lengths to play it at the end of last year instead of touring (remember that darn COVID again)

What is more insulting is they call it the pinnacle & the best of the best which is insulting to 40% of players in the NRL not eligible or I guess the ones that aren't they find a loophole where they can. To me its just a glorified club game now & while i will never say game 3 was rigged, QLD were given the rub of the green during the game. I mean its hard to sell the concept when NSW get a 3-0 whitewash.

The NRL can't afford International Rugby League to take the shine of if. It means SOO goes down the pecking order or suffers in popularity. Even in the 80s/90s NZ/Great Britian played tests during the Aus League season/SOO season. No chance of that happening now.

So lets compare the world cup in the Australian mainstream media. A story to say AUS/NZ have withdrawn & now another story to say its postponed.

Its chalk/cheese & part of the reason International Rugby League is like the poor cousin.

Until that mindset changes I fear its like banging your head against a wall as the cards unfortunately will always be stacked against International Rugby League & in Australia's favor.

It’s something I’ve thought for a while, the reason the Aussies wanting to hijack the international game being so it doesn’t overshadow their precious State Of Origin.

[Tom F]

It is strange to think that Australia has only seen 927 covid deaths and NZ just 26. 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

4 hours ago, Big Picture said:

In the event that Sky walk away in two years' time, how would such a buyout retain fully professional RL in Britain?

I didn’t mention sky walking away. If that happened it would truly be over. I can see them reducing the money they pay for the product even further though. A buy out of this nature would likely see some investment from the NRL to top up the shortfall but giving them ownership rights.

[Man of Kent]

4 hours ago, Matterhorn said:

Me personally I think SOO has killed international rugby league progressing.

Six years ago, SOO’s TV rights were valued at £53m a year - for three games. 

Sky’s next Super League deal is £25m - for 66 games. 

But while I can see why the ARLC would want to protect their asset, I don’t see why that should involve the attempted murder of a tournament 10,000 miles away.

Is the World Cup really a threat to SOO? Not sure it is.

I sense the likes of V’landys and Gould do see the potential of Test football - as the logical extension of the NRL’s growing Pacific sphere of influence - they just want control of it to beef up their TV offer to the likes of Channel 9.

[gingerjon]

8 hours ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

It's all well and good everyone wanting to cut ties with the NRL but they are the only real credible professional competition in the world. The NH game is managed incredibly poorly, it's just had a massive hit on TV revenue and seems intent on infighting. This forum is a great example with the 'traditionalists' v 'expansionists' (whatever those terms are supposed to mean) arguments that reflect the way the game is. UK RL cant agree what the best approach is and every 'plan' seems to be focused on promoting one thing to the detriment of another. 

If they can pull off a successful WC next year it might provide the boost the game needs, but failure will be a hammer blow. I dont think the UK game has the personnel or finances to turn it around and the game will continue to decline. NRL buy out at rock bottom price is almost inevitable to me at this point and might be the only option to retain fully professional RL.

Didn't the NRL also take a hit on TV revenue and lose $24m whilst also cutting planned expansion and are now starting to leak players and publicity to sports that actually play internationals.

We don't need a buy out from them.

[gingerjon]

9 hours ago, graveyard johnny said:

to be fair it looked like they had been kings of covid down under in the way the handled it in the first 12 months but in reality they couldnt have got it more wrong and now they are panicking and going round in circles as a country 

119 dead in the UK yesterday.

We didn't so much get it right as just decide that people dying was a thing we were okay with as long as we could all go to the pub.

[Man of Kent]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

119 dead in the UK yesterday.

We didn't so much get it right as just decide that people dying was a thing we were okay with as long as we could all go to the pub.

Quite right too. Recent newspaper reports suggest most of these people will have been older folk in hospital for something else who tested positive after admission. 

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Man of Kent said:

Quite right too. Recent newspaper reports suggest most of these people will have been older folk in hospital for something else who tested positive after admission. 

Exactly.

We decided it was okay for people to die so long as you can go to the pub.

Any more than that and we'll have to take it to AOB.

[gingerjon]

8 hours ago, Joe Aitcheson said:

I presume that was tongue in cheek Mr Frisky, the Aussies have been pathetic but the rugger b******s have been far worse, as you’d know if you knew your RL/ru history. I just hope that the person at RLHQ who decided back in the 80’s not to renew the patent on the title “Rugby World Cup” was sacked with immediate effect.

Rugby league has been its own worst enemy since 1895.

It needs to stop pretending otherwise.

[gingerjon]

10 hours ago, Padge said:

Absolutely disgusted they have called it off, all because the Aussies don't want to disrupt a few pre-season friendlies.

 

I'm quoting this so that the real reason gets put back nice and clear.

Anything other than disrupting some trial games is a distraction. The NRL motivation is entirely this.

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Johnoco said:

But however, you are right in that this wasn't the reason they pulled out, merely a convenient smokescreen.

Exactly.

Which is why nothing the RLWC did would ever be enough.

Because it was never about that.

[gingerjon]

Just now, Johnoco said:

Yes, even if Covid had never happened I could see a scenario where some justification was used in order to not bother. 

Given that they've refused - or at least put up a fuss about - because of flying within 1,000 miles of a warzone then I'm sure the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia could have been brought into play. Or that oil tanker that's been hijacked.