Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[RigbyLuger]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

On a Tuesday at 2pm.

http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/canada-ravens-face-ireland-world-cup-warm-game/

I hadn't noticed that bit! We really don't help ourselves

[RigbyLuger]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

As I say, I'd like nothing more than to be pointed in the direction of RL equivalents of Suzy Wrack, Carrie Dunn, SheKicks, Girls on the Ball (etc), who all pre-date the current surge by a fair old time and have got some interesting stories to tell even as spectators. I worry that any good work we do in this area is going to miss out on the essential re-amplification that this kind of circle of voices provides.

By The Balls with Amy Hardcastle

Forty20 YouTube playlise:

 

[gingerjon]

2 hours ago, RigbyLuger said:

By The Balls with Amy Hardcastle

Forty20 YouTube playlise:

 

Thanks for those. They are examples of coverage of the women's game coming from *within* the mainstream (men's) game and its attendant media. And that's fine. They do an excellent job of informing and growing interest among people who have that connection to the game.

I think, from experience in other sports, what would be really transformative would be to have engaged social-media-savvy accounts and people who are talking almost-exclusively about the women's game.

[UTK]

Luke Keary has confirmed his intention to play for Ireland at the World Cup, stating he has been in communication with Ireland since the beginning of the year and has told coach Ged Corcoran he wants to play.

https://www.intrl.sport/news/i-wish-i-did-play-for-ireland-in-2017-keary-puts-hand-up-for-wolfhounds/

[DoubleD]

49 minutes ago, UTK said:

Luke Keary has confirmed his intention to play for Ireland at the World Cup, stating he has been in communication with Ireland since the beginning of the year and has told coach Ged Corcoran he wants to play.

https://www.intrl.sport/news/i-wish-i-did-play-for-ireland-in-2017-keary-puts-hand-up-for-wolfhounds/

It’ll be interesting to see how Ireland go about this given they’ve been quite vocal that players have to be committed in between World Cup years to be considered in future. Are the likes of Keary and Myler going to play in subsequent years?

[The Rocket]

I doubt Suaalii will get into the Australian squad so this is a massive in for Samoa :

Suaalii undecided on Australia or Samoa

Joseph Suaalii has revealed that he has not made his call for the Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year, preferring to wait to see which sides select him.

He confirmed that neither Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga nor Toa Samoa boss Matt Parish had been in touch regarding selections, and that he was simply happy to wait and see.

“I honestly haven’t thought about it too much but I want to be there playing at the World Cup,” said the towering winger after the Roosters’ defeat of Brisbane last night.

“I’m trying to make that Australian team and if I’m lucky enough I’ll make that Samoan team as well. If I get picked for either of them it would be an honour. If I’m playing at the World Cup I’ll be happy.”

.

 

 

[Dunbar]

I have noticed a significant uplift in interest in the World Cup on the WatchNRL (Fox) coverage in the last couple of weeks.

More chat about it in the commentary and regular adverts on the coverage.

[SydneyRoosters]

2 hours ago, The Rocket said:

I doubt Suaalii will get into the Australian squad so this is a massive in for Samoa :

Suaalii undecided on Australia or Samoa

Joseph Suaalii has revealed that he has not made his call for the Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year, preferring to wait to see which sides select him.

He confirmed that neither Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga nor Toa Samoa boss Matt Parish had been in touch regarding selections, and that he was simply happy to wait and see.

“I honestly haven’t thought about it too much but I want to be there playing at the World Cup,” said the towering winger after the Roosters’ defeat of Brisbane last night.

“I’m trying to make that Australian team and if I’m lucky enough I’ll make that Samoan team as well. If I get picked for either of them it would be an honour. If I’m playing at the World Cup I’ll be happy.”

.

 

 

There’s no way he would miss out on the Australia squad he is the most inform winger in the comp and is a guaranteed starter

[Dave T]

What is positive here is how apparent it is that players want to be part of this tournament. 

[Davo5]

42 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

There’s no way he would miss out on the Australia squad he is the most inform winger in the comp and is a guaranteed starter

He really is an outstanding young player & if the. Roosters manage a good playoff run he is a real possibility for Kangeroo selection which might keep him out of the clutches of the ARU.

[Davo5]

22 minutes ago, Dave T said:

What is positive here is how apparent it is that players want to be part of this tournament. 

Absolutely,I have a feeling a lot of them wanted to be a part of last years also.

[Man of Kent]

4 hours ago, DoubleD said:

It’ll be interesting to see how Ireland go about this given they’ve been quite vocal that players have to be committed in between World Cup years to be considered in future. Are the likes of Keary and Myler going to play in subsequent years?

No but I don't care. I want to see the best players. 

[jim_57]

5 hours ago, DoubleD said:

It’ll be interesting to see how Ireland go about this given they’ve been quite vocal that players have to be committed in between World Cup years to be considered in future. Are the likes of Keary and Myler going to play in subsequent years?

I think a lot depends on what Ireland get after the World Cup. If the best they can be offered is a few games here and there against England Knights, Wales & Serbia then I don’t see Keary coming over, even if he wanted to Roosters would put huge pressure on him not to come over.

If there was a solid plan in place and Ireland could be in the mix to play not just France/Wales/Scotland but England and Southern Hemisphere sides occasionally then they may be able to keep a strong side on the park. 

Looking at a potential Ireland side they are a massively under-used strong local opponent for England. Heritage team sure but they could put up a good competitive game for England with or without NRL based players. Could be Europe’s “Tonga” story.

Other eligible players include:

[quote] ”There are a number of players eligible in the NRL who we didn’t include in our predicted team – Morgan Harper, Josh Curran, Pat Carrigan, Dale Finucane, Harry Rushton and Jaimin Joliffe.

And in Super League there are a host of players with Irish heritage like Alex Mellor, Ben Currie, James McDonnell, Kyle Amor, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Robbie Mulhern.” [/quote]

+ Myler, Nikorima brothers, Jai Field, Ben Marschke, Joe Keyes and more.

Obviously not saying all these players will commit to Ireland but plenty of potential there.

Edited August 5, 2022 by jim_57

[Dave T]

47 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

No but I don't care. I want to see the best players. 

I agree. I'd take anyone who puts their hand up, and do our best in between WC's to stage bigger games and get them to participate in those games. 

[DoubleD]

3 hours ago, The Rocket said:

I doubt Suaalii will get into the Australian squad so this is a massive in for Samoa :

Suaalii undecided on Australia or Samoa

Joseph Suaalii has revealed that he has not made his call for the Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year, preferring to wait to see which sides select him.

He confirmed that neither Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga nor Toa Samoa boss Matt Parish had been in touch regarding selections, and that he was simply happy to wait and see.

“I honestly haven’t thought about it too much but I want to be there playing at the World Cup,” said the towering winger after the Roosters’ defeat of Brisbane last night.

“I’m trying to make that Australian team and if I’m lucky enough I’ll make that Samoan team as well. If I get picked for either of them it would be an honour. If I’m playing at the World Cup I’ll be happy.”

.

 

 

Is it just me or does that last paragraph make out it’s harder to make the Samoa team? 

[jim_57]

5 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I agree. I'd take anyone who puts their hand up, and do our best in between WC's to stage bigger games and get them to participate in those games. 

Even for a mid-season game without NRL players Ireland could give England a strong challenge, see the picture above and replace Keary with Field. Obviously there should be a place for France and the others as well but the potential strength of Ireland is hard to ignore when you look at the eligible players.

[Damien]

It seems there are going to be a series of RLWC podcasts with sports figures. First one here with Mal Menninga:

 

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, jim_57 said:

I think a lot depends on what Ireland get after the World Cup. If the best they can be offered is a few games here and there against England Knights, Wales & Serbia then I don’t see Keary coming over, even if he wanted to Roosters would put huge pressure on him not to come over.

If there was a solid plan in place and Ireland could be in the mix to play not just France/Wales/Scotland but England and Southern Hemisphere sides occasionally then they may be able to keep a strong side on the park. 

Looking at a potential Ireland side they are a massively under-used strong local opponent for England. Heritage team sure but they could put up a good competitive game for England with or without NRL based players. Could be Europe’s “Tonga” story.

Other eligible players include:

[quote] ”There are a number of players eligible in the NRL who we didn’t include in our predicted team – Morgan Harper, Josh Curran, Pat Carrigan, Dale Finucane, Harry Rushton and Jaimin Joliffe.

And in Super League there are a host of players with Irish heritage like Alex Mellor, Ben Currie, James McDonnell, Kyle Amor, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Robbie Mulhern.” [/quote]

+ Myler, Nikorima brothers, Jai Field, Ben Marschke, Joe Keyes and more.

Obviously not saying all these players will commit to Ireland but plenty of potential there.

I'm sure LMS and Amor both played last time - as good a couple of forwards as any of the 2nd string nations.

[DavidM]

I can’t wait for this World Cup . I hope nobody gets injured and all the players turn up and as many sides as possible are as strong as possible with as many eligible players as possible .

[Keith989]

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

I agree. I'd take anyone who puts their hand up, and do our best in between WC's to stage bigger games and get them to participate in those games. 

But you're risking alienating the players, that you know got us there in the first place. Players that put their hand up for selection everytime, without hesitation. Is the risk worth for blow ins who MIGHT put their hands up once every 4 years? I've already seen fans give out about Keary on the Ireland FB page, claiming he's taking a lads place who got us there.

It's a tough call but NRL players playing for us does nothing for exposure here as not many even know what the NRL is. Whereas a local lad getting to play in the world Cup is exposing his friends and family to the sport of rugby league, you're potentially creating lifelong fans of the sport there. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Keith989

[Dave T]

11 minutes ago, Keith989 said:

But you're risking alienating the players, that you know got us there in the first place. Players that put their hand up for selection everytime, without hesitation. Is the risk worth for blow ins who MIGHT put their hands up once every 4 years? I've already seen fans give out about Keary on the Ireland FB page, claiming he's taking a lads place who got us there.

It's a tough call but NRL players playing for us does nothing for exposure here as not many even know what the NRL is. Whereas a local lad getting to play in the world Cup is exposing his friends and family to the sport of rugby league, you're potentially creating lifelong fans of the sport there. 

I do understand the arguments against it, but I think the benefits of being competitive in the World Cup outweigh the negatives. 

But I can understand why others would take an alternate view. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Dave T

[Damien]

2 hours ago, Keith989 said:

But you're risking alienating the players, that you know got us there in the first place. Players that put their hand up for selection everytime, without hesitation. Is the risk worth for blow ins who MIGHT put their hands up once every 4 years? I've already seen fans give out about Keary on the Ireland FB page, claiming he's taking a lads place who got us there.

It's a tough call but NRL players playing for us does nothing for exposure here as not many even know what the NRL is. Whereas a local lad getting to play in the world Cup is exposing his friends and family to the sport of rugby league, you're potentially creating lifelong fans of the sport there. 

I think this is correct. It is a right kick in the teeth for those that got them to the World Cup. Additionally someone like Luke Keary is a nonentity in Ireland and a homegrown player like Ronan Michael will always get more column inches. A competitive Ireland full of heritage players does absolutely nothing to develop the game in Ireland, we have seen that for 20+ years.

I think this debate falls into what is best for Ireland RL and what is best for the RLWC. Ireland being competitive is absolutely beneficial for the World Cup. It however does nothing for the game in Ireland and the general Irish public simply aren't interested in a fake team in a sport that most dont even realise is even played in the country (and lets face it bar a few off season RU players it isnt).

Edited August 5, 2022 by Damien

[Keith989]

44 minutes ago, Damien said:

I think this is correct. It is a right kick in the teeth for those that got them to the World Cup. Additionally someone like Luke Keary is a nonentity in Ireland and a homegrown player like Ronan Michael will always get more column inches. A competitive Ireland full of heritage players does absolutely nothing to develop the game in Ireland, we have seen that for 20+ years.

I think this debate falls into what is best for Ireland RL and what is best for the RLWC. Ireland being competitive is absolutely beneficial for the World Cup. It however does nothing for the game in Ireland and the general Irish public simply aren't interested in a fake team in a sport that most dont even realise is even played in the country (and lets face it bar a few off season RU players it isnt).

This is exactly it. If one of the heritage lads gets a spot in the starting side ahead of Ronan or worse yet he doesn't make the squad, I can't see this team being too popular in anyone's eyes. Ireland have to be very careful in how they play this, they've already ###### off fans (including me) with the GB saga.

[fighting irish]

6 hours ago, DavidM said:

I can’t wait for this World Cup . I hope nobody gets injured and all the players turn up and as many sides as possible are as strong as possible with as many eligible players as possible .

Me too. I think its got the potential to really put the game ''on the map'' in terms of new viewers here and abroad.

Some of the players on show will really showcase the game in the best light.

It looks as if there is going to be huge numbers of top quality players taking part. 

[jim_57]

8 hours ago, Damien said:

I think this is correct. It is a right kick in the teeth for those that got them to the World Cup. Additionally someone like Luke Keary is a nonentity in Ireland and a homegrown player like Ronan Michael will always get more column inches. A competitive Ireland full of heritage players does absolutely nothing to develop the game in Ireland, we have seen that for 20+ years.

I think this debate falls into what is best for Ireland RL and what is best for the RLWC. Ireland being competitive is absolutely beneficial for the World Cup. It however does nothing for the game in Ireland and the general Irish public simply aren't interested in a fake team in a sport that most dont even realise is even played in the country (and lets face it bar a few off season RU players it isnt).

The World Cup qualifiers were 3-4 years ago, there will be massive changes regardless and International Rugby League World Cup places shouldn’t be a charity honestly. Sure if the incumbents and home grown players are in a similar form & ability pick them over “blow ins”.

Fans cry foul every 4 years that players come out of the woodwork for World Cups. These players might play between World Cups if there was a decent schedule in place with regular meaningful games. I don’t exactly blame players for not wanting to come over to play a friendlies against England Knights and Wales for free and risk injury.