Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[Smudger06]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

Super League statement:

 

I think they've nailed it on the head 'unfaltering Spirit'

[theswanmcr]

8 minutes ago, gavin7094 said:

If the tournament went ahead without Aus and NZ, and England or Tonga won it, it the result would forever have an asterisk next to it. 

 

I agree with you gavin7094*

[Clogiron]

I'm not surprised at all by this, I said last year, bearing in mind the Aussies insular attitude, that the World Cup would be in jeopardy and take no pleasure in being right. Covoid was always going to be a long term thing the suprise was in how quick vaccines were developed to move along the path to a return to a type of normality. That like many other countries we are seeing a increase in cases and will continue to see it wax and wane for years to come until a majority of the world's population is vaccinated. Will that ever happen? I doubt it but at least our most at at risk people have some protection. The Aussies however just see the increasing numbers and won't put their valuable cattle at risk for something that they have little regard for. All the talk about banning or shaming them is futile. When I first went there 40+ years ago I came up with the expression 'World famous, in Australia' they failed to grasp the meaning of it but it's still true, to their mind the World revolves around them and a famous entertainer, writer, artist, sportsman there must be the best in the world and its a failing on everyone else's part not to recognise it. Bad publicity from this won't effect their competition, and it's not their duty to help the the game in the Northern hemisphere, let it help itself. Their belated efforts in the Pacific is only to strengthen their own competition. Internationals against Northern hemisphere countries over there create zero interest and dollars now because they are a foregone conclusion, so with the improving Pacific teams why bother traveling to the other side of the World with all that entails especially when there's a convenient excuse to hand.

[CiderWire]

Are the Aussies and NZedders sending their athletes to this years Olympic Games? just a thought.

[The Frying Scotsman]

6 hours ago, dkw said:

Absolutely pathetic, disgusting from those nations who have no interest in the players and only self interest in their clubs. Cut all ties with them, let them have their ###### little sport "down under" and invite all the other countries into a fully integrated international calendar for each year, no entry for the pathetic NZ and Australians. Honestly I hope we just tell them to sod off then, carry on the world cup with 2 invite teams made from any players from their pathetic competition that has the balls to play

Right.

The problem is, "their ###### little sport "down under" actually IS effectively global Rugby League as a viable professional game.

The NRL is Fox News, KFC, Toyota, McDonalds and Subway; whereas Rugby League over here is The Warrington Guardian, Eddie Stobart and ABI Sundecks. 

Their "pathetic competition" is where all the best players in the world want to play. It is where every Australian, NZer, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, PNG, USA, and even a good few of the English squad plays or aims to play their Rugby League.

The failure of the game to develop any sort of global professional presence leaves us in this situation.

Yes.... The World Cup could go ahead now, made up of guys who play for Barrow and train 2 nights a week. Who knows.... England might actually squeak a win, and then you could include that every year in your "fully integrated international calendar" but the outcome would ultimately be the same... Without NRL participants, international Rugby League would be quite simply laughable. 

[gavin7094]

Just now, CiderWire said:

Are the Aussies and NZedders sending their athletes to this years Olympic Games? just a thought.

Probably not a good analogy.  Covid cases are threatening the Olympics.  The organisers are still talking about cancelling them even at this late stage and 55% of Japanese population don't want them to go ahead.  Seeing this unfolding it wouldn't surprise me if it influenced the NRL's decision. 

[Big Picture]

5 hours ago, Rupert Prince said:

Are other countries locking up  harder?   Ask that to all the Italians celebrating the Euros. Are you being stopped from going into a cafe etc in France.

We are heavily vaccinated and overwhelmingly safe. We should take sensible precautions and we have many treatments for the illness.   How is it that we can have the Lions tour in SA...   Well !?  SA has not stopped it

This is Aussie NZ politics.  And they will pressurise the Islanders next, because loads play in the NRL.

Here in Canada things are easing up.  Four provinces have dropped their mask regulations and the US border will reopen in August.  This decision disgusts me, but I can't say I'm surprised.

[The Rocket]

18 minutes ago, LeeF said:

If a few players stood up then I am sure that lots more would

And that`s what we need right now, if the players stood up and said we want to go, I`d guarantee the NRL would buckle faster than you could say Jack Robinson, they talk about the game belonging to the fans, but the fact is, the game IS is the players, a lot of these blokes will never get another chance, even another year a lot of blokes won`t be the same players, there will be young bucks coming through, personally I think a player revolt is our best shot.

[Smudger06]

5 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

And that`s what we need right now, if the players stood up and said we want to go, I`d guarantee the NRL would buckle faster than you could say Jack Robinson, they talk about the game belonging to the fans, but the fact is, the game IS is the players, a lot of these blokes will never get another chance, even another year a lot of blokes won`t be the same players, there will be young bucks coming through, personally I think a player revolt is our best shot.

I think you could be right. 

[Smudger06]

9 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Absolute scumbags. Anyone watching the NRL after this is actively contributing to the death of international rugby league. I really think this could be the end of the sport now in the Northern Hemishpere. Every event happens (Olympics, Euros) except ours... 

If we are going to survive we need to build our own annual european tournament now that we can grow , which is completely seperate from them. 

Unfortunately I think this is beginning to sound about right. Hopefully look at Canada, USA & Jamaica joining the European teams though. 

[EssexRL]

14 minutes ago, CiderWire said:

Are the Aussies and NZedders sending their athletes to this years Olympic Games? just a thought.

yes they are. says all you need to know

 

[Saint Toppy]

18 minutes ago, CiderWire said:

Are the Aussies and NZedders sending their athletes to this years Olympic Games? just a thought.

Of course they are, its the pussies in the NRL

[LeeF]

29 minutes ago, gavin7094 said:

Some sports were very heavily affected and the overall medal table was heavily skewed.

So, if your definition of a credible tournament is one where the best in the World compete and the better participant wins, then yes, the 1980 Olympics were not credible.

But really, the 2 aren't comparable.

If the tournament went ahead without Aus and NZ, and England or Tonga won it, it the result would forever have an asterisk next to it. 

 

So you think the 1980 & 1984 Olympics were not credible? Of course they were credible 

Then you compare to the RLWC but say they aren’t comparable. 

There will be no asterisk just like the aforementioned Olympics and any other sporting event

[BrisbaneRhino]

The difference vs the Olympics is that for those athletes its the absolute pinnacle of their sports.  In Australian RL Origin is the peak followed by winning the NRL. Internationals are a distant third except for some of the islanders, notably Tonga.  Don't hold your breath waiting for a player revolt from the Aussies or Kiwis.

What annoys me is when listening to some discussions about this last week how blase some of the Aussie commentators were about how the WC should just be cancelled and moved to next year.  No idea of the financial impact that could have, how such events take a long time to plan and cost a lot upfront. Nobody asked - well how would you be able to do it next year or the year after when cities in Aus go into lockdown with a handful of cases?

Also no idea how absolutely vital big events are to the financial survival of the game in England. 

 

[hunsletgreenandgold]

This is the kind if pressure that's needed! This is genuinely great to see regardless of the outcome. 

 

[BrisbaneRhino]

It wasn't anything to do with players it was the clubs and the likes of Gus Gould. When he moved to the Warriors he said how it was vital NZ grew, and even mentioned how he also wanted to make sure the international game grows.  Then quickly as he came he jumped back to cosy clubland with the Dogs on the basis that its just too hard to get to NZ.  Full of the proverbial brown stuff.

[LeeF]

2 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

This is the kind if pressure that's needed! This is genuinely great to see regardless of the outcome. 

 

So player welfare as decided by people who aren’t players

[Davo5]

24 minutes ago, CiderWire said:

Are the Aussies and NZedders sending their athletes to this years Olympic Games? just a thought.

Yeap and their Union teams are also coming over here in the autumn.

[andyscoot]

25 minutes ago, CiderWire said:

Are the Aussies and NZedders sending their athletes to this years Olympic Games? just a thought.

Both played football games in Tokyo today.

[davet]

let's start it now and get Adam Hills involved.........

#isitokforAus&NZtopulloutoftheRLWC

[hunsletgreenandgold]

7 minutes ago, LeeF said:

So player welfare as decided by people who aren’t players

It certainly seems that way. Must caveat, which the article doesn't reference but is kind of obvious, these polls were done before the ARLC/NZRL statement and possibly wanted to make clear they would put their hand up for squad selection if required. Would be interesting to see a poll now of players who are still adamant they want to play and therefore the withdrawal explicitly goes against their wishes. Makes a mockery of player welfare if that can be achieved. 

[Big Picture]

4 hours ago, Honor James said:

Pitiful !  What a bunch of little fluffies a lot of the once proud, fearless ANZCs have become.

My kids and their offspring are all there, one lot in Oz and one in NZ, so I hope their younger generation members don't let their children grow up without a strong, working knowledge of that wise old chestnut "nothing venture nothing gained".

Mind you, it's my belief the real reason for this incredibly inconsiderate, late withdrawal from the World Cup, is that the once proud and much admired Australians (in particular), have for many years thought themselves too important to waste time playing against other nations.

The only use Australian Rugby League had for their multiple, and highly `Rugby League competent' neighbouring island peoples was to tap their wealth of natural talent, to the benefit of Australia's own ARL and NRL clubs.

I guess this is as much about the NRL being peed-off with Britain for encouraging the Pacific island nations to attract their own Oz and NZ, eligible young NRL players, to the idea of representing their own heritage islands instead of bolstering ANZAC teams, as they did for so many years.

And what a joy it has been to watch them blossom!

Tonga, in particular, is now more than able to field a team of its own, eligible, heritage and local nationals which could probably beat Australia more easily than our own England team are ever likely to.

Bad show, bad form. Booo.

 

Unfortunately I think you'll find that any Tongan players who don't qualify on the basis of Tongan heritage moved to Australia or New Zealand with their families when they were kids and grew up in those countries, not in Tonga.

[RP London]

12 minutes ago, BrisbaneRhino said:

It wasn't anything to do with players it was the clubs and the likes of Gus Gould. When he moved to the Warriors he said how it was vital NZ grew, and even mentioned how he also wanted to make sure the international game grows.  Then quickly as he came he jumped back to cosy clubland with the Dogs on the basis that its just too hard to get to NZ.  Full of the proverbial brown stuff.

I said it on page 8 and i'll say it again... hes a giant windbag and the less we hear from him the better!

[Damien]

Respect to Judith Cummins:

 

[Tommygilf]

Just now, Damien said:

Respect to Judith Cummins:

 

Sad that the players are in the middle of this, none of this is on them.