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Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)


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13 minutes ago, Jim from Oz said:

And like the sand through the hour glass, so are the Mal Meninga brain farts of our lives …

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/kangaroos-kiwis-call-for-year-ending-tests-despite-world-cup-boycott-20210723-p58cb3.html

That would just rub salt into the wounds. Meninga and Maguire have done so much damage even just discussing this possibility. It's what the NRL want. I love international RL but I want no part of watching that. 

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2 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

There’s the old saying any publicity is good publicity, and I’ve never seen Rugby League in as much media with as much time and prominence as this World Cup story. We need to get the message out quickly that the tournament going ahead, tickets are on sale and they are to be replaced by Australian Invitational and New Zealand Invitational sides and ride this publicity wave.

Not sure we'd get this much publicity if we won the tournament!  At least not 'news news' (perhaps 'sport news'). It's been everywhere!

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24hrs on and the dust far from settling, I am very, very disappointed.

If we can keep in the PI teams then we need to proceed with the tournament. We have to make a stand. But dont be fooled that getting the tournament on is the end of this.

We need fundamental change. If this isnt the catalyst we need to ensure we have a regular NH series and competition and look to capitlise then we are doomed. The control over SH RL shown by the NRL, for their own means, ensures we cannot and probably will not trust them for a very long time.

I do not see an Eng vs. Aus series for a very long time indeed and do we seriously think they will treat a French world cup in 2025 with any more respect? Already a risky venture for FFR, it just got a whole lot more risky.

We have to use this emotion and motivation in the right way and build NH International RL. Yes, it might not draw the same level of crowds and interest to start with. But we need to find a way to financially support other international federations alongside our own RFL if we really want RL to develop across Europe and the NH.

The last 24hrs has proven this is the only trustworthy way to drive revenues, awareness and a longer term future for international RL.

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4 minutes ago, Damien said:

That would just rub salt into the wounds. Meninga and Maguire have done so much damage even just discussing this possibility. It's what the NRL want. I love international RL but I want no part of watching that. 

Agreed. From now on I'll treat the game in Australia and NZ as I would an estranged family member. I'll remember the good times but I've no desire to keep in contact or have any involvement in their future.

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4 minutes ago, tiffers said:

24hrs on and the dust far from settling, I am very, very disappointed.

If we can keep in the PI teams then we need to proceed with the tournament. We have to make a stand. But dont be fooled that getting the tournament on is the end of this.

We need fundamental change. If this isnt the catalyst we need to ensure we have a regular NH series and competition and look to capitlise then we are doomed. The control over SH RL shown by the NRL, for their own means, ensures we cannot and probably will not trust them for a very long time.

I do not see an Eng vs. Aus series for a very long time indeed and do we seriously think they will treat a French world cup in 2025 with any more respect? Already a risky venture for FFR, it just got a whole lot more risky.

We have to use this emotion and motivation in the right way and build NH International RL. Yes, it might not draw the same level of crowds and interest to start with. But we need to find a way to financially support other international federations alongside our own RFL if we really want RL to develop across Europe and the NH.

The last 24hrs has proven this is the only trustworthy way to drive revenues, awareness and a longer term future for international RL.

Now more than ever, not least because of this but given the onfield success we’ve seen from Catalans in recent years and the year-on-year improvements in Toulouse, we need to be putting a real focus on games between us and France and regular fixtures/series between the two. 

 

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35 minutes ago, Jim from Oz said:

And like the sand through the hour glass, so are the Mal Meninga brain farts of our lives …

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/kangaroos-kiwis-call-for-year-ending-tests-despite-world-cup-boycott-20210723-p58cb3.html

If the WC is postponed then this leaves the way free and clear for Australia and Kiwis to go ahead and run their own competition.  It then also helps them prepare for a postponed competition the next year and thus totally ###### up any practice England have.

Ditto if the WC is cancelled.  And if the WC is unviable then it will have to probably be cancelled.

A wholly total shambles. 

I hope all Saints fans are disgusted and ashamed of Mal Meninga  and likewise Wigan with Maguire. 

All ways up the international game is a wipe out.

However... I read that Aussie Players Association say withdrawal is 'premature.  Is there hope?

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If England do end up playing against France and other NH nations instead then we all need to get behind it and make them a big occasion regardless of the scoreline. We should all now push for a regular NH competition.

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This is getting more and more bizarre. Australian and NZ test players now being backed to go and play for other nations in the WC. WTF is going on? These are the same players that need protecting? Or is it that the NRL has no jurisdiction outside the Australian test team and its puppy NZ.

https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league/rlpa-at-odds-with-nrl-over-world-cup-c-3483514

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has backed Australian Test players to travel to England and play for other nations in the Rugby League World Cup after his own side's withdrawal.

Australia and New Zealand's decision to pull out for health reasons has sent shockwaves around the rugby league world, as organisers weigh up what to do next.

The decision however may still not stop close to 350 other Australian-based players and staff from travelling to the tournament if it goes ahead.

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary and Wests Tigers counterpart Michael Maguire were among those on Friday to recommend against their players going for health reasons.

But it's unlikely clubs will be able to legally stop players, who must be made available for representative football as part of their contract.

It means several likely Kangaroos picks could play for other nations, including James Tedesco for Italy and David Fifita for Tonga.

Jarome Luai, Junior Paulo, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Payne Haas, Brian To'o and Josh Papalii could all play for Samoa, while Daniel Saifiti and Tariq Sims are both eligible for Fiji.

"That's their decision and I would support that," Meninga told AAP.

"If James for instance chose to go play for Italy because he can't play for Australia, I wouldn't stand in his way.

Edited by Scubby
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5 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Let's for a moment take Gus Gould - who no doubt has the ear of Peter V'landys - and his words about the NRL running international RL at face value.

How could it possibly be better than what was planned for the autumn? What is their game?

It may be what Lord Acton once saiid “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. 

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My blog: https://rugbyl.blogspot.co.nz/

It takes wisdom to know when a discussion has run its course.

It takes reasonableness to end that discussion. 

 

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Some interesting news here. It's especially interesting if the written into player contracts thing is true, as reading the RLPA's remarks too it seems to be. It is quite clear though that the PI nations are going to have huge pressure applied to them by the NRL though. As I said previously I feel they are going to need to be offered a sweetener to help them take part:

As it stands, the other Pacific nations could call up players and the ARLC and NRL clubs would be powerless to stop them. As long as their official national governing body compete, the legal right would lie with them to call up any players that are eligible. 

It would then force a showdown with the clubs over their own players, as it is written into their NRL contracts that they have to be released if called up and fit. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemeehallwood/2021/07/23/rugby-league-world-cup-hangs-on-apac-call-as-fiji-commits-to-picking-nrl-players/

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TBH I don't think the ~Cup will happen,If what the doctors say is true by the time of the World Cup Covid will be back in spades, largely because of the end of restrictions.  Things're pretty bad now, wait until the kids go back and the results of three months of unrestricted mixing present themselves.  

Aussie RL players are pretty valuable commodities to their clubs and I don't think they want to risk them in what will be a dangerous atmosphere in the UK.  

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“Few thought him even a starter.There were many who thought themselves smarter. But he ended PM, CH and OM. An Earl and a Knight of the Garter.”

Clement Attlee.

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5 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Let's for a moment take Gus Gould - who no doubt has the ear of Peter V'landys - and his words about the NRL running international RL at face value.

How could it possibly be better than what was planned for the autumn? What is their game?

They proposed the following a few years ago;

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/full-details-of-the-nrls-proposed-international-calendar-from-2018-to-2022/

 

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8 minutes ago, Scubby said:

This is getting more and more bizarre. Australian and NZ test players now being backed to go and play for other nations in the WC. WTF is going on? These are the same players that need protecting? Or is it that the NRL has no jurisdiction outside the Australian test team and its puppy NZ.

https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league/rlpa-at-odds-with-nrl-over-world-cup-c-3483514

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has backed Australian Test players to travel to England and play for other nations in the Rugby League World Cup after his own side's withdrawal.

Australia and New Zealand's decision to pull out for health reasons has sent shockwaves around the rugby league world, as organisers weigh up what to do next.

The decision however may still not stop close to 350 other Australian-based players and staff from travelling to the tournament if it goes ahead.

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary and Wests Tigers counterpart Michael Maguire were among those on Friday to recommend against their players going for health reasons.

But it's unlikely clubs will be able to legally stop players, who must be made available for representative football as part of their contract.

It means several likely Kangaroos picks could play for other nations, including James Tedesco for Italy and David Fifita for Tonga.

Jarome Luai, Junior Paulo, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Payne Haas, Brian To'o and Josh Papalii could all play for Samoa, while Daniel Saifiti and Tariq Sims are both eligible for Fiji.

"That's their decision and I would support that," Meninga told AAP.

"If James for instance chose to go play for Italy because he can't play for Australia, I wouldn't stand in his way.

Well done Mal. That's a bit of a 2 finger salute to the NRL.

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21 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Now more than ever, not least because of this but given the onfield success we’ve seen from Catalans in recent years and the year-on-year improvements in Toulouse, we need to be putting a real focus on games between us and France and regular fixtures/series between the two. 

 

Completely agree, it is a necessity both for development and financial reasons!

For me Toulouse in SL is a must to further push the above.

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