Four Nations

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

With the World Cup no longer taking place at the end of the year it’s a great opportunity to resurrect the Four Nations tournament. Tonga and Samoa were keen to play in the World Cup, get them over for a Four Nations tournament with England and France. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

51 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

With the World Cup no longer taking place at the end of the year it’s a great opportunity to resurrect the Four Nations tournament. Tonga and Samoa were keen to play in the World Cup, get them over for a Four Nations tournament with England and France. 

I agree. If no Pacific nations then how about Jamaica, France, Wales 

Or an Aussie 13 from SL? 

[David Dockhouse Host]

54 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

With the World Cup no longer taking place at the end of the year it’s a great opportunity to resurrect the Four Nations tournament. Tonga and Samoa were keen to play in the World Cup, get them over for a Four Nations tournament with England and France. 

Yes I would love to see International Rugby go ahead.

I want to see Wales, Ireland and Scotland play, without drawing large amounts of players from the NRL, it would give players based in the UK the opportunity to play for their Country.

I'm a huge believer in the international game I believe it should form a major part of our engagement strategy regardless of level, playing for your country is more important than trying to make it look like NRL 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

27 minutes ago, David Dockhouse Host said:

Yes I would love to see International Rugby go ahead.

I want to see Wales, Ireland and Scotland play, without drawing large amounts of players from the NRL, it would give players based in the UK the opportunity to play for their Country.

I'm a huge believer in the international game I believe it should form a major part of our engagement strategy regardless of level, playing for your country is more important than trying to make it look like NRL 

Well said, no matter whether you're playing in Brisbane in front of 50,000 or at New River in front of 50, you're still wearing your country's shirt and all those caps count so it shouldn't matter what the game looks like, how many are there, where its played, in what context its played, its still an international sporting event and that ultimately is what matters. 

[David Dockhouse Host]

11 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Well said, no matter whether you're playing in Brisbane in front of 50,000 or at New River in front of 50, you're still wearing your country's shirt and all those caps count so it shouldn't matter what the game looks like, how many are there, where its played, in what context its played, its still an international sporting event and that ultimately is what matters. 

Fully agree, if we don't accept it may be 50 people made up of mainly family members and wait until we can guarantee a bumper crowd and high standard then we may be waiting for ever.

Start somewhere and build

[The Hallucinating Goose]

14 minutes ago, David Dockhouse Host said:

Fully agree, if we don't accept it may be 50 people made up of mainly family members and wait until we can guarantee a bumper crowd and high standard then we may be waiting for ever.

Start somewhere and build

Correct. One of the most entertaining internationals I have seen in years was Greece v Scotland at New River in 2019. Greece gave Scotland a great game and pushed them hard for an hour.There was about 150 people in attendance and I was one of about 400 people watching the youtube stream. Just because it was at a small ground with a small crowd and the teams were made up of lower division and semi pro players did not mean it wasn't a very entertaining game and did not mean 34 players didn't receive international caps that day. 

[David Dockhouse Host]

1 minute ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Correct. One of the most entertaining internationals I have seen in years was Greece v Scotland at New River in 2019. Greece gave Scotland a great game and pushed them hard for an hour.There was about 150 people in attendance and I was one of about 400 people watching the youtube stream. Just because it was at a small ground with a small crowd and the teams were made up of lower division and semi pro players did not mean it wasn't a very entertaining game and did not mean 34 players didn't receive international caps that day. 

Brilliant

[Guest]

Personally, I would like to see England play annual games against France and Jamaica. Doesn't matter if only 100 people turn up but it's time to start focusing on our own backyard. Let the Aussies do their own thing. They obviously don't care about internationals.

[Hela Wigmen]

52 minutes ago, NW10LDN said:

Personally, I would like to see England play annual games against France and Jamaica. Doesn't matter if only 100 people turn up but it's time to start focusing on our own backyard. Let the Aussies do their own thing. They obviously don't care about internationals.

It definitely does matter if only 100 people turn up. 

[Leyther_Matt]

Let the players have a rest and concentrate on making 2022 as good as possible rather than dragging out this dead duck of a season. 

[Hela Wigmen]

2 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Let the players have a rest and concentrate on making 2022 as good as possible rather than dragging out this dead duck of a season. 

This is my thoughts now. Is it sixteen and counting postponements now?

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

It definitely does matter if only 100 people turn up. 

It hasn't before.

[Leyther_Matt]

21 minutes ago, Johnoco said:

Yeah because all RLs problems will be gone by next March. Ignoring a problem rarely leads to a better solution. 

Nobody is going to be capable of putting on a good spectacle with a month or two’s notice at the end of a physically and mentally draining 8 months or so. 

Flogging the players until they’re dead on their feet is very much part of the problem. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

55 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Let the players have a rest and concentrate on making 2022 as good as possible rather than dragging out this dead duck of a season. 

Or we can make some internationals..... Get some exposure with non RL fans..... Will do RL some good in the long term 

[Leyther_Matt]

Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Or we can make some internationals..... Get some exposure with non RL fans..... Will do RL some good in the long term 

But will those players be capable of putting on a show worthy of attracting - and, more importantly, retaining - those non RL fans? Lord knows they’ve been struggling to string together two decent games in a row on Sky because they’re all either playing twice a week or end up not training for a fortnight and then not playing for another week or two on top of that. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 minute ago, Leyther_Matt said:

But will those players be capable of putting on a show worthy of attracting - and, more importantly, retaining - those non RL fans? Lord knows they’ve been struggling to string together two decent games in a row on Sky because they’re all either playing twice a week or end up not training for a fortnight and then not playing for another week or two on top of that. 

****s sake mate.... Every other sport makes it happen 

[Chris Taylor]

Forget the Four Nations. 

European Cup, start with England, France, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

Two years after the World Cup. 

Let's start the competition in France - lots of good stories in France at the moment with Catalans & Toulouse.

Then further expand to your Germany's, Spain's, Russia's and so on. 

New competition, commercial & tv revenues. 

On top of that, there might be some bigish scores, but without playing, competing then nobody will get better. 

If RL is to attract new audiences, more money - this has to be the way forward. 

[Hela Wigmen]

39 minutes ago, Johnoco said:

100 today, how many next time? 

It's always about instant results in RL. Let things develop

0. Because no credible sport builds an international game involving one of the top three nations on the planet from crowds of 100. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

32 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

0. Because no credible sport builds an international game involving one of the top three nations on the planet from crowds of 100. 

Playing devils advocate, your use of the word credible is what some of us here are essentially saying is the problem with rugby league. This sport is so obsessed with image and trying to prove itself to other people outside the sport all the time instead of just thinking, we have an amazing product, let's just put some games on and enjoy our sport. We don't think that though, we dither about, indecisive, not wanting to make decisions because we are scared some randomer is going to have a chuckle at our expense. I think we've forgotten what a sport actually is, a game people play together for entertainment and enjoyment. I personally don't give a what people think of rugby league, they can think what they want about the sport, more fool them for not actually watching a game and finding out more about the sport and realising its the greatest sport in the world. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

8 hours ago, Chris Taylor said:

Forget the Four Nations. 

European Cup, start with England, France, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

Two years after the World Cup. 

Let's start the competition in France - lots of good stories in France at the moment with Catalans & Toulouse.

Then further expand to your Germany's, Spain's, Russia's and so on. 

New competition, commercial & tv revenues. 

On top of that, there might be some bigish scores, but without playing, competing then nobody will get better. 

If RL is to attract new audiences, more money - this has to be the way forward. 

I understand the sentiment but England would win that competition easy, if we get Tonga and/or Samoa over we have World Class opposition who stand a genuine chance of winning games and the tournament. That’s why I’d go for a Four Nations tournament featuring those sides if possible.

[Leyther_Matt]

8 hours ago, Johnoco said:

So…we’ve never had internationals after a full season? Strange as I recall attending many fantastic ones.

I also aren’t sure that out of any times in RL history, the players have been less flogged. In fact, why flog the players to the extent that they play every week? Maybe make it fortnightly to ensure they are rested? 

Tell me when we’ve ever had a season like this one with so many midweek games and so much off-field pressures on the players and you’d have a point. 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

You may have missed the point of the ARL/NZRL pull out.

[gingerjon]

44 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

I understand the sentiment but England would win that competition easy, if we get Tonga and/or Samoa over we have World Class opposition who stand a genuine chance of winning games and the tournament. That’s why I’d go for a Four Nations tournament featuring those sides if possible.

Tonga and Samoa aren't coming over. No nations with predominately NRL players are coming over.

So, what are we left with?

Keep any ideas to those nations and any possibilities they offer.

[Spidey]

If those teams were coming over we’d probably still have a World Cup on

[jim_57]

4 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Tonga and Samoa aren't coming over. No nations with predominately NRL players are coming over.

So, what are we left with?

Keep any ideas to those nations and any possibilities they offer.

Agreed none of the Pacific nations will be going over this year.

I think it’s a good opportunity to start establishing some local competition. Firstly start playing France at least once preferably 2-3 times a year, secondly start a Euro/Atlantic Cup (better name needed) system.

Tier 1 - Top 3 Euro, Top 1 North America. (England, France, Wales, Jamaica).

Under that 2nd tier comps for Europe & Americas.

Under that regional comps for Europe and in time Americas.