Sun 30 Oct: RLWC: Samoa v France KO 17:00

[Just Browny]

Quite a few problems for France.

In the first 20 minutes they didn't land one decent contact in defence, they were getting hammered down the middle. Then, when they did get a bit of purchase their last tackle kicks were nearly all dreadful and they had no real threat with the ball in hand. All topped with poor or non-existent defence out wide.

That said, I still don't understand what 80% of the six-agains were for. I have no idea when attacking the head became permitted again, but having watched Cook Islands, PNG, NZ (specifically Waerea-Hargreaves) and Samoa in the last week it is clearly something they are very comfortable with down under.

[Welshleaguelover]

The Samoan side aren't particularly likeable are they? The Tongans, Fijians and Kumuls all seem like top fellas. The Samoans don't.

[Hvy wg]

1 minute ago, SydneyRoosters said:

Really bad look for rugby league having these silly heritage nations comfortably beat our few proper rugby league nations. Someone has to sort it out because Samoa shouldn’t be anywhere close to being able to beat France yet here we are. Heritage players do nothing but destroy and make a mockery out of our international game.

We would not have a world cup without heritage. Wed have 5 teams.

Im furious that were destroyed every time by those but theyre not going anywhere anytime soon

[SydneyRoosters]

1 minute ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

No they can’t, not with this team. They simply are not at the same level. I don’t know why you think they are.

I think i worded it wrong, I’m saying on a good day at home in Perpignan they could beat them but right now they look shocking. It is not “impossible” for France to beat Samoa but rather evidently very hard.

[Just Browny]

4 minutes ago, The Legend said:

Very disappointing half by the French. 

Roll on next week were we'll maybe get some close, competative games. 

The only game that's gone to the last 5 minutes so far was the Tonga vs Papua New Guinea game. 

Didn't Wales nearly tie a game with the last play of the match?

[Dave T]

I'm sad this is less of a contest, but I'm loving it. Some huge hits, and it looks like this is the day Tonga and Samoa arrived. 

[Davo5]

2 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Lock in clubs from France and Wales into SL , play them annually on TV so they can build sponsors and revenue. Two games a year in June so the absolute bare minimum.

Which of the 2 struggling L1 Welsh clubs should be placed in Superleague & where would they get the money from to run a full time Superleague club.

[Davo5]

6 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

Yes they “can” beat Samoa but today is not there day. They’ll have to improve a lot.

Give over they are outmatched in every aspect of the game.

[SydneyRoosters]

1 minute ago, Hvy wg said:

We would not have a world cup without heritage. Wed have 5 teams.

Im furious that were destroyed every time by those but theyre not going anywhere anytime soon

World Cup would look this if we expelled Heritage filled Nations.

Australia

England

New Zealand

Papua New Guinea

France

Fiji

Wales 

7 Good nations and that’s all we’re really capable of having. These heritage teams make a mockery of the sport.

[meast]

The set restarts are an abomination really, not just in this game but in the sport as a whole, some of them just seem completely random.

As for this game, France are pretty dumb, Gigot seems to be the kind of player who has no concept of team play.

Samoa have been pretty ruthless though.

[barnyia]

It's a different game with a super League ref who would let them get away with a bit of a wrestle, France are trying hard but Samoa are a different level.

[Hvy wg]

off ref

[Welshleaguelover]

2 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Which of the 2 struggling L1 Welsh clubs should be placed in Superleague & where would they get the money from to run a full time Superleague club.

That's the issue. Wales would need a reliable sugar daddy to establish a top flight professional side in the country.

[Tex Evans Thigh]

3 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

I think i worded it wrong, I’m saying on a good day at home in Perpignan they could beat them but right now they look shocking. It is not “impossible” for France to beat Samoa but rather evidently very hard.

Samoa win 99/100 times. France need better players and a better mentality if they want to beat any of the serious teams. They made hard work of Greece, they remain miles behind. Doesn’t bode well for 2025.

[SydneyRoosters]

This is an absolute joke, makes a tackle and it’s a penalty, completely shocking how does this ref have a job. that was never a shoulder charge

[Hvy wg]

Just now, barnyia said:

It's a different game with a super League ref who would let them get away with a bit of a wrestle, France are trying hard but Samoa are a different level.

Theyre wrestling the sht out of us. We are not allowed to wrestle them.

[SydneyRoosters]

1 minute ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

Samoa win 99/100 times. France need better players and a better mentality if they want to beat any of the serious teams. They made hard work of Greece, they remain miles behind. Doesn’t bode well for 2025.

Definitely not 99/100, I don’t think you realise how much that is. It would be more like 75-25

[meast]

1 minute ago, SydneyRoosters said:

World Cup would look this if we expelled Heritage filled Nations.

Australia

England

New Zealand

Papua New Guinea

France

Fiji

Wales 

7 Good nations and that’s all we’re really capable of having. These heritage teams make a mockery of the sport.

Shall we just not bother then?

I've no issue with first generation Samoans, Tongans, Kukis, Welsh etc but I would limit it to parentage or birth right as opposed to grand/great grandparents but I'd also make it so you can't then change nations.

[Just Browny]

Good grief are we calling that a shoulder charge? I had a bigger collision with an old fella in Morrisons this afternoon when I was a bit too eager to get to the Sunday reductions.

[SydneyRoosters]

Imagine if a rugby union fan saw Samoan beating France 28-0, they would be laughing, not a good look for our sport. Heritage nations do nothing but mock the game.

[Big Picture]

2 minutes ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

Samoa win 99/100 times. France need better players and a better mentality if they want to beat any of the serious teams. They made hard work of Greece, they remain miles behind. Doesn’t bode well for 2025.

Samoa beating them like they are today sure isn't going to do much for the game's image in France.

[tim2]

It looked like a physical mismatch during the pre-match challenge, and although France have bravely stood up to it, they just can't match the power. Once they asserted physical dominance, their backs (particularly on France's right side) showed what they can do. I bet France wished they'd played week 1 Samoa instead of week 3 Samoa.

Tonga v Samoa will be mouth-watering. And some of the tackles eye-watering.

[meast]

One of my favourite bits of commentary came from that first half from Vossy

"They're tackling him like a barbecue chicken, one into the wings, one into the legs and the other getting stuck into the flesh on the breast" 

[EssexRL]

Wow. Just tuned in. Samoa look very good. 

[Gomersall]

Just now, meast said:

Shall we just not bother then?

I've no issue with first generation Samoans, Tongans, Kukis, Welsh etc but I would limit it to parentage or birth right as opposed to grand/great grandparents but I'd also make it so you can't then change nations.

Then you wouldn’t get many half decent Aussies with dual heritage choosing anyone else over Australia.