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

[Niels]

1 hour ago, SydneyRoosters said:

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.

France rugby union are very good though.

Surely it is up to the French rugby league side to improve?

I also don't see how we could possibly insist the Samoan players play for Australia or NZ if they don't wish to. 

[Jim Prendle]

Just now, Harry Stottle said:

Yep those same player's, if they played again next week how many would you give Samoa start?

I would back England to beat Samoa every time if we played them each day for a week.

I fail to see how they go from chumps against England to favourites to beat England in two weeks.

[Big Picture]

4 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Samoa thrashed Russia in RU

Fiji thrashed Canada a couple of times 

That just shows that RU isn't nearly as big a sport as it claims to be.  And even in that sport, those tiny island countries never get past the group stages of the World Cup, they're not good enough for that.

[bratman]

1 minute ago, Jim Prendle said:

I would back England to beat Samoa every time if we played them each day for a week.

I fail to see how they go from chumps against England to favourites to beat England in two weeks.

Do we need to resurrect the "are England better than Samoa" thread?

[Big Picture]

2 minutes ago, Niels said:

France rugby union are very good though.

Surely it is up to the French rugby league side to improve?

I also don't see how we could possibly insist the Samoan players play for Australia or NZ if they don't wish to. 

Make the majority of players have citizenship in the country they represent like a real international sport and the problem wouldn't exist.

[Jim Prendle]

Just now, bratman said:

Do we need to resurrect the "are England better than Samoa" thread?

No, that debate was ended two weeks ago. 

[Niels]

1 minute ago, Big Picture said:

Make the majority of players have citizenship in the country they represent like a real international sport and the problem wouldn't exist.

Would they not have citizenship in Samoa though? Or be able to obtain it easily? 

[Damien]

7 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Samoa thrashed Russia in RU

Fiji thrashed Canada a couple of times 

Let's face it New Zealand is a small country with a population of less than 5 million and dominates RU.

[Number 16]

Compared to 'the other code'!

In the 2019 union WC the ball was in play for nigh on 35% of the time... about half the time of this RLWC. They kick penalties at will, RL doesn't. 

A 40 point margin in union is the same as 70/80 in RL. 

[Davo5]

3 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Make the majority of players have citizenship in the country they represent like a real international sport and the problem wouldn't exist.

Like Football,cricket,rugby Union,athletics,oh wait a minute.

[Davo5]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

Let's face it New Zealand is a small country with a population of less than 5 million and dominates RU.

Pretty useful at cricket to,maybe they are joke sports too.

[eal]

This France team are very poor and way off the pace of the elite nations and even the tier below that. I think we always talk up how things are improving in France out of hopefulness, but on the international stage at least they seem as bad as they've ever been.

[Davo5]

22 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Kept off this thread for the whole game,

Every cloud eh

[Jim Prendle]

2 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Every cloud eh

Amen Brother.

[Ragingbull]

18 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

remember when you said Samoa would destroy England

Nope didn't happen.  Again more false claims from you.  Thats a few this week now.  Not having  a good time of it are you. 

Parody accounts should be removed from this forum.

[Davo5]

4 minutes ago, eal said:

This France team are very poor and way off the pace of the elite nations and even the tier below that. I think we always talk up how things are improving in France out of hopefulness, but on the international stage at least they seem as bad as they've ever been.

The big mystery is they are really competitive at youth level with England & there is more French players playing at Superleague level but they still struggle at full international level,some of which can be put down lack of test rugby but not all.

[eal]

Just now, Davo5 said:

The big mystery is they are really competitive at youth level with England & there is more French players playing at Superleague level but they still struggle at full international level,some of which can be put down lack of test rugby but not all.

I know, you would think the Catalans and Toulouse guys would actually look like seasoned professionals out there, instead they don't look much better than the Greeks and Jamaicans.

[SydneyRoosters]

1 minute ago, Ragingbull said:

Nope didn't happen.  Again more false claims from you.  Thats a few this week now.  Not having  a good time of it are you. 

Parody accounts should be removed from this forum.

False Claim

You said the exact same thing, you called me a parody account/Troll about 10 times because I said England would destroy Samoa.

[SalfordSlim]

44 minutes ago, JimBronco said:

Beautiful hit!!!

Cue Saints fans saying it's not a patch on Welsby's on Atkin.

Absolute belter that though and Mourgue couldn't be a more apt name for someone on the receiving end.

[tjhrads93]

32 minutes ago, Jim Prendle said:

No, that debate was ended two weeks ago. 

Seemed to be a fairly convincing conclusion if I remember correctly.

[Jim Prendle]

Just now, tjhrads93 said:

Seemed to a fairly convincing conclusion if I remember correctly.

Well it did to those of us without NRL tinted spectacles on.

[Phil]

25 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Make the majority of players have citizenship in the country they represent like a real international sport and the problem wouldn't exist.

The vast majority of sports recognise and employ the grandparent ruling, which are these “real international” sports you refer to? 

[JohnM]

28 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Make the majority of players have citizenship in the country they represent like a real international sport and the problem wouldn't exist.

Easy peasy. As I pointed out a few pages ago, you are entitled to Irish citizenship if one of your grandparents was born there. My guess is that quite a few English, Scottish, NZ and Aus players have a grandparent born in Ireland.

[JohnM]

Scottish soccer phone in about qualification to play for Scotland

Caller: I'm a Hearts fan and, fair enough, Stephen Pressley gets a game for Scotland but what I can't understand is why [national coach Berti] Vogts never picks Antii Niemi.

 'Host (former footballer Arthur Albiston): Eh? Sorry?

 'Caller: Why does he never pick Antii Niemi for Scotland?

 'Host: It's because he's Finnish.

 'Caller: What? 

'Host: Antii Niemi is Finnish.

 'By now enraged caller: He's not Finnish! He's only 28!' 

[Dunbar]

50 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Kept off this thread for the whole game, I should imagine there are quite a few who will have red faces with not only with their predictions but the quality they gave these respective teams and some of the individuals on show, no names but the same person said that Milford was finished and Lui was just a show pony.

This was effectively a select SL v NRL clash, the French lads could not live with the power, speed, organisation and skills of their opponents.

I shall wait till next week to decide if I was wrong about Samoa.

If they beat Tonga and get to the semi finals then I will hold my hand up and say that I have underestimated them.

But if they bow out in the quarters after wins against Greece and France and a 60 point hammering from England then they will have had a poor World Cup.