Sat 12th Nov: RLWC SF: England v Samoa KO 14:30

[Tippytoe]

18 minutes ago, johnh1 said:

Watkins played 2nd row for Salford. To put him at centre was madness in my view.

He was busted and Wane still picked him also he should have had Ackers on bench I like Wane for his honesty but he bombed out in those decisions. 

[meast]

Currently sat in a pub in Highbury drowning my sorrows.

Have to say I'm gutted, I feel like I felt at Tottenham in May, but this time there's thousands more of us feeling the same rather than just Huddersfield fans.

During the game, I was sat amongst many "local" fans who were totally engrossed in the game and got behind England, some of them I spoke to were just casual sports fans who bought tickets as they "couldn't believe they were on sale for £40 " etc.

By the end, these people who were politely applauding were totally behind England and the scenes when Farnworth scored to level were just brilliant.

Sadly it wasn't to be for England, but Samoa were red hot, Jarome Luai may be an absolute Sh1thouse but he's an absolute joy to watch and I suspect most English will be firmly behind Toa Samoa next Saturday.

Despite the result, I've absolutely loved my time down here and the game and occasion was up there among the best I've ever witnessed

 

 

[The Legend]

2 minutes ago, Tippytoe said:

Why is he at Cas if he was so good for Hull?

I think it was more to do with Hull FC as a run club than anything to do with Radford. He had a good run there but a rot set in. 

It was his first professional coaching job and he served his time with success. 

As a young amateur coach he took East Hull from playing in the Yorkshire league to National league and national Cup winners. He then took Hull FC to back to back challenge cup winners and minutes away from two grand finals. I'm confident in him that he's one of the best. 

[Big Picture]

1 hour ago, Stuff Smith said:

I'm not sure the UK general public has a clue about the size of the population in Samoa. I was surprised when I Googled Tonga's.

Surprised in a negative way I'm sure, as anyone who googles Samoa most likely will be too.

 

1 hour ago, Derwent said:

You’re making out like this is some sort of collection of local players from a domestic competition in Samoa. This is a team made up of players from the best league in the world - nothing embarrassing about that.

Either way they represent a country which the public either knows nothing about or if they do know anything about it they sure don't consider to be a major country in any sense.  And that team being a made-up team full of players who've either never lived in the country or left with their families when they were little only highlights how small and poor it is.

1 hour ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Because it's nonsense.

Is it embarrassing that NZ dominates world RU?

No it's not nonsense.

NZ — FYI a country 2+ orders of magnitude more populous than Samoa — does not dominate world RU.  Three World Cup wins out of nine tournaments is hardly dominance.  It's more accurate to say NZ holds their own in that sport.

1 hour ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

There’s no point engaging with that nutter of a poster. He hates our game and his sole purpose is to talk down the greatest game. 

On the contrary, I love our game even though I find that the modern version pales in comparison to how it was played 30 years ago.  I do hate seeing the pitiful state it's in now though.

[Gomersall]

4 minutes ago, Damien said:

No one ever seriously regarded Watkins as the best centre in the world.

It’s more than three years since he flopped in Australia.

[Gomersall]

2 minutes ago, Tippytoe said:

He was busted and Wane still picked him also he should have had Ackers on bench I like Wane for his honesty but he bombed out in those decisions. 

Mcillorum has been the luckiest man in the England squad IMO. Simply not up to the task.

[hw88]

6 minutes ago, Midlands hobo said:

Yes. The fact a nation of a few million has a 75%win rate over a 100year period and since 2012 in the 4 nations has lost 7 games is a huge embarrassment to any country who has ever wanted to and failed to compete. 

 

100 years of dominant status and nobody can learn the lessons.

Prior to their apartheid ban SA beat NZ more often than vice versa.

[andyscoot]

3 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

 

NZ — FYI a country 2+ orders of magnitude more populous than Samoa — does not dominate world RU.  Three World Cup wins out of nine tournaments is hardly dominance.  It's more accurate to say NZ holds their own in that sport.

Most of the Samoan team were not born in Samoa and the few that were moved to Australia/NZ at a young age. This is not to comment on their eligibility but more that they all developed their skill in Aus/NZ and not Tonga. Tonga's population is basically irrelevant.

[Moe syszlak]

1 minute ago, Gomersall said:

Mcillorum has been the luckiest man in the England squad IMO. Simply not up to the task.

He's lucky that shaun wane loves him! To not get to a world Cup final when you don't have to play nz or aus is unacceptable!!!

[Fevrover]

4 minutes ago, hw88 said:

Prior to their apartheid ban SA beat NZ more often than vice versa.

New Zealand  61 wins South  Africa  38.

[Keith989]

1 hour ago, MatthewWoody said:

Do they? 

Certainly not now. Ireland alone has beaten them 3 times in the last year. 

[Damien]

3 minutes ago, Moe syszlak said:

To not get to a world Cup final when you don't have to play nz or aus is unacceptable!!!

You could say the same about New Zealand playing at home and going out in a quarter final without playing Australia or England. These results are happening not because the big 3 are getting worse but because other teams are getting better. That's a great thing. 

[Keith989]

1 hour ago, MatthewWoody said:

Do they? 

Certainly not now. Ireland alone has beaten them 3 times in the last year. 

[Mr Frisky]

15 minutes ago, Damien said:

No one ever seriously regarded Watkins as the best centre in the world.

But they did though didn't they.

In his prime at Leeds he was outstanding- for England in SL and in all those WCC games he played. 

[Damien]

Just now, Mr Frisky said:

But they did though didn't they.

In his prime at Leeds he was outstanding- for England in SL and in all those WCC games he played. 

No, they really didn't.

[Stuff Smith]

10 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Surprised in a negative way I'm sure, as anyone who googles Samoa most likely will be too.

PNG has about three times the population of Wales. So considerably bigger than Scotland and New Zealand too.

How many people in the UK would believe that, people who weren't Rugby League fans? About twenty.

[Davo5]

15 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Surprised in a negative way I'm sure, as anyone who googles Samoa most likely will be too.

 

Either way they represent a country which the public either knows nothing about or if they do know anything about it they sure don't consider to be a major country in any sense.  And that team being a made-up team full of players who've either never lived in the country or left with their families when they were little only highlights how small and poor it is.

No it's not nonsense.

NZ — FYI a country 2+ orders of magnitude more populous than Samoa — does not dominate world RU.  Three World Cup wins out of nine tournaments is hardly dominance.  It's more accurate to say NZ holds their own in that sport.

On the contrary, I love our game even though I find that the modern version pales in comparison to how it was played 30 years ago.  I do hate seeing the pitiful state it's in now though.

If Carlsberg did bullcrap 

[johnh1]

38 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

Even though he has played centre most of his career and was widely regarded as the best centre in the world until about 3 years ago,? - so easy to pick fault now

Not at all. Why not play someone who has been playing at centre all season? 

[Exiled Wiganer]

6 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

If Carlsberg did bullcrap 

That sadster lives for days like today. There’s something very wrong with them.

[Hemi4561]

Apologies, I have not read the previous48 pages but my view is Mcilorum,Tompkins,Watkins (sorry Kallum), and Wane ,out now, change and build for the future has to start now.

[GUBRATS]

25 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Surprised in a negative way I'm sure, as anyone who googles Samoa most likely will be too.

 

Either way they represent a country which the public either knows nothing about or if they do know anything about it they sure don't consider to be a major country in any sense.  And that team being a made-up team full of players who've either never lived in the country or left with their families when they were little only highlights how small and poor it is.

No it's not nonsense.

NZ — FYI a country 2+ orders of magnitude more populous than Samoa — does not dominate world RU.  Three World Cup wins out of nine tournaments is hardly dominance.  It's more accurate to say NZ holds their own in that sport.

On the contrary, I love our game even though I find that the modern version pales in comparison to how it was played 30 years ago.  I do hate seeing the pitiful state it's in now though.

BLX 

[Dirkgee]

1 hour ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Because it's nonsense.

Is it embarrassing that NZ dominates world RU?

To be fair NZ doesn't dominate RU the same way Australia dominates RL. NZ and South Africa are tied on the number of World Cups won at 3, Australia have 2 and England have 1.

 

In RL Australia has 11, the rest have 3

[Exiled Wiganer]

On the game: 

- gutted, heart broken; 

- once again London steps up and puts on a show. As did Newcastle; 

- cracking game, very exciting indeed, and the atmosphere for the last half hour was electric; 

- as far as the future for NH internationally, we may have to beg, borrow or steal incoming tours for 23 and 24. We must be able to get someone to tour. We must play a game in London and another in Leeds. Not sure about the third venue - Anfield/OT/Etihad?? 

- our performance may have been affected by having to peak for the opening game (as that was essential for the tournament), not being tested enough in the interim and some players, especially, sadly, Welsby, being found out when push came to shove. I think we have the basis of a really good side, and there are plenty of emerging stars who could well step up; 

- we clearly massively missed Roby and Lomax. We need to reach a point where playing for England is such a pull that people will value it more than anything else; and 

- I don’t mind if we ditch or keep Wane. He has shown some talent, but fell short. I can’t think of another coach who would obviously have made a difference. 

[The Legend]

5 minutes ago, johnh1 said:

Not at all. Why not play someone who has been playing at centre all season? 

He had a mare today but Watkins has been our countries best centre for the past decade. I don't think there was anyone out there available to choose from who is better than him in the centre. 

[Maximus Decimus]

29 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Surprised in a negative way I'm sure, as anyone who googles Samoa most likely will be too.

 

Either way they represent a country which the public either knows nothing about or if they do know anything about it they sure don't consider to be a major country in any sense.  And that team being a made-up team full of players who've either never lived in the country or left with their families when they were little only highlights how small and poor it is.

No it's not nonsense.

NZ — FYI a country 2+ orders of magnitude more populous than Samoa — does not dominate world RU.  Three World Cup wins out of nine tournaments is hardly dominance.  It's more accurate to say NZ holds their own in that sport.

On the contrary, I love our game even though I find that the modern version pales in comparison to how it was played 30 years ago.  I do hate seeing the pitiful state it's in now though.

NZ RU have won 77% of their all-time international matches.

The next best is 62% from SA.

Not bad for a team that has 'held its own'.