Aussies & Kiwis not coming in 2023...

[Man of Kent]

‘Samoa and Tonga have held high-level talks about playing Tests against each other in both Samoa and Tonga in 2023.

Meanwhile, Australia will play a Test match against New Zealand in 2023 as well as potentially other games against the Pacific Island sides’

https://www.totalrl.com/super-leagues-img-approached-as-samoa-and-tonga-plan-major-international-breakthrough/

[Dirkgee]

22 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

‘Samoa and Tonga have held high-level talks about playing Tests against each other in both Samoa and Tonga in 2023.

 

That will be amazing

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

‘Samoa and Tonga have held high-level talks about playing Tests against each other in both Samoa and Tonga in 2023.

Meanwhile, Australia will play a Test match against New Zealand in 2023 as well as potentially other games against the Pacific Island sides’

https://www.totalrl.com/super-leagues-img-approached-as-samoa-and-tonga-plan-major-international-breakthrough/

A proper “Wow” moment there.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

13 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Fair point but then why wouldn’t C4 be more interested in England PNG France and Wales in a four nations at a favorable time zone which builds more momentum because it involves several nations. Also getting in other northern hemisphere nations has more value to us as a sport.

Because they’d be filming an England team shorn of players who decided to have a longer post-season rest, or that Op they’d been putting off, still beating everyone else by 40+ points in front of thousands of empty seats, in the rain. 

[Abicus]

Pretty skeptical of the Samoa/Tonga matches being played in respective countries.

Last time Samoa played at home was in 2016 against Fiji? And that was a commemorative match for 30th anniversary of league in Samoa.

Wonder who bank rolls those Tests?

NZ not playing Tonga/Samoa would be a shame, likewise Australia.

Sounds like nothing planned for Northern Hemisphere teams.

[yipyee]

55 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

But no one knows who the hell the players are anyway and no one cares. You are confusing tragics with casuals. 

If there is zero money to be made in either case then growing the Galen here is worth more in the long run than in south. 

Its academic anyway because England won’t be let in Oceanic Cup, it works perfectly without England. So it’s going to be PNG tour here if we are lucky or nothing.

PNG to tour empty staidums and play England knights sounds a poor end to a season

[ghost crayfish]

V'Landys is such a clown. If Australia ends up only playing one test against NZ next year it will be an outrage. The fact that there isn't an organised tournament, or long-term calendar, is a joke. The 'Yeah, we'll play a game, probably" approach to test football we've seen since 2017 really is awful. 

[Jim from Oz]

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/clint-newton-rlpa-world-cup-25534342

[GeordieSaint]

1 hour ago, Jim from Oz said:

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/clint-newton-rlpa-world-cup-25534342

So not a single new idea or concept has engaged Rimmer’s brain? And I thought we were expecting a 10yr IRL plan? I’d be massively disappointed if it’s just ‘options’ for tours and misses the opportunity to engage and play the widening international community.

[bamfordsbeans]

This is a pivotal period for RL in this country.

Last Saturdays defeat is going to have a long lasting implication.

[north yorks trinity]

20 hours ago, MatthewWoody said:

In a 3 games series, squads grow and come to know each other, their strength, weaknesses, etc. It's fascinating, game by game. 

17 hours ago, LongbridgeH said:

The Tours of old with the 3 test matches gives chance for rivalry to be built. The ability to create a consistent buzz for five weeks. 

  

I love a test series for exactly these reasons and would be very sorry to see them go. However, they do need to be at least reasonably competitive to work IMO.

The main thing above all else is more internationals of any sort.

[yipyee]

On 17/11/2022 at 03:34, ShropshireBull said:

Stadiums won’t be empty if RFL and IMG do their job and more importantly, the reality is it’s tough sh*t because no one else is coming. 

So the RFL and IMG will be forced to do their job and sell the sport because the delusional strategy of beg kiwis or aussies is dead and has been since covid.

Sooner batter NH teams than SH teams,

Should just have a NH comp rather than beg PNG to come over for a whipping

[Iceberg Slim]

I think you have to remember also that there is scheduled to be a 16 team youth World Cup under 19s set for France as well as 16 team women’s World Cup. That is a huge schedule and programme for France to prepare for. That’s almost twice the fixtures that will be in this World Cup. 
 

that being said there’s a whole lot of potential development for each european nation that needs to go into place to giving every nation involved an opportunity to get everyone well prepared for the tournament. 
 

I would be looking to develop some under 17s matches in Europe with the intent that those youth squads will be in the youth World Cup in 2025

[MatthewWoody]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/11/17/the-nrl-needs-to-get-a-cba-signed-so-we-can-have-more-international-rugby-league/ 

Some interesting quotes: 

Quote

The IRL has been promising an international calendar for months now, with the hope that it might have been announced at some point during this tournament.

Quote

Neither Samoa nor Australia, nor the Jillaroos or the Kiwi Ferns, have a match scheduled beyond this weekend due to the lack of an international calendar.

[...].

There’s not even a continental championship, like the European Cup or Pacific Cup, because International Rugby League is unable to release their calendar.

Instead, the ongoing pay dispute means it hasn’t got a clue when and under what conditions talent based in the NRL (and the NRLW, for that matter) will be available for fixtures. The IRL is waiting for the NRL just like everyone else.

They could just unilaterally schedule games, of course, but the spirit of cooperation is there and they know that keeping the Australians on side is vital. There’s no point adding a third party to the argument, either. So the IRL waits.

At this stage, it’s traditional to blame the NRL and their member clubs for being out-of-touch boomers who care more about Leagues Club revenue and when they can hold pre-season trials than if Samoa play Tonga ever again.

Quote

In the Northern Hemisphere, England are already booked in to face France in both men’s and women’s in late April. They’d love to be able to pencil in a Kiwi tour too, if someone would tell them when their opponents will be free.

Quote

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf and Samoa coach Matt Parish have been discussing a double header, with one game in Tonga and another in Samoa, but nothing is currently possible.

“Kristian and I have been talking for a couple of years now about one of the things we would both like to do is play a Test in Tonga and a Test in Samoa against one another,” said Parish.

“I would like to think that one day it might happen. That would be unreal for Tonga and Samoa (to play next year).

“I can’t imagine how crazy that would be and how unreal it would be. Not only that, I am sure that both sets of players would love to do that.

“You talk about leaving legacies and all that. That would be unbelievable.”

They might play the Kangaroos, too, but that’s all for the birds at the moment. Whisper it quietly, the Kangaroos might play New Zealand too, something that will excite everyone involved.

 

[Guest]

No SH will come to England in 2023. They'll play in a Pacific comp so better off trying to negotiate England's inclusion in that. ERL already have a Euro comp planned so just field the Knights in that.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, ShropshireBull said:

No more than the rfl deserve and if the plan is knights against European teams then we deserve to be left behind. 

Build Wales and France or die, that’s it , it really is that simple. IMG and RFL can earn their money now . 

Of course the RFL will take the option which generates revenue.

[Exiled Wiganer]

12 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

No more than the rfl deserve and if the plan is knights against European teams then we deserve to be left behind. 

Build Wales and France or die, that’s it , it really is that simple. IMG and RFL can earn their money now . 

I completely agree that, if we look to potential game changers for the international game, Wales and France are the only ones with any hope of success. 

[GeordieSaint]

11 hours ago, MatthewWoody said:

https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/11/17/the-nrl-needs-to-get-a-cba-signed-so-we-can-have-more-international-rugby-league/ 

Some interesting quotes: 

 

Why does that pay dispute stop them announcing games? We know roughly when the season will start and end. 

[Iceberg Slim]

Do you all want an easy fix to this whole scheduling. Here it is. 
 

play origin after the nrl season. 
 

there’s your 3 weeks free for internationals 

Nz Tonga Samoa and Fiji play a four nations over 3 weeks 

once qld and nsw are done bashing each other and figured out who the kangaroos are then  kiwis tour England and kangaroos plays Tonga samoa and Fiji once then go on holidays. Done. 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Iceberg Slim

[Hopie]

2 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

No more than the rfl deserve and if the plan is knights against European teams then we deserve to be left behind. 

Build Wales and France or die, that’s it , it really is that simple. IMG and RFL can earn their money now . 

If France and Wales could beat England Knights then fair play they can play England in a Test series, until then we are stuck with low interest 1 off tests.

England need to play better teams to get better too!

2 international windows a season should be a minimum, and if Aussies don't want to play in both we can have the first one when they do Origin and all the non-Aussies are free.

 

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

1 hour ago, Hopie said:

If France and Wales could beat England Knights then fair play they can play England in a Test series

But if they only get to play England Knights, then that immediately devalues the contest, reducing its commercial value, and increasing the likelihood of the best Welsh and French players not making themselves available. It would be the equivalent of the Aussies insisting that we beat a prime minister's 13 before we are allowed to play the Kangaroos. Why can't it just be marketed as 'England', and the management team pick whatever strength team they want? And play these sorts of games either in France or somewhere in the UK that would reach a new audience that isn't as familiar with who the best English players are anyway.

[RP London]

1 minute ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

But if they only get to play England Knights, then that immediately devalues the contest, reducing its commercial value, and increasing the likelihood of the best Welsh and French players not making themselves available. It would be the equivalent of the Aussies insisting that we beat a prime minister's 13 before we are allowed to play the Kangaroos. Why can't it just be marketed as 'England', and the management team pick whatever strength team they want? And play these sorts of games either in France or somewhere in the UK that would reach a new audience that isn't as familiar with who the best English players are anyway.

Mid season we won't get NRL players coming over anyway so it's a nice way to make the team a bit weaker while also seeing what talent is available below.. win win (of sorts)

[JM2010]

Unfortunately there's not much to entice SH teams over here outside of a WC. With Australia, NZ, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, PNG and even Lebanon there's plenty of competive games for them staying down there. There's only England who can actually give them a game over here so not much leverage.

England need to build up their professional game and increase standards and junior playing numbers as well as working with France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Jamiaca, Nigeria to improve those nations. We need to go it alone without relying on the NRL 

[Big Picture]

1 minute ago, JM2010 said:

Unfortunately there's not much to entice SH teams over here outside of a WC. With Australia, NZ, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, PNG and even Lebanon there's plenty of competitive games for them staying down there. There's only England who can actually give them a game over here so not much leverage.

England need to build up their professional game and increase standards and junior playing numbers as well as working with France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Jamiaca, Nigeria to improve those nations. We need to go it alone without relying on the NRL 

Quite true that, but the way things are in the game now that's a tall order.  Other than France, the other countries you listed can only call upon players in the lower tiers of the game for the bulk of their rosters.

[Iceberg Slim]

We’ve come along way. We had a 8 year gap between world cups at one stage 3 5 year gaps (one due to Covid) and only one normal cycle. You only have to in a normal cycle plan 3 years of international footy 

considering this next cycle is shorter I would go with

2023 

World Cup 9s - Perth 

Oceania Cup 

England v France 

Euro Cup 

2024

6 Nations - England France Aus NZ Tonga Samoa in England and France  test the waters on a few stadia in France for World Cup 

2025 

World Cup France 

2026

Oceania Cup

2027

6 Nations England France 

Youth  World Cup 

2028 

women’s World Cup 

2029 

Men’s World Cup New Zealand