RLWC What are your highs and lows

[moorside roughyed]

High- wheelchair rugby league,it's a revelation.

High-PDRL So humbling to watch,

Lows- England men and women losing in the semi's.

[MatthewWoody]

From a personal point of view, having an homegrown Italian playing World Cup rl for the 1st time ever. 

+

England games until the sf

+ 

The success of the Wheelchair and Women's RLWC. 

+

Samoa

+

Fiji almost beating NZ. 

+

PNG very close to Tonga

+

The Kangaroos

+

That tranTasman semifinal

+

Italian win v Scotland (kind of unexpected)

Etc.

---

Lows

Some attendances. 

Cricket scores (a bit too much)

England bottling it

Not knowing who plays whom next Autumn

Edited November 19, 2022 by MatthewWoody

[Tosh]

Honest assessment but for me the highs of the mens tournament  were :-

opening game and England performance in front of 43k in an expansion city.

The performances of both PNG and Fiji.

Both semi-finals.

 

The lows :-

Too many blowout scores and poor crowds.

Another English missed opportunity l

Australia winning it again and never really needing to get out of 2nd gear apart from the semi-final.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Tosh

[hw88]

Highs;-

Performance of the Pacific Islands nations

Wheelchair world cup

Addo-Carr's try

Lows;-

Performance of Scotland and Ireland

Too many blow out scores

England failing yet again

Overuse of the word 'inclusive'

[eal]

Highs:

England until the semis
The Australia v NZ semi

Lows:
Too many blowouts
England failing again

[headtackle]

Highs

- the various hakas and sipis incredible especially the Tonga Samoan quarter final

- sitting among the Tonga fans

- Josh Addo Carr

- players staying on the pitch for ages after the games for selfies 

- Kevin Sinfield finishing at Old Trafford 

Lows

- The RLWC app

- Ticketing when told none left and turn up to banks of empty seats 

- Not being able to ride the wave and get in early for some internationals this time next year

- not knowing what to do with myself next weekend 

 

other than ticket prices and half empty stadiums this has been a great tournament

Watching Kevin Sinfield speak to the crowd tonight was spine tingling and showed what a great game we have

 

 

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

Positives - England's opening game. Looked great on telly and magnificent result 

 

Negatives - I honestly feel this WC has done more harm than good with the appalling attendances and blow out scores all over the BBC. I have lost track of people commenting on it to me down here (more than a dozen people have said the same thing ). I honestly wish most games had been on Premier or something ........or even better a well attended competive  4 nations of NZ, Aus, Enh, Samoa would have been far preferable across 4 weekends on BBC

[Madrileño]

Highs:

️ The emergence of Samoa as a real contender

️The Samoan global diaspora and their reaction to Toa Samoa's achievement

️Samoa kicking England out.

️An incredible Roos-Kiwis game. Contender for best ever international. 

️ Michael Cheika and how he got the Lebos performing.

️ The Fox's try.

️York Rugby League: They have built their wonens team around getting England players involved, and offering a top quality training facility which was driven (I understand) by selection as a world cup training venue.

️Spain. My country's first participation in a League World Cup. 

️The Tongan fans. Santa included. 

️The locations. Proper stadia, with no ramshackle cumbrian villages this time around. 

 

Lows:

️The embarrassment that was Ireland.

️The failure to sell out even 1 match.

️The empty stadium for the Kiwis at Hull.

️The general lack of engagement by the North of England fanbase.

️The lack of shot clocks. Quite amateur.

️The video refereeing. 

️The sad realisation of just how far Super League has now fallen behind the NRL. 

️The lack of neutral officials. I know English refs don't use captains challenge etc, but couldn't we unpskill one of them to do the final?? A Kangaroos team in the final with an aussie ref.... optics are terrible.

️Golden Boot Awards: Adrian Morley in jeans and a polo.Tinpot and Amateurish. 

️Scotland. Why are they even in it?

️The lack of fans from Australia/NZ. At 2013 there were far more. Felt like we were going backwards as an event. 

️Stadium scoreboards not working!

️Hearing "diversity" as a sort of smokescreen of positivity to cover the shortcomings elsewhere. 

️The fact that there are zero profits for for development of the sport.

️Controversial: the Emirates semi final.  To me it looked so low key compared to 2013 Eng-NZ when Shaun Johnson scored. As an event, this one looked pretty insipid by comparison. 

Edited November 20, 2022 by Madrileño

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

41 minutes ago, headtackle said:

 

other than ticket prices and half empty stadiums this has been a great tournament

 

Good grief....it's amazing/incredibly worrying how people dont understand that empty stadiums are massively damaging to the sports brand ......it's been a PR disaster at most games 

And saying "half empty"???....do me a favour ......most were no where near half full 

I love RL..I'm obsessed with it. I have attended 6 games at this WC.....I'm upset they have made a massive mess of this WC in almost every way 

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[Madrileño]

4 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

 

Negatives -  I have lost track of people commenting on it to me down here (more than a dozen people have said the same thing ). 

Yes!!

I think that people from the North of England don't realise what it is like in other areas, where people don't know rugby league. They have naturally much higher expectations, so when they see empty stadia etc, they assume the event is total rubbish.

I have had numerous people commenting to me also (expats etc). I think people in these rugby league towns don't really experience this. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 minute ago, Madrileño said:

Yes!!

I think that people from the North of England don't realise what it is like in other areas, where people don't know rugby league. They have naturally much higher expectations, so when they see empty stadia etc, they assume the event is total rubbish.

I have had numerous people commenting to me also (expats etc). I think people in these rugby league towns don't really experience this. 

It bring me no pleasure to say it ....

I've honestly been embarrassed to be the bloke they know who loves RL down here 

I'll say it again....I'd rather 4 weekends of a decent  4 nations was broadcast on BBC than what we've seen 

[WN83]

High-being at the wheelchair final last night. An honour and a privilege and comfortably the best game I’ve seen across the tournaments. 
 

Low-probably sitting at Old Trafford tonight listening to the buzz in the crowd, the excitement when Samoa got near the line, the roars when they scored but all the while thinking ‘this place would’ve been an absolute cauldron had England been here’

[Madrileño]

5 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

 

I've honestly been embarrassed to be the bloke they know who loves RL down here 

I know that embarrassment!

You try to big it up to people, but can't as it looks so small time compared to other sports.  A lot of expat types here are into union too, and so it really sticks in my throat that the 'events' are so small time, as one things union fans do is turn out for big events. 

[Chrispmartha]

17 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Positives - England's opening game. Looked great on telly and magnificent result 

 

Negatives - I honestly feel this WC has done more harm than good with the appalling attendances and blow out scores all over the BBC. I have lost track of people commenting on it to me down here (more than a dozen people have said the same thing ). I honestly wish most games had been on Premier or something ........or even better a well attended competive  4 nations of NZ, Aus, Enh, Samoa would have been far preferable across 4 weekends on BBC

Im sorry but your second part is really hyperbolic.

to counter your anecdote ive never had has many people talk to me about RL than in the last month or so and it’s been  all positive, not one person has said anything about empty seats or blow out scorelines.

[headtackle]

22 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Good grief....it's amazing/incredibly worrying how people dont understand that empty stadiums are massively damaging to the sports brand ......it's been a PR disaster at most games 

And saying "half empty"???....do me a favour ......most were no where near half full 

I love RL..I'm obsessed with it. I have attended 6 games at this WC.....I'm upset they have made a massive mess of this WC in almost every way 

 

Mate, I’ve been to 6 as well and enjoyed every one of them

I agree empty stands do not look good however linking in the womens tournament and the wheelchair tournament has been a masterstroke and not something other sports have done

Diversity sells these days and the amount of positive publicity we have had on all fronts from this will have attracted a lot of new audiences. Bbc have been all over it and from conversations at work it has captured the imagination of many non diehard fans

The key now is keeping that interest 

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

10 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

 your second part is really hyperbolic

Booze makes the best of us hyperbolic ....me especially. However I've been sober when I've had the 'feedback' from non RL fans ....even my RL buddies down here have found crowds significantly rubbish enough to comment on (people I've converted mostly and who accompanied me up north to games)

[Chrispmartha]

1 minute ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Booze makes the best of us hyperbolic ....me especially. However I've been sober when I've had the 'feedback' from non RL fans ....even my RL buddies down here have found crowds significantly rubbish enough to comment on (people I've converted mostly and who accompanied me up north to games)

Some of the crowds have been really disappointing and I’ve criticised the organisers for that, but the tournament is more than just how many people turned up to a midweek game in warrington.

Would any of your buddies commented on the crowd tonight?

[Jacob565]

Low- realisation that the North isn’t really that interested in the sport outside a small core fanbase.

[GUBRATS]

Highs 

The 4 games I attended , enjoying all of them 

Watching almost all the others on TV 

Lows 

Daft ticketing resulting in confusion and some lower attendances 

Blow outs , but we should stick with the structure 

The Aussies winning at a Canter , again 

Overall an enjoyable month of the sport , the wheelchair being bonkers

[GUBRATS]

4 minutes ago, Jacob565 said:

Low- realisation that the North isn’t really that interested in the sport outside a small core fanbase.

Probably true , I'd guess that only about 30/40% of the core club support has been to a game , still much more than football 

[headtackle]

We’ve had a better World Cup with a lot less hypocrisy than what football is about to serve up

[Hopie]

Highs:
The good and competitive games: Samoa v Tonga, Aus vs NZ Men, Eng v Fra Wheelchair

All games on FTA TV

New nations joining, and "lesser" nations closing the gap to the big 2

Lows:

Ticketing organisation, I was allocated such bad seats that I regretted buying tickets I did and only bought them for 3 matches (and went to another one on a freebie)

England's men failing, again

Poor crowds and no profit, so nothing to invest in the game

RL peaking and going back into hiding again, no international calendar to speak of, NRL to kill off growth again, novelty of Women's game (and potentially Wheelchair too?) unlikely to lead to any money this side of the world, RU being the main headline on 5 live by the time I got through the accidents on the M62

Australia winning again, because of their disdain for the wide game (choosing their own refs, moaning about how hard they have it etc)

Amateurish TV punditry (not knowing the rules, not treating it like a real sport, people like Wilkin on 5 live today moaning about how he hates Old Trafford and he is tired when the game is being given a great boost by being the main sport on 5 live today etc) and TV coverage where the tackle count is not accurately displayed on screen.

Rubbish experience in and around the grounds themselves, just put on a game and hope people turns up, along with video screens that don't show replays in the ground.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Hopie

[RL Sutton Coldfield]

2 minutes ago, Hopie said:

Highs:
The good and competitive games: Samoa v Tonga, Aus vs NZ Men, Eng v Fra Wheelchair

All games on FTA TV

New nations joining, and "lesser" nations closing the gap to the big 2

Lows:

Ticketing organisation, I was allocated such bad seats that I regretted buying tickets I did and only bought them for 3 matches (and went to another one on a freebie)

England's men failing, again

Poor crowds and no profit, so nothing to invest in the game

RL peaking and going back into hiding again, no international calendar to speak of, NRL to kill off growth again, novelty of Women's game (and potentially Wheelchair too?) unlikely to lead to any money this side of the world, RU being the main headline on 5 live by the time I got through the accidents on the M62

Australia winning again, because of their disdain for the wide game (choosing their own refs, moaning about how hard they have it etc)

Amateurish TV punditry (not knowing the rules, not treating it like a real sport, people like Wilkin on 5 live today moaning about how he hates Old Trafford and he is tired when the game is being given a great boost by being the main sport on 5 live today etc)

Wilkin has been horrible on that BBC RL podcast all throughout the tournament. 

[Midlands hobo]

4 hours ago, Tosh said:

The lows :-

Too many blowout scores and poor crowds.

The two go hand in hand don't they who will pay to watch a training session. I drove 2hrs to Doncaster for Wales v PNG it was a great game and cost me £15. I could've driven 15 mins to Coventry arena to see aus v Scotland but the cheapest ticket I found was £40.

£40 simply to watch Oz chase 100 points. No chance 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Midlands hobo
Spellin init

[Midlands hobo]

2 minutes ago, Midlands hobo said:

 

Duplicate trying to correct spelling 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Midlands hobo