2025

[Tosh]

Yet another post RLWC21 thread but which nations theoretically have the best chances of improving?

for me I can only see 2 nations in Fiji and PNG improving thanks mainly to their proximity to Australia and with the current pathways in place with the hunters and silktails able to supply players to NRL clubs and also the 2nd tier Queensland cup and NSW cup competitions.

France should not only be potentially the #1 nation for improvement but in fact they SHOULD be a cert thanks to Catalan and Toulouse and also the elite1 domestic competition but this is French RL we are talking about here after all.

I can’t see any other improvement to other nations like Lebanon, Jamaica, Scotland and Greece etc mainly due to the fact that there’s very little to nothing in place domestically and grassroots/junior pathways level to these nations.

[welshmagpie]

Wales will improve. Three times as many players in Super League systems (first team, reserves and academy) next year than this. There’s growth in that squad and increasing depth. 

[Tosh]

13 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

Wales will improve. Three times as many players in Super League systems (first team, reserves and academy) next year than this. There’s growth in that squad and increasing depth. 

Absolutely. Forgot to add wales to the list.

[Iceberg Slim]

Off topic but any frenchies out there can give us a low ball figure for attendance in France 2025 and a potential high figure?

im assuming 400k max figure with more like 250k attendance for the tournament?

[Tosh]

Basically any country that has little to no domestic and grassroots setup will not improve and imo and are entirely dependent on heritage players will never improve.

Wales definitely has lots of potential as does a country like Jamaica if any real pathways are but in place but not for 2025.

[Tosh]

6 minutes ago, Iceberg Slim said:

Off topic but any frenchies out there can give us a low ball figure for attendance in France 2025 and a potential high figure?

im assuming 400k max figure with more like 250k attendance for the tournament?

I think France could be a great host nation attendance wise.

I think they are planning to play games all throughout southern France in the heartlands and neighboring expansion cities/towns in big&medium sized stadium.

a good mix imo.

[The Partisan]

Considering it will be 30 years since the return of the 1995 one event World Cup and its accompanying Emerging Nations World Cup tournament I think it will provide a measure of how different nations have progressed ...or regressed.  

For example has Ireland the EMNC finalists ever emerged ? 

 

 

[Tosh]

6 minutes ago, The Partisan said:

Considering it will be 30 years since the return of the 1995 one event World Cup and its accompanying Emerging Nations World Cup tournament I think it will provide a measure of how different nations have progressed ...or regressed.  

For example has Ireland the EMNC finalists ever emerged ? 

 

 

No unfortunately is the short answer.

incidentally who was the other finalist and eventual winners?

[Pulga]

It might be hard to believe but Samoa.

They were pretty injury struck this WC and also had 5 or 6 players that would walk into the squad playing elsewhere.

[philipw]

35 minutes ago, Tosh said:

No unfortunately is the short answer.

incidentally who was the other finalist and eventual winners?

Cook Islands wasn’t it?

[Tosh]

9 minutes ago, philipw said:

Cook Islands wasn’t it?

Yes it was.

Played at Gigg lane of all places too.

[Tosh]

20 minutes ago, Pulga said:

It might be hard to believe but Samoa.

They were pretty injury struck this WC and also had 5 or 6 players that would walk into the squad playing elsewhere.

Who was injured?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Tosh said:

I think France could be a great host nation attendance wise.

I think they are planning to play games all throughout southern France in the heartlands and neighboring expansion cities/towns in big&medium sized stadium.

a good mix imo.

They should play a few Elite 1 games as double headers - assuming the season will run concurrently.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Who was injured?

Didn't the lose three players in the opener?

[Tosh]

5 minutes ago, Leonard said:

They should play a few Elite 1 games as double headers - assuming the season will run concurrently.

Don’t think that would be needed to be honest.

[Tosh]

2 minutes ago, Leonard said:

Didn't the lose three players in the opener?

Think you’re right.

[GUBRATS]

Surely Elite 1 would be taking a break while the WC was on ?

[JM2010]

1 hour ago, Tosh said:

Basically any country that has little to no domestic and grassroots setup will not improve and imo and are entirely dependent on heritage players will never improve.

Wales definitely has lots of potential as does a country like Jamaica if any real pathways are but in place but not for 2025.

It's great to see Welsh players being picked up by SL clubs. I would like to see a pathway for Jamaican players into SL. The SL clubs could partner with a Jamaican team and help with development, coaching etc. Any promising players could then be brought over into the SL systems.

Might unearth some talent

[Gambass]

1 hour ago, Iceberg Slim said:

Off topic but any frenchies out there can give us a low ball figure for attendance in France 2025 and a potential high figure?

im assuming 400k max figure with more like 250k attendance for the tournament?

Sounds good, maybe a tad higher

Group Stage :

France games : 15-20K

England games : 10-20K (heavy depending on the number of english travelling fans)

AUS, NZ games : 8-12K

Other games : 5-8K

*Possibly a opening double header (France and England) in Paris or somewhere could boost the numbers

KO Rounds

Quarter-finals : 10-20K (more assuming a french quarter final)

Semi-finals : 15-25K

Final : 25-40K

Pricing will be way cheaper, key being each host cities treats it as a special event, a once in a lifetime thing (so they really shouldn't spread the tournament too thin with too many hosts)

[Tosh]

4 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

It's great to see Welsh players being picked up by SL clubs. I would like to see a pathway for Jamaican players into SL. The SL clubs could partner with a Jamaican team and help with development, coaching etc. Any promising players could then be brought over into the SL systems.

Might unearth some talent

Regarding Jamaica I’ve been saying this for years .

You only have to look at the long list of sporting stars that have come from Jamaica be it track&field athlete's, boxers, footballers and cricketers etc.

Not hyperbole but Jamaica could be the Fiji of the Caribbean. Both league and union.

[Tommygilf]

In terms of who will improve, that will be any nation that can increase the number of FT players available to them; and by extension, increase the number of NRL players.

[Tosh]

13 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Surely Elite 1 would be taking a break while the WC was on ?

Don’t think it would matter either way.

[Tosh]

2 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

In terms of who will improve, that will be any nation that can increase the number of FT players available to them; and by extension, increase the number of NRL players.

I think Fiji will be dark horses and far stronger if they can keep their players playing league rather than Union.

[Tosh]

19 minutes ago, Gambass said:

Sounds good, maybe a tad higher

Group Stage :

France games : 15-20K

England games : 10-20K (heavy depending on the number of english travelling fans)

AUS, NZ games : 8-12K

Other games : 5-8K

*Possibly a opening double header (France and England) in Paris or somewhere could boost the numbers

KO Rounds

Quarter-finals : 10-20K (more assuming a french quarter final)

Semi-finals : 15-25K

Final : 25-40K

Pricing will be way cheaper, key being each host cities treats it as a special event, a once in a lifetime thing (so they really shouldn't spread the tournament too thin with too many hosts)

I’m extremely positive about the French being able to stage and pull off a successful well attended World Cup for no other reason that the local council are usually very supportive.

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Pulga said:

It might be hard to believe but Samoa.

They were pretty injury struck this WC and also had 5 or 6 players that would walk into the squad playing elsewhere.

 

43 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Who was injured?

 Well there`s some pretty young talent amongst this bunch : Luciano Leilua, Tyrone May, Izack Tago, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Josh Aloiai, Danny Levi and Nu Brown for starters.