Report: 2025 World Cup on verge of collapse

[Jughead]

4 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

I am open to the gist of your comment and the sentiments. But it is when those wide results are not rarities, but the norm.

Maybe we need to see what the average winning margin in the group stage of the last RL WC was vs the average winning margins of the last RU WC was.

We could do the same task with soccer. All three sports are different, but I reckon there would be suitable data there to give any half decent sports minded individual to make a decision on which is the most competitive tournament and which is the least.

Personally, I think the disparity between the top six and the rest of the nations competing matters a lot to the perception in our sport. More so than most other sports. We probably do better than Netball though.

We opened the competition up in 2021 to include these nations into groups with tier one nations and they were still relatively rare. I can’t see that we can say that they’re the norm when we’ve had one tournament with that format in place. I probably wouldn’t use that format myself but that’s another discussion in itself. 

[JohnM]

4 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Who knows all will be revealed 

i doubt that, frankly

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, LlanWests said:

Know your enemy. Though I see soccer as a bigger enemy to RL in England than RU. I might be wrong, but G Hetherington said a similar thing. 

It seems at times that RL's biggest enemy in England is ......RL in England....

[Sports Prophet]

13 minutes ago, Jughead said:

We opened the competition up in 2021 to include these nations into groups with tier one nations and they were still relatively rare. I can’t see that we can say that they’re the norm when we’ve had one tournament with that format in place. I probably wouldn’t use that format myself but that’s another discussion in itself. 

Fair enough.

[Madrileño]

2 hours ago, RP London said:

You've already said you think hes Welsh so he's not an "average English League type" is he!?!

Most of the English league fans are pointing his error out too.. 

 

Him yes.

There are plenty others who think England are some kind of League super power though.

To Kiwis fans it can come across as extremely arrogant.

[Sports Prophet]

FYI, everyone can complain about the lack of international ambition from the NRL as they like.

I just conducted a little test.

I searched in google (from Aus) “Rugby league World Cup France news”. Only one of 20 results was news on the current issues of the WC. The rest were links to IRL and stories of France hosting it, but mostly the French results of the most recent WC.

Now I have finally finished watching NRL tonight on replay. Not a single word on the topic.

Can we maybe stop bashing the NRL for their decisions because they go against most of our wishes and instead respect the NRL and all of it’s success for giving the right amount of international RL the population of its precinct wants?

[Madrileño]

5 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

What nonsense are you talking about?

The NRL are organising an end of season series this year.

Wake up to yourself.

I wouldn't waste your breath mate. Typical deluded England "fan" who refuses to accept responsibility for his own nation's incompetence.

They have some kind of grand conspiracy that "the aussies" are trying to kill off international League. It makes them feel better about their own inadequacies. 

This coming from a country who last season scheduled their own national team to play a home game in Rochdale.

[Keith989]

1 hour ago, LlanWests said:

I know, England should have been there, there should be a rule that says that at least 50% of international teams must be made up of ppl who were brought up in that nation. You look where most of the Tongan RU team were born, and it was in Tonga in comparison with the Tonga RU team.  

It's hilarious how typically English this attitude is. Instead of finding a way of bettering yourselfs, you have to find a way of weakening the other nations in order to make things "fair". The exact same thing happens in union. 

You do realise there are more Tongans living abroad, than on its own tiny impoverished island? You did see the big crowds they pulled outside of Tonga for internationals? 

[gingerjon]

6 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

FYI, everyone can complain about the lack of international ambition from the NRL as they like.

I just conducted a little test.

I searched in google (from Aus) “Rugby league World Cup France news”. Only one of 20 results was news on the current issues of the WC. The rest were links to IRL and stories of France hosting it, but mostly the French results of the most recent WC.

Now I have finally finished watching NRL tonight on replay. Not a single word on the topic.

Can we maybe stop bashing the NRL for their decisions because they go against most of our wishes and instead respect the NRL and all of it’s success for giving the right amount of international RL the population of its precinct wants?

Can you rewrite this so that it's in English?

[RP London]

33 minutes ago, Madrileño said:

Him yes.

There are plenty others who think England are some kind of League super power though.

To Kiwis fans it can come across as extremely arrogant.

Not on what you're saying here they're not.. 

[RP London]

28 minutes ago, Keith989 said:

It's hilarious how typically English this attitude is. Instead of finding a way of bettering yourselfs, you have to find a way of weakening the other nations in order to make things "fair". The exact same thing happens in union. 

You do realise there are more Tongans living abroad, than on its own tiny impoverished island? You did see the big crowds they pulled outside of Tonga for internationals? 

Typically English? Is LlanWest English? Can you check that please otherwise you're make assumptions the name sounds Welsh..  

[Big Picture]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

I am open to the gist of your comment and the sentiments. But it is when those wide results are not rarities, but the norm.

Maybe we need to see what the average winning margin in the group stage of the last RL WC was vs the average winning margins of the last RU WC was.

We could do the same task with soccer. All three sports are different, but I reckon there would be suitable data there to give any half decent sports minded individual to make a decision on which is the most competitive tournament and which is the least.

Personally, I think the disparity between the top six and the rest of the nations competing matters a lot to the perception in our sport. More so than most other sports. We probably do better than Netball though.

Probably better than a minor sport only played by women isn't saying much, is it?

Everyone's overlooking the main point about one-sided matches: the likes of France are never on the receiving end of such thrashings in other sports, that only happens to the minnow nations.  The government of a proud nation like France isn't likely to want to put up much cash for a tournament where France is in that category.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Big Picture

[Jughead]

47 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

 

Can we maybe stop bashing the NRL for their decisions because they go against most of our wishes and instead respect the NRL and all of it’s success for giving the right amount of international RL the population of its precinct wants?

Isn’t that the “problem”, though? They do what is right for them, rather than what is deemed right for the game?

[Sports Prophet]

27 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Isn’t that the “problem”, though? They do what is right for them, rather than what is deemed right for the game?

I assume you mean what you deem is right for the game?

What’s to say the vision and actions of the most progressive governing body of our sport, which draws more supporters than any Rugby competition on the planet is wrong and the thoughts of a few on a forum are correct?

I don’t think it’s a problem. I think the NRL’s approach to international footy looks far more successful than 8k at Warrington.

[Gomersall]

1 minute ago, Sports Prophet said:

I assume you mean what you deem is right for the game?

What’s to say the vision and actions of the most progressive governing body of our sport, which draws more supporters than any Rugby competition on the planet is wrong and the thoughts of a few on a forum are correct?

I don’t think it’s a problem. I think the NRL’s approach to international footy looks far more successful than 8k at Warrington.

8k at Warrington is miles better than 0 anywhere.

[Sports Prophet]

1 minute ago, Gomersall said:

8k at Warrington is miles better than 0 anywhere.

Ok. Sure. What is that meant to mean?

As I said earlier, by the end of this year, the NRL will have organised and bankrolled at least six international fixtures, likely more, featuring six nations, whilst the next best governing body of the sport will have organised four international fixtures, featuring just three nations. 

The results speak for themselves. Outside of World Cup events, the NRL have done far more for the international game than any other body.

[Sports Prophet]

9 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

8k at Warrington is miles better than 0 anywhere.

And guess what… should France withdraw from hosting 2025 (which I don’t think will happen), which country will be responsible for picking up the late tab to ensure it happens anywhere in 2025?

Go on, have a guess. 

I’ll give you a hint, it won’t be England.

[gingerjon]

7 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Ok. Sure. What is that meant to mean?

As I said earlier, by the end of this year, the NRL will have organised and bankrolled at least six international fixtures, likely more, featuring six nations, whilst the next best governing body of the sport will have organised four international fixtures, featuring just three nations. 

The results speak for themselves. Outside of World Cup events, the NRL have done far more for the international game than any other body.

Greece v Serbia tomorrow.

Must remember to thank the NRL.

[Gomersall]

3 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

And guess what… should France withdraw from hosting 2025 (which I don’t think will happen), which country will be responsible for picking up the late tab to ensure it happens anywhere in 2025?

Go on, have a guess. 

I’ll give you a hint, it won’t be England.

There’s more chance of it being played here than Australia IMO.

[Sports Prophet]

7 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Greece v Serbia tomorrow.

Must remember to thank the NRL.

Do what you like strawman.

[Sports Prophet]

7 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

There’s more chance of it being played here than Australia IMO.

You think so? Maybe you're right.

My thoughts were that the British government have only just publicly funded one unprofitable RL WC, are they likely to fund another just four years later?

[Exiled Wiganer]

4 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

You think so? Maybe you're right.

My thoughts were that the British government have only just publicly funded one unprofitable RL WC, are they likely to fund another just four years later?

You think wrong. The last “unprofitable” World Cup raised many millions for the game. I know it was complicated to work out, but the last World Cup was an absolute triumph for the game’s local and international development. 

[gingerjon]

6 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Do what you like strawman.

No, I like acknowledging the hard work being done by the European Rugby League in tough conditions and prefer engaging with things that are real and confirmed to fantasy.

[Damien]

26 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

And guess what… should France withdraw from hosting 2025 (which I don’t think will happen), which country will be responsible for picking up the late tab to ensure it happens anywhere in 2025?

Go on, have a guess. 

I’ll give you a hint, it won’t be England.

Yes because it would be Australia's turn. That is why they were so quick to dump it on France in the first place.

[Jim from Oz]

Okay back to the opening topic… Any news from the meeting in France?