No Samoa tour in 2024

[Mathius Hellwege]

https://www.intrl.sport/news/a-shot-in-the-arm-meninga-wane-hail-ashes-return-and-international-calendar/
 

as Meninga speaks about a 4N in 24 

So England has to organize a 4N of the NH or play in the European Championship

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

14 minutes ago, Mathius Hellwege said:

https://www.intrl.sport/news/a-shot-in-the-arm-meninga-wane-hail-ashes-return-and-international-calendar/
 

as Meninga speaks about a 4N in 24 

So England has to organize a 4N of the NH or play in the European Championship

Seems sensible. It's about time we took responsibility to develop the international game in our own back yard. How about a 2- or 3-match home and away series against France? With 1 or 2 games in France. Other European countries could play each in parallel. If can't be bothered to help weaker nations, why should Australia be bothered to help weaker nations... which let's be honest compared to their standard includes us? 

[Havenlad80]

5 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Seems sensible. It's about time we took responsibility to develop the international game in our own back yard. How about a 2- or 3-match home and away series against France? With 1 or 2 games in France. Other European countries could play each in parallel. If can't be bothered to help weaker nations, why should Australia be bothered to help weaker nations... which let's be honest compared to their standard includes us? 

If it’s a 2 match series against the French play both games in France and if it’s a 3 game series play 2 games in France and 1 game in England.

we need to give the French as much of an advantage as possible.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

Just now, Havenlad80 said:

If it’s a 2 match series against the French play both games in France and if it’s a 3 game series play 2 games in France and 1 game in England.

we need to give the French as much of an advantage as possible.

Aye, I agree 100%

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Yeah, a 3 game series with France would be a nice change from southern hemisphere teams and would certainly create a lot more excitement than just the one off tests we play against France. I'd almost be tempted to even have all 3 games in France and market it as England touring France. I'm sure a lot of our fans would travel over to help fill out grounds though that shouldn't be a problem anyway cos the one off tests in the past in France have drawn decent crowds. 

[sam4731]

So a 4N in the SH is going to be what, Oz, NZ, Samoa and Tonga? Can we not invite Fiji and PNG to play a 4N here with France? Seems like a no brainer to me.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

25 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

So a 4N in the SH is going to be what, Oz, NZ, Samoa and Tonga? Can we not invite Fiji and PNG to play a 4N here with France? Seems like a no brainer to me.

I'd be good with that.

[Whippet13]

The 4th nation has not been confirmed, it may not be Samoa. It could be Fiji, PNG or even England if we thrash Tonga this autumn. It might even remain a 3 nations.

Alternately, England, France, PNG, Fiji sounds a good tournament to me.

[The British Lion]

If it's not Samoa....and yes we could have an invitational tour by Fiji or PNG.

BUT....

What 'if' Northern Hemisphere RL had a proper strategy for growing the game in the N.H. at last?

England play in a fully fledged Euro Championship (call it what you want).

Teams would be: England, France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Serbia, Greece .... add others who may be appropriate.

They use mainly heritage players from NRL/Oz comps and SL for the next 5 - 10 years while implementing a proper long term strategy in each country to develop home grown talent in each nation.

Each Super League team could have an adopted nation / or just a zero salary cap dispensation for any youngster (from those nations) they bring through to regular first team appearances to help raise skill levels.

Eventually, each of these nations begins to have some great talent for internationals. What if then, each nation manages to plant one club team in their nation, and begin to play in a European or domestic league rises up? 

Don't worry about huge attendances to begin with.

Start somewhere. Start with the end in mind. Have some vision for what the game could look like. Just start, and follow through!

Edited August 6, 2023 by The British Lion

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

The absolute key is that France must be able to pick their best players 

Any shenanigans this time would amount to them giving up on internationals 

[Adelaide Tiger]

3 hours ago, The British Lion said:

If it's not Samoa....and yes we could have an invitational tour by Fiji or PNG.

BUT....

What 'if' Northern Hemisphere RL had a proper strategy for growing the game in the N.H. at last?

England play in a fully fledged Euro Championship (call it what you want).

Teams would be: England, France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Serbia, Greece .... add others who may be appropriate.

They use mainly heritage players from NRL/Oz comps and SL for the next 5 - 10 years while implementing a proper long term strategy in each country to develop home grown talent in each nation.

Each Super League team could have an adopted nation / or just a zero salary cap dispensation for any youngster (from those nations) they bring through to regular first team appearances to help raise skill levels.

Eventually, each of these nations begins to have some great talent for internationals. What if then, each nation manages to plant one club team in their nation, and begin to play in a European or domestic league rises up? 

Don't worry about huge attendances to begin with.

Start somewhere. Start with the end in mind. Have some vision for what the game could look like. Just start, and follow through!

I fully support a proper international strategy for the NH.

With the proposal from the IRL focussing mostly on the end of season period and if IMG/RFL go with a reduced fixture list then a summer based NH tournament could be held.  Start off by having 3 groups of 3 teams.  For example …. Group 1, England, France, Ireland.  Group 2, Scotland, Wales, Italy. Group 3, Serbia, Greece, Ukraine.  Have P&R between the leagues.

You could play the games over just 2 weekends if you have a game on a Saturday, Wednesday and Sunday.  Ok, two teams out of three will have a shorter turnaround between games but that is no different from a league team playing on a Sunday then a Thursday. Or over 3 weeks if time dictates.

Games to be played in one country of that group.  Flights or coach travel across Europe is relatively cheap.   Playing over 2 rather than 3 weekends keeps accomodation and subsistence costs down.

Pro’s and Con’s -

The game showcases an annual well planned international program that can grow over the years

A 3 team tournament with P&R gives a relevance to every game.

With the WC reducing to 10 teams an annual NH summer tournament gives teams that miss out on the WC the chance to keep playing regular meaningful international RL and improving their standards 

Offers countries the opportunity to drive standards in their national league 

Offers opportunity to bring in sponsorship IF there is a commitment for a long term annual tournament and for respective countries to offer sponsorship for the national team

Offers a pathway from local comps to be able to represent their country through regular international RL

Lifts the profile of the game in competing countries and could drive the expansion of the game and increase participation levels in competing countries.

England will easily win it! Of course they will to begin with.  The overall objective is to create a tournament where someday England will not win it.  That is real progress.  Using Englands superiority as a blocker to international games is criminal.  That superiority should be embraced and used to drive standards elsewhere.

The BIG problem with our sport, from administrators to supporters - and some on here - is that there is acute embarrassment; followed by a need to apologise; followed by a knee-jerk reaction if one team wins every time or there is a blow out score.  So what!  Promote the game, do not use England winning it as at excuse to hide.

Who will pay for it? Who knows, but there is more chance of gaining new sponsors to the game if we actually do something.

But Whitehead, Farnworth, Young will not be released by NRL clubs.  Is this really a good argument to stop a competition?  If you played an England international outside the so called heartlands then people being targeted to attend won’t give a toss.

Anyway, I will now enjoy the rest of my day off work.

[ghost crayfish]

Does it say anywhere the supposed 4N for 2024 is not a Northern Hemisphere 4N, with England hosting a tournament including Australia and NZ (or Samoa)? I haven't seen it confirmed either way the wheres or whos of that 4N. 

[Mathius Hellwege]

7 hours ago, sam4731 said:

So a 4N in the SH is going to be what, Oz, NZ, Samoa and Tonga? Can we not invite Fiji and PNG to play a 4N here with France? Seems like a no brainer to me.

They do a 3N with Cook I

[Mathius Hellwege]

1 hour ago, ghost crayfish said:

Does it say anywhere the supposed 4N for 2024 is not a Northern Hemisphere 4N, with England hosting a tournament including Australia and NZ (or Samoa)? I haven't seen it confirmed either way the wheres or whos of that 4N. 

Every sentence about the SH by the NRL makes it clear

[Mathius Hellwege]

1 hour ago, ghost crayfish said:

Does it say anywhere the supposed 4N for 2024 is not a Northern Hemisphere 4N, with England hosting a tournament including Australia and NZ (or Samoa)? I haven't seen it confirmed either way the wheres or whos of that 4N. 

Yes, the IRL press release speaks about dedicated 4N for each hemisphere 

[Mathius Hellwege]

7 hours ago, Whippet13 said:

The 4th nation has not been confirmed, it may not be Samoa. It could be Fiji, PNG or even England if we thrash Tonga this autumn. It might even remain a 3 nations.

Alternately, England, France, PNG, Fiji sounds a good tournament to me.

Why not Jamaica and Lebanon and strengthen the NH (having to beg the NRL to allow a meaningful Lebanon the only drawback)

[Gomersall]

I’d take anything Mal Meninga says about the international game with a pinch of salt.

[welshmagpie]

An international Pacific Tri Series is been proposed between Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea to be hosted by PNG in 2023, Fiji in 2024 and in the Cook Islands in 2026, Carlson revealed.
 

- That’s the chair of Cook Islands RL

[Eddie]

11 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

An international Pacific Tri Series is been proposed between Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea to be hosted by PNG in 2023, Fiji in 2024 and in the Cook Islands in 2026, Carlson revealed.
 

- That’s the chair of Cook Islands RL

The population of the Cook Islands is 17,459 spread over many islands, the largest having a population of 13,000. Surely that can’t be viable for an international tri series. 

[JM2010]

1 hour ago, Mathius Hellwege said:

Why not Jamaica and Lebanon and strengthen the NH (having to beg the NRL to allow a meaningful Lebanon the only drawback)

I think Lebanon and Jamaica might be playing in the MEA and Americas championship. 

[JohnM]

Mornington Crescent Rugby league edition. 

From "A SHOT IN THE ARM': MENINGA, WANE HAIL ASHES RETURN AND INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR "

to 

"No Samoa tour in 2024"

In just one move.

[Damien]

2 hours ago, Gomersall said:

I’d take anything Mal Meninga says about the international game with a pinch of salt.

To be fair I think Meninga has the international games best interests at heart. I just think there is a huge disconnect between what he would like and what the NRL allows.

[theswanmcr]

Why can’t we ever just make life clear and simple?

You would think the SH would have 2 x tri-nations - allowing one of the ‘top’ nations to tour over here each year.

Instead we have the Aus coach saying they will have a four nations next year… when it should be Samoa over here. Unless he’s talking rubbish of course?

[Spidey]

17 minutes ago, Damien said:

To be fair I think Meninga has the international games best interests at heart. I just think there is a huge disconnect between what he would like and what the NRL allows.

He may do but it was on his watch that they’ve pulled out of events. How much did he really try to keep them on?

[crashmon]

I'd have 2 games V France at the end of the season.  Or a tri-nations with France and Wales.....

Play the game vs wales in NW somewhere, and both France games in France.

Of course what will actually happen will be no England games at all or England vs Travelling All-stars all played at Warrington or LSV.

But I would not play France unless they can put up a full team.