Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Lebanon demotion

[Keith989]

21 hours ago, corkonian77 said:

I am completely at a loss. 

I was at the Ireland Under 20 Rugby Union hammer Scotland at home in front of 8,400 people. I state that because Ireland have dominated Rugby Union at that age grade in Europe for several years. 

With only 4 Provinical teams the system can not cope with the amount of talent coming through.  Up 75% of the these squads simply give up as they see no future if they don't get into the provincial union system.

My point being is that they are focusing on average lads in England  when talented Irish lads arent even contacted.

It would require quality and regular coaching to get a union/GAA convert upto to any sort of decent standard, which again brings us back to the budget restraints.

A high performance center is needed but I can't see them ever getting the funding for that unfortunately. Even League of Ireland clubs are struggling to get substantial backing. 

 

 

 

[corkonian77]

2 hours ago, Keith989 said:

It would require quality and regular coaching to get a union/GAA convert upto to any sort of decent standard, which again brings us back to the budget restraints.

A high performance center is needed but I can't see them ever getting the funding for that unfortunately. Even League of Ireland clubs are struggling to get substantial backing. 

 

 

 

I am sure that they have a 5 figure budget rather than a  6 figure budget. 

Historically sports grants are highly political in Ireland. There granting has very little to do with need and all about Policticans getting elected. 

 

Edited March 19 by corkonian77

[Pulga]

4 nations that were told back in 2019 that they weren't up to standard and have been paid the $20k each year that full nations receive. So they have been paid between 4 and 6 payments and now continue to be funded while being noncompliant.

The things I could do for rugby league with just one payment...

The IRL needs to be held responsible for this.

Some nations don't have (literal) balls.

[Barry Coade]

Ireland has been told for two years that they were going to lose full status & the RLI boards misinformation on social media and removable of players , coaches & sponcers who were asking questains  and cencership of information over 2 years to hide the sham that is RLI .

A full investagation into RLI & funding from sport Ireland   is required to find the 35,000 ( for example ) shown in RLI accounts that was given as extra covid money to support clubs and grass roots . No clubs seen any money or help from this fund , hense clubs closed and now max 5 games in a season for clubs to play . Last season first 3 weeks were cxd because no numbers . The tip of the iceberg and both erl & irl were informed numerous times about the situation .

Its difficult to understand how an allternative was offered 2 years ago with funding  and still on the table but because of cover up this can not proceed . Hopefully this is the start of change and outing the board and start the work from the grass roots up and build a domestic game which will lead to a good international set up .

I watched the hyena talk bull for months now about pathways and then tells young men if they want to play for Ireland move to England . We want rugby league in Ireland not the sham that is RLI at present . The last agm people were refused access and then removed from RLI  without any process or right of appeal . The  previous agm clubs were refused votes to allow board to keep control .  The bullyboy tactics by coach (hyena) , funds promised and not paid , no appeal process for players , clubs told should shut up or will be removed or punished as seen when one club removed , players refusing to play for the country & club's under current board shows how the feeling is at grass roots .

ON Rugby League ORL , has some real good reading of what has gone on over past 2 years . 

Let the kids play.

Player insurance .

Hyena the truth .

RLI accounts ??.

Governance & appeals process .

The light is at the end of the tunnel as good grass roots here just need board to walk and let the truth out and then build from ground up after full transperant investagation into past 2 years . 

We are rugby league Ireland not England b team . 

Shame on you RLI bring the sport here to such a place over past 2 years after all the hard work done by so many for so long , was not perfect but was growing and honest . 

 

 

 

[langpark]

22 minutes ago, Barry Coade said:

Ireland has been told for two years that they were going to lose full status & the RLI boards misinformation on social media and removable of players , coaches & sponcers who were asking questains  and cencership of information over 2 years to hide the sham that is RLI .

A full investagation into RLI & funding from sport Ireland   is required to find the 35,000 ( for example ) shown in RLI accounts that was given as extra covid money to support clubs and grass roots . No clubs seen any money or help from this fund , hense clubs closed and now max 5 games in a season for clubs to play . Last season first 3 weeks were cxd because no numbers . The tip of the iceberg and both erl & irl were informed numerous times about the situation .

Its difficult to understand how an allternative was offered 2 years ago with funding  and still on the table but because of cover up this can not proceed . Hopefully this is the start of change and outing the board and start the work from the grass roots up and build a domestic game which will lead to a good international set up .

I watched the hyena talk bull for months now about pathways and then tells young men if they want to play for Ireland move to England . We want rugby league in Ireland not the sham that is RLI at present . The last agm people were refused access and then removed from RLI  without any process or right of appeal . The  previous agm clubs were refused votes to allow board to keep control .  The bullyboy tactics by coach (hyena) , funds promised and not paid , no appeal process for players , clubs told should shut up or will be removed or punished as seen when one club removed , players refusing to play for the country & club's under current board shows how the feeling is at grass roots .

ON Rugby League ORL , has some real good reading of what has gone on over past 2 years . 

Let the kids play.

Player insurance .

Hyena the truth .

RLI accounts ??.

Governance & appeals process .

The light is at the end of the tunnel as good grass roots here just need board to walk and let the truth out and then build from ground up after full transperant investagation into past 2 years . 

We are rugby league Ireland not England b team . 

Shame on you RLI bring the sport here to such a place over past 2 years after all the hard work done by so many for so long , was not perfect but was growing and honest . 

Wow, that paints a really horrible picture.  As an outsider looking in, without all that knowledge that you have, I was really disappointed with the Irish at the last WC.  Bringing in Luke Keary (who probably cannot locate Ireland on a map), while homegrown talent like Ronan Michael was the token Irishman / team jester who was given very little actual game time.  Imagine if the amount spent on bringing Keary and co. over had been invested locally instead?  (multiply that question by the last 3 WCs).

[OriginalMrC]

There has been other Irish players (who came through the Irish system) in recent years playing in England who have been overlooked for the international team. I find it astonishing that RLI are holding training camps and trials here in England. It doesn't make sense that whatever little money they have is used in such a way when it could be used to develop the game in Ireland. 

[Gomersall]

 

[Harry Stottle]

Let's be totally open and honest to all this, without Australia and to a lesser extent NZ, how many teams would we have competing in the WC without the flexibility of the heritage ruling, yes I know it is a global thing in all sports, Union, Cricket, Athletics etc, but is it right, I will never be convinced just my opinion.

[Damien]

8 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

 

That sounds like something from Putin's Russia. To reissue now also makes a mockery of the statement that Rugby League Ireland made after its demotion and in particular the last paragraph about the need for unification.

I know where the fault lies and it certainly isn't with well meaning coaches and volunteers trying to do their best for the game in Ireland:

 

 

[Damien]

1 hour ago, Barry Coade said:

Ireland has been told for two years that they were going to lose full status & the RLI boards misinformation on social media and removable of players , coaches & sponcers who were asking questains  and cencership of information over 2 years to hide the sham that is RLI .

A full investagation into RLI & funding from sport Ireland   is required to find the 35,000 ( for example ) shown in RLI accounts that was given as extra covid money to support clubs and grass roots . No clubs seen any money or help from this fund , hense clubs closed and now max 5 games in a season for clubs to play . Last season first 3 weeks were cxd because no numbers . The tip of the iceberg and both erl & irl were informed numerous times about the situation .

Its difficult to understand how an allternative was offered 2 years ago with funding  and still on the table but because of cover up this can not proceed . Hopefully this is the start of change and outing the board and start the work from the grass roots up and build a domestic game which will lead to a good international set up .

I watched the hyena talk bull for months now about pathways and then tells young men if they want to play for Ireland move to England . We want rugby league in Ireland not the sham that is RLI at present . The last agm people were refused access and then removed from RLI  without any process or right of appeal . The  previous agm clubs were refused votes to allow board to keep control .  The bullyboy tactics by coach (hyena) , funds promised and not paid , no appeal process for players , clubs told should shut up or will be removed or punished as seen when one club removed , players refusing to play for the country & club's under current board shows how the feeling is at grass roots .

ON Rugby League ORL , has some real good reading of what has gone on over past 2 years . 

Let the kids play.

Player insurance .

Hyena the truth .

RLI accounts ??.

Governance & appeals process .

The light is at the end of the tunnel as good grass roots here just need board to walk and let the truth out and then build from ground up after full transperant investagation into past 2 years . 

We are rugby league Ireland not England b team . 

Shame on you RLI bring the sport here to such a place over past 2 years after all the hard work done by so many for so long , was not perfect but was growing and honest . 

Have you, or anyone, tried to raise this with Danny Kazandjian and the International Rugby League? He has been pretty good explaining things on Twitter from an International Rugby League perspective. There are too many good people that have been lost to the game in Ireland to continue like this.

Edited March 20 by Damien

[ScottishChris]

I posted in the other thread before it got nixxed.

I'm just an armchair fan of rugby league but it seems like it barely exists in Scotland.  The international team relative success in the early 2010s maybe got a couple of paragraphs in the papers but didn't really enter public consciousness in any way.  From what I can see, there are more Aussie Rules amateur teams in Scotland than there are rugby league teams.  There doesn't appear to be anything in schools or for kids.  I follow the SRL on Instragram etc and they have training meetings for Under 19s but most of the players are from England.  It's a necessity I guess but it's not conducive with growing the game.

If there was to be a strategy for increasing participation in rugby league in Scotland, I'd say that they should target getting union players to play league in the summer which I think accounts for a few of the players who already play for the four amateur teams.  Then try and build up a network of groups of kids playing, try and set up sessions in places that aren't well served for rugby union.  I'd say that trying to set up sessions of touch or tag rugby might grow interest and then take that into the full game.  Of course, who is going to pay for all this and give their time for it is another matter.

[fighting irish]

58 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Let's be totally open and honest to all this, without Australia and to a lesser extent NZ, how many teams would we have competing in the WC without the flexibility of the heritage ruling, yes I know it is a global thing in all sports, Union, Cricket, Athletics etc, but is it right, I will never be convinced just my opinion.

I find this post a bit confusing 'Arry.

At first you seem to imply that the international game would be almost non-existent if not for the allowance of heritage players (which may be true). I interpreted that as if you thought to forbid the inclusion of heritage players was a huge negative for the game. 

Then your last line is unclarified, but seems to suggest that it was never right to include them in the first place, please clarify?

It seems clear to me that the use of heritage players (certainly as far as Ireland and Scotland) has allowed them to compete in our World Cups but has demonstrably hindered (nay destroyed) aspects of the development of the game locally and succeeded in insulting the players and volunteer organisers to boot!

I think we need to ensure that all our actions (in the short term) move us towards our long term goals, however long that takes and we take great care, to do nothing to move us in the opposite direction. Every effort to short-circuit the process inevitably takes us away from our long term goals.

Having said that, the growth of the grass roots game, should always take priority (when resources are meagre). All our experience to date, shows that  establishing a ''glamour'' team in a wilderness just doesn't provoke a significant, spontaneous demand amongst amateur players and supporters to be part of this great game. 

Development comes from unearthing enthusiasts, with enough enthusiasm to make the effort to organise teams for themselves, with nothing more than the desire to play (or watch) as motivation. Treat them with respect, treat them like their dreams and desires to be involved are legitimate and worthy (no matter how ''good'' at RL they are) and if you can't help them, at least provide some encouragement and take care not to ridicule, abuse, and ostracise them.

Is anything I've said here contentious? controversial? I'd argue absolutely not.

My big concern is why it needs to be said, to RL people, at all. 

 

 

Edited March 20 by fighting irish

[Damien]

[gingerjon]

25 minutes ago, Damien said:

I had a feeling it would be that way round.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, fighting irish said:

I find this post a bit confusing 'Arry.

At first you seem to imply that the international game would be almost non-existent if not for the allowance of heritage players (which may be true). I interpreted that as if you thought to forbid the inclusion of heritage players was a huge negative for the game. 

Then your last line is unclarified, but seems to suggest that it was never right to include them in the first place, please clarify?

It seems clear to me that the use of heritage players (certainly as far as Ireland and Scotland) has allowed them to compete in our World Cups but has demonstrably hindered (nay destroyed) aspects of the development of the game locally and succeeded in insulting the players and volunteer organisers to boot!

I think we need to ensure that all our actions (in the short term) move us towards our long term goals, however long that takes and we take great care, to do nothing to move us in the opposite direction. Every effort to short-circuit the process inevitably takes us away from our long term goals.

Having said that, the growth of the grass roots game, should always take priority (when resources are meagre). All our experience to date, shows that  establishing a ''glamour'' team in a wilderness just doesn't provoke a significant, spontaneous demand amongst amateur players and supporters to be part of this great game. 

Development comes from unearthing enthusiasts, with enough enthusiasm to make the effort to organise teams for themselves, with nothing more than the desire to play (or watch) as motivation. Treat them with respect, treat them like their dreams and desires to be involved are legitimate and worthy (no matter how ''good'' at RL they are) and if you can't help them, at least provide some encouragement and take care not to ridicule, abuse, and ostracise them.

Is anything I've said here contentious? controversial? I'd argue absolutely not.

My big concern is why it needs to be said, to RL people, at all. 

 

 

Now let me be clear Irish, in no way whatsoever am I ridiculing, abusing and ostracising what the volunteers and enthusiasts do for our game, taking that stance would be like looking at the man in the mirror and telling him he wasted time, energy and no little expense over the years he was active and involved in the amatuer to become the community game, and no longer being active he stills gets along to watch junior, youth and senior games in the non played ranks quite regularly.

I take it that your reply was a defensive backhander delivered because of your involvement in the amatuer side of our sport which is visible to anyone who reads your Avatar or remembers the many references you have made to your expieriences on these pages, all of which I congratulate and admire what you have done and achieved.

Now back to my post, no one in their right mind can contradict my statement that without Australia and NZ we would have a very much reduced contingency of participating nations in the WC - by my reckoning 5 teams, happy to be corrected - I know the world has changed but for the better is open to interpretation and debate, and I can recall the days when one had to be a bona-fide native of a country to represent it. I have 2 games in my portfolio I follow with enthusiasm RL and Cricket and I could never be accepting of when Cricket would make up rules just to employ 'Johnny Foriegner' in the England team in previous times like the modern day Joffra Archer it should have been 7 years before he qualified for England but that was fast tracked to 9 months, and I was of the same repulsion when the RL had to put  Muari Fa'asavalu in the GB team, then Rangi Chase and there are others as you know, did we need them? I can understand it if mum or dad is from the mother country, but the likes of Jackson Hastings and Blake Austen, who respectively had done 18 and 12 months respectively in this country before selection, I was on that tour there was not many of us supporters mind and we were all fervently getting behind the team with the national anthem only to look at the team and witness those two along with the other mercenary Lachlan Coote with heads silently bowed, it's not right, you should grow 10' tall when putting on the International shirt, I would wager they would have done donning the 'Green and Gold'

 But I think the most laughable of the lot is Union, was a few years ago when my son who knows my opinion of International representatives and knowing I don't watch Union phoned me and said switch on the TV and watch this, it was the line up of the Japanese team for the pre match presentation and as the camera went along the line there was a number of white caucasian 6' - 5" plus players wearing the Japanese Uniform, Uuurghh.

As I finished my original post Irish with "is it right, I will never be convinced just my opinion". And I stand by that. It is all about the selection process for me, and nothing whatsoever to do with our grass roots as you interpreted it to be.

 

 

 

 

[fighting irish]

2 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Now let me be clear Irish, in no way whatsoever am I ridiculing, abusing and ostracising what the volunteers and enthusiasts do for our game, taking that stance would be like looking at the man in the mirror and telling him he wasted time, energy and no little expense over the years he was active and involved in the amatuer to become the community game, and no longer being active he stills gets along to watch junior, youth and senior games in the non played ranks quite regularly.

I take it that your reply was a defensive backhander delivered because of your involvement in the amatuer side of our sport which is visible to anyone who reads your Avatar or remembers the many references you have made to your expieriences on these pages, all of which I congratulate and admire what you have done and achieved.

Now back to my post, no one in their right mind can contradict my statement that without Australia and NZ we would have a very much reduced contingency of participating nations in the WC - by my reckoning 5 teams, happy to be corrected - I know the world has changed but for the better is open to interpretation and debate, and I can recall the days when one had to be a bona-fide native of a country to represent it. I have 2 games in my portfolio I follow with enthusiasm RL and Cricket and I could never be accepting of when Cricket would make up rules just to employ 'Johnny Foriegner' in the England team in previous times like the modern day Joffra Archer it should have been 7 years before he qualified for England but that was fast tracked to 9 months, and I was of the same repulsion when the RL had to put  Muari Fa'asavalu in the GB team, then Rangi Chase and there are others as you know, did we need them? I can understand it if mum or dad is from the mother country, but the likes of Jackson Hastings and Blake Austen, who respectively had done 18 and 12 months respectively in this country before selection, I was on that tour there was not many of us supporters mind and we were all fervently getting behind the team with the national anthem only to look at the team and witness those two along with the other mercenary Lachlan Coote with heads silently bowed, it's not right, you should grow 10' tall when putting on the International shirt, I would wager they would have done donning the 'Green and Gold'

 But I think the most laughable of the lot is Union, was a few years ago when my son who knows my opinion of International representatives and knowing I don't watch Union phoned me and said switch on the TV and watch this, it was the line up of the Japanese team for the pre match presentation and as the camera went along the line there was a number of white caucasian 6' - 5" plus players wearing the Japanese Uniform, Uuurghh.

As I finished my original post Irish with "is it right, I will never be convinced just my opinion". And I stand by that. It is all about the selection process for me, and nothing whatsoever to do with our grass roots as you interpreted it to be.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification. It's pretty much what I thought you meant. I wasn't trying to criticise you but merely to seek clarity.

My reference to ridicule, abuse and ostracism was a dig at what seems to be going on in Ireland and Scotland. Where the self-appointed authorities tread on the tiny seedlings and grass roots, at the most vital time in their development. A time when nurturing those seedlings is absolutely essential.

Our own (the established nations fans) treatment of these new enthusiasts, also leaves a lot to be desired. 

Many's the time I've heard (here) talk of ''minnows'' in the game (that in itself is contemptuous of our own (RL's) enthusiasts, often struggling on their own, to establish the game in their own neck of the woods). Other's discount their efforts as worthless because they can't compete with the established Nations.

Heaven help us. We've all got to start somewhere.

I'm just arguing that we should treasure these newcomers to our game, no matter at what stage of development. We should stop expecting miracles and insisting they rush the process, just to please us. We should instead be thanking them and saying a silent prayer for more of them. 

We need all the help we can get. Let's hope there's lots more to come.  

On a personal note, I think you and I are far more alike than different. It's clear you love the game. So if nothing else, we have that in common. 

[Damien]

Reading some of the Ireland Rugby League board member comments on Facebook and Twitter, they aren't exactly covering themsleves in glory. It's real head in the sand, if your not with us your against us stuff. It desperately needs a change.

Edited March 21 by Damien

[corkonian77]

3 hours ago, Damien said:

Reading some of the Ireland Rugby League board member comments on Facebook and Twitter, they aren't exactly covering themsleves in glory. It's real head in the sand, if your not with us your against us stuff. It desperately needs a change.

One thing for sure there is no winners in a thing like this. 

I am sure some one has looked at  these posts and concluded that there is probally somthing less stressful that they could spend their spare time doing. 

Edited March 21 by corkonian77

[Copa]

Coaches and administrators in amateur sports who overlook their grass roots in an attempt to go for glory poison sports at all age groups all over the world.

It’s a mindset they have and they don’t change. It’s infuriated me when I’ve come across it in junior sports in my community. So many junior athletes just leave because of one or two of these personalities take over a team or a club.

I get the feeling Lebanon will sort themselves out eventually but the others will be overtaken by other countries that are starting to develop quite nicely.

It’s a correction we had to have and it’s a sign of progress.

Edited March 21 by Copa

[Damien]

26 minutes ago, Copa said:

Coaches and administrators in amateur sports who overlook their grass roots in an attempt to go for glory poison sports at all age groups all over the world.

It’s a mindset they have and they don’t change. It’s infuriated me when I’ve come across it in junior sports in my community. So many junior athletes just leave because of one or two of these personalities take over a team or a club.

I get the feeling Lebanon will sort themselves out eventually but the others will be overtaken by other countries that are starting to develop quite nicely.

It’s a correction we had to have and it’s a sign of progress.

Nice post and so true.

[OriginalMrC]

Irish RL fan here and been closely following since the 2000 world cup. I've always understood that heritage players have been necessary to help put a competitive team on the pitch. However here we are over 20 years later and the sport has just not developed at all. There are a handful of teams playing a handful of games each year and Irish born players continue to be overlooked at all levels. It's depressing really as the potential should be there. Will we ever see another Brian Carney? Not likely 

 

[corkonian77]

48 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

Irish RL fan here and been closely following since the 2000 world cup. I've always understood that heritage players have been necessary to help put a competitive team on the pitch. However here we are over 20 years later and the sport has just not developed at all. There are a handful of teams playing a handful of games each year and Irish born players continue to be overlooked at all levels. It's depressing really as the potential should be there. Will we ever see another Brian Carney? Not likely 

 

Back in th 2000's they thought what they could for  League what Jack Charlton did for Irish football. But the big difference was that Irish football had multiple leagues and clubs in existance prior to Charlton's arrival. The sucess they did have could not have been harnessed because the clubs didnt exist to benefit from it. and the 2000 World Cup was on Sky Sports an not on RTE or BBC. 

I cant see the likes of Brian Carney ever coming through again. It was a different era. Effectively if you arent training professionally as an 18 or 19 year old now you may as well forget about playing elite sport. 

The truth is that Ireland is closer to producing an NFL player than a Super League player. 

 

Edited March 21 by corkonian77

[iangidds]

On 18/03/2024 at 11:04, corkonian77 said:

I am a country affected by this decision. That being Ireland. 

One thing i commend the board for doing is picking a good weekend to bury bad news.  It went unreported in Ireland and very commneted on it. 

On face value the criteria on face value seem laugablely easy.  Leitrim a county with a population of 30,000 would meet the criteria if its GAA clubs also played Rugby League. To get a true understanding of the problems of Rugby League expanding in Ireland you have to look back. 

Ireland pre the Celtic Tiger of the 1990s was a cold house to professional sport and federations had little interest in going professional. 

The interest in Rugby League took off with Rupert Murdochs Sky TV in the 90s and the ending of the ban in 1995. Rugby League in Ireland seemed to be in its strongest in 2000's . Both Ian Dowling and Brian Carney played Rugby League and both became dual code internationals. In the mid 90's the then Super League must have seemed alot more glamerous than the domestic Irish Rugby Union scene.

Since that period Rugby League in Ireland seems to have gone into stagnation and decline. In 2013 the RFL anounced that they would cut Rugby League Ireland funding. This decision has had devistating consequences and had led to the situation we are at now. 

Had Rugby Leaugue put big money in the 90s and 2000s in Ireland things may have worked out differently. The creation of the Celtic League in Rugby Union in 2001 seriously affected Rugby League chances of expansion in Ireland. While Rugby League Ireland had two international matches on TV a year on at best Rugby Union had 2 to 3 Provinical matches a weekend on Free TV.  The professionalisation of Irish Rugby Union has led to a explosion of interest in the game. It is ironic the country that least wanted professionalism benefited the most while Australia the one that most wanted it the most benefited the least. The  Provincal Rugby Union teams have caught the public imangination. 

There has been talk of a League 1 franchise been given to Ireland for over a decade. A few articles and forum posts but all talk no action. One thing for sure the sport wont expand in Ireland off a budget that would barely run a small GAA club in rural Ireland. That figure being around €50,000. 

I think this action is a power play by Australia and the NRL and is more about cutting votes than anything else.  I seriously doubt i will see Ireland at Rugby Leage World Cup again and much the pity it is as i have a lot of good memories watching the games.  I feel bad for the well meaning familes that put their heart and soul into Rugby League in Ireland and amoung emigrant communities. 

 

The thing is we as a sport don't have "big money " to put into developing a nation , we have no money due to mis management and paying them off for their disasters ! 

We had a small window to do something in Ireland as we did with Wales ; those windows are firmly shut and there never was a window in Scotland and there never will be !

Rl could work in Greece , Turkey and Serbia I'm sure but as a sport we don't have a pot to p×ss in and these countries will run out of steam very soon. 

[Damien]

40 minutes ago, iangidds said:

The thing is we as a sport don't have "big money " to put into developing a nation , we have no money due to mis management and paying them off for their disasters ! 

We had a small window to do something in Ireland as we did with Wales ; those windows are firmly shut and there never was a window in Scotland and there never will be !

Rl could work in Greece , Turkey and Serbia I'm sure but as a sport we don't have a pot to p×ss in and these countries will run out of steam very soon. 

I am not buying this small window thing to make it work. The small steps could, and still can, be taken at any time. There has been plenty of interest in Ireland over the years with various players, coaches and volunteers. Unfortunately there have been far more people lost to the game than what are still involved and recent events highlight that.

Ireland RL in recent years have simply not been interested in developing and growing the game in any meaningful way and have preferred to take the easy route. They have completely ignored all feedback and suggestions. The worst thing is that, after all what has happened in the last week, they are still doing that with board members taking pot shots on social media and defending their England based approach. I do wonder now who is calling the shots as even the supposed Ireland based board seem to consider the English based people infallible.

[damp squib]

15 minutes ago, Damien said:

I am not buying this small window thing to make it work. The small steps could, and still can, be taken at any time. There has been plenty of interest in Ireland over the years with various players, coaches and volunteers. Unfortunately there have been far more people lost to the game than what are still involved and recent events highlight that.

Ireland RL in recent years have simply not been interested in developing and growing the game in any meaningful way and have preferred to take the easy route. They have completely ignored all feedback and suggestions. The worst thing is that, after all what has happened in the last week, they are still doing that with board members taking pot shots on social media and defending their England based approach. I do wonder now who is calling the shots as even the supposed Ireland based board seem to consider the English based people infallible.

The Ireland-based board is most likely in place precisely because it does what it is told by the people with all the power in England.

I have no doubt that most of the people in England involved in Rugby League Ireland did not have malign intentions but they have effectively hijacked a national sporting organisation and are using it for the benefit of English Rugby League players of Irish descent and to the detriment of the sport and it's players in Ireland.