Worst World Cup Fears a Reality...

[mattystans000]

I've just recieved an email from Tas Baiteiri (International Development Officer) regarding the World Cup and 4 Nations. This is from email chatter back and forth between him and me, but, more to the point, news from the RLIF sub-committee that met in Leeds recently.

Matt....thanks for that and .....no I am not at the Leeds meeting. This is being conducted by a sub committee who will report back to the Executive Board for consideration.
They've had to put a business plan together to make it work......I expect to have a full copy of the proposals when they return this week.

The 2008 WC is already done and signed off ....we are waiting for the final 3 teams to fill positions 8, 9, 10.
It will be 1 pool of 4....a power pool, followed by 2 pools of 3.
The top 3 ranked teams in pool 1 will go to the semis.
Team 1 (pool 2) will play team Team 1 (pool 3) - in a qualification semi final for the right to become the 4th team in the semis.
All the teams knocked out of the semis will play for their world ranking...... as there 3rd match.

The rest of the media release re 4 nations, I will have to view before making judgment. I know France are desperate to be included in 2009 to continue improving there position. The Catalan Dragons had a terrific win against Leeds on the weekend and after 3 games have 3 points. We need to re position France to balance the northern and southern hemispheres......cheers for now....Tas

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, still some good regarding the 4N, i'll fire off a reply with any posts here about how bad anyone feels about it, unfortunately I do not think we will be able to change the minds of the RLIF (ARL) but we can at least try...

 

[langpark]

Where's the bad news?

 

[mattystans000]

Read it, theres going to be a 4 Nations inside this World Cup, where only 1 2nd Tier Nation has a chance of the semis after trying to qualify for 2 years and otherwise will not get a chance at the big 3 or other region (Euro to Pac) nations for 5 Years??? It's supposed to be a WORLD Cup not a 4N + 2x Federation Shields???

 

[lockyno1]

Reality is these "2nd tier" nations have bugger all chance of being competitive. Allowing 1 of them to make the semis, probally France, is probally the best way to go to be honest. We don't want to see 2 100 point thrashings in the semis.

 

[brendothejet]

so we will get big crowds to three pool games now...

who the hell is going to go to FIji vs Tonga???

Fiji vs Australia would've have been great.

They have just destroyed the world cup.

 

[mattystans000]

My sentiments exactly, I was looking forward to seeing Aus v Wal and Eng v Ire, or similar but now where do I go, Newcastle, Wollongong... to see the match with no more than 500-1200 people... It's only 6 Years till the next WC, and that's in Eng, let's hope they've got their act together by then... And it's 10 years till it's back here, what if I can't go to England...

 

[brendothejet]

its f**king disgrceful.

An oppportunity to pit the small nations against the leaders in RL on the biggest stages. A chance to mobilize the public to the games and it has been squandered. Wasted. Pissed into the wind.

Words cannot describe how utterly appalled I am at this decision.

The RLIF has simply put this all in the too hard basket and decided to go with an option that will make a joke out of the tournament. Perhaps the northern and southern hemishpere administrators have a running competition: who can f**k the world cup over the most.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Don't really know what to think yet. Need some time to think about it but first impressions are that this is probably a bad decision on balance.
The pros:
*probably more competitive games in all pools
*more bigger games (ie big three against each other) earlier in the tournament
*at least teams knocked out early get a consolation game
*could be worse (which is a pretty sad way to look at things)

The cons:
*contrived and the media/public will realise it
*complicated and inconsistant
*relegates second tier nations to sideshow status while the big nations play in all the big games
*four teams will only get two proper games
*one team will get three thrashings if pooled with the big three
*could be so much better

I had held out some hope of two pools of five but deep down I knew it wasn't going to happen. I'd also hoped they'd shelved this idea about putting the three teams in the one pool. It means even if, say, England loses heavily to Australia and NZ it will still get through to the semis, which will look sh!t. Plus, what happens if a side decides it's better to finish third rather than second or something like that?

 

[brendothejet]

also...how am I gonna get to see Aled James now?

 

[brendothejet]

i f**king hate this.

why why why why?

Over the years I have seen so many things that have tested my love for this game. And Im only young! Why do they hurt me so?

 

[International RL]

What a F!@#king joke...pandering to the TV networks who want 'block buster' games...never mind that they didn't are about what went on in the yawnion when Australia played namibia...

Jesus ChrisT! GET SOME BALLS ARL/RLIF!!!!

Yet another nail in the coffin of the code.

Bravo.

This type of pooling system shows we are scared of the qualiy of our competition. It just makes it look like a farce and is contrived. Who cares if there are some thrashings, it happens in ALL world cups. Put everyone in and let some of these blokes experience playing the kangaroos at the SFS in front of 40,000 people. The crowds at the lesser games will be of local league size, might as well play them in some park. Fair dinkum....

I am filthy. But what else should I expect?

 

[International RL]

And another thing...

What is the point of having the so called 'big three' play eachother so early...It is pointless. Save this big games for the semis when they count for something.

This is so dumb. words can not describe!!!

I am like the beaten wife, taht just keeps coming back for more punishment, hoping he will change.

F!@#K you RLIF. Seriously. I'm over it.


:roll: :sarcasm: :x


If anyone wants to start an online petition or an email to the organisers, ill put my name to it...but im too pissed off and dejected to do it myself. sorry.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Email the organisers? Who would we send it to?

 

[freeridermx]

please do i`ll sign it as well and who is going to be the poor bastard in the first pool vs aus , nz, eng who will be the 4th they will be get killed not fair for them they have no chance really

 

[East Coast Tiger]

The fourth team in that pool will have to be the repecharge qualifier. That's the fairest result, but still pretty disappointing for them. Of course I expected Australia and England to be a pool together anyway so I guess two teams were always going to face an up-hill battle.

 

[deluded pom?]

Can you imagine if this became the regular format for future WC's? Teams would rather be ranked fifth in the world than fourth and have absolutely no chance of making the semis. The last WC wasn't great by any stretch but at least to the curious public appeared to be fair. This is just pathetic . Let's just f*&k the rest off and play a 4N and call it the WC.They can play each other two times to appease the tv people.

 

[Jeffles]

I understand why they want to separate good nations from the minnows but if this is the approach, why even bother with a ten team RLWC? The again, this is similar to the 1995 event which went quite well.

Of course, the real priority should be international development of mid tier nations so that the RLIF isn't scared into creating these lopsided pools.

 

[deluded pom?]

I understand why they want to separate good nations from the minnows but if this is the approach, why even bother with a ten team RLWC? The again, this is similar to the 1995 event which went quite well.

Of course, the real priority should be international development of mid tier nations so that the RLIF isn't scared into creating these lopsided pools.

The 1995 WC only had Aus and Eng in the same group to contrive to get the same teams in the final. It didn't go the whole hog and place Aus , Eng , N.Z. and one other in the same group.

 

[lockyno1]

I think you guys have to ease up a bit. Lets hope the event works out and it in the end tv viewers=$$$$. Lets view this tournament as a "trail WC" so that anything that needs altering can be altered by the WC in 2010/11

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Seriously Locky, leave this one for the adults.