I take it I'm one of the "idealists" you're talking about?
I don't have a problem with the GP rule at all. In fact I welcome it with open arms. What I object to is a national team being entirely made up of them. There must be a connection to the country they claim to be representing, otherwise they cannot possibly be legitimate. Samoa pitched up at the original qualifying comp with no domestic players at all. None. And the RLIF ignored it.
While i dont agree with the 6 players rule, a rule is a rule and while it is in, it should and must be enforced. Was it? You say no, but if i recollect, (and i admit i could be wrong) but a domestic player is defined as being not just a player who has played in a domestic competition but also a player who has played in an "A" national team fixture wasnt it? If so, didnt the majority of the samoan team actually play in that Samoa v Tonga fixture in campelltown a while back and therefore qualify for the world cup and wasnt that the purpose of that fixture?
Other countries, like the Cooks, Lebanon, USA used GP players but alongside domestic guys. not only this, but they have consistently done a lot of work to promote and develop RL in those countries.
So what, Russia are absolutely light years ahead of three sides you mentioned, but they are not good enough to make the world cup at this stage. All of the sides you mentioned got to play in the world cup and had their chance to succeed. They were not good enough. Some like Lebanon and USA went tantalisingly close, but they need to lift their game. Others like Fiji, actually caused an upset and qualified on their own merits. If they continue the hard work, the above countries may do the same next time. But you need to understand that the world cup finals are not a place to show case the best domestic structures and hardest working officials, it is for the teams who have proved they have the best rugby league players.
Samoa on the other hand seem to only turn up when a big comp is about to be played, and when they think a wadge of cash is on offer. Where were all of these 'Samoan' players two years ago? Even a year ago for some of them? they just turn up now because it suits them to do so.
Doesnt this tell you that there should be more 'big comps' played so that they will turn up every year? The world cup (and other events) should be aimed to attract Players. If the international program attracts players at the top level, it is reasonable to assume that the side will gain a better profile in their country and it will gain more players at the domestic level. For an example of this, look what a close to all aussie London side has done to the london domestic scene in the past 10 or 15 years. Hopefully a celtic crusaders side will do the same.
Geoff Carr and Colin Love have gone out of their way, including breaking their own rules, to ensure that Samoa get to the main event because they think a lot of Samoans in Sydney will turn out for their matches. Sorry, but that is no way to run a competition. It should be the best teams, period.
That is a riduculous suggestion. It is widely acknowledged that from a fans in Sydney point of view, Lebanon are the team that the establishment wanted in. It did not happen, because they were not quite one of the best teams. The best team on the field won through. Not the team with the best brownie points for setting up a domestic structure. Or the best administration or anything else. That is the way it always should be.
Personally, i think that handicapping any country is ridiculous. You cannot expect a side like samoa to beat one of the big 3 if they are forced to play 5 amateur players. How would Australia go in the world cup, if they were forced to play amateur players (or New Zealand or England). If australia were made to pick 5 Victorian, Perth, South Australian, or Northern Territorian or Tasmanian players it would certainly create the same argument, that it would help bring these australian states up to speed. Why arent they forced to make the same concessions? And the Kiwis local comp could certainly use the exposure of 5 locals as well, why dont we penalise them too? I am sorry, but the only way to increase international football, is to have competive international teams that make money and use that money to fund domestic development. The ultimate goal of domestic development is to enhance the countries senior team. How each nation does that should be up to each individual nation, as each individual nation has different circumstances.