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Mal: "We're playing the right amount of games"

Burns

First Grade
Messages
6,037
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/re...s-drop-to-jolt-kangaroos-20191119-p53c2s.html

"We’ve got opportunities to play four or five Tests next year, we’ll see how we go.”

The Australians are scheduled to embark on a Kangaroo tour of Europe next season that includes three Tests against England and a clash with New Zealand. There will be a number of lead-up games as well, potentially including a clash with France.

Meninga said he was looking forward to Australia playing more matches in the future but was mindful of the demands on his players.

“We’ve got Origin, so we have to be careful about the workload,” he said.

“A lot of the players in the international side have played through the finals as well. That’s not to say the other nations don’t, but we have got three games of Origin too, so that adds to the workload.

“We don’t get an opportunity to play together often. We’d like to play more games but, in fairness to the players, we’re playing the right amount of games at the moment.

“We’ve got the Kangaroo tour . . . that’s good for us going into a World Cup. That will give us a bit more continuity and get some combinations going."
~~~~~~~~

Dear Mal,

You decide how many opportunities you get to play Tests. The players who don't play Origin, also play NRL/Super League matches. It's not as if they don't do anything. Oh and if players are too tired, play someone else.

I don't think we are ever going to see Australia play more than 4 or 5 Test maximum a year. They don't care enough.
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
Issue is Australia considers SOO as 3 of the 5-6 annual test matches

Plus the intensity of NRL is 2 or 3 times greater than all other world wide competitions so player recovery is a issue too
 

Burns

First Grade
Messages
6,037
Issue is Australia considers SOO as 3 of the 5-6 annual test matches

Plus the intensity of NRL is 2 or 3 times greater than all other world wide competitions so player recovery is a issue too
How do all those Kiwis do it? Magic New Zealand powers that Australians don’t posses?
 

deluded pom?

Coach
Messages
10,897
It's a good job they aren't proposing a two month, fifteen game tour like they did pre SL. How would the players cope?
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,420
We’ve seen this month we are less and less caring if kangaroos play or not. I’d rather watch Tonga in front of their amazing crowd than Australia at the moment,
 

Springs09

Juniors
Messages
1,903
f**k off. 4 games in 2 years is pathetic. Even more pathetic is we are looking like having only the one home test between 2018 and 2022. 1 home test in 5 years.

We should be looking at 6 tests post-season at the moment and trying to get to 8 if the NRL and ESL seasons ever shorten a bit. If the players are that f**king spoiled and out of touch that they don't want to get paid a fortune to have the biggest privilege of their lives in playing for their country then f**k them off, I'll reluctantly take on this poor and misfortunate task.

How did players ever play a full NSWRL season then go on tour for three months and play 22 games? How did they play a full NSWRL season then go over and play a full RFL season? And with *gasp* jobs as well??? The admin back then should be put on trial for human rights violations.

They don't play SOO

Wow! Instead of playing 25 games a year they play 24!
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
Ah the State of Origin myth rears its head again.
Reality - most SOO players play *less* games overall. Miss the NRL game the week before and most take the week off after.

International Rugby League will never progress with this ridiculous attitude. You'd think the coach of all people would want to be playing more games.
Player workload could be managed with a large, rotating squad but it's easier to just not bother at all.

Comments like this are what make me cheer against the Kangaroos. Until they are repeatedly disrespected by the opposition, the ARL will not act.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
England's best chance next year is to come into game 1 with their combinations sorted and firing.

The Super League draw is already done so it's probably too late to organise more than the 1 rumoured mid-year test, but the RFL should be looking to roll the dice.

First game against the Kangaroos is October 31. The Roos will likely play NZ on Oct 17 then fly the week before.

England should play France and Wales in the 2 weeks before and Ireland mid-season, in addition to the planned trip down under to play Samoa or Fiji. Get the team working together nicely and try and get the jump on Australia.
 

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
Yes it's looking likely we will play 2 warm ups prior to the 1st test...


About mid season....if we are to persist with GB,next scheduled to tour in 2024,then we actually need to do some ground work...a England team needs to play a Celts combined team....at first this maybe the knights v the Celts,I believe this would be a close contest anyway and by 2022-23 I'd hope it would force the RFL to consider selecting a stronger England team cos the knights have been beaten a few times...

GB will only be legitimised and only taken seriously if it's a true representation of rugby league in Great Britain...and I've said that from day one!
 
Last edited:

Version 6

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
7,964
Issue is Australia considers SOO as 3 of the 5-6 annual test matches

Plus the intensity of NRL is 2 or 3 times greater than all other world wide competitions so player recovery is a issue too

So shorten the NRL season.

There are waaayyy too many games in the NRL season and the competition itself gets stale and boring. Shorten it way up and replace it with more international football.
 

yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
5,296
About mid season....if we are to persist with GB,next scheduled to tour in 2024,then we actually need to do some ground work...a England team needs to play a Celts combined team....at first this maybe the knights v the Celts,I believe this would be a close contest anyway and by 2022-23 I'd hope it would force the RFL to consider selecting a stronger England team cos the knights have been beaten a few times...

GB will only be legitimised and only taken seriously if it's a true representation of rugby league in Great Britain...and I've said that from day one!

The RFL aren't renowned for sticking with things... as shown by the War of Roses (4 Games from 2001 - 2003) and the International Origin (4 Games from 2011 - 2013)...

In both cases they had a decent first year (10,253 for War of Roses, 14,174 for Int. Origin), then quickly expanded to a two match series, which drew per game, but a larger aggregate (16,635 for War of Roses, 18,948 for Int. Origin) before more or less reverting to one game in the third year, reducing their visible support for it (or letting teams play 'weakened' squads), and then wondering why the fans drop off (6,454 for War of Roses, 7,926 for Int. Origin) only to then kill off the concept.

Whilst both scenarios were flawed, the fact the RFL was so quick to give up on is why they ultimately failed, which is why I'd fear the RFL taking on a Celtic concept, as it would need plenty of work and support to make it successful.

As always they want the quick, low effort option, but also don't have the budget to make it work (otherwise they could have just poached some Welsh, Ireland and/or Scottish Rugby Union Internationals before the GB tour to help legitimise it a bit)
 

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
OK burying it and never mention GB again...ever!

Either do it properly,get the stakeholders involved properly,cos it's shouldn't just be a RFL thing.....or don't..
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
OK burying it and never mention GB again...ever!

Either do it properly,get the stakeholders involved properly,cos it's shouldn't just be a RFL thing.....or don't..

Tbh I'm frustrated that Wales and Scotland (and Ireland? this wasn't actually clear) actually supported this without some guarantee they would get anything out of it ( except their reputations tarnished and their players ignored and mocked)
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Tbh I'm frustrated that Wales and Scotland (and Ireland? this wasn't actually clear) actually supported this without some guarantee they would get anything out of it ( except their reputations tarnished and their players ignored and mocked)

did they support it? Genuine question, if so how?
 
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