2008 RLWC the best yet?

[RLIF]

IMO yes, i cant believe the ammount of talk, news and games coverage been shown here in NZ.

Last world cup there was next to nothing about the World Cup itself. Yet this time round we are one year out and in NZ we have been getting press releases and matches on TV.

To put this into prespective, in 2005 we had to send a few 100 emails to Sky TV to get them to buy the rights for the France vs Kiwis test. This year they have gone out and bought the rights for the RLWC Qualifiers with out any pressure from the fans. Even our biggest National paper had a small write up on Scotland beating Wales and Ireland beating Lebanon. I also believe the coverage has gone to Lebanon and the Islands too.

Even some of the talk about the Kiwis has been about the World Cup next year.

 

[Misanthrope]

I'm certainly more aware of this World Cup than the last one. I remember I only found out about the 2000 World Cup when I was leafing through a Big League with a season schedule in it, and it was in there at the very back.

 

[roopy]

I have no doubt the standard of play will be much higher than any previous cup.
The way the draw has been designed also assures us that every game in the comp will be competitive - so each game will be worth watching as a stand alone game.

I think it will 'sell' to RL supporters, who won't go along to see rubbish games.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

The website's a lot better, heaps of people are using the LeagueUnlimited forums and there's usually an article on the qualifiers. It'll definately be better than the 2000 one, thats for sure.

Also its shown on the ticketek website, tickets to go on sale soon. Im definately getting tickets for the Aus/NZL game and the Tonga/Ireland match at Parramatta.

I hope during the NRL season they promote it, like they did with the Tri Nations.(or promote it more). How often do we get an International tournament in Australia, I think the last Rugby League World Cup was in 1977.

 

[Misanthrope]

The way the draw has been designed also assures us that every game in the comp will be competitive

I do worry about how PNG will square up against a full strength Australian or Kiwi side.

 

[ucantseeme]

Colin Love is organising the tournament with the idea and planning for profitability, which will be in stark contrast to the 2000 RLWC. So even if there is $1 profit it will be a success, comparatively.

I think the 1995 RLWC would be hard to beat. But here's to hoping.

Keeping it small with 10 teams is good and making the minnows qualify is smart, separate the weak from the very weak.

As long as the tickets are very reasonably priced (ie. bargains) then it should be well supported.

 

[ozbash]

IMO yes, i cant believe the ammount of talk, news and games coverage been shown here in NZ.

Last world cup there was next to nothing about the World Cup itself. Yet this time round we are one year out and in NZ we have been getting press releases and matches on TV.

To put this into prespective, in 2005 we had to send a few 100 emails to Sky TV to get them to buy the rights for the France vs Kiwis test. This year they have gone out and bought the rights for the RLWC Qualifiers with out any pressure from the fans. Even our biggest National paper had a small write up on Scotland beating Wales and Ireland beating Lebanon. I also believe the coverage has gone to Lebanon and the Islands too.

Even some of the talk about the Kiwis has been about the World Cup next year.

I think there is a deal of trepidation over next years cup here in NZ thanks largely to the dogs breakfast that is running the game here.
The NZRL have to show some spine and resolve the internal issues and then the external ones, ie, demanding club releases for international players.

despite that, i,m looking forward to it.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

I think there is a deal of trepidation over next years cup here in NZ thanks largely to the dogs breakfast that is running the game here.
The NZRL have to show some spine and resolve the internal issues and then the external ones, ie, demanding club releases for international players.

despite that, i,m looking forward to it.

would many kiwis be heading over for a game or two ozbash?

 

[Sam_the_man]

would many kiwis be heading over for a game or two ozbash?

Myself and my wife are flying to Australia from NZ for the cup.

 

[Nook]

When does the wife find out, Sam?

My girlfriend and I have decided to take a week off to see the semi final and final in Brisbane. She's going to be very surprised when I tell her.

 

[c_eagle]

We got something in the mail today about the world cup. Pretty surprising.

 

[Nz]

I got no world cup mail

 

[Copa]

I know a RL fan who didn't even know about the 2000 WC....

I know heaps who aren't aware the 2008 wc will be in their own backyard until i tell them about it.. i hope awareness changes as the WC approaches..

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I have a feeling this WC will be a smashing success.

 

[Nook]

We got something in the mail today about the world cup. Pretty surprising.

Same. Tigers season ticket holders.

Not sure why they didn't wait an extra week so they could have put the names of the Euro qualifiers down but still, beggars can't be choosers

 

[bowes]

No way, the super pool means it will fail, with a proper draw it could have been good, but the 1995 world cup was miles better

 

[miguel de cervantes]

with a proper draw it could have been good, but the 1995 world cup was miles better

are you sure you're not jumping the gun there a bit, proclaiming that the 1995 wc "was miles better" than the 2008 version still 11 months away?

 

[bowes]

are you sure you're not jumping the gun there a bit, proclaiming that the 1995 wc "was miles better" than the 2008 version still 11 months away?

not really as the draw is so disproportionately and ridiculously twisted that I don't see how it could conceivably be better.

I just see it being a farce of the big 3 playing each other in the group stage and again in the finals rendering the earlier matches meaningless. The other half of the super pool games will be hammerings (PNG being one of the weaker teams at the world cup in my opinion) and the other teams are clearly not wanted due to the fact that only one will play a big team and it's setup that they play the hardest one so they don't have a chance of winning, so even though the teams in the two inferior pools will have good matches noone will care due to the format

 

[screeny]

This World Cup is already the best one yet. It hasn't even started but it sure as hell feels like a world cup to me, with qualifying matches that have us on the edge of our collective seat, and with big (big-ish) names to miss out on the finals.

Also, as someone else said, the standard of play is sure to be better than previous, with some of the results for Tonga and Fiji supporting that.

Plus when you factor in the advances made by the RL operations themselves in various countries, namely France (added academy, a professional side, increasing playing numbers and media exposure), Fiji (superlative sponsorship and much more organised rep structure), and Tonga (as above plus more NRL players to choose from), then you've got a lot of pluses going for this world cup.

But IMO it's already the best one and it'll take a f**k up of almighty, Carr-esque proportions, to make it fall to second behind the 1995 edition.

 

[bowes]

But IMO it's already the best one and it'll take a f**k up of almighty, Carr-esque proportions, to make it fall to second behind the 1995 edition.

Sad to say a f**k up of that proportion has already been made