2017 Rugby League World Cup

[since77]

Anyone who hasn't enjoyed this World Cup hasn't watched.

There has been so much to like. Tonga and Fiji are the obvious ones, but Ireland and Lebanon both played some great footy.

Really looking forward to the tonga England game. I honestly think tonga can win. If they show up with the sort of attitude they brought against NZ we could easily see them in the final.

Who knows? A Hayne inspired performance from Fiji and a few good bounces of the ball, and we could see a tonga Fiji final. Fijis forwards were fantastic last week. If their backs can get it together it will be game on.

f**k the haters. Best World Cup ever.

Haters or realists?
Look, it’s great to see a minnow or two climb higher than previous years, but let’s face it, out of how many teams that entered, we have only 3 or 4 that are actually of internTional standard. Most results have been huge blowouts, and to be brutally honest, most games have been a waste of time as the result was obvious before kickoff. It’s nice to see Fiji make a semi final, but it’s also an indictment on the state of international rugby league that they made the top 4. A team that won zero games made the quarter finals. New Zealand are going backwards, England are still at the same level they always are, and Tonga, as great as that is to see, are yet to prove this isn’t a one-off. And then you have Australia - who could probably give any of their closest rivals a 2 converted try headstart and run them down easily.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love too see international rugby league become a better spectacle, but at the moment, if you judge the entire event (go through the scoresheets), the World Cup is a farce. They need to find a better (and quicker) way of helping the developing nations - PNG, SAMOA, Fiji. Personally I think the best way of doing this is to have a combined Pacific nations team and have them play in the World Cup. Make it a a 4 team tournament and forget about the wastes of time like USA , CANADA, Scotland etc.

 

[Old Timer]

Despite RL’s countless attempts to broaden the games appeal and the countries involved at international level it will never work
The Pacific Island nations are constantly poached by international RU, RL teams in Aust, NZ
They have a propensity for great running backs but always struggle in the halves & forwards. They get occasional good ones but never have a full quota including bench quality at the same time
The only way for them to get better is to leave all the best players there and let them form a team initially for ISP then NRL later on but that will never happen properly as the few really good ones can earn big money over here.
It is warm and fuzzy stuff but well short of true professional and international quality sport and wouldn’t Ken Irvine & Billy Boston liked to have played against such opposition?
France is a well developed country with great history in sport and once were ok at RL and look at them now so what hope undeveloped economies?

 

[Gareth67]

Welcome back Gareth.
Hope you and yours are well

Alls well now Sammy , thank you . Good to be here again , have missed the sabre - rattling and war crys of the forum members .

 

[SBD82]

Haters or realists?
Look, it’s great to see a minnow or two climb higher than previous years, but let’s face it, out of how many teams that entered, we have only 3 or 4 that are actually of internTional standard. Most results have been huge blowouts, and to be brutally honest, most games have been a waste of time as the result was obvious before kickoff. It’s nice to see Fiji make a semi final, but it’s also an indictment on the state of international rugby league that they made the top 4. A team that won zero games made the quarter finals. New Zealand are going backwards, England are still at the same level they always are, and Tonga, as great as that is to see, are yet to prove this isn’t a one-off. And then you have Australia - who could probably give any of their closest rivals a 2 converted try headstart and run them down easily.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love too see international rugby league become a better spectacle, but at the moment, if you judge the entire event (go through the scoresheets), the World Cup is a farce. They need to find a better (and quicker) way of helping the developing nations - PNG, SAMOA, Fiji. Personally I think the best way of doing this is to have a combined Pacific nations team and have them play in the World Cup. Make it a a 4 team tournament and forget about the wastes of time like USA , CANADA, Scotland etc.

Despite RL’s countless attempts to broaden the games appeal and the countries involved at international level it will never work
The Pacific Island nations are constantly poached by international RU, RL teams in Aust, NZ
They have a propensity for great running backs but always struggle in the halves & forwards. They get occasional good ones but never have a full quota including bench quality at the same time
The only way for them to get better is to leave all the best players there and let them form a team initially for ISP then NRL later on but that will never happen properly as the few really good ones can earn big money over here.
It is warm and fuzzy stuff but well short of true professional and international quality sport and wouldn’t Ken Irvine & Billy Boston liked to have played against such opposition?
France is a well developed country with great history in sport and once were ok at RL and look at them now so what hope undeveloped economies?

I think you guys are absolutely overthinking this.

I watched a bunch of games and they were great. I love NRL but is so very structured. It was really enjoyable watching footy being played by really talented athletes.

 

[since77]

I think you guys are absolutely overthinking this.

I watched a bunch of games and they were great. I love NRL but is so very structured. It was really enjoyable watching footy being played by really talented athletes.

I see some highly entertaining footy played in the U 20's. It doesn't mean its of a high standard though.
When an individual player scores 11 (ELEVEN!) tries in 2 games, 5 in a quarter final, and SIX! in a semi final, it suggests the level of competition is fairly mediocre.

By all means lets have more international footy, but its got to be done smarter than this.

 

[hewi]

So why couldn’t Havili make it with us? Having a great game today against the Poms. Maybe something to do with the coach?

 

[SBD82]

I see some highly entertaining footy played in the U 20's. It doesn't mean its of a high standard though.
When an individual player scores 11 (ELEVEN!) tries in 2 games, 5 in a quarter final, and SIX! in a semi final, it suggests the level of competition is fairly mediocre.

By all means lets have more international footy, but its got to be done smarter than this.

I'm not sure it can be done smarter. This is a cracking game in front of a cracking crowd.

Honestly, if you're not happy with this, you're never going to be.

 

[dragonssamy61]

England just more clinical.
The chances that tonga had they didn't finish.
Englands defence too good

 

[dragonssamy61]

I will eat my words what a come back by tonga.
They were very unlucky.
The ref blew it.
I hope the nrl does something to help build the game in the islands.
What a game

 

[TruSaint]

Why didnt the ref check the last try ?
Seriously, last play of the game, looked like a one on one strip , WHY not check?

I would accept the vid ref call, but that was terrible.

 

[hewi]

An absolute cracker, how good for Rugby League was that. Well done to the Tongans, I dip my lid to you.

 

[Brutalitops]

Just quietly, Gareth Widdop with the man of the match with a try, two assists and 102 metres

 

[red rocket]

Just quietly, Gareth Widdop with the man of the match with a try, two assists and 102 metres

Love the Gaz up the dragons

 

[Drag Queen]

An absolute cracker, how good for Rugby League was that. Well done to the Tongans, I dip my lid to you.

I do too. They've been fantastic throughout the whole tournament.

 

[blacksafake]

So why couldn’t Havili make it with us? Having a great game today against the Poms. Maybe something to do with the coach?

Because our “Clayton’s” of a coach probably wouldn’t let him play to his strengths. When he did get the occasional go at dummy half his instructions were most likely to just pass the ball like Rein & now McInnes.

 

[hewi]

A game like that is why League is light years away a better game than Yawnion. Non stop action, end to end and the forwards belted each other. One of the best games I’ve seen in years

 

[dragonssamy61]

Because our “Clayton’s” of a coach probably wouldn’t let him play to his strengths. When he did get the occasional go at dummy half his instructions were most likely to just pass the ball like Rein & now McInnes.

I agree blacksafake
I no that dufty is told to pass it straight to nene or nighty.
I hope that now we have hunt to run the show that widdop is aloud to play his natural ( wich is a running game ).
That is why creeping put him to fullback wich is the best for the team.
That is what a good coach does.
There lies the problem.

 

[Crush]

A game like that is why League is light years away a better game than Yawnion. Non stop action, end to end and the forwards belted each other. One of the best games I’ve seen in years

Dunno about that. Union can be fantastic at International level. League is a great club game though. Union at club level is ordinary.

 

[Country Dragon]

Dunno about that. Union can be fantastic at International level. League is a great club game though. Union at club level is ordinary.[/QUOTE
Decent games in Union are few and far between. No matter what grade!

 

[grouch]

Haters or realists?
Look, it’s great to see a minnow or two climb higher than previous years, but let’s face it, out of how many teams that entered, we have only 3 or 4 that are actually of internTional standard. Most results have been huge blowouts, and to be brutally honest, most games have been a waste of time as the result was obvious before kickoff. It’s nice to see Fiji make a semi final, but it’s also an indictment on the state of international rugby league that they made the top 4. A team that won zero games made the quarter finals. New Zealand are going backwards, England are still at the same level they always are, and Tonga, as great as that is to see, are yet to prove this isn’t a one-off. And then you have Australia - who could probably give any of their closest rivals a 2 converted try headstart and run them down easily.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love too see international rugby league become a better spectacle, but at the moment, if you judge the entire event (go through the scoresheets), the World Cup is a farce. They need to find a better (and quicker) way of helping the developing nations - PNG, SAMOA, Fiji. Personally I think the best way of doing this is to have a combined Pacific nations team and have them play in the World Cup. Make it a a 4 team tournament and forget about the wastes of time like USA , CANADA, Scotland etc.

Scotland played out a draw with New Zealand in the 4 Nations last year and you want to dump them?

Anyway, I hope that absolutely scintillating, pulsating display of the greatest game of all today shuts up the naysayers (but I doubt it)