If the World Cup hadn't been the relative success it was last year I'd agree with you.
I'll certainly back that the efforts to capitalise on the RLWC success haven't been up to scratch but the panic and doomsday in your posts is an over-reach. Growing International footy is a long-game type thing - hopefully we're heading in the right direction. The rise of Tonga, for example, is evidence of that IMO
Relative to what? Last year's World Cup was not as successful as 2013, and did not match expectations. Promotion, scheduling and prices left a lot to be desired.
The rise of Tonga did not come about from efforts to grow the international game, it came about through a few player's pride in their heritage, which got Tongan supporters onside 100 times as much as anything the RLIF or any other governing bodies have done. If we'd actually done something to get these countries more annual games and tournaments, the Tongan revolution might have happened much earlier.
If it was 2014 I would agree with you, but the last 4 years have been piss poor from all parties. Australia have sat out tournaments twice, we've had an underwhelming UK 4 Nations in 2016 and an underwhelming RLWC from Australia and NZ last year. England and NZ seem content to play each other only and the after last year's spectacle the King of Tonga had to ring the NRL to get his team a game this year.
We've done very little to grow the international game this year. Australia v Tonga and that's about it. The Denver Test failed, World Cup teams Fiji, Samoa, Italy and Lebanon are doing shit all, PNG are playing a reserve team and France, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the USA are playing in the same old small-time tournaments they always do. The Emerging Nations tournament has been our biggest tournament and it's played at St Marys and Cabramatta.
