2021 RLWC Men's Semi Finals

[Matua]

That was a great game worthy of the final, oh wait, it's not the final. Shitty result though. But it was 50/50 game so I'm not too disheartened. Well, I lie, I'm bloody gutted, but glad it was a close game that we could have won.

Congrats to Oz, I'll do something I never thought I'd ever do and support them in the final if they play England.

 

[taste2taste]

Gets a bigger crowd.

That was the case 15 years ago when Australia used to win 50 - 0 but those days are gone.

An annual clash on Anzac day would build a great rivaley ( dare i compare it SOO ? ) it would easily fill the new stadium and get TV ratings ten times higher than Roosters v Dragons. It would also enormously help NZRL who work off a shoe string budget

But this is rugby league, so clubs get preference over internationals.

 

[Dark Corner]

That was a great game worthy of the final, oh wait, it's not the final. Shitty result though. But it was 50/50 game so I'm not too disheartened. Well, I lie, I'm bloody gutted, but glad it was a close game that we could have won.

Congrats to Oz, I'll do something I never thought I'd ever do and support them in the final if they play England.

Great game , great crowd but gutted for New Zealand.

 

[Wb1234]

With rugby league world cups you will always get union fans watching, even those that don’t regularly follow league

they will mock the group stages but then when the games get close they pretty much realise what a great sport league is compared to theirs

we won’t convert many of them right away but they will develop an appreciation of the game and watch more games causally

a good game of rugby league is another another planet to any union game

 

[Ruby Roundhouse]

unlucky kiwis

 

[Stinkfinger]

That was the case 15 years ago when Australia used to win 50 - 0 but those days are gone.

An annual clash on Anzac day would build a great rivaley ( dare i compare it SOO ? ) it would easily fill the new stadium and get TV ratings ten times higher than Roosters v Dragons. It would also enormously help NZRL who work off a shoe string budget

But this is rugby league, so clubs get preference over internationals.

Dragons-Roosters got 35,000 this year and gets at least that every year. The last time Aus-NZ got a crowd that big in Sydney was 2008 for a match played in May. I don't doubt an Anzac day Test in Sydney could get 35,000+ (and more in Brisbane), but Dragons-Roosters in May couldn't, so the end result favours playing an NRL game on Anzac Day.

When you've got the Harry Grants of this world screaming for more money, you need to consider the bottom line always.

 

[taste2taste]

Great game

Rugby League is trending No1 on Twitter in the UK with many celebs tweeting that it’s their first game and they’re blown away and speechless by the sheer athleticism, toughness, relentlessness, honesty, skill levels and commitment of the game.

Weve even got a number of Rugby Union ex players and journalists tweeting that it eclipses anything and everything they’ve ever seen on a Rugby Union field.

Whatever you think of the World Cup Tournament, it’s caught a lot of peoples imaginations with the Womens World Cup and the Wheelchair World Cup also Trending No1 on their match days.

Viewing figures for the Women and wheelchair matches have been between 1.2 & 1.5 million while the Mens competition has been hitting 2.5 to 3 million

its been a success already with an England semi final and the final still to come

Stop being so positive ! Only come on these boards if you have something to moan about !!

Let's hope Samoa can aim up and we have another cracking game tonight.

Random note, how good are Fiji going ? Only lost by a hair to NZ who only lost by a hair to Australia, does this mean fiji can go toe to toe with Australia?

 

[Matua]

a good game of rugby league is another another planet to any union game

You really have to stop this way of thinking. Both sports good games are awesome if you're a fan of the sport.

If you don't like union then that's fine, but fans of the sport love the game. The us v them is stupid (from both sides).

 

[taste2taste]

Dragons-Roosters got 35,000 this year and gets at least that every year. The last time Aus-NZ got a crowd that big in Sydney was 2008 for a match played in May. I don't doubt an Anzac day Test in Sydney could get 35,000+ (and more in Brisbane), but Dragons-Roosters in May couldn't, so the end result favours playing an NRL game on Anzac Day.

When you've got the Harry Grants of this world screaming for more money, you need to consider the bottom line always.

You're right, if Roosters Dragons played in May they would get 15k, the NRL benefits by getting another 20k people through the gate because of the occasion. It sums up perfectly why international league struggles while clubs get preference.

 

[Wb1234]

You really have to stop this way of thinking. Both sports good games are awesome if you're a fan of the sport.

If you don't like union then that's fine, but fans of the sport love the game. The us v them is stupid (from both sides).

Last union test the ball was in play for 28 minutes

then you have the game today

enjoy both sports if you want but the rugby league World Cup is going to be a massive growth platform for the game with the spectacle it provides vs union

it’s no contest

I mean I’m guessing you don’t know anything about Vichy do you ? Or anywhere else where union has tried to stop league reaching its potential


Lol

 

[Stinkfinger]

unlucky kiwis

I'd go with that, The Hiku no try just after half time was line ball and they came very close to scoring at the death. But like the Cowboys in the preliminary final, they allowed an opposition forward to just stroll over, and that is why they lost.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Gutted for the Kiwis, great effort. Let's be honest though, if England make the final. Aus v Eng will be the one that rates it's socks off with the locals,. Plus if England win the world cup by beating Australia then there will be no 'weak draw' comments. The 2017 WC final was awesome and this should be no different if they meet again.

 

[Matua]

Last union test the ball was in play for 28 minutes

then you have the game today

enjoy both sports if you want but the rugby league World Cup is going to be a massive growth platform for the game with the spectacle it provides vs union

it’s no contest

I mean I’m guessing you don’t know anything about Vichy do you ? Or anywhere else where union has tried to stop league reaching its potential

Yeah, I'm not going to ruin this thread discussing this rubbish with you anymore.

 

[Wb1234]

Yeah, I'm not going to ruin this thread discussing this rubbish with you anymore.

Phew

go rugby league !

 

[Gobsmacked]

You could make a case that the Kiwis coach may have lost them that game.
Firstly, FISHER-HARRIS and LEOTA should have started together which was why Penrith ran away with the grand final.
Secondly, he messed up the hooker rotation and gased the cheese which is why he made a simple miss on the line. There was a few like that. Nelson was lefton for too long and that fatigue led to an error.
Best pack of the comp was used ineffectively.

 

[Matua]

You could make a case that the Kiwis coach may have lost them that game.
Firstly, FISHER-HARRIS and LEOTA should have started together which was why Penrith ran away with the grand final.
Secondly, he messed up the hooker rotation and gased the cheese which is why he made a simple miss on the line. There was a few like that. Nelson was lefton for too long and that fatigue led to an error.
Best pack of the comp was used ineffectively.

Yet, this coach is a 2 billion % improvement on the donkey from the previous RLWC which is why the Kiwis actually made it through to the (should have been) final.

 

[Dark Corner]

Last union test the ball was in play for 28 minutes

then you have the game today

enjoy both sports if you want but the rugby league World Cup is going to be a massive growth platform for the game with the spectacle it provides vs union

it’s no contest

I mean I’m guessing you don’t know anything about Vichy do you ? Or anywhere else where union has tried to stop league reaching its potential


Lol

I like your posts but Union International's is doing well when looking at the crowds last week and Munster got over 44000 in GAA ground beating Bok's A...me enjoying both codes ATM.

 

[Mr Angry]

It was fantastic to see Nelson Soft-as-Butter, merkin of human fail NZ.

Cam Murray owns Nelson Needs-his-Mumma. Sometimes justice is served, you wannbe tough man, loser!!!!!!

Enjoy that @Bobby DIGital ?

 

[wittyfan]

DCE must be the hafback for the final.

 

[jim_57]

Yet, this coach is a 2 billion % improvement on the donkey from the previous RLWC which is why the Kiwis actually made it through to the (should have been) final.

England have looked better than the kiwis so it worked out well enough for this game to be the semi. Besides if it was done off ranking or qualification positions there is every chance Australia & NZ weren’t 1&2 at the time of the draw, NZ lost to Fiji & Tonga and missed the semis last World Cup while England made the final. Australia hardly play so and lost to Tonga in 2019 so their ranking has slipped.

Maguire made some questionable choices and the Kiwis looked slightly off all tournament until today. Not using Kris while playing back rowers and a reserve grader from the same club at centre being the glaringly obvious one, I would have picked Timoko but that’s another matter. Leota & JFH should have been starting too, I get Bromwich is Captain so that would have been a big call.