Anyone else loving this?

[Fairleigh Good!]

This is what international competition should be all about.

Random insults flying round, teams cheating, video referees taking bribes, Australia being completely childish over every single issue.

The bad blood surrounding the tournament is amazing. Australia has internal conflicts like never before with former players and officials throwing insults round like confetti, and their players becoming even more arrogant than the average Australian. New Zealand seem to have found a new level of hatred for people who disrespect the party dances and they both seem to want to gang up to ridicule GB.

A genuine win for GB at the weekend would blow the roof off the tournament, what with the 2 point deduction for NZ that RFL chief Richard Lewis is suggesting is inevitable. That would make next week a complete Tri Nations fest in the media.

If only. Here's hoping for a bad bout of food poisoning in the Aussie camp...

 

[WJ]

I'm loving it.

Never seen so much sledging before.

Bbarring a gb win, at least plenty of controversy and some big hits between the forwards, maybe even a few cheap shots and some scuffles.

Best tri nations so far IMO.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

its been in the papers all week, in fact every day since it kicked off. Loving it.

but this fien situation is being blown out a bit of proportion, I mean how many Kiwis are playing the Australian team you might as well take points off them if they want points off NZL cause of one player.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

its been in the papers all week, in fact every day since it kicked off. Loving it.

but this fien situation is being blown out a bit of proportion, I mean how many Kiwis are playing the Australian team you might as well take points off them if they want points off NZL cause of one player.

Thats a deal.

Aus deducted 18 points and NZ deducted 26. You never know we just MIGHT get to the final then!

 

[Martli]

There is an All Black tour of Europe on at the moment.

Most of the sports media doesn't give a f**k and is isntead concentrating on Nathan Fein's eligability scandal. This is insane, nothing ever beats rugby in New Zealand sports media, but this tri-series seems to be doing just that!

 

[International RL]

There is an All Black tour of Europe on at the moment.

Most of the sports media doesn't give a f**k and is isntead concentrating on Nathan Fein's eligability scandal. This is insane, nothing ever beats rugby in New Zealand sports media, but this tri-series seems to be doing just that!

Is that good press though? Or them putting sh*t on the code?

Like i know its in the papers and everything, but to me this is taking the gloss away from what so far has been some really good footy, with some awesome sledging hits and argey bargey.

Personally I can't wait to get to the SFS on saturday.

 

[ali]

Is it transpiring into ticket sales, mechandise sales and ratings though? I think the ratings may increase due to awareness of the game, but there is still a lot of apathy towards the international game. So I doubt it's helping ticket or merchandise sales.

 

[panthersballboy]

I'm loving this tri-nations series. There seems to be more big hits, close games and controversy than ever before. The sledging has been great for the build up to games as well. Bring on saturday night.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Its like the League season hasnt finished.

 

[Micistm]

Yep, it's the only way the NZ media will concentrate on RL over their beloved RU. They are positively gloating and gleeful about the controversey. Makes me want to move to Aussie, sick of the damn media in NZ, with their 'Daniel Carter has got a new haircut, lets cross over live right now' B.S. It's great RL is getting coverage for sure, the heated comp has been great to get everyone passionate...but the Fein thing irritates a little. After all, the NZ media didn't go to town like this when Team New Zealand 'interpretted the rules' and used a loophole to challenge for the Cup inbetween Americas Cup on the grounds they were up themselves, thought they were special and didn't have to wait like everyone else.
Sorry, rant over. Got nothing against the Aussie RL at all, just the damn media.

 

[International RL]

Yep, it's the only way the NZ media will concentrate on RL over their beloved RU. They are positively gloating and gleeful about the controversey. Makes me want to move to Aussie, sick of the damn media in NZ, with their 'Daniel Carter has got a new haircut, lets cross over live right now' B.S. It's great RL is getting coverage for sure, the heated comp has been great to get everyone passionate...but the Fein thing irritates a little. After all, the NZ media didn't go to town like this when Team New Zealand 'interpretted the rules' and used a loophole to challenge for the Cup inbetween Americas Cup on the grounds they were up themselves, thought they were special and didn't have to wait like everyone else.
Sorry, rant over. Got nothing against the Aussie RL at all, just the damn media.

So I take it from that it's pretty negative?

 

[Pierced Soul]

yeah I'm loving the trash talk. I lvoe it when players speak their mind and dont use the usual cliche's. as much as stuarts a whinger i enjoy that he's been giving it to the kiwi's instead of saying 'noc omment'. I also like when willie speaks his mind, which is what fieldens also doing. it creates excitement and shows the fans that these guys are serious abotu going out there and doing their country proud (except fien who doenst know what country he should be playing for)

 

[Kiwishark]

Yea it is negative on NZ sports radio, definately. I would say last three days on talkback has been devoted to it, morning to night. Replaying interviews with Sel Bennett, there's one where Sel Bennett pretends (so it seems) that the phone line is gone. He kept saying "hello?" to the morning host. Whether the line was really gone I don't know.

There are even some callers who think Fien/Bennett are right, and that there is nothing wrong, let him play etc. Crazy

 

[ocko]

this is not the sort of publicity you want, unless you're of the "any publicity is good publicity" school.

 

[innsaneink]

All the news is great, BUT....the footy has been rather average from all 3 sides, that could improve.

 

[Angry_eel]

All the news is great, BUT....the footy has been rather average from all 3 sides, that could improve.

a 20-15 isn't crap i don't think. that was some good footy in Melbourne.

 

[innsaneink]

a 20-15 isn't crap i don't think. that was some good footy in Melbourne.

I'm so happy for you.

 

[Kurt Angle]

The best result would be a game like Melburne, but with the smackdown GB was applying to NZ last week....

Then for Klein to award a VERY contentious decision that allows GB to win in the 79th minute.

Ricky would be bitching in the paper EVERY day... the entire media would be going nuts.

Man I hope France gets to the standard of the other 3 in 2009.

4 nations, with internationals played saturday AND sunday arvo...

 

[PRIDEOFLIONS]

I think the publicity is fine as long as the Fein situation doesnt drag on....RL gets such tiny publicity in the UK its a joke...especially in the South were I live. One national paper had a bottom right corner paragraph on the NZ/GB game..and the bastards had a whole day to write a decent report.

All we get here is "Wayne Rooney coughed this morning" for 6 pages...interminable waffle for weeks now about the England/NZ Union test which will be a walk over for the second string All BLacks.. and Jeremy Guscott (a complete fairy who couldnt tackle) acting pompous about Andy Farell coming into Union.

I watch Union but they are so up themselves and it comes a massive second to league in terms of excitement, brutality and non-stop action.

So keep mouthing off you big Aussie wombats...

Lets keep arguing...GB can kick the crap out of the Aussies...and this series can really take off and showcase this great sport!

 

[MKEB...]

Just thinking about a remark of Willie speaking his mind.

Willie: "the fat cat sat on the mat"
"the bug dug a hole in the rug"
"Kidwell blindsided me"
"One fish, two fish, red fish,blue fish"
" I wonder if monkeys can play oboes"
"the fat cat sat on the mat"

That trash talk is enough to gee anybody up. Wouldnt you feel geed up?