Australia and New Zealand withdraw from RLWC

[Perth Red]

Clearly the players where happy with the risk and the protocols in place. Vlandys has fcked up again big time!

 

[jim_57]

If I were England I’d be scrapping any plans for 2022-2024 involving Australia or NZ. NZ were due to tour next year I think, England should back out of that now or very soon and run with some games Vs local opposition and invite some Pacific sides over assuming they don’t pull out of the World Cup.

The reliance on Australia & (mainly) NZ for games from England was getting a bit stale anyway and this should be the breaking point for at least a couple of years. I’d love to see England really go for it and aim for at least 5-6 tests a year mid-season & post season. Starting with making a regular series with France and persisting with it.

 

[Gomersall]

Daily cases in the UK have more or less already halved since this announcement was made. Early days but if this trend continues and the vaccine continue to keep a lid on cases and hospitalizations then this premature decision to pull out will look worse and worse.

Couple that with the fact that the players would have extra precautions to be on the safe side (bubbles, daily tests etc) and this decision by the ARL and NZRL could go down as one of the great administrative failures.

A case can be anything from mild symptoms to death. The vast majority of those cases are the former. Hospitalisation numbers are the telling stats for me and from what I’m reading they aren’t ramping up anywhere near the way cases are or as they were with previous waves.

 

[Gomersall]

If I were England I’d be scrapping any plans for 2022-2024 involving Australia or NZ. NZ were due to tour next year I think, England should back out of that now or very soon and run with some games Vs local opposition and invite some Pacific sides over assuming they don’t pull out of the World Cup.

The reliance on Australia & (mainly) NZ for games from England was getting a bit stale anyway and this should be the breaking point for at least a couple of years. I’d love to see England really go for it and aim for at least 5-6 tests a year mid-season & post season. Starting with making a regular series with France and persisting with it.

Agree Jim. If the PI nations can make this WC it will mean the NRL have lost their power of bullying players out of it. I’d be pencilling in a PI nation tour for each interim year between WCs. Forget playing Australia and NZ for the foreseeable. If we could manage to get that on then I dread to think what would become of NZ rugby league.

 

[Rod]

A case can be anything from mild symptoms to death. The vast majority of those cases are the former. Hospitalisation numbers are the telling stats for me and from what I’m reading they aren’t ramping up anywhere near the way cases are or as they were with previous waves.

Correct. Hospitalizations have been increasing in the last several weeks but nothing like at the same rate as cases. And since hospitalizations seem to follow the trend of cases but about a week behind, there's a decent chance they might have already peaked or be about to peak also.

If a vaccinated player went to the UK right now the level of risk would be extremely low.

 

[Perth Red]

In an alternative universe, where Super League is the greatest rugby league competition in the world, you wonder whether its powerbrokers would be as insular and myopic as the NRL is currently proving so.
The chance to showcase the sport globally should not be forgotten. Yet the Australian Rugby League Commission - the governing body that controls the NRL (or is that the other way around?) - and New Zealand Rugby League showed remarkable arrogance and utter contempt with Thursday’s decision to withdraw from the World Cup, giving organisers just four minutes notice before going public.
One of the ARLC’s remits is to “foster” the game of rugby league throughout the world.
Rather than foster, though, it has just left a festering ill feeling having inflicted perhaps terminal damage on international rugby league.

Rugby League World Cup: Remarkable arrogance and contempt shown by Australia and New Zealand – Dave Craven

In an alternative universe, where Super League is the greatest rugby league competition in the world, you wonder whether its powerbrokers would be as insular and myopic as the NRL is currently proving so.

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

 

[Welsh RL & RU watcher]

If I were England I’d be scrapping any plans for 2022-2024 involving Australia or NZ. NZ were due to tour next year I think, England should back out of that now or very soon and run with some games Vs local opposition and invite some Pacific sides over assuming they don’t pull out of the World Cup.

The reliance on Australia & (mainly) NZ for games from England was getting a bit stale anyway and this should be the breaking point for at least a couple of years. I’d love to see England really go for it and aim for at least 5-6 tests a year mid-season & post season. Starting with making a regular series with France and persisting with it.

France?! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

 

[Gomersall]

In an alternative universe, where Super League is the greatest rugby league competition in the world, you wonder whether its powerbrokers would be as insular and myopic as the NRL is currently proving so.
The chance to showcase the sport globally should not be forgotten. Yet the Australian Rugby League Commission - the governing body that controls the NRL (or is that the other way around?) - and New Zealand Rugby League showed remarkable arrogance and utter contempt with Thursday’s decision to withdraw from the World Cup, giving organisers just four minutes notice before going public.
One of the ARLC’s remits is to “foster” the game of rugby league throughout the world.
Rather than foster, though, it has just left a festering ill feeling having inflicted perhaps terminal damage on international rugby league.

It’s not only the four minute warning there was also the NRL players only finding out by Instagram. Arrogance doesn’t begin to describe it.

 

[clarency]

No justification, just ‘he’s wrong’?
f**ken idiot he is

Unfortunately that is all he needs to do. The cold truth is that while the NRL does not care for the international game, neither does the average joe fan. They aren't looking for a rational argument... they just want reaffirmation of their existing beliefs; NRL #1.

They know that, which is why a "nuh-uh" response is all the effort they need to put in.

 

[stryker]

Yeah well, the NRL as a product is in massive and rapid decline.
Rule changes and club/player selfishness surrounding contracts is ruining it.

 

[Jim from Oz]

And so is State of Origin … its ratings have halved in 10 years – and V'landys. Gould, the clubs etc know the implications of this: less broadcasting $$$

I personally don't watch it anymore: same two teams, same 3-game format, year after year … and 40% of the NRL stars excluded … it's a second-rate product.

Give me international RL any day

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Does anyone think there's any chance of a backflip from the ARLC and NZRL based on backlash from the UK, the players and (a small group of) fans?

If conditions improve considerably, the excuses used may look a little flimsy.

 

[Perth Red]

Does anyone think there's any chance of a backflip from the ARLC and NZRL based on backlash from the UK, the players and (a small group of) fans?

If conditions improve considerably, the excuses used may look a little flimsy.

This is Vlandys were talking about! Having said that they've backflipped on the head high tackles and he told us that would be end of the game if they didnt act so who knows?

Besides it really isnt about the players risk of covid, its about the start of the NRL next year and if quarantine is part of their guaranteed holiday time or not.

 

[Matterhorn]

Well it is the olympics now - they could do a gymnastics double backflip pike with a degree of difficulty of 9.8

 

[clarency]

Change their minds?
Remember when the NRL cancelled the Four Nations in 2012 to give the players time to rest and prepare for the world cup... 12 months prior to it starting? lol.

International league is a sideshow. Dropped at the slightest inconvenience. They are well and truly out.

 

[geordie_saint]

COVID numbers dropped significantly over the last week in the UK. Still high but moving in the right direction. But its becoming quite clear the vaccination programme has broken the current link between cases and hospitalisations/deaths.

 

[Welsh RL & RU watcher]

COVID numbers dropped significantly over the last week in the UK. Still high but moving in the right direction. But its becoming quite clear the vaccination programme has broken the current link between cases and hospitalisations/deaths.

It hasn't "broken" the link. It's not deaths that's the issue, long covid is the issue. I don't want my sense of smell changed, I do not want to have to put a peg on my nose as some ppl have to do because their sense of small has changed significantly. I'd like to be able to taste food too. Also, I along with many have lung issues. This is NOT about dying or being hospitalised by Covid, this virus isn't like the flu that's been going around for years. This Covid was possibly formed in a lab and escaped, possibly escaped on purpose.

 

[FearTheVee!]

It hasn't "broken" the link. It's not deaths that's the issue, long covid is the issue. I don't want my sense of smell changed, I do not want to have to put a peg on my nose as some ppl have to do because their sense of small has changed significantly. I'd like to be able to taste food too. Also, I along with many have lung issues. This is NOT about dying or being hospitalised by Covid, this virus isn't like the flu that's been going around for years. This Covid was possibly formed in a lab and escaped, possibly escaped on purpose.

It's here to stay and you'll catch it soon enough. I don't mean that in a horrible way to you, it's just the truth. Hopefully you have had your vax.

And if we live in a world where nation states are releasing lab developed bugs into circulation (which I don't believe they are FWIW) you might as well enjoy this world cup as there won't be another.

 

[Rod]

If any player was uncomfortable with being placed in that environment they could have opted out. Doesn't mean the whole team and game should suffer just because some nuffies don't understand risk.

 

[geordie_saint]

It hasn't "broken" the link. It's not deaths that's the issue, long covid is the issue.

I'd move to Australia then if I was you; it looks like they'll be staying at home for the foreseeable future.

A factor of life is risk; and how it is managed. If it can be mitigated (and everything we have seen/heard from the organisers suggests they have with COVID), you tolerate and take that risk. It seems the majority of the players are happy to take the risk. Rod is absolutely right that the game shouldn't suffer due to a lack of understanding (not that COVID is the actually issue).