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Blowout scores a bore? Or an opportunity?

G

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
2,844
Incredible that the biggest win NZ have had was 74 - 0 ...in 1999.... against TONGA .
Now Tonga is one of our biggest draw cards.
I'm a fan of the tournament, I think the structure's perfect and the number of teams is too. I think we need to keep it to 16 for the next 3 tournaments imo.



www.abc.net.au

The search for meaning among the Rugby League World Cup blowouts

Close finishes are the exception rather than the rule in the group stage of the Rugby League World Cup — but the adventures of the smaller nations are what it's all about, writes Nick Campton.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 
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Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,744
I guess that’s up to you personally to decide. I know my friends have lost interest due to finding the tournament boring and it’s hard to blame them.
 
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taste2taste

Juniors
Messages
2,239
Clarkey floated a good idea on insta
To keep games close in the group stages why not have 3 pools consisting of

Pool 1 tier 1 nations ( all teams qualify for finals, the Pool stages decide thier position, the higher teams have easier games in quarters )

Pool 2 tier 2 nations ( 2 teams qualify for finals )

Pool 3 the rest of ( 1 team qualifies for finals )

The benefits would be all games would be competive. We'd get to see all the top teams play each other ( as an example, this tournament makes it impossible for Aust and NZ to play all of Samoa, Tonga and England. These are games that would have got big crowds )
Having pool 3 with the 'rest of' would allow these teams to pick home grown talent without fear of being smoked by 90 pionts every game. It's a real blight on the tournament the amount of poms and Aussies playing for teams they have no right playing for taking away the opportunity of homegrown talent.
 
Iamback

Iamback

Coach
Messages
19,864
taste2taste said:
Clarkey floated a good idea on insta
To keep games close in the group stages why not have 3 pools consisting of

Pool 1 tier 1 nations ( all teams qualify for finals, the Pool stages decide thier position, the higher teams have easier games in quarters )

Pool 2 tier 2 nations ( 2 teams qualify for finals )

Pool 3 the rest of ( 1 team qualifies for finals )

The benefits would be all games would be competive. We'd get to see all the top teams play each other ( as an example, this tournament makes it impossible for Aust and NZ to play all of Samoa, Tonga and England. These are games that would have got big crowds )
Having pool 3 with the 'rest of' would allow these teams to pick home grown talent without fear of being smoked by 90 pionts every game. It's a real blight on the tournament the amount of poms and Aussies playing for teams they have no right playing for taking away the opportunity of homegrown talent.
Click to expand...

The had that the last few World Cups, Not sure it helped

The problem is teams will play here and won't be seen for another 4 years, Just need regular games
 
Iamback

Iamback

Coach
Messages
19,864
Smug Panther said:
It's the right amount of teams and the format is correct. We just need to stick with it and play test football every year, mid and end of year
Click to expand...

Not sure about mid. Both comps need to stop for that too happen which won't happen.

Jamacia, Greece etc though playing 4 tests post season every year will help
 
B

bazza

Immortal
Messages
30,262
If they keep the same format for 2025 the evidence will be
- they don't have the same 16 teams i.e. some countries that missed out this time qualify
- closer scores

At least they have a proper qualification process now
 
1

10$ Ferret

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
1,199
I think keep the current round format, but then keep all the teams in different level final series.
Its such a great thing for a player who is never going to play NRL play for their countries against Australia, NZ or England. In my case I get to see players I have worked with at various levels and players from my junior club play in the world cup, I love that.
 
Last Week

Last Week

Bench
Messages
3,687
More tests. Consistent meaningful international matches. It's really that simple.

Any word on the other RLIF tournament they were talking about? The Confederations Cup?
 
W

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
31,470
It’s the group stages

this is about a showcase of rugby league

we’ve never had this many strong teams before the good games will soon start

the game in England is going to get a massive boost from this World Cup in terms of new fans and the ratings have been excellent

the games this weekend are going to be excellent

Tonga vs samoa will be massive

even Lebanon vs oz will be feisty
 
PARRA_FAN

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
17,653
Some blowouts I probably expected but some I didnt expect like the England Samoa game and more recently Tonga Vs Cook Islands and Fiji Vs Italy. Whether those nations had an off day not sure.

I wonder if we played these games last year without COVID interuptions.
 
G

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
2,844
What if we had the group stage like how it is, but instead of now finals ( knock outs) it went into 2 groups of 4 again, where everyone played 3 games in their groups- top 2 of those playing qualifying finals. That way the tournament would consist of a majority of meaningful contests with the top nations playing against each other more. Basically 2 more weeks of quality games between different nations of higher standards.

Effectively 2 stages of world cup. The first where everyone like developing nations get an opportunity , then a resetting of the top 8 in 2 pools playing a refined contest over 3 weeks. Minors involved- more high quality contests.
 
G

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
2,844
In 2008 they decided to have a WC as a celebration of 100 years of RL . Not as a prelude to a permanent fixture.
Rugby league was touch and go on WC and never really knew if it belonged. It had been abandoned and resurrected over and over but something changed in 2008 ..NZ won , the smaller nations played well and the tournament produced a profit! Plus it had generated exposure on the international scene. It was decided that we would have them every 4 years like other events but the first being 2013 so not to fall on other events.
Now I celebrate the fact that it is no longer an "IF" ! WC but a where, how what and who !
This debate is to be celebrated because RL even on the international scene is a non discriminatory democracy, free from prosecution, for free speech. A truly classless sport for everyone!
THE GREATEST GAME OF ALL.
 
B

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,744
Iamback said:
Not sure about mid. Both comps need to stop for that too happen which won't happen.

Jamacia, Greece etc though playing 4 tests post season every year will help
Click to expand...
You don't necessarily need NH teams for mid season tournaments. You have PNG, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and NZ which could make some awesome mid season games. It doesn't need to involve every country.

We definitely need more NH tests but that would have to be post season.
 
G

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
2,844
Billythekid said:
You don't necessarily need NH teams for mid season tournaments. You have PNG, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and NZ which could make some awesome mid season games. It doesn't need to involve every country.

We definitely need more NH tests but that would have to be post season.
Click to expand...
France and England need a 3 game series .
 
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