ENG v NZ @ KCOM Stadium // Saturday 27 October - Sunday 00h30 (AEDT) 02h30 (NZDT)

[Walter sobchak]

Plus having all 3 games along the m62 corridor mean is Northern's can cherry pick which test to go to

This. The venues should have been :-
London
Manchester/Liverpool
Leeds/Sheffield

No venues under 30,000.

 

[LeagueXIII]

No worse than Sutton was last week



The ARL don't want neutral refs

Then time for strong international leadership....but we will never have that.

 

[RL The greatest game]

Then time for strong international leadership....but we will never have that.

Correct.
It really is time for the NRL/ARL to bring 4 to 6 young Kiwis refs over and get them up to speed, and the same with Super League. They should bring in some young French refs and get them up to speed.

 

[DlEHARD]

Are English rugby league fans just being over fished with so many events to go to? I'm also guessing that many are from a modest income with they generously share with the game.

 

[LeagueXIII]

The fact the game can no longer compete with union as it has grown and grown, and soccer is just way ahead.

We lack the celebrity/superstars that will attract people.

 

[Springs09]

A lot of fans are becoming disheartened by the state of the game and more importantly the people who run it.

Poor choice of venues for the tests and little to no promotion hasn’t helped either. I actually watched the first couple of minutes and knocked it off because of the poor crowd and crap atmosphere. RL is in a rapid decline in the U.K. and the people who “run” the game are oblivious to it.

But why has that happened only recently? Just a few years ago crowds were getting better and better. the 2013 World Cup is the best one ever.

Hull had a good crowd in 2015, although the atmosphere was still poor.

 

[Springs09]

Are English rugby league fans just being over fished with so many events to go to? I'm also guessing that many are from a modest income with they generously share with the game.

The fact the game can no longer compete with union as it has grown and grown, and soccer is just way ahead.

We lack the celebrity/superstars that will attract people.

These arguments have always been relevant though, they don't explain why 2016-18 has been worse than 2011-15.

The M62 argument from spud though makes sense.

 

[deluded pom?]

There was no atmosphere because the stadium was half empty. what's going on with that ?

Its an awful look for the game when internationals can't even sell out small stadiums. Meanwhile English Union play their snooze fest of a sport in front of 80k :/

Yeah, not like stadiums in Australia which are rammed when the Kangaroos are playing. Oh hang on...

 

[deluded pom?]

thaler has always gotten a bad rap from the french fans. they absolutely hate him.

why they can't get an aussie in to ref i'll never know

Remind me again who reffed Australia v Tonga?

 

[deluded pom?]

These arguments have always been relevant though, they don't explain why 2016-18 has been worse than 2011-15.

The M62 argument from spud though makes sense.

There’s also the fact that when they can be arsed to organise a series it's against the same team we last played in a three game series. Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

[deluded pom?]

Agreed, he should have penalised JWH early and cautioned the English about their late grabbing of kickers and swinging arms that missed. Instead he didn't and both teams just carried on.

I commented on the late grabs on kickers in the first five minutes of the game. Graham had done it but a Kiwi did the self same thing two minutes later. It wasn’t all sweetness and light from New Zealand.

 

[deluded pom?]

Thaler on the Rapana no-try. Called him an Australian player.

You’re all the same to us.

 

[RL The greatest game]

Penalty and a yellow card would have been fine, however

Agreed, he should have penalised JWH early and cautioned the English about their late grabbing of kickers and swinging arms that missed. Instead he didn't and both teams just carried on.

Lots of head shots by the Kiwis which he let go

 

[Springs09]

There’s also the fact that when they can be arsed to organise a series it's against the same team we last played in a three game series. Familiarity breeds contempt.

True. By the end of this series it will mean England has played NZ 7 times at home in the last 4 years, while Australia once. Only other notable opponent was Scotland in 2016. Half-baked 'tests' against France don't count.

 

[deluded pom?]

True. By the end of this series it will mean England has played NZ 7 times at home in the last 4 years, while Australia once. Only other notable opponent was Scotland in 2016. Half-baked 'tests' against France don't count.

They killed a good concept in the 4N. The 4N also gave value to the EC and Pacific games as they were used as qualifiers. Typical RL.

 

[Springs09]

They killed a good concept in the 4N. The 4N also gave value to the EC and Pacific games as they were used as qualifiers. Typical RL.

Eh, it had no room for growth. It's worth getting rid of it if we are going to have expanded tours and tournaments in its place, instead of pissing about like we currently are.

 

[Matua]

I commented on the late grabs on kickers in the first five minutes of the game. Graham had done it but a Kiwi did the self same thing two minutes later. It wasn’t all sweetness and light from New Zealand.

I never said, or intimated it was - I specifically mentioned JWH. It was niggly game, the ref should have stamped it out early.

 

[AJB1102]

I actually watched the first couple of minutes and knocked it off because of the poor crowd and crap atmosphere.

Watches footy for the crowd... righto

 

[LeagueXIII]

Yeah, not like stadiums in Australia which are rammed when the Kangaroos are playing. Oh hang on...

There was 17,500 there.

Small crowds to the first test of a 3 game series in England v NZ is nothing unusual:

1961 - 16,540

1965 - 8,541

1971 - 3,764

1980 - 7,031

1985 - 12,591

1989 - 18,273

1993 - 36,131

1998 - 18,500

2002 - 16,654

2007 - 16,522


Other then the 1993 game at Wembley which was heavily advertised and had a huge lead in all games since 1961 have attracted less then 20,000. Yesterday's attendance was continuing that trend.

 

[deal.with.it]

Crowd was fine. Could have been better. Talk about winning and maybe more fans will buy tix to the remaining games. Atmosphere and game was better than the all blacks v wallabies game yesterday.

Unrelated... Hicks and Thaler really annoy me as referees and I don’t know why. I think they both talk too fast and it seems like their flustered. And their whistles are higher pitched and they don’t make more than one tone. So the noise of a try is the same as a penalty or knock on. I know it’s petty but just wondering if anyone else has the same irritation?
Do you use pealess whistles in England?