grandparent rule in rugby

[Copa]

The GP topic seems top be a real doozy on here.

 

[League Freak™]

The GP topic seems top be a real doozy on here.

Its because the GP rule has completely f***ed the international game.

 

[AuckMel]

Club League has f ucked the International game, not the GP rule.

 

[bender]

Its because the GP rule has completely f***ed the international game.

The GP rule started being used in the 1995 World cup. Before that I dont think it was really used at all. The year before this, there were pretty much 5 international teams and maybe another 4 or 5 nations that could scratch together a couple of social teams. Now that we have been using the GP rule, there are proper competitions in nearly 20 countries. So, how has the GP rule f**ked the intenational game?

It has directly ensured that Lebannon set up a team, which is basically the only reason they now have a domestic competition. It has assisted Holland in providing players for a national team and indirectly getting a competition game. It will probably assist the West Indies in being reasonably competive in the next world cup and maybe even giving them a sniff at qualifying. It helped the USA put up a massive effort against Australia (they wouldnt have done nearly as good without Peterson and Costin). It greatly increased New Zealands depth and class so that they are now very close to australias level (allowing the likes of Cayless, Swain etc to play for them). Even in countries that are solely based in Sydney, it gives them focus, and helps them raise money and get a team out and running. This makes it easier and possible to get people together with an interest in promoting the game in these areas. Even if it takes Italy 5,10, 20 or more years to get a team up and running domestically, then it will have been worth it. It has helped rugby league get to the stage where they probably have 15 or so teams capable of reaching quarter final stage of a world cup, something with Rugby Union even would struggle to do, despite them having a far better domestic game, worldwide.

On the downside, you will get the occassional bad article from a journalist. This will always happen but would be massively reduced simply by having all players publcily support the international game at all costs. And (most importantly for most internet posters) there are a couple of hundred internet diehard posters who get teased by a couple of union fans and therefore think that it hurts the credibility of the world cup.

IMO, the positives outweigh the negatives.

 

[brendothejet]

The problem with the grandparent rule is not the rule itself, but the players.

We are unfortunately caught in a cycle where players don't want to play for countries such as Samoa, fiji, Lebanon & the Four Nations because:

1) They play about twice a year
2) They play on the other side of the world to the NRL
3)) They play during the middle of the NRl/ESL season.

Say what you will about the clubs, the players have to compete in these comps otherwise there is no such thing as rugby league.

So when the three points above collide the international board says "well bugger that, no ones playing, we wont devlop it." Internationals are left to people or small organisations to arrange between themselves and it is only through the shear passion of these people that any international league occurs.

Unfortunately for all our ideas on here we are preaching to the converted. Everyone on this forum wants a world cup every four years, a tri nations, lions tours, tours to Russia, USA, Jamaica, Holland and Upper UZbekasthan but its just not going to happen.

We here know more about the international game and its goings on than any member of the major boards behind national and international rugby league. Its a sad fact, but true. Do you really think the IRLF guys know that Georgia played Serbia the other week??? I dont...

 

[screeny]

It's not the players' fault, it's the administrators. They don't enforce anything. Remember before the 200 WC had even started, the likes of Scotland, Ireland, SA were scrambling around, scouring RL ranks in Oz for eligible players. 'National' coaches, like Shaun McRae, who only gave a toss about winning, not about credibility, were at the root of the problem.

But it's the coaches job to win at all costs, and if he's not restricvted by administration then that's not his problem.

Interestingly FIFA are going to discuss a rule where a nation's national team comprises a minimum of number of...........grandparent rule players?????........no........actually, home developed players.

How do they classify a Home Developed player? He must have played in that country for a minimum of three years between the ages of 15-21.

Is that a better set of regulations for RL? I think it is. Apply it to the developing nations and it's really effective.

 

[League Freak™]

Once again...people love to push this B.S. that the club games ruins the international game.


Funny...we had the club game for 100 years and international League went alright.

 

[AuckMel]

Club League now is nothing like it was 10-15 years ago.

There's always only been a few nations playing the game competitively for as long as I can remember, and nothings really changed in that regard.

As the club season got longer and longer, there's less time for Internationals. More and more players are unavailble because they need surgery to be right for their clubs in the new year.

Blaming the GP rule which we use once every 6-8 years for the shocking state of the International game is quite frankly, a cop out. Fact of the matter is, club league rules almost the entire season now and simply leaves very little time for much else.

One day, this great game of ours needs to decide whether to get serious about the International game, or forget about it altogether.

 

[League Freak™]

Its the clubs that are to blame for players being injured?

Its the success of the club game that is to blame for the shocking state of the international game?



Drafting players into international sides so that Wales run out with only a handfull of Welsh born players in the lineup IS NOT to blame?

You have no idea! :lol:

 

[AuckMel]

Its the clubs that are to blame for players being injured?

Nope, but they only get a few weeks to get over any surgery they may need before they are required to be back into full club training again.

Its the success of the club game that is to blame for the shocking state of the international game?

The length of the club season hurts the International game. You get a six week break to fit in any International games you want. Even to the incredibly stupid that, must be obvious.

Drafting players into international sides so that Wales run out with only a handfull of Welsh born players in the lineup IS NOT to blame?

Of course not. Christ, Wales only play about 1 or 2 games a year. Surely we should be asking ourselves why and lay the blame there.

The fact we only have three teams who are even remotely competitive is to blame too, and the fact that one of those teams seldom plays at full strength directly because of club football.

If you want proper International football, then you have to shorten the NRL and ESL seasons.

 

[League Freak™]

See.....no idea! :lol:

 

[AuckMel]

Club league > State of Origin > Internationals

Reverse that around and maybe, just maybe the International game might just resurrect itself from it's current shambles.

Until then, you can keep dreaming that, some obscure law we'll be using for the first time in 8 bloody years is the real problem.

 

[Sun_Down]

Ah AuckMel, I cant wait for the day of reversal!