I have my doubts about Wales/Scotland/Ireland

[Sun_Down]

Everytime the World Cup is mentioned, the majority of people disband GB, splitting them up into four nations. Ireland, Wales and Scotland are almost expected by everyone to be of some decent standard, but remember back in 2003, when Wales got hammered 76-4? Do we all overrate these nations, I mean how will these nations perform at the World Cup? GB can barely beat Australia, it will be embarrassing if we end up with Scotland getting owned by 90 points or whatever?

I hope Iam wrong, am I underestimating the strength of these teams? How will the perform?

 

[Evil Homer]

I agree.A GB team would allow for a more competative World Cup and more spots for aspiring nations who would probably fare just as well.

 

[carlnz]

Wales got thrashed because they were missing some many key players...they had two 36 year old players in their team!! Plus a couple super league players then the rest were National league Players..

You add in Kerion Cunningham, Lee Bries and Iysten Harris to that Wales team and they would be at least 20-30 points different...

 

[League Freak™]

Great...now they are being beaten by 50.



They need to keep GB togeather, maybe spin off Ireland and then have a combines pacific islands side to add atleast another competitive team to the mix.

As stand alone nations, the likes of Wales, Scotland, ireland, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and co will just be cannon fodder.


I think some people forget, Australia thrashed these teams in the UK. But at home in Australia.....you could see 100 point scorlines put up in a couple of games and THAT is something no one wants to see.

 

[bazza]

I think the England team will be just as strong as the GB&I team.
Having them split up provides 3 other half decent teams

 

[bender]

People seem to think there are endless RL nations. Wales, Ireland and Scotland will probably get thrashed by australia. As will Lebanon, Russia, France, PNG, etc, and possibly even NZ and England (or Great Britain if they stay together). Just because the home nations are split up does not mean they make the world Cup. They only do so if they are one of the 10 (or however many) best sides. So whatever their performance, it would be better than the 11th best side if they are in the competition. As for ENgland/GB - England have beaten Australia in World Cup games before and will beat them again there is nothing wrong with an English side in the world cup. England vs Ireland was watched by more people at the last world cup than State of origin has ever been watched by - absolutely massive tv ratings. Why would you be hesitant about including Ireland on this basis. Wales vs Samoa would be a great game, you cant tip the winner. Id have thought samoa, but last time they met, they were flogged. If you are looking for a side to win the World cup it will be England, Australia, or NZ and no others. Outside of this i would say that there are potentially 12 or so teams who could run 4th with France the favourites but definitely not assured.

 

[yakstorm]

Well if they are split up, the likes of Wales, Ireland and Scotland will have to play through qualifier matches to earn a position in the tournament. If they are successful, good on them, they deserve their spot as much as anyone else, if they don't, well they can start building on 2012.

 

[carlnz]

You guys are all blind...teams out side the big three are not going to get better over night...but it will happen.

Who cares if they get hammered by 100, at least they are playing games!

Ireland and Wales can and will compete with Australia, though I have my doubts about Scotland.

So what you are trying to Say LF, the home nations should give up now and throw away all the hard work away...Australia have been playing for nearly 100 years then you got Ireland only been playing for 10 years...WHY i THINK WALES WILL BECOME COMPETITIVE IS:

There Juniors are increasing every year
Profesional Side in the National League

So they will be on par with NZ (one Professional team) and France. Then Ireland are looking down the same track.

The only way they will get competitive is if the keep playing Australia and NZ..Look at the Wales Rugby team?? They got hammered by everyone and now they are the 4 or 5th best team in the World...

The European Cup has just begain and it will produce the results...

 

[carlnz]

My belief that by 2008 we will have 5 competitve International teams
AUS
NZ
ENG
FRANCE
PNG

Then by 2012 maybe add two more teams like Wales and Tonga or Fiji..

Why do so many people think International League is in trouble? It is growing fast in many countries and we just have towait for the results..

 

[screeny]

Big scores are the nature of the beast that is modern day RL. A half gap and a good attacking side's got 6 points. Not a fan of big scores but c'est la vie.

As for HNs, if you field a WC GB side you're telling all the people in Wales, Scotland and Ireland RLs - and there are a lot of them at various different levels - that all their work has been pretty meaningless as they're still not regarded as independent.

The WC shouldn't be about beating Oz, it should be about strengthening RL. Giving the HNs the opportunity to qualify and then compete is certainly doing that more than fielding a GB team.

Whether you accept it or not, RL domestic activity in the HNs is by far and away at its highest ever level, and the closer we get to the WC the more development work will be done.

 

[League Freak™]

You can crap on all you like about splitting up nations.

The fact is...as seperate nations they are of such a poor standard that they are farcicle.

United...they may atleast offer some resistance.

 

[bender]

You can crap on all you like about splitting up nations.

The fact is...as seperate nations they are of such a poor standard that they are farcicle.

United...they may atleast offer some resistance.

Do you honestly think that that Great Britain stand so much of a better chance against Australia than England? Both have as much of a chance of beating Australia as each other.

 

[bazza]

You can crap on all you like about splitting up nations.

The fact is...as seperate nations they are of such a poor standard that they are farcicle.

United...they may atleast offer some resistance.

the England side will be 99% as good as the GB&I side.

 

[League Freak™]

GREAT. Thats England sorted.

Now what about Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Do we just pretend they dont exist?


See...this is the problem people have when they talk about the international game. They toss up stupid ideas and they dont think about their real world application.

 

[bender]

GREAT. Thats England sorted.

Now what about Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Do we just pretend they dont exist?


See...this is the problem people have when they talk about the international game. They toss up stupid ideas and they dont think about their real world application.

You mean the fourth ranked side in the last 2 world cups, a quarter finalist from the last world cup that took England to the brink, and a side that have been surprisingly competive in each game in nearly every game they have ever played against France, Wales, Scotland etc.

These 3 nations, despite dropping in standard from previous years, due to selecting less ancestry elegible players are capable of playing meaningful games against lesser ranked nations and with their ancestry eligible players would all fancy their chance of finishing 4th in any world cup but realistically may not all qualify. isnt that what rugby league wants decent level sides trying to qualify, so that qualification itself is actually something to aspire to?

 

[League Freak™]

If you want to use the last farcicle world cup as a guide.....


Wales played 20 good minutes in the whole competition and since then have gone backwards.

Ireland was playing off the back of a number of players that have since retired. They now have pretty much nothing to work with.

Scotland...they were crap in 2000 depsite the fact they had more Aussies in their side then Australia did!



Be realistic. Wales (The best of these three sides) and been pathetic when matched against Australia over the last few years. They've called up bloody 36 year olds!

 

[Sun_Down]

Hmmm, whoever said they should go through qualifiers is 100% correct imo

 

[carlnz]

Wales - Are moving in the right direction, they have a scatter of players playing Super League and with their professional club they should get more PR and more players playing the game. Also thee under 16's are not to far behind France or England, however they dont have the same development systems as England.

This is where the RFL has to step in.

I think 2008 Wales will be competing well in the World Cup, but wont be a serious threat untill the following World Cup...

Why do we have to compare everyone to Australia? There are only two professional competitions in the world and one Semi Pro in PNG...

The only way countries will ever compete with Australia is if the have a professional competition..and the only nationa apart from PNG is France that could do this..

 

[carlnz]

Also just to note:

Four Welsh players made the GB U18 team that beat France a couple of weeks ago...lets pray that they get snapped up by Super League Clubs and play Super League for a yera or two before the World Cup...

 

[griff]

Heading into the 2012 London Olympics, there is going to be much more focus on Great Britain as a sporting identity. It would seem an odd time for devolution.

There was even talk of creating a Great Britain soccer team for the Olympics.