I have my doubts about Wales/Scotland/Ireland

[bender]

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!

LF,
I cant see where you are coming from. It is almost certainly a 10 team world cup. Australia, NewZealand are guaranteed. You want Great Britain because otherwise Wales, Scotland and Ireland players wont get a chance. You wand Pacific Islands because it gives fiji, Samoa, Tonga a very good side. That is 4 teams and leaves 6 more. France, have never showed a dominance over Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the past and despite pushing NZ and Australia in 2 games are realistically not at the same level but should probably qualify for 5th. Where do the other 5 teams come from. PNG i guess, but they are not at Australia/NZ level and that leaves 7 teams. You surelly dont believe Russia, Lebanon, Italy etc have better setups than Ireland, Scotland, Wales do you? Especially since you are one of those demanding selection of domestic based players. Since you want only teams who can compete with Australia in the world cup, do you want a 4 or 5 team world cup?

And on the Welsh previous performances at the last world cup, if they only played good for 20 minutes, why did they lead Australia for 60? The 3 home nations have probably dropped in status of "Ancestry/Union eligble" players since the last world cup but have picked up with domestic based players (thus making them weaker overall) but no doubt they will discover some more ancestor players between now and the next world cup.

 

[League Freak™]

France is a REAL Rugby League nations. They have a top class club competition. They can pick a squad of players that were born and raised in France.

Its the same with with PNG. They can picki a REAL PNG squad as can the USA and Russia.



Thats not the case however for Wales, Scotland or Ireland.....all of which struggle.



I'd rather a REAL Rugby League nation struggle in the world cup then see some thrown togeather team of Aussies wearing red, white and green struggle in the world cup.

 

[Dakink]

LF you are a negative bastard and a boring sh*t.

 

[League Freak™]

If you dont like it....**** off.


The fact is of all the people here talking about international footy Im one of the VERY few people that take a realistic out look on things.

 

[Dakink]

Realistic my arse - just pure negative.
There is a difference between your perceived "realistic" outlook and people taking positive steps towards developing the game in smaller nations eg Home nations. Scots etc are more likely to support there own country as are Pacific Islanders.

 

[League Freak™]

How many Scotts do you think will support a Rugby league team wearing a dark blue jersey if that team is filled with Aussies?

I remember in 2000....they sure did support their side in number.


I want the 2008 World Cup to be a REAL competition between countries. Not a bunch of tagged up teams full of Aussies and Kiwi's.


If you think thats negative....I dont care.

 

[Dakink]

You sir are an arse.

There are more "home" players of quality than ever before.

I would rather see them than a GB team full of Enlgand players with a smattering of others.

If you don't like it - I don't care.

 

[screeny]

LF, you really have no idea whatsoever. You type as if things were exactly the same today in the HNs RLs as they were in 1999 and 2000. Bulletin for you: development work has continued very well, there are domestic leagues in those countries that didn'texist in 2000 and rules in place where a quota of players from those leagues had to play in any national team picked eg for the ENC.

 

[League Freak™]

Really! You mean...the game has moved forward since 2002?

Thats what Ive been trying to tell these idiots that need references to 2000 to justify what we should do in 2008!


The fact is....Wales, Scotland and ireland would have to rely on weekend players that play for fun to build REAL squads.

And you think any coach (Probably an Aussie) would just settle with these type of players when he knows he can ring up a few fring NRL players that could play for their side?


If you think the people running these teams and the game would hold the intergirty of these teams...you are stark raving mad.


Ontop of that....even if you filled these teams with Aussies and Kiwi's they will still find themselves on the wrong end of a major beating....so what do you achieve by doing that?


You think many people in Wales, Scotland or Ireland really give a stuff about Rugby League? Do you think many will tune in to see Wales get flogged by 60?

Do you think the Scottish media will even know the World Cup is on?




The fact is we have two options with this world cup.


Have a slightly competitive world cup that is based on teams that have been selected with players that really are from those nations....

OR

We have a completely uncompetitive world cup with teams filled with Aussies.


I know which one I would rather have....and it include just one a Aussie side, just one Kiwi side, just one British side and a combined Pacific Islands side.

Four very competitive teams with REAL nations thrown in to back them up.

Not a bunch of Aussies and Kiwis.

 

[Dakink]

You think a combined PI team would be competitive??

Realistically there a 3 teams that are on the same level, everyone else is trying to develop. What a great way to develop these nations by forcing them to combine with others.

Put them through qualifiers - if they qualify they play. Thats the way it should be. Be it Scotland, USA or PNG etc.

 

[League Freak™]

They would be a thousand times more competitive then if the Islands were split up.


Australia would beat the likes of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji by atleast 50.

 

[Dakink]

And they wouldnt combined?

 

[carlnz]

I understand where you are coming from LF, how ever the Home Nations are getting better.

Wales are looking good with their first professional team plus 4 Welsh born players making the GB U18 team. Domestic competition is running ok.

Ireland are improving with their domestic competition and Juniors.

Scotland, well you just done here much about them.

I think Ireland and Wales are like Lebanon who have said they know as their Local competitions get better their National team will be weaker because they are using more home grown players - like Wales have been doing since they got thrashed by Australia in 2002.

I think this World Cup will be so much better and different, nations understand they wont be allowed to rely on Australian born players.....

And if the Nations get beaten by 60 by Australia? So what its going to happen the nations will get better...in fact im picking Australia to beat some nations by 80 in the next world cup...happens in every sport..Rugby..Soccer..Cricket World Cups..and they dont all cry about it like we do!

The fact is these other sports have the balls to throw average teams into the World Cup..I see cricket has just increased their world cup to 16 teams!!

 

[bender]

France is a REAL Rugby League nations. They have a top class club competition. They can pick a squad of players that were born and raised in France.

Its the same with with PNG. They can picki a REAL PNG squad as can the USA and Russia.



Thats not the case however for Wales, Scotland or Ireland.....all of which struggle.



I'd rather a REAL Rugby League nation struggle in the world cup then see some thrown togeather team of Aussies wearing red, white and green struggle in the world cup.

So, You want Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, PNG, France, Pacific Islands, Russia, USA. I presume you want an 8 team world cup. You cant honestly tell me that a home grown Welsh side (No ancestry imports) would have no chance against the USA and Russia. With your 'realistic' approach, you would be the last person i would have expected to hear that from. So why is it that USA and Russia can play yet leaving the Welsh team to their own devices is not giving them a chance?

And on your Pacific Islands, since you are dead set against the grand parent rule, you are surely not suggesting that a side made up of Pacific Islanders (home based with few or no NRL/ESL players) will get within 50 points of the Australians are you?

 

[bender]

How many Scotts do you think will support a Rugby league team wearing a dark blue jersey if that team is filled with Aussies?

I remember in 2000....they sure did support their side in number.


I want the 2008 World Cup to be a REAL competition between countries. Not a bunch of tagged up teams full of Aussies and Kiwi's.


If you think thats negative....I dont care.

I would say that the majority of Scots would have no idea how players are eligible for the country in rugby league, and to be honest couldnt care less. Look at Kosty Tzsyu to see how much Australians care about whether or not people are true Australians. Look at how people consider Iestyn Harris a true Welshman even though he is as English as they come. It all comes down to marketing.

 

[southsman]

Wales will have a decent side with many Welsh born players. Welsh rugby league is moving along nicely with the Summer Conference and the new Celtic team entering the National League. Ireland will rely heavily on the parent and grandparent rule. Hope Ricketson and that mobb don't get picked. They need to scrap the Grandparent rule and make it a parent rule only. Scotland are still very small in regards to Rugby League.

 

[Evil Homer]

Having been to these places for Euro Nations cup games,I can safely say there is lots of enthusiasm for the game and the Welsh team coming into the english division 2 will only help.I'm not against these nations being in the World cup,but only if they don't take the place of teams like USA,Lebanon or Russia.A qualifying tournament would be the best way to go.I like the idea that Southsman posted on another thread:


Group1 Qualification(4 to go thru) England , Wales , Ireland , France , Scotland
Group 2 Qualification(1 to go thru) Russia , Serbia, Holland, Georgia , Italy , Malta etc
Group 3 Qualification (3 to go thru) P.N.G, Fiji, Somoa, Tonga , Cook Islands, Nuie
Group 4 Qualification (2 to go thru) U.S.A , Japan, Lebanon, Morroco, Jamiaca etc
Australia and NZ to automatically qualify as holders.

 

[yankeeboy]

The Scotish and Welsh are just as likely to support Great Britain as their own province (they aren't "countries," which are independent entities)...that is, not very. EVERY Scotish or Welsh person I've met thinks that RL is a boring and predictable game (I disagree).

I can see Ireland and Great Britain competing (as they are international sports nations), or "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" and the "Irish Republic."

However, the "home nations" do not need RLWC sides. If they are given, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland must go through qualifiers.

I really don't think that the Pacific Islands is a good idea for a WC team, but maybe as a touring team like the Lions in RU.

 

[Resident Warrior]

This argument is stupid Great Britain IS ENGLAND at the moment, with the exeception of Brian Carney no player comes to mind who was born or raised outside of England, regardless of whether Wales and co. compete or not, the "Great Britain" name should be dropped as soon as possible because saying that they represent all 4 countries interests is false when we really know they only represent England's, it is just a farce compared to a proper Bristish represetative side like the RU team which actually go around and pick the best from the 4 nations.