International League is a joke!

[tamatiwasteddowling]

This Anthony Tupou case highlights what a joke international league is. My suggestion is a Origin of Birth series ie where you were born as the only criteria and limit it to NZ, NSW, QLD, Combined Pacific Islands, the only exception to this rule is a SuperLeague Allstars team, held every 4 years, you can still have seperate Kangaroos, Lions, Kiwis team etc, no Irealnd, England, Wales, Scotland, only GB, maybe those other teams can play a tier 2 comp with the likes of Lebanon, USA, Russia etc.
The time has come for this type of crap to stop, you wouldn't hear of a Tongan player being pulled out of their squad to play for All Blacks or Wallabies 2 weeks out from the start of a Rugby World Cup would you?
Half assed players playing for their 2nd choice country= a half assed tournament!
Wake up guys, this is the reason why International League is rubbish and 1 team has dominated for so long, why else would the likes of Carroll, Hunt, Thorne, and co forsake their country in favour of playing Origin? The answer is because International Footy means nothing when crap like this keeps happening!

 

[westie]

If that happens, I will streak at every single game. Just dumb.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Actually your idea has some merit. I mean at least if we did that it would make what we have now seems credible by comparison.

 

[roopy]

League is incredibly lucky that for the last 20 years, but especially for the last 10 years, we have seen the Pacific Islander communities in Auckland and Sydney take up the game in their thousands.
All of a sudden we have 10 incredibly strong sides and for the first time in history international league is not a 3 or maybe 4 team thing.

We have big teething problems bringing in all these new sides all at once, but that's all they are, teething problems.

The team that came 4th in the last WC didn't even make the top 10. In fact, if Fiji had been ruled out for political reasons Wales still wouldn't have got a run, because Lebanon finished ahead of them too. That is how far we have come in the last 8 years.

 

[Girondin]

League is incredibly lucky that for the last 20 years, but especially for the last 10 years, we have seen the Pacific Islander communities in Auckland and Sydney take up the game in their thousands.
All of a sudden we have 10 incredibly strong sides and for the first time in history international league is not a 3 or maybe 4 team thing.

Exactly, there has to be special exemptions for developing countries (RL wise) as it makes the comp stronger while also raising the profile of the sport in those countries. Pacific Islanders in the Islands can still identify with the team (which admittedly is not the case of a Scotsman who sees "his" team packed full of Aussies of remote Scottish origin) because Tongans, Samoans raised in Australia are of very recent emigration and keep strong cultural ties with the islands. If Tonga has a successful campaign, more locals will take up the game and in a couple years they could make the national side.

 

[Bezant]

You know I'm not really concerned about this issue. Of course Tonga would try to use Tupou if Australia didn't pick him and they thought they may have a chance of snaring him. He is of Tongan heritage by the way.

This doesn't mean the RLIF would approve the move (although if Geoff Carr had anything to do with it they probably would). How can you call it a joke if the move hasn't been approved as yet? The media is just being presumptive here and this is a non-story. What's new?

I'm get sick of this International league is a joke line from people who have spent all of 5 minutes tkaing an interest in league internationally. There have been a significant number of developments over the last 5 years to really develop league internationally. If we continue at this rate we will see a very healthy interational league scene by the 2013 RLWC. The 2008 RLWC will be just one step in moving the game towards a new level internationally.

I dont care how it compares to other sports. I am just enjoying the improvement were making compared to ourselves. If you cant enjoy that and you're on here just to have a go then I'd suggest you and your sport look at the plank in your own eye (no club comp and dwindling corporate/popular support in Australia etc) before you gloat about the speck in your brothers eye.

 

[adamkungl]

Maybe those saying it is a joke should forget about issues like eligability for a month, get out and watch a few games of good footy, support the game, and see the growth at the next WC.

 

[Coastbloke]

Although this elegibility issue and swapping countries is a sticking point and Carr is to blame for this, we always knew there would be some sections of the media ready to put the boot in..

I know I'm off to see a Fijian team stacked with Fijians and I'm really looking forward to it....

I know I am off to see the best football team of any code in the Kangaroos in a little over 2 weeks playing a Kiwi team full of Kiwis. I will ignore the fact that Fien is there, but I am guessing he won't be needed any..

 

[screeny]

I think most people get sick of the jumping around and 'special dispensation' that we all know will come to 'special cases'. I have no problem with the criteria but the nation-jumping is a stain on our game and if we police it would only affect a few players. We end up soothing them at the expense of our greater credibility.

 

[tamatiwasteddowling]

You know I'm not really concerned about this issue. Of course Tonga would try to use Tupou if Australia didn't pick him and they thought they may have a chance of snaring him. He is of Tongan heritage by the way.

This doesn't mean the RLIF would approve the move (although if Geoff Carr had anything to do with it they probably would). How can you call it a joke if the move hasn't been approved as yet? The media is just being presumptive here and this is a non-story. What's new?

I'm get sick of this International league is a joke line from people who have spent all of 5 minutes tkaing an interest in league internationally. There have been a significant number of developments over the last 5 years to really develop league internationally. If we continue at this rate we will see a very healthy interational league scene by the 2013 RLWC. The 2008 RLWC will be just one step in moving the game towards a new level internationally.

I dont care how it compares to other sports. I am just enjoying the improvement were making compared to ourselves. If you cant enjoy that and you're on here just to have a go then I'd suggest you and your sport look at the plank in your own eye (no club comp and dwindling corporate/popular support in Australia etc) before you gloat about the speck in your brothers eye.

Mate just answering your 5 mins interest in international rugby league i Have 3 uncles that played for the kiwis in the 60's and 1 of my best mates played for the kiwis in the 90's and samoa as well so please think again when you say we have been watching league for 5 mins I love the game, play the game and always will thank you very much

 

[Bezant]

tamatiwasteddowling

Good to hear that you love the game, played the game and always will. I misjudged your indignant title to this thread as a swipe at Rugby League rather than frustration at the RLIF's poor handling of eligibility issues to date. Sorry for the poor call on my part.

Thankfully it looks as if the RLIF has made some sort of a stand with MoiMoi and Tuiaki today. However it would have been better if they ensured that all teams submitted the player lists to the RLIF for ratification before they were announced to the public. Instead they were announce before being put the RLIF for ratification putting the RLIF, the RLWC and Rugby League in general in an ackward situation. It could have been better managed, especially since we've all known this was a problem for some time....

You've got to wonder about our administrators some times..... :roll: