Lions great claims Kangaroos are no longer No.1 in the Test arena

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Time to f**k origin off, it’s not as good as everyone likes to thinks nd it’s clearly impacting on the sport at large.

It's going to be hard for Australians to do that.

I do agree though that it is, as you say, impacting on the sport at large. Yeah absolutely.

 

[jim_57]

He’s an idiot but he has a point. Playing a couple of friendlies whilst avoiding playing in tournaments shouldn’t be rewarded with a number one status.

Wouldn't be a bad way to go if a nation started losing considerable ranking points if they didnt play many games. Anything less than 4 games in a calendar year and that team loses x amount of points per game.

 

[roughyedspud]

Just bare this in mind for a second...If you believe what's coming out of the mouths of some of the Aussie press,administrators and posters on here...then next year Australia want to play...

Nz & Tonga in the pacific beaker..

And England 3 times and Wales,Scotland,Ireland & France..

think about that.......

That's 9 games lol...and how likely it is...and if you believe it....then I have some magic beans to sell you too..

 

[Springs09]

I think that one of the reasons for the Kangaroos lack of test matches against NZ and England may very well do with player burnout. Couple of years back, Johnathan Thurston spoke out about having to play intense Origin series and then play NRL finals, and after all that, having to pick themselves up for test footy at the end of the year. Quietly, the ARL has pulled their team out of tests in the last couple of years as they heed the call of the players. It's more of an issue for the Aussie players because they're asked to give everything in Origin. Well thats my 50 cents anyway.

That's not a secret. The NRL and RLPA say that's the reason for the year off every 4. But it makes no sense for a couple of players to speak for the 250+ Australian NRL players who would jump at the opportunity to play for Australia, as we've seen this year where they all took pay cuts to play Tonga and said they would play for free if asked.

Time to f**k origin off, it’s not as good as everyone likes to thinks nd it’s clearly impacting on the sport at large.

Yeah let's f**k off our highest-rating and highest-attended event. It may not be as good as the media make it out to be but it's our biggest weapon in Australia. We're fighting for fans here as well remember, we need to grow the game worldwide but it's not like we have taken over the country yet.

If Australia want to tour England in 2019 why have they proposed that half arsed pacific cup in 2019?

Because we seem to be the only ones who actually announce anything Tier 2 related. Has the RFL even contacted the countries they want to tour next year? I haven't seen any mention of an Ashes series next year, that keeps coming up for the 2020 Kangaroo Tour. What exactly does GB want to do? Half the fans including you don't even want this GB rubbish. The RFL probably want Australia to organise everything for them, since they can't even organise a proper game against France.

 

[IntRLEnthusiast]

I would much Rather Australia play England in England and have mid week games against the other european nations than the GB Lions come over here and not play Aus with a team that is still basically England. This is England's change to build their brand at home but they seem sooo keen on reviving an old brand that means nothing really in Australia. I actually think Aus might get to 7 games if they go to the northern hemisphere.. as in they may want to play NZ and Tonga and then the 3 test series against England and i think with Mal pushing it they might end up taking a larger squad and doing a couple of midweek games against european nations who have already qualified for World Cup. Interesting times, lets hope more games are committed to.

P.S. World 9's has to be fitted somewhere.. Maybe they won't get to play Tonga next year.

 

[Pommy]

I would much Rather Australia play England in England and have mid week games against the other european nations than the GB Lions come over here and not play Aus with a team that is still basically England. This is England's change to build their brand at home but they seem sooo keen on reviving an old brand that means nothing really in Australia. I actually think Aus might get to 7 games if they go to the northern hemisphere.. as in they may want to play NZ and Tonga and then the 3 test series against England and i think with Mal pushing it they might end up taking a larger squad and doing a couple of midweek games against european nations who have already qualified for World Cup. Interesting times, lets hope more games are committed to.

P.S. World 9's has to be fitted somewhere.. Maybe they won't get to play Tonga next year.

I would be amazed if they get to 7 games. I would be very happy but just don’t see it, I thought they wanted to play Samoa next year instead of Tonga?

 

[RL The greatest game]

ENGLAND has taken aim at the Kangaroos on the back of their series defeat of the Kiwis, saying the world champions are no longer the No.1 Test nation.

Legendary Lions centre Garry Schofield — who racked up 46 Test caps as well as the Golden Boot and Man of Steel awards — said recent results speak for themselves.

“At the moment it looks like the Aussies are running scared,” he wrote in a column in the magazine ‘League Express’.

“They won’t even agree to one Test match, although that wouldn’t be enough for me.

“The Aussies lost to New Zealand last month, which means the winner of the Kiwi - Great Britain Test series (Britain) is the world’s next number one Test nation.

“Even if you believe the Aussies are still the best and the defeat to the Kiwis was a blip, then they don’t deserve to be ranked number one if they can’t be bothered to play many games.”

Schofield, who spent most of his career with Leeds but also played in Australia with Balmain and Wests in the late ‘80s, said it made sense for the two Test sides to go head to head.

“Australia have had this year with no major competition on the back of the 2016 Four Nations and last year’s World Cup,” he wrote.

“But they don’t need a rest for two consecutive years.

“It’s not like we are asking them to travel over here. The Lions will be in the Southern Hemisphere anyway so what’s the problem.”

I don't think any intelligent person takes Schofield seriously as a columnist.
A fantastic player but never the sharpest knife in the draw

 

[roughyedspud]

Because we seem to be the only ones who actually announce anything Tier 2 related. Has the RFL even contacted the countries they want to tour next year? I haven't seen any mention of an Ashes series next year, that keeps coming up for the 2020 Kangaroo Tour. What exactly does GB want to do? Half the fans including you don't even want this GB rubbish. The RFL probably want Australia to organise everything for them, since they can't even organise a proper game against France.

So much to destroy in a single post lol

You do know it was two Australians,mascord & a ex nrl media manager,that convinced Nigel wood to bring back GB to tour Australia,it was agreed by all at a RLIF meeting a year ago...now Australia have pulled out cos they can't make it profitable cos they pay their players too much,so we announced we'll tour nz instead..then the NRL announced that pathetic pacific cup meaning GB couldn't play a 3 test series v nz even if we wanted too making the tour even more pointless..

You are right there's very little appitite for GB return here,Australians wanted it more,they got it,then didn't want it and then killed it...thanks for f**king everyone about..

As for the rest...about France and the RFL wanting other people to organize things for them...lol that's the single dumbest comment I've read in days...well done lol

 

[Springs09]

hahaha right it was the Australians who brought back Great Britain.

The NRL hasn't announced anything. If the two-tiered Pacific Cup goes ahead NZ will play 2 games in it. Is NZ unable to play 5 games?

Pfft all you poms do is whinge about the RFL being incompetent, it's your second biggest hobby behind whinging about Australia. But yeah when an Australian says it it's a dumb comment, sure buddy at least you know how everyone else feels when they read one of your braindead posts.

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

So much to destroy in a single post lol

You do know it was two Australians,mascord & a ex nrl media manager,that convinced Nigel wood to bring back GB to tour Australia,it was agreed by all at a RLIF meeting a year ago...now Australia have pulled out cos they can't make it profitable cos they pay their players too much,so we announced we'll tour nz instead..then the NRL announced that pathetic pacific cup meaning GB couldn't play a 3 test series v nz even if we wanted too making the tour even more pointless..

You are right there's very little appitite for GB return here,Australians wanted it more,they got it,then didn't want it and then killed it...thanks for f**king everyone about..

As for the rest...about France and the RFL wanting other people to organize things for them...lol that's the single dumbest comment I've read in days...well done lol

Australia isn’t making you decide to play as Great Britain that’s your decision. Australia has actually presented an option which I think most England supports will prefer, with a 3 game series against England plus mid week games.

If the RFL has suggested this you would be praising it as a great idea, but because the NRL have put a proposal forward it’s terrible

 

[roughyedspud]

That option,to play England in England plus 3 mid week tests what already on the table for 2020..

It was agreed after the last world cup that nz would tour here in 2018,GB go down under in 2019 and Australia tour UK in 2020...

That was agreed years ago,it was agreed 3 months ago too in Singapore..

Key elements of the calendar include:

• Rugby League World Cup in 2021 and 2025
• Kangaroos Tour to UK in 2020
• Kiwi Tour to UK in 2018 and 2022
• GB Rugby League Lions tour to southern hemisphere in 2019 and 2024
• 9s World Cup in 2019 and 2023
• 2019 Championships for the Pacific nations in a mid and end of season format
• 2018 European Championship (and then at two-year intervals)
• 2018 Australia v New Zealand Test (annually to 2022)
• 2020 New Zealand fixture(s) in the southern hemisphere

I'm dumbstruck who many of you are falling for the power play by the Australians lol.

 

[Perth Red]

Seems to me that the NRL and by extension the Roos want to play England, I mean they keep proposing that they tour England next year... It's the RFL that's fluffing on about a GB ashes series/whatever that the NRL doesn't wanna touch with a 40ft poll.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/11/05...s-best-chance-for-australia-england-showdown/

So yeah I don't see how you can come to the conclusion that the Roos are dodging playing England considering that fact.

Except they never follow through! I'm sure the RFL would jump at the chance of hosting a full series against Australia in UK, its a guaranteed money spinner. Problem is Australia talk the talk but when it comes to it claim players are too tired or some other excuse for not signing on the dotted line. For some reason the NRL refuses to commit to any long term plan for internationals, and when they do then back out. Look at the hasty decision to play Tonga, no planning just a quick fix opportunity.

What Mal wants and what Greenberg allows seem two very different things.

 

[Perth Red]

Time to f**k origin off, it’s not as good as everyone likes to thinks nd it’s clearly impacting on the sport at large.

lol its worth tens of millions of $ every year, it aint going anywhere!

Eventual plan should be a 20 team 19 game NRL comp. 3 SOO/international rep stand alone weekends, proper end of year World Club Final, longer Oct/Nov rep calendar, pre season world nines.

Oh for a CEO with some vision!

 

[Springs09]

I like how the poll at TRL is 42 votes to 4 in favour of Australia's proposal to tour Europe next year instead of the Lions Tour.

A Kangaroo Tour next year + NZ competing in a Pacific Championship is clearly the best way to capitalise on momentum at the moment. You've got England looking strong, Kangaroos weak and the Pacific sides starting to compete. Australia has also talked about not only an Ashes series but midweek games against other European nations. The GB Lions Tour hasn't suggested anything, not an Ashes series, not a Baskerville Shield, not anything in PNG or Fiji or anywhere, when it was first announced people were talking about games against f**king club sides.

Best case scenario what Australia has proposed could see us play 8 or 9 games next year, against PNG and NZ before the tour and 6 or so games on tour. At least we are talking about involving the tier 2 teams. Only downside is we will miss out on Australian home games again, which means depending on 2020 we might not see Australia in a home series/tournament until 2022, which would be ridiculous.

Have that Pacific Tri-Nations thing with Aus, NZ and Tonga in 2020 or make it a Four Nations with England if they want to come down.

 

[Pommy]

I like how the poll at TRL is 42 votes to 4 in favour of Australia's proposal to tour Europe next year instead of the Lions Tour.

A Kangaroo Tour next year + NZ competing in a Pacific Championship is clearly the best way to capitalise on momentum at the moment. You've got England looking strong, Kangaroos weak and the Pacific sides starting to compete. Australia has also talked about not only an Ashes series but midweek games against other European nations. The GB Lions Tour hasn't suggested anything, not an Ashes series, not a Baskerville Shield, not anything in PNG or Fiji or anywhere, when it was first announced people were talking about games against f**king club sides.

Best case scenario what Australia has proposed could see us play 8 or 9 games next year, against PNG and NZ before the tour and 6 or so games on tour. At least we are talking about involving the tier 2 teams. Only downside is we will miss out on Australian home games again, which means depending on 2020 we might not see Australia in a home series/tournament until 2022, which would be ridiculous.

Have that Pacific Tri-Nations thing with Aus, NZ and Tonga in 2020 or make it a Four Nations with England if they want to come down.

I agree this is a better idea, the problem is the international calander shouldn’t be at the behest of Australia.
If things are agreed they shouldn’t be changed on a whim 11 months out.

 

[Perth Red]

I like how the poll at TRL is 42 votes to 4 in favour of Australia's proposal to tour Europe next year instead of the Lions Tour.

A Kangaroo Tour next year + NZ competing in a Pacific Championship is clearly the best way to capitalise on momentum at the moment. You've got England looking strong, Kangaroos weak and the Pacific sides starting to compete. Australia has also talked about not only an Ashes series but midweek games against other European nations. The GB Lions Tour hasn't suggested anything, not an Ashes series, not a Baskerville Shield, not anything in PNG or Fiji or anywhere, when it was first announced people were talking about games against f**king club sides.

Best case scenario what Australia has proposed could see us play 8 or 9 games next year, against PNG and NZ before the tour and 6 or so games on tour. At least we are talking about involving the tier 2 teams. Only downside is we will miss out on Australian home games again, which means depending on 2020 we might not see Australia in a home series/tournament until 2022, which would be ridiculous.

Have that Pacific Tri-Nations thing with Aus, NZ and Tonga in 2020 or make it a Four Nations with England if they want to come down.

Like posted above though, there as an agreed plan in Singapore that everyone was happy with. Why are NRL wanting to change it AGAIN? Just create a 4 year plan and fricking stick to it!!

 

[Perth Red]

This original plan makes much more sense. Australia get to actually play a meaningful tournament in Australia and England gets a high profile tournament to build up the RLWC the following year. If its Lions or England that tour in 19&24 is irrelevant and wont make any difference to anyone really.

• Rugby League World Cup in 2021 and 2025
• Kangaroos Tour to UK in 2020
• Kiwi Tour to UK in 2018 and 2022
• GB Rugby League Lions tour to southern hemisphere in 2019 and 2024
• 9s World Cup in 2019 and 2023
• 2019 Championships for the Pacific nations in a mid and end of season format
• 2018 European Championship (and then at two-year intervals)
• 2018 Australia v New Zealand Test (annually to 2022)
• 2020 New Zealand fixture(s) in the southern hemisphere

 

[Hawkins]

Didn't Australia beat England in the recent world cup. By that stupid logic that means we beat New Zealand and are champs again. Suck my balls england.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I understand where Schoey is coming from, but really England have to beat Australia in a series to claim they're better. English players from the era immediately after Schoefield's onward have been scared of the Kangaroos. They're mentally scarred. So it's kinda ironic he's saying the Roos are running scared.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

This current England side is actually pretty good, they would be even money against the current Kangaroos. It's a shame we won't get to see the match up. When is their next scheduled match? There isn't one.... It is disgraceful.