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

[IntRLEnthusiast]

I would shorten and season and use the origin period as an international window. Now, with the growth of the international game, you could easily have solid content around stand alone Origin matches. If you then shorten the season by 1 home game each club you get 2 extra weeks for Internationals. Even in a lite year this would create an opportunity for 6 games for any other nation that isn't Aus. I also think that 1 off tests are not as good as a series or competition because multiple games create a narrative and cohesion so better Rugby League.

 

[Perth Red]

The world rankings should reflect the number of games countries are willing to play. If you only play one or two games a year then it shouldn't be rewarded. Some sort of weighting for participation is needed.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Pfft why? Melbourne got 22k last year for the Opening Ceremony. Brisbane 22k and 40k for the semi and the final. Sydney 21k for Australia v Lebanon.

Sydney isn't the only one that disappointed with crowds. In fact it was probably the only city to surpass expectations.

Sydney crowds started dropping away for rugby league internationals because the administrators did dumb things like put them on starting at 8.00 pm on a Sunday and/or against teams which were not expected to be competitive against Australia whilst expecting people to stump up $50-$60 a ticket. Combine that with making everything so easy to view on TV, people stopped going. I mean I'm not going to pay $50 to go to a game which I expect will be a blow out and it is those kinds of games they've scheduled in Sydney, whilst the more competitive games have been played in Melbourne and Brisbane.

 

[Perth Red]

The 2017 World Cup, which has hosted 17 of its 27 games on Australian soil so far, has pulled over 100,000 fewer fans through the turnstiles than England did at the 2013 tournament.
Of the 573,200 stadium capacity over 28 games, 80 per cent of the English stands were packed out.
Those numbers have smashed this year's tournament out of the park with just 44 per cent of its 750,700 stadium capacity catered for.

https://www.nospam47.com/au/league/...orrendous-world-cup/tx6cyk1dpild1hdclmtpg1t5h

 

[Springs09]

Sydney crowds started dropping away for rugby league internationals because the administrators did dumb things like put them on starting at 8.00 pm on a Sunday and/or against teams which were not expected to be competitive against Australia whilst expecting people to stump up $50-$60 a ticket. Combine that with making everything so easy to view on TV, people stopped going. I mean I'm not going to pay $50 to go to a game which I expect will be a blow out and it is those kinds of games they've scheduled in Sydney, whilst the more competitive games have been played in Melbourne and Brisbane.

It doesn't help when they always schedule Australia v England in Melbourne, every single time. Do they have a deal with Melbourne to only play England there or something?

 

[titoelcolombiano]

It doesn't help when they always schedule Australia v England in Melbourne, every single time. Do they have a deal with Melbourne to only play England there or something?

Not sure, but NZ draw much better:

2010: Aus v NZ at AAMI: 29,442
2006: Aus v NZ at Docklands 30,732

Although NZ would probably draw better in most locations in Australia due to expats. I would have though Perth would be good for English expat fans and closer for travelling English fans.

 

[Springs09]

Not sure, but NZ draw much better:

2010: Aus v NZ at AAMI: 29,442
2006: Aus v NZ at Docklands 30,732

Although NZ would probably draw better in most locations in Australia due to expats. I would have though Perth would be good for English expat fans and closer for travelling English fans.

No not really. In 2008 England got 36k at Etihad and the 2010 ANZAC Test was the opening of AAMI Park. I believe the last time England(GB) played Australia outside of Melbourne they got 44k at Suncorp, excluding the WC Final.

 

[NRLMad]

We need games to be consistently good for crowds to increase as people would care more. Overall tv numbers look better year on year suggesting interest is moving upwards. I think we’re not 100% convincing just yet, but with immortal like players gone, I think the field is far more even and hence competitive.

The way to get more competitive teams is to impose international player quotas per team - e.g. 2 French, 2 English players. Long term this would be great.

 

[Springs09]

I sent the NRL an email last week asking why Australia aren't playing more games, particularly at home and particularly next year.

Naturally, I got a long response that says nothing.



We welcome your feedback in relation to the international game and we are a strong supporter of international Rugby League.


It is important to note that the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) is responsible for the international Rugby League calendar.


Recently, the RLIF approved in principle a rolling calendar of matches for the next eight years which will see a range of events and tours starting in 2019. Some of the highlights include the Oceania Cup (2019, 2020, 2022) featuring Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea and the RLIF Nines World Cup with the inaugural competition to be held in Australia and will see teams compete for their country rather than clubs.


It is worth mentioning that the calendar has space for bilateral arrangement for games and tours from individual member nations i.e. the Great Britain Rugby League Lions tour of the Southern Hemisphere in 2019 followed by the Kangaroos tour of Great Britain in 2020.


A key to the calendar is that we are giving emerging nations the opportunity to become genuine competitors with the tier one nations. We will do it by confining international tournaments to fixed windows to ensure the wellbeing of players.


Importantly, there is some further consultation to be undertaken before final announcements are made regarding the international calendar.


Be assured that we are committed to ensuring the game of Rugby League goes from strength to strength in the years ahead so thanks for sharing your views, which I have ensured are registered.


We hope you continue to be part of the footy for many, many years to come.


As an aside, this was Australia's schedule for 2016 -
v NZ - ANZAC Test
v NZ - Perth Post-Season
v Scotland - 4 Nations
v NZ - 4 Nations
v England - 4 Nations
v NZ - 4 Nations Final

And 2017 -
v NZ - ANZAC Test
v PNG/Fiji - Warm-ups in Fiji
v England - RLWC
v France - RLWC
v Lebanon - RLWC
v Samoa - RLWC QF
v Fiji - RLWC SF
v England - RLWC Final

This is Australia's schedule for 2018/2019 combined
v NZ - Post-Season 2018
v Tonga - Post-Season 2018
v NZ - Oceania Cup 2019
v Tonga - Oceania Cup 2019

World 9s don't count. That's like taking away half the NRL season and telling us we're still getting our NRL action from having an NRL 9s tournament once a month.

 

[Perth Red]

So basically they have gone from 14 games across 16&17 to 4 games across 18&19. Tell us again NRL how important international RL is to you!

 

[titoelcolombiano]

What is shows is how important tournaments are. The Kangaroos will participate in a 4 nations and in a World Cup. Why the Confed Cup / 4 Nations / 6 Nations wasn't on the calendar released this week is beyond me. Unless these kinds of events are on, the Kangaroos will play the Kiwis once or twice and then go back to sleep.

 

[deluded pom?]

I like the way they put the onus on the RLIF for the international calendar when we all know the NRL and the RLPA will have pointed them in the right direction.

 

[Perth Red]

Schoy is still at it! Good to see a bit of banter netween countries like on the old days lol

Former Great Britain player Garry Schofield has renewed his war of words with Mal Meninga, branding the Kangaroos coach a “mouse”.
Schofield has taken aim at Meninga because Australia will not play Great Britain on their tour Down Under next year, with England not playing the world champions until 2020, and also accused Aussie fans of arrogance.

The controversial pundit, who played 49 times for the Lions and England, has claimed the Kangaroos are “running scared” because of their reluctance to host Great Britain in 2019 due to commercial concerns.

Meninga hit back at Schofield last week, calling the 53-year-old “the mouth from the north”.

On Monday Schofield responded on the Forty20 Live podcast: "Certainly now, our best 20 players can beat the Kiwis and can certainly beat the Kangaroos.

"I felt Mal’s comments were a bit babyish….Mal, I’ve got some cheese here, you are the mouse of the south. Bring your Kangaroos, all your little mice, up to north.

"Or we’ll come to you to play you in an Ashes series. Because our 20 best players against your 20 best players, we will beat you in an Ashes series, we’ll beat you in a three-game series so bring it on.

"You’re supposed to be an internationalist, but I tell you what Mal, you’re running scared.

"Australia think they can do what they want, but they can’t. They’re part of rugby league. Why aren’t the international federation telling them? They should be brought into line.

"The Kangaroos are not mighty anymore because the Kiwis have just beaten you, we’ve just beaten the Kiwis. We are the world number one, the Kiwis are world number two and you’re world number three. You might have won the World Cup last year but you don’t play anybody."
https://www.insidesport.com.au/news/schofield-attacks-meninga-aussie-fans-515516

 

[Perth Red]

I like the way they put the onus on the RLIF for the international calendar when we all know the NRL and the RLPA will have pointed them in the right direction.

I just dont understand the reluctance. If the top stars want a rest there's another 200 plus Australian NRL players who would dream of pulling on the green and gold. Is it a cost saving exercise? For a $500mill a year business that is pretty pathetic if that is the real reason. Even that doesn't make sense, pretty sure if NRL went to WA Govt and offered them a GB v Kangaroos test match at Optus next Nov the WA Govt would stump up for the costs.

 

[King hit]

A pommy going on about 'Aussie arrogance' is beyond stupid. Come back when you guys actually win something against us.

Pommy arrogance is beyond extreme.

 

[Perth Red]

A pommy going on about 'Aussie arrogance' is beyond stupid. Come back when you guys actually win something against us.

Pommy arrogance is beyond extreme.

You kind of missed his point, you have to be willing to play to get beat lol Australia is ducking playing GB next year, that's a fact. They didn't want to play England this year, that's a fact. Theyll probably find a reason not to tour in 2020. Reminds me of a boxer who is a belt holder but refuses to fight anyone who might take the title.