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

[The Great Dane]

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..

You can keep asserting that it was "agreed" until you are blue in the face, but evidently it wasn't agreed.

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.

I can't think of a time ever that they pulled out of anything that was actually organised, maybe there are times when they agreed to something in theory then pulled out for whatever reasons (normally cause it's not commercially viable I'd imagine), but never when a tournament or series has been set in stone with the dates set and stadiums booked...

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.

I know exactly what the reason is!

Every single international plan proposed by the RLIF (and to a lesser extent the RFL) is reliant on the NRL and/or the NRL clubs subsidising multiple participants to make it possible.

It's not a great situation, but personally I think it's totally reasonable that they aren't receptive to that sort of arrangement unless it's on their terms. If you're paying for dinner then at least you should be able to choose the restaurant if you get what I mean.

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

It seems to me that it is Peter Beattie and the ARLC that have been pushing for the Roos to tour England and that broadly speaking neither Mal or Greenberg have had that much to do with it.

 

[Springs09]

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.

Was it locked in though or was it a proposal? The RLIF article has this :

The Board agreed to undertake consultation with stakeholders to finalise the details for the next two cycles to present to its planned World Rugby League Congress in the UK in November.

Says to me that the international calendar was to be agreed upon at the Congress.

 

[Springs09]

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

That's a skeleton of a plan that has no detail at all.

• Yep, we already knew that
• Touring to the UK and doing what? Ashes? Club games? Games in France?
• Already locked in and if the current 'tour' is what all the other tours will be well we might as well forget about it and bring the 4 Nations back. A 2018 Kiwi Tour of England is like saying Australia toured PNG and NZ this year, they played as many games.
• Right and what will that entail? Do they want an Ashes series? A Baskerville Shield series? Do they want to play in PNG and Fiji? Why is it Great Britain?
• And how will this work at the same time as a GB tour and World Cup Qualifiers?
• Good, a Pacific Cup for once
• As usual
• As usual
• Which are? That's as good as saying 'NZ will play in 2020'.

Australia are putting proper proposals forward, one that fans seem to like. What exactly is this 'meaningful tournament in Australia'? The World 9s? The plan seems to be built on 'ah how about we tour this year then you guys next year then we'll tour sometime in the next 4 years and so on', there is no substance behind it.

Figure out the next two years at this Congress and then use next year to figure out 2022-2025.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

My preference for next year would be:

Mid-season test window:
Australia - Origin
Pac Cup Rd 1: New Zealand v Tonga at Eden Park in Auckland
Pac Cup Rd 1: Samoa v PNG & Fiji v Cook Islands at WSS in Sydney
France v England at Perpignan in France

End of Season Test Window:
Australia v PNG (yes, scrap the PM XIII and just make it an annual test) in PNG
Australia v NZ in NZ
Euro Cup
Pac Cup (completion of the tournament started mid-season NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cooks)
England v Australia at Wembley
England v Australia at Old Trafford
England v Australia at Elland Rd

 

[Springs09]

My preference for next year would be:

Mid-season test window:
Australia - Origin
Pac Cup Rd 1: New Zealand v Tonga at Eden Park in Auckland
Pac Cup Rd 1: Samoa v PNG & Fiji v Cook Islands at WSS in Sydney
France v England at Perpignan in France

End of Season Test Window:
Australia v PNG (yes, scrap the PM XIII and just make it an annual test) in PNG
Australia v NZ in NZ
Euro Cup
Pac Cup (completion of the tournament started mid-season NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cooks)
England v Australia at Wembley
England v Australia at Old Trafford
England v Australia at Elland Rd

I'd only change Australia v NZ, have it in Australia, we haven't had any games since the World Cup. Plus don't think the Euro Cup can go ahead as 2 teams will be playing in the WC Qualifiers. Both England and Australia should be playing matches against European sides.

 

[Burns]

I'd only change Australia v NZ, have it in Australia, we haven't had any games since the World Cup. Plus don't think the Euro Cup can go ahead as 2 teams will be playing in the WC Qualifiers. Both England and Australia should be playing matches against European sides.

Honestly, I don't think Australia care where they play. No one went to see them play in the World Cup.

Perhaps a Test at WSS might get over 20,000.

 

[deluded pom?]

Honestly, I don't think Australia care where they play. No one went to see them play in the World Cup.

Perhaps a Test at WSS might get over 20,000.

What has brought this apathy about?

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

What has brought this apathy about?

I actually think a large part is crowds are down while tv ratings are up for all games with the exception of Origin and the Grand Final. Unfortunately fans just don’t seem to being going to games as much as they used to with the excellent coverage u can get on tv.

While the World Cup crowds were very disappointing the tv ratings were excellent so I believe people will still care and watch on tv but crowds will be low

Plus we have the usual poor marketing and organisation with the Kangaroos which I guess dosent help.

 

[roughyedspud]

You can keep asserting that it was "agreed" until you are blue in the face, but evidently it wasn't agreed..

For some reason Dane you seem interested in asserting yourself as the new ECT...the boards newest troll...

Everything was agreed in principal but this Peter beattie bloke seem desperate to be seen to asserting some power...I've seen it many times in my own line of work...a new guy comes in thinking he's Billy big bollocks trying to change the world...but I hate to break it too you...but Australia is not where the action is when it comes to international RL,They have no right to demand reform of the RLIF like beattie harps on about.....the last world cup made a fraction of the profits the RLIF was promised,the Australia v Tonga game barely broke even despite a sell out..imagine if the Aussie players took the full $20k for that...the game would have lost hundreds of thousands..

Australia is in no position to demand anything of anyone....clown

 

[Springs09]

Honestly, I don't think Australia care where they play. No one went to see them play in the World Cup.

Perhaps a Test at WSS might get over 20,000.

No one went to see NZ play either. Tonga got all the big crowds in NZ. In fact we got bigger crowds than the Kiwis across the board. We got more in Darwin than NZ did in Wellington.

I went to see them play twice last year and I'd go see them play next year if they are close by. So there's one that wants to see them play at home at least once in 2 years.

 

[Perth Red]

No one went to see NZ play either. Tonga got all the big crowds in NZ. In fact we got bigger crowds than the Kiwis across the board. We got more in Darwin than NZ did in Wellington.

I went to see them play twice last year and I'd go see them play next year if they are close by. So there's one that wants to see them play at home at least once in 2 years.

It’d be worth gibbing Sydney a final chance to get behind the kangaroos and play a game at wss. If they can’t sell it out then that should be it and tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth only.

 

[The Great Dane]

Everything was agreed in principal

Agreed in principal and agreed are two vastly different things!

Obviously from the recent happenings the GB tour has been dropped by the NRL cause they felt that it didn't meet the conditions by which they had agreed to participate (knowing the NRL it's probably to do with the commercial viability of the tour).

Though if Springs quote from earlier is to be believed it may not have even been agreed to in principal.

They have no right to demand reform of the RLIF like beattie harps on about.....

I'm no big fan of Beattie's (It's a bit early to pass judgement, but so far he seems to be all talk no substance IMO), I think that considering that the RLIF has been totally ineffectual for decades now would suggest that in fact it definitely needs to be reformed. What form that reform should take I'm not sure, but I'd almost certainly be against the reforms that Beattie would suggest.

Australia is in no position to demand anything of anyone....clown

When they (and by extension their clubs) are expected to subsidise huge parts of international footy, then yeah for obvious reasons they are in a huge position to make demands and are well within their rights to do so...

Also I normally can't be arsed with addressing lazy ad hominems, but being called a troll by you basically surmounts to you accusing me of being unwilling to deride the NRL and everything they do out of hand, i.e. I don't have a strange and vitriolic bias against them and everything they do and don't perceive them as the source of all the sports problems (particularly when it comes to international footy).
So basically I'm quite happy for you to consider me a "troll" cause it's a visceral demonstration that despite my anger at the NRL for their failings and constant mistakes I haven't become incapable of being neutral when talking about them and what they are doing, and becoming irrationally bias (or tribal as well I guess) is something I actively try to avoid.

 

[Vee]

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, good luck with that. Let me know how you go.

 

[Vee]

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

Just a broken down old soak.

 

[deluded pom?]

It doesn’t look like an Ashes series is happening this side of the WC.

http://www.totalrl.com/englands-2019-plans-may-not-involve-australia-clashes-reveals-sinfield/

England rugby director Kevin Sinfield has expressed his disappointment that the national side may not get to test their development against world champions Australia in 2019 due to a lack of willingness from the Kangaroos.

The RLIF meet this week in York to finalise the calendar moving on to the next World Cup in 2021, and Sinfield admits he has seen a prospective schedule already. Many want England or Great Britain, following another strong autumn for the former under Wayne Bennett, to now face the Kangaroos next year in a potential Ashes series on either side of the world.

Sinfield however, concedes that may not happen – and admits it is frustrating that England may not get too many chances to face the Aussies.

“We thought that politics was bad in our domestic game – they’re far worse with the RLIF and what they’re having to deal with,” Sinfield told TotalRL. “There are some plans, there’s a really exciting calendar that I’ve seen that’s been put together for next year.. but it may not involve Australia, and I think that’s sad.”

When asked if that was due to a lack of willingness from the Australians to organise it, Sinfield said: “Yes. And it’s tough because we would all love to see an England or Great Britain-related Ashes series against the Australians.

“We all want it here, and over this next block going into the 2021 World Cup, how many times will we play Australia? At the moment.. probably not enough. Your top nations need to keep playing against each other but sadly at this moment in time, I’m not quite sure that will happen. We will try and create the best experience and opportunity for our players through this next block to ensure we’re ready for 2021, though.”

With a Great Britain tour of New Zealand now the most likely option next year, Sinfield also admits there is no guarantee the men’s senior side will play a home international in 2019

 

[hutch]

I actually think a large part is crowds are down while tv ratings are up for all games with the exception of Origin and the Grand Final. Unfortunately fans just don’t seem to being going to games as much as they used to with the excellent coverage u can get on tv.

While the World Cup crowds were very disappointing the tv ratings were excellent so I believe people will still care and watch on tv but crowds will be low

Plus we have the usual poor marketing and organisation with the Kangaroos which I guess dosent help.

Crowds rose this year, they aren’t down.

 

[King hit]

It’d be worth gibbing Sydney a final chance to get behind the kangaroos and play a game at wss. If they can’t sell it out then that should be it and tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth only.

No tests in the city that brought the game to the country. Nice logic there.

 

[hutch]

I'd f**k off half the NRL season, international footy, the whole of super league and anything else before doing that. Origin is the pinnacle of Rugby League.

It really isn’t though. It doesn’t even involve the best players. It is still the most hyped up games of the year and arguably the most physical but the sport is bigger than two states of Australia.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I'd only change Australia v NZ, have it in Australia, we haven't had any games since the World Cup. Plus don't think the Euro Cup can go ahead as 2 teams will be playing in the WC Qualifiers. Both England and Australia should be playing matches against European sides.

Good point re: the Euro Cup, I think they are actually scheduled every two years for that reason from now on avoiding the WC year and the qualifying year.

Aus v NZ - I'd be ok with in Australia as NZ will most likely host the Pacific Cup if the above plan was implemented.

 

[Springs09]

It’d be worth gibbing Sydney a final chance to get behind the kangaroos and play a game at wss. If they can’t sell it out then that should be it and tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth only.

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.

Crowds rose this year, they aren’t down.

Crowds overall are down compared to the last decade.

Yeah about that, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck winning best player in 2018 made me think maybe the award process is wrong. He might have been the best in his team but not the best I the league

There's been much better examples than RTS why the Dally Ms are flawed. A good player in a poor team gets a lot more attention than good players in good teams. Hence why Pearce and Brooks get so many votes yet no Roosters players in the top 10. It's also the most votes Pearce has ever got when it clearly was not his best season, considering he was injured for half of it.