Nigel Wiskar, editor of the Mirror newspaper in the UK returns serve in his blog...
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/petero-piles-in-bosc-panto-2825128
1) SO, whose word are we going to take on whether this World Cup has been a success or failure?
The bloke acknowledged as the greatest coach of all time and the man who helped New Zealand win it last time around.
Or a bloke on his sofa in Sydney whose Twitter profile has 'no dickhead policy' beneath him. In capital letters so you understand it.
In the one corner is former Kangaroos supremo Wayne Bennett (more from him later) and in the other Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield, executive sports editor at Sydney's Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph.
Rothfield has narked many this week in a column which said the World Cup is 'rubbish' and a 'debacle' with 'meaningless floggings'.
His solution is to have the competition played over three weeks including only Australia, New Zealand, England and one qualifying team.
All this load of old cobblers would be fine if Rothfield was over here taking it in. He's not.
Because once you go to a game at this World Cup, any cynicism quickly evaporates.
The best bits of the competition so far have not involved any of the big three.
Watching USA star Joseph Paulo beaming with delight with tiny groups of fans long after the final whistle after victory over Wales.
Seeing a Samoan beast weeping on an exercise bike pitchside as he realised his team were on the way out.
Being up close as Sonny Bill Williams greeted supporters, a messiah meeting his masses.
You have to be there.
New fans have turned up in Bristol and in Ireland. More will see rugby league live for the first time at Wembley tomorrow - 120 of them from my own club Sussex Merlins in Brighton.
Should we just kill all this as some bloke in Sydney perpetuates the blinkered approach to the international game fostered by many Down Under? Of course not.
Rothfield appears to be a fan of football in Sydney (or soccer as they curiously call it) where Allesandro del Pierro is the top draw. Allesandro del Pierro is 39.
Well let's limit that round ball World Cup to just the top four as realistically anyone outside of that can't win it.
In fact let's limit it to just the top 56 teams in the world.
That means Australia won't compete as they are 57th in the latest FIFA rankings. Why bother, Socceroos?
Not long after Rothfield had his say, Bennett chipped in with his thoughts.
"One of the reasons I took on the New Zealand job was because everyone was talking down the World Cup and in my opinion this one has been better," he said.
"It is not a waste of time for the people of Fiji and everyone else who benefitted out of this. The United States. France. Italy. And that's what the World Cup is about, it is a bit bigger than the NRL, and we need to realise that.
"Everyone that was complaining about the 5000 people who turned up for Australia's game against Ireland should realise that crowd was the biggest rugby league crowd ever in Ireland.
"Biggest ever. That's a good thing for the game."
There's plenty more good stuff here and Bennett finishes by asking: "Why do we always have to bag ourselves?"
I have a suggestion to Phil Rothfield next time he wants to talk down the concept of a World Cup.
Take your views to Papua New Guinea, Phil. Stand on a soapbox in Port Moresby or Goroka and tell the locals we don't want PNG involved in any meaningful, international competition.
If there's anything left of you, I'll take you to a World Cup game one day and buy you a pint.
I got off my arse five years ago to watch the last World Cup for a whirlwind 10 days Down Under as a fan, cramming in as many games as possible.
You should try it next time around, Phil.
2) PETERO Civoniceva understands the importance of the competition too. The Fijian colossus said this week: "People are waking up early and kids aren't going to school because they want to watch the Bati play. It is amazing, we are on the cusp of taking rugby league in Fiji to another level. I know this tournament in some circles has been criticised because of lopsided scores but I wish the people writing those stories would go to Fiji and ask people there what the World Cup means to them. They would get a totally different perspective on what this competition has done for the game and what it will do in terms of the game's growth in Fiji."
Another giant of the game urinating over Phil Rothfield there then. From a great height too. Said hello at a do last night (see number 11) but he didn't fancy a shirt swap.
