Official RLWC2017 Draw

[Last Week]

The RLWC website draw says Allocation of QF games to host cities will occur after the Pool games.

NRL.com has them allocated.

Amateur hour again

I actually like that but not they way they've done it. The Cricket World Cup had it so that Australia and NZ would play at certain stadiums for their quarter and semi finals should they make it. The only deviation to that is if they played against each other in which the higher ranked nation in the pool stage would host.

They honestly should have just come out and said that.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I think you would be surprised. Lebananese community will be in full swing.

Yeah I agree with playing the Aus/Lebanon game in Sydney. Surely they'll get a decent crowd for that.

 

[Pommy]

I saw somewhere that said Australia's Q/F game will DEFINITELY be in Darwin !!!!! RIDICULOUS if true !!!!!

http://www.rlwc2017.com/draw/

according to this and looking at the groups its very likely the winner of England vs Kangaroos will play their 1/4 in Darwin.

 

[Last Week]

Man they've f**ked up the draw release something shocking. The RLIF site has the winners of the Darwin and Melbourne quarter finals playing off. But the RLWC Facebook page has the winners of the Darwin and Christchurch quarters playing off.

What the f**k?

Just scrap what you've done and do it again. Please.

 

[Jim from Oz]

International Rugby League, I love you more than anything but you make it so hard!

Totally !!!!

 

[Jim from Oz]

AAMI over Etihad is massively disappointing. Thats terrible. I honestly think they could have sold Etihad out for Australia vs England. The Victorians love an event and the Pommies would come to Melbourne for this game. If they could make any game between this and the Semis, this would be it. Incredibly sad.

In 2008 they got 36,000+ for Oz v England at Etihad, yet for 2017 they go for a 30,000 seat stadium for the "blockbuster" Oz v England opener. Unbelievable !

 

[Last Week]

France vs Lebanon will determine which of the two will go to the knock outs. That's an important match. I don't want to knock the French too much, but there's f**k all in Australia compared to the Lebanese community. Put that game at Penrith, Belmore or Kogarah ffs. Parra would be ideal but it won't be there.

The Darwin semi should be in Perth. 6pm on a Saturday night. Australia will likely host Samoa, Tonga or Scotland.

England vs France I think would be better served in Canberra or possibly the Central Coast. Both countries previous game will be in Sydney and Canberra respectively so less travel for fans (yes, English fans).

Every game in pool B should be in NZ. What is the point of making Scotland vs Tonga and Scotland vs Samoa play in Cairns? Scotland have to go from Cairns to Christchurch to be eaten by NZ and back to Cairns. Why?

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Yeah there was talk of an MCG game. I would've liked to see that happen but unfortunately fear of low crowd, which I doubt would've been that bad anyway. Eithad would've been better, however they probably prefer all games to be played at rectangular stadiums. If we're going to have a good opener, play it in front a good crowd of around 40,000-50,000 or more.

 

[Jim from Oz]

The "blockbuster" opener at a 30,000 seat ground is an embarrassment , ditto a Q/F involving Oz in Darwin !!!

 

[adamkungl]

France vs Lebanon will determine which of the two will go to the knock outs. That's an important match. I don't want to knock the French too much, but there's f**k all in Australia compared to the Lebanese community. Put that game at Penrith, Belmore or Kogarah ffs. Parra would be ideal but it won't be there.

The Darwin semi should be in Perth. 6pm on a Saturday night. Australia will likely host Samoa, Tonga or Scotland.

England vs France I think would be better served in Canberra or possibly the Central Coast. Both countries previous game will be in Sydney and Canberra respectively so less travel for fans (yes, English fans).

Every game in pool B should be in NZ. What is the point of making Scotland vs Tonga and Scotland vs Samoa play in Cairns? Scotland have to go from Cairns to Christchurch to be eaten by NZ and back to Cairns. Why?

The whole thing is very odd. QLD government must have paid up big time to get 6 games up north - trying to give a tourism boost to the reef after a lot of bad publicity?

It appears that chasing government money was more important to the tournament organisers than fairness, common sense, or prestige.

 

[azza29]

AAMI Park is a better choice for the opener. Sure they might have had 45k at Etihad but:
- smaller stadium basically guarantees a sellout
- 75% of seats at Etihad are terrible viewing for rectangular sports

Darwin seems like an odd pick for a final though, would have thought Sydney, or at least Perth, might have had a look-in there.

 

[Last Week]

I personally would have Fiji host 2 of their pool games. PNG too only hosting 2 of their games. When they have their cross over game, they should play each other in Townsville.

The NZ semi final should be in Wellington or Christchurch. That match will be against Australia or England and will draw. The NZ Quarter Final should be at Mt Smart. That's our best chance of maximising the crowd for against a minow.

 

[Last Week]

AAMI Park is a better choice for the opener. Sure they might have had 45k at Etihad but:
- smaller stadium basically guarantees a sellout
- 75% of seats at Etihad are terrible viewing for rectangular sports

Darwin seems like an odd pick for a final though, would have thought Sydney, or at least Perth, might have had a look-in there.

It would sell out at Etihad. The opening of a World Cup, Victorians see shiney bright new thing, Barmy Army, it'd be fantastic.

 

[Last Week]

The whole thing is very odd. QLD government must have paid up big time to get 6 games up north - trying to give a tourism boost to the reef after a lot of bad publicity?

It appears that chasing government money was more important to the tournament organisers than fairness, common sense, or prestige.

I don't mind that too much. And I think the fact that Qld have a large allocation of matches compared to NSW. If the NSW government competeted for matches. It'd be a more even allocation and more cash.

 

[Last Week]

This is the correct draw with correct brackets. I'll do my own in the next hour with the changes I'd have liked to have seen.

 

[DB]

Great draw. Up there with my favs, though it's very hard to beat the 2003 Rugby World Cup draw - That was top shelf.

 

[paulmac]

The whole thing is very odd. QLD government must have paid up big time to get 6 games up north - trying to give a tourism boost to the reef after a lot of bad publicity?

It appears that chasing government money was more important to the tournament organisers than fairness, common sense, or prestige.

Worst thing is it is gonna work on me.I live on the Gold Coast (no games by the way) but I'm already doing the logistics of a Moresby/Cairns weekend away.Draw is all over the shop.
90% of the RL media is based in Sydney and we are ignoring that market,which means those journos will in all likelihood ignore the tournament.There should have been at least one match every week in Sydney until the final.

 

[Valheru]

The NT government must have made some type of property deal with whoever organised this thing, I can't think of any sane reason to have any RLWC up there, let alone a Quarter Final.

SFS should have hosted the opener and a SF with Canberra or Newcastle hosting the Darwin QF.

Amateur hour again.

 

[gyallop]

Reads like PNG will be based at home, Samoa Tonga and NZ in NZ USA and Fiji in Townsville France in Canberra Scotland in Cairns , the European mystery teams in PNG or Nth Qld England in Melbourne and Lebanon in Sydney and Australian where they want so long as its 6 star!!

 

[moffla]

Small stadiums aren't necessarily a bad thing. Australia hosted an Asian cup and held the opener at AAMI which was a roaring success. 30,000 packed into a small stadium makes the sport look 10x more attractive for television views and that's what the game needs. IMO

Doesn't explain a potential Aus quarter final in Darwin though.