Thought this was a good interview tbh. The international schedule clearly comes off as a hodge podge last minute thing that makes little sense and whilst not everyone can articulate why it does filter through to the fans.
I agree with him about NZRL. I don’t know the ins and outs of who’s to blame but their brand has significantly diminished and they feel a bit left out right now. If Tonga and Samoa are able to get this series going and build it into something big whilst NZ are left in the dust that’s a huge failing.
There were a couple of things I do disagree with somewhat. Islanders or even Kiwis playing SOO doesn’t devalue the concept and makes a ton of sense. A lot of these players see themselves as from NSW and QLD but also identify strongly with their heritage. Having them play both for say QLD and Tonga is a good thing for both competitions.
The orca situation I don’t know much about but from the outside it doesn’t seem that different to what’s happening in Australia. There are a shitload of different bids some from the same area trying to get their foot in the door. Ultimately it’s up to the NRL to pick the best one but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad or embarrassing thing to have multiple bids.
