Quad Nations - A good idea...??

[Coastbloke]

I've been having a think about the concept of Quad Nations and I'm getting less and less comfortable with it...

I'm thinking that the RLIF/RFL/ARL should be keeping and promoting the Tri Nations as a serious 'big event' tournament between the three best League Nations.

However.

When the TN is held in the Northern Hemisphere, the teams with the bye should have to play France in official Tests...

When the TN is held in the Southern Hemisphere, the teams are required during a bye to play either PNG or a combined Pacific team in an official Test.

I also believe that from a marketing point of view, a Tri Nations is a better sell than a Quad Nations.....

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Yeah, I prefer the idea of having France in the 3N when it's hosted in the northern hemisphere and a combined Pacific Islanders/PNG team when it's hosted in the southern hemisphere. It'll give it some variety without turning it into a mini world cup.

 

[screeny]

No way, Quad Nations is the way forward.

Same number of games but over four weeks, not seven. Less strain on players, less cash for the RLIF to spend, a new, rich market to plunder, in France.

 

[JK]

France has to be brought to a reasonable level of play and you can't do that without quality games and investment.

If England can develop the same rivalry with France that we have with NZ then international league can take off.

Imagine how good it will be when France first beats England. Can't wait!

 

[Sanchez]

has to be done to keep international league on the up and up

 

[langpark]

No way, Quad Nations is the way forward.

Same number of games but over four weeks, not seven. Less strain on players, less cash for the RLIF to spend, a new, rich market to plunder, in France.

Exactly, we'd be crazy to shun France. We get more games over a shorter period of time, so the players and spectators both win. It also offers great symmetry, so whichever hemisphere it's in it can be co-hosted by two nations that are close to each other.

And finally, France will have just come out of a World Cup campaign (where i envisiage they make the top 4) and will hopefully have two professional clubs by then, this momentum has to be built on, and the timing couldn't be more perfect - Throw them a big event like this while the public are paying attention, the French have a great fighting spirit and they will NOT be victims of blowout scorelines. I could give a million more reasons but that's it in a nutshell

 

[mtngry]

I say 5 Nations.. get PNG involved too.
Play thier games in smaller centres...
E.g. England plays PNG in PNG>
Aus Play PNG in Mt Isa or Dubbo.

 

[ali]

It looks good to me. I think if we offer France this great opportunity, they could develop faster than any of our other nations. Firstly, good young league players are less likely to leave for the dark side. Secondly, fringe union players may switch our way to get a chance at playing international footy.

I don't imagine they will win a game in 09, or even 2011. But I reckon they will become far stronger if given this opportunity.

 

[Kurt Angle]

4 nations can be an absolutely excellnt vehicle to proel international RL...

at the moment we now have a 7 week window for international RL at the end of the season.

a 4 nations reduces this to a 4 week window and there is n o byes... what we can do to propel next tier nations is every one of the 4 nations must play a warm up round.. and this would depend on the hemisphere it is held in.

So a NH 4 nations.

Warm up round

Friday Night
Australia vs Russia - Moscow

Saturday Afternoon
England vs Ireland - Dublin

Saturday Night
NZ vs Wales - Cardiff/Swansea

Sunday Afternoon
France vs Lebanon - Toulouse/Beirut

Then the 3 prelim round + final.

Then SH 4 nations

Warm up round would be

Australia vs Tonga
France vs PNG
England vs Fiji
NZ vs Samoa

That means in a two year cycle, we have 12 international teams playing, and gauging their ability.

marketed as a warm up round, no one cares about blow out scores, but has 4 successive TV fodder games and gets people in the mood

A completely untapped advantage RL now has is that all the seasons are synchronised to be roughly march-october for the club game, with an international window afterwards.. we should press it harder.

 

[ali]

I'd still prefer a mid season window for international footy. That way, both major comps can start and finish whenever they please. At the moment they can't agree on a sychronised finish date for the NRL and super league, and it's to the detriment of NZ and GB's international chances.

Furthermore, I think we'd get better press in Sydney for mid season internationals and better weather in GB. Also, the weather extremes would be less, so Aussie and Kiwi teams would find playing in Europe easier, and GB and France would not be put off by the heat down here in November.

 

[Kurt Angle]

That's because those running the game in GB are too lazy/stupid to market themselves better, and need 26/27 games of gate takings.

The fact we have mid-season games means we have to fly peole half way around the world.. so it's a pain in the arse.. unless a France vs England game is played on the same weekend as ANZAC.. then we can stop all RL, but otherwise it causes too many problems to be considered a long term option IMO.

Also we're not going to interupt the season and put them on pause to fly guys around the world as in your second paragraph.

We just need to re-create the entire culture of the game and make everyone aware the RL season now last long to include october/november.

 

[colonel_123]

I'd still prefer a mid season window for international footy. That way, both major comps can start and finish whenever they please. At the moment they can't agree on a sychronised finish date for the NRL and super league, and it's to the detriment of NZ and GB's international chances.

Furthermore, I think we'd get better press in Sydney for mid season internationals and better weather in GB. Also, the weather extremes would be less, so Aussie and Kiwi teams would find playing in Europe easier, and GB and France would not be put off by the heat down here in November.

I really can't see the NRL and Superleague series being put on hold for 5 or 6 weeks for an international series. Not in the short to very medium term.

I think the best move is to push for the NRL and Superleague to synchronise their tournaments so there's a permanent window for international matches.

It may not be ideal in terms of player availability but I think it's the most realistic scenario at this stage.

 

[Jeffles]

If France is always treated as the "bye" fixture during a Tri-Nations, the possibility will exist for them to play weakened sides in matches the players will not take seriously or worse still, they will not play them at all. Hardly good for their development.

The inclusion of France in the 4 Nations will do good things for RL in that country as its best players will be playing regular serious fixtures against the best sides.

Now for a series of dedicated rep weekends so that more fixtures can be arranged.

 

[screeny]

If France is always treated as the "bye" fixture during a Tri-Nations, the possibility will exist for them to play weakened sides in matches the players will not take seriously or worse still, they will not play them at all. Hardly good for their development.

The inclusion of France in the 4 Nations will do good things for RL in that country as its best players will be playing regular serious fixtures against the best sides.

Now for a series of dedicated rep weekends so that more fixtures can be arranged.

Exactly...time stands still for no man and we're all getting old here. Bit the bullet and stick France into the top tier come what may.

They will be crushed but they will improve drastically. I wonder how serious Lewis et al are about including Toulouse in 2009?

 

[langpark]

I think they're still keen on it, I think we'll know for certain by next year. (They'd be crazy not to, and i hope Toulouse put in a strong proposal)

I think PNG could be a possibility a few years after we've had 4 Nations and tried to consolidate that, but having an even number of teams, like 4 or 6 is ideal

 

[Quidgybo]

Now for a series of dedicated rep weekends so that more fixtures can be arranged.

Definitely. IMHO there should be four agreed rep weeks during which national bodies can select as many players as they wish from club competitions to compete in rep games under their auspices. But this also highlights the problem with playing the Tri-Nations mid season. If we had four mid season rep weeks where clubs were obliged to release players then undoubtably in Australia those weeks would be used for the three Origin matches and the Anzac test. There's no way the clubs would agree to a system where Origin was on top of releasing their players to any and all rep selection (eg. Fiji vs PNG). Given that, if you still wanted to play the Tri-Nations mid-year then really you're looking for another four to seven rep weeks on top of that - ie. 8-11 weeks mid season. Four weeks spread through the season is possible, 8-11 weeks or a block of a month without premiership matches just isn't realistic. It'd bring the mommentum of the premiership to a grinding halt and leave rival codes with a free kick.

Leigh.