Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent - Lomax case settled

[Wb1234]

WTF do they do with the supposed millions they make from WC`s. If they really care they`d spend some of that.
I`m getting the strong sense that world union are abandoning Oz, NZ and the Pacific to League,
if they can`t look after themselves.

Union internationals are used to prop up the club game and even then it’s not enough money

Their whole game is built on bad foundations and is not sustainable at the current wage level they pay

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

So true WB, look, what happens if another pandemic hits or very real ww3 starts, no international travel and so on. Bleak, although during those times, sport of all games sees a lift in their domestic game. RU relies on the International game, it's only real decent club comp is in France, if shtf, will those rich owners stick around?

 

[Gobsmacked]

WTF do they do with the supposed millions they make from WC`s. If they really care they`d spend some of that.
I`m getting the strong sense that world union are abandoning Oz, NZ and the Pacific to League,
if they can`t look after themselves.

They can't compete with NRL.
I've spoken to Tongan expats and Samoan expats, they will tell you in the last 10 years, it's gone from Union to League.
The Union in the Pacific are trying desperately to remain as the " national" sport and boast about being the national sport.. while they go cap in hand crying poor to government.

Union have had the high ground since there was such a thing as Rugby, government around the world and institutions like school and cooperations have given them everything. Yet after over a hundred years of advantage, they're still loosing.

You can't hide this corruption and blaten favouritism in 2026 , all that's left is the raw product and in Unions case, it's rubbish built on theft and lies.

 

[taste2taste]

They can't compete with NRL.
I've spoken to Tongan expats and Samoan expats, they will tell you in the last 10 years, it's gone from Union to League.
The Union in the Pacific are trying desperately to remain as the " national" sport and boast about being the national sport.. while they go cap in hand crying poor to government.

Union have had the high ground since there was such a thing as Rugby, government around the world and institutions like school and cooperations have given them everything. Yet after over a hundred years of advantage, they're still loosing.

You can't hide this corruption and blaten favouritism in 2026 , all that's left is the raw product and in Unions case, it's rubbish built on theft and lies.

The article ends by saying they are curently in negotiations to recieve 150mil from the government for Union in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

They might still end up getting some cash to fight off this 'league threat'

 

[taste2taste]

Manly have extended Koula until the end of 2031

He's constantly been on Unions 'hit list' having stared at schoolboys level but this new contract should put that to bed.

 

[Gobsmacked]

The article ends by saying they are curently in negotiations to recieve 150mil from the government for Union in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

They might still end up getting some cash to fight off this 'league threat'

I was under the impression that they always received funding, that doesn't surprise me at all.
Fiji have their own SR team and I think a lot of funding is what keeps that viable.

 

[Foreign Legion]

The annual Tonga V Samoa league game is on origin level now... Have you seen the video photoage when Samoa made the World Cup final in Samoa

 

[Wb1234]

The annual Tonga V Samoa league game is on origin level now... Have you seen the video photoage when Samoa made the World Cup final in Samoa

They were were using photos of the Tongan league side to promote union games lol

If arl had brains they would make this a 3 match series

 

[Gobsmacked]

They were were using photos of the Tongan league side to promote union games lol

If arl had brains they would make this a 3 match series

I think we're heading towards a 4 year cycle with internationals and would look something like:
Year 1:
Comp 1 Samoa vs Tonga 3 game series
Comp 2 AUSTRALIA, NZ , England tri series
Comp 3 Fiji, PNG , cook islands
Comp 4 France, Wales, Ireland

Winner of comp 1 plays the winner of comp 2

Winner of comp 3 plays the winner of comp 4

Year 2: comp 2 switches hemispheres along with the cross over final
Final between comp 3 and 4 also switches as well for a curtain raiser as curtain raiser.

Year 3 : 5 nations: Australia,NZ, England, Samoa, Tonga
6 nations: PNG,cooks, Fiji, France, Wales, Ireland

Year 4: World cup

That's what I think would be ideal.

 

[taste2taste]

I think we're heading towards a 4 year cycle with internationals and would look something like:
Year 1:
Comp 1 Samoa vs Tonga 3 game series
Comp 2 AUSTRALIA, NZ , England tri series
Comp 3 Fiji, PNG , cook islands
Comp 4 France, Wales, Ireland

Winner of comp 1 plays the winner of comp 2

Winner of comp 3 plays the winner of comp 4

Year 2: comp 2 switches hemispheres along with the cross over final
Final between comp 3 and 4 also switches as well for a curtain raiser as curtain raiser.

Year 3 : 5 nations: Australia,NZ, England, Samoa, Tonga
6 nations: PNG,cooks, Fiji, France, Wales, Ireland

Year 4: World cup

That's what I think would be ideal.

Bring back the Anzac Test...and play it on Anzac Day.

Suncorp is free.

 

[Wb1234]

I think we're heading towards a 4 year cycle with internationals and would look something like:
Year 1:
Comp 1 Samoa vs Tonga 3 game series
Comp 2 AUSTRALIA, NZ , England tri series
Comp 3 Fiji, PNG , cook islands
Comp 4 France, Wales, Ireland

Winner of comp 1 plays the winner of comp 2

Winner of comp 3 plays the winner of comp 4

Year 2: comp 2 switches hemispheres along with the cross over final
Final between comp 3 and 4 also switches as well for a curtain raiser as curtain raiser.

Year 3 : 5 nations: Australia,NZ, England, Samoa, Tonga
6 nations: PNG,cooks, Fiji, France, Wales, Ireland

Year 4: World cup

That's what I think would be ideal.

Midseason rep window with standalone origin games and no nrl for four weeks

 

[Wb1234]

Bring back the Anzac Test...and play it on Anzac Day.

Suncorp is free.

Nah devalues from Anzac club games which are bigger

 

[BuffaloRules]

Anzac Day is one of the biggest days in the NRL with multiple games and cities

people want to replace that with one game that will be played in NZ half the time leaving Australia with no games ?

Thats just crazy talk

 

[Maximus]

U have thousands of posts of hate and disdain for the game, fu.

Why, are you going to send me another of your anti-vaxxer cooker PMs telling me to kill myself?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Why dont you f**koff back to 4 corners where you belong you RL hating muppet.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Australian rugby/RA

It's not. That part shows his personal feelings. They couldn't give a shit either way about the sport being played specifically but the influence of Australia on the region geo politically. If that means League then so be it. The last part I posted is interesting and shows the program does...

www.greenandgoldrugby.com

Strewthcobber​

"$480m over 10 years is available under the grant program now. Only the ARL and NRL can apply for it.

https://www.grants.gov.au/Go/Show?GoUuid=19559d59-5df9-4f9b-a725-d7dd2835056f
The rest isn't announced publically yet.
But it appears a lot of it will be spent on getting men's and women's Tongan, Fijian and Samoan rugby league teams playing in Australian lower level leagues (ie paying for travel and living costs), and paying for Australian teams to travel to the islands

Things like this - Fiji's Silktails set to expand their involvement in NSW NRL by entering two more age group teams in 2027 - ABC Pacific https://share.google/Qi2BatB1YRQ6oHdZW"


Giulia
"NRL-ARLC can probably tell the bodies in these countries what's going to happen with the Australian government money and that's that in a way Rugby Australia couldn't because RA can't stray too far from World Rugby guidelines"

 

[taste2taste]

Anzac Day is one of the biggest days in the NRL with multiple games and cities

people want to replace that with one game that will be played in NZ half the time leaving Australia with no games ?

Thats just crazy talk

Why couldn't you have the club games as well as a test?

2pm Melbourne v ?? @ AAMI
4pm Roosters v Dragons @ Allaianz
730pm Aus v NZ @ Suncorp

The test match has the opportunity to be a real annual event. It would pull a tv audience 4 x bigger than the club games.

I see Union is trying to get an All Blacks v Wallabies game on Anzac Day, they'll probably beat us to it.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Why couldn't you have the club games as well as a test?

You might have something here … you should suggest this to the decision makers ..they might just prefer the status quo though

 

[taste2taste]

Midseason rep window with standalone origin games and no nrl for four weeks

Rep Windows won't work.

It will totally devalue Tonga v Samoa having them play without thier origin players.

Who would NZ play ? Fly England over to get belted 3-0 every year ? Who's going to watch that ?

And pausing the NRL season for a month is a bad idea.

 

[Wb1234]

Rep Windows won't work.

It will totally devalue Tonga v Samoa having them play without thier origin players.

Who would NZ play ? Fly England over to get belted 3-0 every year ? Who's going to watch that ?

And pausing the NRL season for a month is a bad idea.

Wednesday night men’s origin
Thursday night women’s origin
Friday night Samoa v Tonga
Saturday Fiji v png / under 19 origin
Sunday nz v England

If anything orign might lose the islander players and that’s not a bad thing either

Rest of the nrl gets a break for a month and comes back fresh and fans don’t have to watch nsw cup standard games masquerading as nrl games