Rugby league must evolve for the international game to progress

[POPEYE]

League already has evolved . . . unfortunately only in Australia and NZ. The only two countries where the game is taken seriously nationally.

Like the NRL, the only way to make all teams equal is to make all teams mediocre.

The only way to have a competive national competition is for all countries to send their best players to where the game is played at it's best . . . Australia.

Fill up another half dozen teams with imports mixed with the locals and when they're all battle hardened send them back to be hopefully competitive as internationals.

It's the only reason NZ can compete and everything else is pie in the sky

 

[miguel de cervantes]

League already has evolved . . . unfortunately only in Australia and NZ. The only two countries where the game is taken seriously nationally.

Like the NRL, the only way to make all teams equal is to make all teams mediocre.

The only way to have a competive national competition is for all countries to send their best players to where the game is played at it's best . . . Australia.

Fill up another half dozen teams with imports mixed with the locals and when they're all battle hardened send them back to be hopefully competitive as internationals.

It's the only reason NZ can compete and everything else is pie in the sky

You are being a bit harsh against England and the ESL but otherwise you seem to understand the crux of the problem.

Suggestions to restructure the world cup fixtures into pools etc. will do nothing to improve the level of emerging nations. These nations will improve organically as a rugby league culture develops and players "learn" to play, but this is where it will stop - at about reserve grade level at best. There is potential for professional leagues in the USA and possibly eastern Europe but they have to catch up with the big 2 leagues that have been around for 100+ years.

 

[roughyedspud]

is it taken seriously in NZ though??


NZ development and progress owes itself more to what happens in sydney than what happens in NZ imo

 

[bender]

I'm praying that this is a joke or sarcastic post, but if that's the case then I can't understand why you've included the first two in there?

i changed theme mid ost:lol::crazy:

 

[Perth Red]

The only two countries where the game is taken seriously nationally.

:crazy:

 

[RedVee]

You are being a bit harsh against England and the ESL but otherwise you seem to understand the crux of the problem.

Suggestions to restructure the world cup fixtures into pools etc. will do nothing to improve the level of emerging nations. These nations will improve organically as a rugby league culture develops and players "learn" to play, but this is where it will stop - at about reserve grade level at best. There is potential for professional leagues in the USA and possibly eastern Europe but they have to catch up with the big 2 leagues that have been around for 100+ years.

then you get the criticism of 'stacking' the Intl teams with Aussies.

If there were enough Tests scheduled for the minor nations more heritage players would possibly sign up (which isnt quite what you are proposing) but would also have the effect of weakening Aust at the same time as improving the test team (at least) of the minor nation.
Which is almost where we were going with the virtual partitioning of WC tournaments from normal qualification rules.

 

[WAPAU]

I think the main thing holding league back is that the game has been morphed for tv to the point that it is not something that the average punter can easily get involved in any more.

I think league would be almost perfect if they bought back contested scrums, and scraped interchanges in favour of substitutions. I want to see big blokes running over little blokes for the first 20 minutes before getting tired and then watching the little blokes start carving it up. Adds another dimension to a game that is so often criticized for being too one dimensional.

At the moment you have to be super fit to keep up in a game of league, and while that's great to point at and say hey we have the fittest athletes, its not so great for the bulk of supporters who are not super
fit.

If we can learn anything from soccer its that the way to get solid growth of the game is to get people regularly playing it at grass roots level. Its the blokes who are never going to be great players but just enjoy the game that form the backbone of the support base - and as such these are guys that need to be targeted in new markets.

International League seems to be all about setting up f**k-loads of websites, then stacking a national team with australian players with a bit of a tan, whose grandmothers-sister-once-f**ked-a-foreign-bloke and as such they now qualify for that country.

Change a couple of rules - make it worthwhile for the slightly larger and slightly smaller gentleman to play the game and I think you will see proper growth.

 

[NRLMad]

is it taken seriously in NZ though??


NZ development and progress owes itself more to what happens in sydney than what happens in NZ imo

I believe this years GF got watched by 700K in NZ (1 in 5/6?). After the SPARC review, they have expanded into schoools for the first time. They need a 2nd team. Once they do so, watch out Union (all the best players are going to be snapped up).

Whilst the NRL pillages NZ, Union continues to sleep. We'll eventually overtake their junior bases and start attracting their better players.

That's already starting to happen.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

If this is the best a hyped-up England can put up against Australia and they have by far the second best domestic competition in the world, what hope do any lower nations have of winning a world cup? Zero.

It just goes to show that other countries would need to develop a league of higher standard than the ESL to even to have a hope. Good luck with that.

 

[BODISGOD]

I believe this years GF got watched by 700K in NZ (1 in 5/6?). After the SPARC review, they have expanded into schoools for the first time. They need a 2nd team. Once they do so, watch out Union (all the best players are going to be snapped up).

Whilst the NRL pillages NZ, Union continues to sleep. We'll eventually overtake their junior bases and start attracting their better players.

That's already starting to happen.

Yes Rugby Union is clearly asleep in New Zealand.:roll:

The financial argument is logical one but upto a point. Yes the NRL will have more money than the NZRU to pay players but there is still the All Black carrot there. The NZRU is subsidising the NPC which could quite easily be furthers slimmed down or trimmed or ditched in order to keep players and pay youngsters whats required. The International dimension has kept Union alive just about in Australia and is only getting stronger. The new "Rugby Championship", replacing the Tri Nations will grow their revenue stream significantly. The biggest threat to the NZRU is South Africa finally carrying out their old threat to play the Northern Hemisphere season.

League needs to ditch names like the 4 Nations imo.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Yes Rugby Union is clearly asleep in New Zealand.:roll:

The financial argument is logical one but upto a point. Yes the NRL will have more money than the NZRU to pay players but there is still the All Black carrot there. The NZRU is subsidising the NPC which could quite easily be furthers slimmed down or trimmed or ditched in order to keep players and pay youngsters whats required. The International dimension has kept Union alive just about in Australia and is only getting stronger. The new "Rugby Championship", replacing the Tri Nations will grow their revenue stream significantly. The biggest threat to the NZRU is South Africa finally carrying out their old threat to play the Northern Hemisphere season.

League needs to ditch names like the 4 Nations imo.

Why, so union can use it?

f**k off troll, we'll use and play whatever teams we damn well like.

RL has been around for over 100 years now, get f**king used to it :roll:

 

[biggestbroncosfan]

League already has evolved . . . unfortunately only in Australia and NZ. The only two countries where the game is taken seriously nationally.

Like the NRL, the only way to make all teams equal is to make all teams mediocre.

The only way to have a competive national competition is for all countries to send their best players to where the game is played at it's best . . . Australia.

Fill up another half dozen teams with imports mixed with the locals and when they're all battle hardened send them back to be hopefully competitive as internationals.

It's the only reason NZ can compete and everything else is pie in the sky

basically you should just say rugby league is only taken seriously in Australia... NZ have just been lucky to get there wins over Australia, RL aint even played nationally in Australia let alone NZ. I do agree about bringing more of them to the NRL where they can learn off the best and bring those skills back to England.

 

[Brutus]

On a side note - English commentators love using the term - world claaaassss!

He's a world class forward, he's a world class referee, that's a world class kick.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Yep, everything is world class except the commentators.

 

[NRL-TGG]

If this is the best a hyped-up England can put up against Australia and they have by far the second best domestic competition in the world, what hope do any lower nations have of winning a world cup? Zero.

It just goes to show that other countries would need to develop a league of higher standard than the ESL to even to have a hope. Good luck with that.

England could of done a lot better, they left their worst performance to last. If they played like they did in that Wembley match in the final, with the amount that was going their (especially in the first half) way they should of won.

 

[BODISGOD]

Why, so union can use it?

f**k off troll, we'll use and play whatever teams we damn well like.

RL has been around for over 100 years now, get f**king used to it :roll:

:roll:

For what exactly? They've come up with a new name for their SH Championship.

I just think the calling it "X/Y/Z Nations" is poor branding. It was poor when there was the Tri Nations (conflict with Union one) and still remains as the Four Nations. Why call it that exactly? The reason there is a "6 Nations" in RU is because of the old old Home Nations Championship and it evolved from there to what it is today and is a really strong brand. When the tournament was created they clearly looked at the "Nations" tag to try play off it (as did Tri Nations down under){Actually just was reading there, didn't realise it was the Tri Series, wtf did they change it?}. If I say the Four Nations to someone they get confused. Lets try distinguish ourselves from the other code.

The Super League is a far stronger brand and far more distinguishable for example.

(for the record I would say the same with the English RFU ripping off the Premiership/Championship-obvious allusion to the soccer versions).