There will no Tests this year right?

[adamkungl]

Talk of Origin being played post-season will put an end to them unfortunately.
A real pity, the Kangaroos series would have been something special.

 

[blue bags]

Unless things look better by the end of the year and they are done as fundraisers

thats right , fund raising will be the focus, i am not giving up hope on tests series yet

 

[Pommy]

Talk of Origin being played post-season will put an end to them unfortunately.
A real pity, the Kangaroos series would have been something special.

If there’s no vaccine available we could have a situation where the UK is going back in to flu season and they may still have restrictions in place.

 

[deluded pom?]

Get Tonga over if the Aussies don't want to come.

 

[Welsh RL & RU watcher]

why is that the right thing to do? So the RFL get no money from the TV deal? I find that very hard to believe.
The right thing to do is make sure the clubs are financially viable going forward, that means playing games international games are a luxury at this point.

SL have broken away from the RFL, RFL don't get the money from Sky. It's quite important for the sport in England for the Ashes to go ahead, the club players can take a pay cut, and the clubs get some grant from the government hopefully. But without the Ashes, the RFL will lose out on quite a bit of money this year, obviously. And it's the RFL who help organise and pay fro referee education, coach education and a lot of junior development.

 

[blue bags]

Get Tonga over if the Aussies don't want to come.

the tonga islands could be smashed by corolla virus, maybe all pacific islands, this bug could set everything back a year or 2

 

[Pommy]

SL have broken away from the RFL, RFL don't get the money from Sky. It's quite important for the sport in England for the Ashes to go ahead, the club players can take a pay cut, and the clubs get some grant from the government hopefully. But without the Ashes, the RFL will lose out on quite a bit of money this year, obviously. And it's the RFL who help organise and pay fro referee education, coach education and a lot of junior development.

the EPL broke away from the FA the FA still get money from sky.

 

[Welsh RL & RU watcher]

the EPL broke away from the FA the FA still get money from sky.

For what? The PL? You sure? EFL possibly. But the money Sky pays for the EPL goes to the players and clubs.

 

[Pommy]

For what? The PL? You sure? EFL possibly. But the money Sky pays for the EPL goes to the players and clubs.

yeh of course the FA provides refs just as the RFL does. They’re not doing it from the good of their hearts. Clearly the majority stays in the leagues but everyone’s getting their share also.
Who do you think is paying the RFL salaries? The only real source of money in the sport is SKY.

 

[langpark]

What a shame that these matches should be first on the chopping block, they should be the highest priority! It is March, the NRL season hasn't even been altered (yet) and there is already talk of cancelling matches that are scheduled for November!

 

[Welsh RL & RU watcher]

yeh of course the FA provides refs just as the RFL does. They’re not doing it from the good of their hearts. Clearly the majority stays in the leagues but everyone’s getting their share also.
Who do you think is paying the RFL salaries? The only real source of money in the sport is SKY.

No it's not. The RFL get government funding. TV money for England matches. And some revenue from ticket sales for internationals.

 

[Pommy]

No it's not. The RFL get government funding. TV money for England matches. And some revenue from ticket sales for internationals.

they got £10.3m In broadcast revenue for 2018. I find it hard to believe that’s from challenge up and a few internationals.

 

[Welsh RL & RU watcher]

they got £10.3m In broadcast revenue for 2018. I find it hard to believe that’s from challenge up and a few internationals.

SL gained more independence from the RFL in 2019. It was SL who brought in Golden Point ET, Rob Elstone is the one talking to SKY regarding the next TV deal. Who does Elstone work for?

 

[Pommy]

SL gained more independence from the RFL in 2019. It was SL who brought in Golden Point ET, Rob Elstone is the one talking to SKY regarding the next TV deal. Who does Elstone work for?

none of this I’m disputing just that the RFL don’t get a cut.

 

[adamkungl]

Get Tonga over if the Aussies don't want to come.

If International RL goes ahead Tonga already have games lined up
Australia might join the Oceania Cup if travel to Europe is not feasible.

But tbh its likely that the NRL and Origin season just overtake November anyway

Best case calendar:
NRL plays all its rounds behind closed doors, or a slightly reduced season, and still finishes Oct 4.
Origin Oct 17, 24, 31 - overlapping the start of the proposed Kangaroo tour.
Australia COULD play in November, if there's an appetite for it among head office, and if they do they could either
- push back the tour by 2 weeks and play England 3 times starting Nov 14 (IF the travel is allowed - which it may not be)
- join the Oceania Cup and play NZ Tonga and Fiji closer to home.

Honestly, if we get this result, I'd be stoked.
I totally understand if Internationals are cancelled for the year given the current environment.
All I can really hope for is that they stick to the planned calendar and come at it with renewed enthusiasm from next year.
Give us the Oceania Cup and Kangaroo Ashes Tour in 2022.

 

[yakstorm]

So a few things which still makes the International season at the end of year possible:

• NRL Grand Final is at the SCG, SCG also one of the venues hosting the T20 World Cup, makes pushing back the Final difficult, especially if everything is a lot better by that time, the SCG won't be keen to put that event at risk.
• The NRL is still being played currently... If the season had been put on hold, it would have been zero chance, but the reality is the majority of the NRL's money still comes from Broadcast & Sponsorship, and whilst games are being played, they will still get their money.
• Australia and NZ arguably closing their borders completely has given both countries.a really good chance of getting this under control. With over 80% of infections coming from people who have been either overseas or directly interacting with those people, we could potentially see daily infection numbers start to plateau and drop in the coming weeks now.

Now as it stands only 1x Major Test has been cancelled, Fiji v PNG in June in Suva, so the others are still 'on' as it stands. Yes they can be cancelled, but at least until further notice, people are working to prepare for them.

IMO, unfortunately as we don't know what Europe will be like come October / November, Ashes Test is still high risk and I feel June might be just cancelled simply because it is 'too soon' and there are still too many unknowns.. I'd like to think that travel between Australia and NZ will be back well before then and provided Australia is under control, PNG / Fiji / Tonga / Samoa will all be open to resuming travel as well.

Anyway, think positive... 2020 has plenty more disappointments to dish up to get us down, no point us mentally adding to them.

 

[adamkungl]

So a few things which still makes the International season at the end of year possible:

• NRL Grand Final is at the SCG, SCG also one of the venues hosting the T20 World Cup, makes pushing back the Final difficult, especially if everything is a lot better by that time, the SCG won't be keen to put that event at risk.
• The NRL is still being played currently... If the season had been put on hold, it would have been zero chance, but the reality is the majority of the NRL's money still comes from Broadcast & Sponsorship, and whilst games are being played, they will still get their money.
• Australia and NZ arguably closing their borders completely has given both countries.a really good chance of getting this under control. With over 80% of infections coming from people who have been either overseas or directly interacting with those people, we could potentially see daily infection numbers start to plateau and drop in the coming weeks now.

Now as it stands only 1x Major Test has been cancelled, Fiji v PNG in June in Suva, so the others are still 'on' as it stands. Yes they can be cancelled, but at least until further notice, people are working to prepare for them.

IMO, unfortunately as we don't know what Europe will be like come October / November, Ashes Test is still high risk and I feel June might be just cancelled simply because it is 'too soon' and there are still too many unknowns.. I'd like to think that travel between Australia and NZ will be back well before then and provided Australia is under control, PNG / Fiji / Tonga / Samoa will all be open to resuming travel as well.

Anyway, think positive... 2020 has plenty more disappointments to dish up to get us down, no point us mentally adding to them.

I think Aus-NZ travel is a possibility by then
But the big IF is Origin. It needs to be played in front of crowds. Hard to see that happening in June. Origin is likely to dominate the post season.

 

[TheFrog]

NRL Grand Final is at the SCG

Surely the ANZ demolition won't go ahead. Or else they'll have to play it in Brisbane if there's a clash. To be honest, I doubt the (very powerful and insanely wealthy) ICC are at all impressed with the likelihood of both major Australian winter codes extending their season into October-November to clash with their event.

 

[Pommy]

Surely the ANZ demolition won't go ahead. Or else they'll have to play it in Brisbane if there's a clash. To be honest, I doubt the (very powerful and insanely wealthy) ICC are at all impressed with the likelihood of both major Australian winter codes extending their season into October-November to clash with their event.

If the NRL and AFL are clinging to dear life it seems unlikely they will give a stuff what the ICC thinks.
Why wouldn’t the demolish ANZ? If they’re trying to get money and jobs in to the economy infrastructure is a good way to do it.

 

[TheFrog]

If the NRL and AFL are clinging to dear life it seems unlikely they will give a stuff what the ICC thinks.
Why wouldn’t the demolish ANZ? If they’re trying to get money and jobs in to the economy infrastructure is a good way to do it.

Too much money in not enough hands, to quote a Paul Weller song.