WC 2013 Format

[VonVolks]

Here is my suggestion for the next WC.

I think the super pool idea has been a basically sound idea, which allows competitive matches and is a realistic appraisal of our sides.

FORMAT:

SUPER POOL
Australia
England
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea

Pool 1 (example TBC by draw etc)
France
Ireland
Tonga

Pool 2 (example...)
Scotland
Lebanon
Samoa

Pool 3 (example...)
Fiji
Wales
Russia / Cook island (or other qualifier)


FORMAT: Super Pool Winner- straight to final

Super pool 2nd place ->1st semi v (winner pool 1 v winner pool 2)
Super pool 3rd place ->2nd semi v (Super pool 4 v winner pool 3)

This keeps the good games going and allows all super pool contestants a fair crack of the whip as well as expanding the tournament to allow 3 more teams in.

 

[Angry_eel]

should be 4 groups of 3 teams with two to progress and 1 to miss out from each for past the group stage. The superpool will obviously be just Australia, NZ and England. I don't see the point of putting PNG in this group.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

3 pools of 4 teams.

chuck PNG in there.

2 from the superpool progress.

Winner Pool B and Pool C play off, with loser to face 3rd Place superpool (q1) and winner to face 4th place (q2), for spots in the semis.

Winner of superpool vs winner q2
2nd superpool vs winner q1

those are the semis.

 

[roopy]

I think Samoa should be the fourth super pool side.

It might all change in 5 years, but right now they are the fourth best side on paper.

I also think for the future of the game we have to find a way to get USA and Russia into the next finals. We are cutting off our own noses by keeping them out of the cup for the next 9 years. If it means we must spend the majority of the development money in those countries, that is the way to go - although i'd prefer to go to 16 countries to get them in.

 

[VonVolks]

Another bonus of my setup is it could be marketed as the 13 of 13 in 13. (or something)

 

[mark2]

I had already posted this format a week ago on TotalRL.com

In a flash of inspiration today I come up with the perfect format for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup!!!(bold staement I know)

I think its fair to say that the Super Pool concept has been a success, as was a similiar format in the 1995 WC.
The perceived unfairness to PNG being the only real complaint.

So here goes

A Super Poll of 4 teams

3 groups of 3 teams

Using the current WC standings as an example

The winner of the Super Pool goes direct into the Semi`s

The 3 remaining teams play the winners of the 3 regular pool sides in the quater finals. Each team will receive a pre-tournamnet seeding so that the team finishing 2nd in the Super Pool will play the lowest ranking team in the quarters, 3rd place would play the next best etc.

So for illustration

Australia through to the Semi`s

England V Fiji
New Zealand V Scotland
PNG V Ireland making up the quarters

Semi`s then highest seed V lowest etc.

A World Cup in 2013 with 13 teams in what would be Rugby League 13th World Cup in a game played by 13 players!!

 

[bowes]

No Super pool please.

!2 teams, normal groups. Either 3 groups of 4 or 4 of 3, not really bothered which as long as it's a proper world cup

 

[roopy]

No Super pool please.

!2 teams, normal groups. Either 3 groups of 4 or 4 of 3, not really bothered which as long as it's a proper world cup

I can't understand how anyone can't like the superpool.
The only tiny objection to it i can see is that two sides should have to face sides from the other pools, but the super pool has delivered nearly every game as a competitive contest, and as many high profile games as possible.
Without the super pool, crowds are cut in half and this WC makes a loss.

In short - the WC is not viable without the super pool.

 

[VonVolks]

Mark I think your post inspired my idea.

My expansion on it came with the super pool winner going direct to the final with the remaining three manning the semis and one quarter final slot.

I agree with Roopy that criticism of the Super Pool is misguided. The WC has had very exciting matches and a successful pool stage. Why change that just so we can copy the FIFA World Cup format? What good does that do us?

Mark I just noticed from your post you say it would be the 13th world cup as well! Wow we could go 13 mental on the publicity then!

 

[Chook Norris]

superpool should remain

but maybe have the big three in there only?

i'd hate to see anyone else get flogged

 

[Gurdy]

I had already posted this format a week ago on TotalRL.com

In a flash of inspiration today I come up with the perfect format for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup!!!(bold staement I know)

I think its fair to say that the Super Pool concept has been a success, as was a similiar format in the 1995 WC.
The perceived unfairness to PNG being the only real complaint.

So here goes

A Super Poll of 4 teams

3 groups of 3 teams

Using the current WC standings as an example

The winner of the Super Pool goes direct into the Semi`s

The 3 remaining teams play the winners of the 3 regular pool sides in the quater finals. Each team will receive a pre-tournamnet seeding so that the team finishing 2nd in the Super Pool will play the lowest ranking team in the quarters, 3rd place would play the next best etc.

So for illustration

Australia through to the Semi`s

England V Fiji
New Zealand V Scotland
PNG V Ireland making up the quarters

Semi`s then highest seed V lowest etc.

A World Cup in 2013 with 13 teams in what would be Rugby League 13th World Cup in a game played by 13 players!!

This is by far the best format I have seen for the next World Cup.
-We have more teams
-Super Pool necessary to keep top 3 countries pool games competitive
-4th in super pool still has a chance to qualify for semi finals

Brillant!!!!!

 

[pcpp]

Here is my format.

Keeps the Super Pool format - even amount of teams in each pool so teams get an even amount of time before each match.

Pool A (Super Pool)

Australia, NZ, England, PNG (?)

1st - Direct entry into semi-final
2nd & 3rd - Entry into Qualifying Final

Pool B

Tonga, Samoa, Wales, Lebanon

1st & 2nd - Entry into Qualifying Final

Pool C

France, PNG, Ireland, Scotland

1st & 2nd - Entry into Qualifying Final

Qualifying Finals

QF1: 2nd Pool A v 2nd Pool B
QF2: 3rd Pool A v 2nd Pool C
QF3: 1st Pool B v 1st Pool C

Semi-Finals

SF1: 1st Pool A v Winner QF3
SF2: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2

Final: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

 

[Mr Manly]

if superpool remains and PNG is in it i dont think anyone would complain if they came out of the tunnel throwing spears at the opposition im pretty sure they wont give them the hardest ever draw again.

 

[Gurdy]

If you are going to have a super pool of 4 teams, you have to give the team that finishes 4th a chance at making the semis as per Mark2's draw. As they could be the 4th best team!

 

[pcpp]

I disagree.

Teams like PNG would have realistically nothing to play for in the first three games (except for pride) because they have little hope of winning enough games to get 1st place.

Any team that loses a game would probably have nothing to play for either.

And if you want to be really extreme, a team could forfeit all the matches and still make the next stage.

People are complaining about England making the semis right now after three lacklustre performances, a format where all the teams make the next stage would be a lot worse.

And PNG in my 'Super Pool' is just an example. The 4th best team doesn't have to be in the Super Pool.

 

[Big Picture]

I think Samoa should be the fourth super pool side.

It might all change in 5 years, but right now they are the fourth best side on paper.

I also think for the future of the game we have to find a way to get USA and Russia into the next finals. We are cutting off our own noses by keeping them out of the cup for the next 9 years. If it means we must spend the majority of the development money in those countries, that is the way to go - although i'd prefer to go to 16 countries to get them in.

The US and Russia both warrant being priorities, especially the US.

 

[IanG]

What was wrong with the format used back in 2000?

Where it was 16 teams, 4 groups of 4 and top 2 from each group go through to the Quarter Finals and it's knock out from there?

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

I can't stand the super pool format. If as a sport we are too petrified of having the top seeds play the lower seeds than we just shouldn't have a World Cup.

The format of the next WC will obviously depend on the number of teams that we will have competing. If we were to add Wales and Russia, giving us 12 teams, then I'd have 2 pools of 6 with the top 4 of each pool making it through to the quarter finals and so on.

Either that or 4 pools of 3 with the bottom side to miss out on the quarter finals.

Yes, we'd see some big scores but we must also take into account the improvements that these countries will make in their play over the next 5 years. I'd hope that the gap between Australia and the rest would be narrowed somewhat in that time.

 

[Glen from the Mount]

What was wrong with the format used back in 2000?

Where it was 16 teams, 4 groups of 4 and top 2 from each group go through to the Quarter Finals and it's knock out from there?

I totally agree. So what if there's a few lopsided games, at least it would be fair for all teams and the minnows would love to have a crack at Aust, Eng or NZ.

 

[roopy]

What was wrong with the format used back in 2000?

No one went.
We couldn't give away the TV rights to the minor games.
It lost money.
It took 8 years to get over it.