World Rankings........Who do you pick?

[carlnz]

1. Aussie
2. NZ
3. England
4. Lebanon
5. France
6. Wales
7. PNG
8. Ireland
9. Scotland
10. Tonga

What is your top ten??

 

[DIEHARD]

What about Russia?

 

[SP]

Id have:

1. Australia
2. England
2. NZ
4. France
5. Lebanon
6. Wales
7. Ireland
8. PNG
9. Russia
10. Scotland

 

[carlnz]

Russia are below the top 10, they are getting better though....France are hard to rank due to they never put there best side on the park...well they did last year against the Kiwis and they pushed them right to the end........but i think they are the team doing the most for International Rugby League with all the Internationals they are playing...

 

[In-goal]

Here is my top 10

Australia
Great Britian
New Zealand
France
P.N.G.
Lebanon
Tonga
Fiji
Russia
Your Guess

 

[carlnz]

how the hell do you rank Great Britain better than NZ???? GB couldnt even beat aussie where as NZ did!!!!!!!!!1

 

[yakstorm]

My 2003 Nation Rankings:

1. Australia (Undisputed World Champions)
2. New Zealand (Only team to beat Australia this year at senior level. Junior Kiwis also beat Junr Kangaroos)
3. England (Made up bulk of GB side and England A went very close to beating Australia)
4. PNG (PNG Presidents XIII beat Jnr Kangaroos)
5. France (Lost Med Cup, Lost Euro Nations Cup, looked good against Australia, won Victory Cup)
6. Scotland (Performed well in Euro nations cup)
7. Lebanon (Performed well in Med Cup)
8. Ireland (Have a strong young side coming through)
9. Wales (Showed big depth problems against Australia, performed alright in Euro Nations Cup)
10. Samoa (Did well against Auckland Maori and in their last tour of NZ)

 

[In-goal]

how the hell do you rank Great Britain better than NZ???? GB couldnt even beat aussie where as NZ did!!!!!!!!!1

I see were your coming from but i would think moving into next years tri nations on the back of England A GB will prove me right as to who is the No.2 nation

 

[carlnz]

dont be surprised if Aussie are knocked off the number one ranking in the end of 2005.....

 

[AuckMel]

I see were your coming from but i would think moving into next years tri nations on the back of England A GB will prove me right as to who is the No.2 nation

Yes, well, it's all very well sitting up there year after year as the Kiwis tour the UK relentlessly. I guess eventually you'll have to win a series or more than one game and claim to be the number two team.

Meanwhile, us people who live in the real world know only too well, that until you guys actually tour NZ and really put it all on the line, you'll always be number 3.

 

[AuckMel]

dont be surprised if Aussie are knocked off the number one ranking in the end of 2005.....

They already have been. Due to the insistence of the ARL to play one-off tests against New Zealand, they become number 1 by virtue of their victory in October. ;-)

 

[carlnz]

Hahahaha True that makes the Kiwis the number one ranked team in the world!!!!!

 

[In-goal]

I will say that i wish GB would tour the Southern Hemisphere

 

[screeny]

How anyone can rank France over Lebanon is beyond me. Don't forget that the lebanese had a lot of their best players missing this year as well. A full strength Lebanon includes Hassan Saleh, Bajouri, Mick Coorey, Elahmad, Samia and Robbie Farrah, none of whom played in the Med Cup.

We all know what happened whena full strength Lebanon played full strength France....36-6.

And don't give me any of this crap about Lebanon not being really Lebanese. Name me one sport's eligibility rules where the above mentioned players aren't eligible for Lebanon and then I'll listen.

Rankings also suffer with the NRL's refusal to release players for Pacific teams....and RL's total failure/inability to stage internationals for these island nations. If Tonga, Samoa, PNG and Fiji all played regularly (at least once a year) with their pro players they'd be challenging with Lebanon.

France would be relegated to the third tier of nations with the Home Nations.

Thus, it's difficult for accurate rankings to be soprted out, but given the current climate in int'l league, I'd have to say:

Australia
NZ
England
Lebanon
France
Wales
Ireland
Scotland
PNG
Russia
Morocco
USA
Serbia

The island teams just don't play internationals, that's a sad fact of our game at the moment. I wish to god they did.

 

[AdamH]

I don't know about everyone else but I think it's so great to see that Lebanon are doing so well. If El Masri and the like play for them they could become pretty strong.

 

[carlnz]

Yes but the only top team Lebanon has played was NZ and Wales in the 2000 world cup, they lost 60 nil to nz and 24-22 to wales. I would love to see them play NZ or England....Common RILF get off your ass and do some real work.....

 

[AdamH]

That's true but they've got to start somewhere.

 

[carlnz]

Dont get me wrong, i think they are the number 4 ranked side in the world.....Lets hope GB, AUSSIE and NZ all want to play warm up games before the tri nations. Aussie Vs PNG, NZ Vs Tonga/Lebanon and GB Vs France.

It is a win win situation, i know that if NZ does play in the tri Nations they are going to be looking to play warm up games before it..........commen sense would say play other countries...

 

[Jeffles]

What a difficult exercise. The only reasonable ratings you could suggest is a Top 3.

Without a regualr international schedule, all the other numbers we throw up would be speculation. Lebanon need to play away, France need to back themselves, PNG need the money for a full strength side, the Home Nations need to be full strength during the ENC, Pacific nations need regualr competition and most importantly, MORE INTERNATIONALS FOR EVERYONE.

 

[In-goal]

jeffles nail and head.

PNG need the money for a full strength side

would be interesting.