This will be the game of the round.

Lebanon has 6 NRL quality players: The spine of full back Reece Robinson, five eighth Mitchell Moses (Parramatta) half back Robert Farah (South Sydney), hooker Michael Lichaa (Canterbury) and two props Timothy Mannah (Parramatta) and Alexander Twal (Wests Tigers) are all top notch.

The rest of the team is 2nd division or worse.

France has a quality spine, though not as good as Lebanon's: full back Mark Kheirallah (Toulouse), Five eighth Theodore Fages (St Helens) Half back William Barthau (Toulouse) and hooker Eloi Pelissier (Leigh). France has a more consistent looking pack of forwards than Lebanon in Jason Baitieri (Catalans), Julien Bousquet (Catalans), Benjamin Garcia (Catalans), Antoni Maria (Toulouse), Benjamin Jullien (Warrington), Thibault Margalet (Catalans) Romaine Navarette (Wigan) but looks very weak in the outside backs, especially in the centres. Bastien Ader (Toulouse) will be one centre, and Benjamin Jullien will probably have to play in his secondary choice position in the centres.

France's prospects hinge on the French pack getting on top of the Lebanese forwards from the beginning. Otherwise the Lebanese spine will win the game for Lebanon.

Lebanon have done what Fiji did before the last WC. They have identified all their potential players early and had them training for months, and had a big training camp to sort out who has been training like an NRL player and who hasn't.
Brad Fittler has a squad full of guys who have trained hard, so even if they haven't played professionally, they have got themselves up to the level of fitness needed.
Lebanon will surprize a lot of people, and probably be too good for France.

Lebanon relying on Auzzies switching their nationality I see. How's exactly is International RL not a joke.

get your excuses in early, for when Lebanon gives it to England.

It’s Tim Mannah you uncultured swine.

Timothy actually.

Okay we get it. You don't like international Rugby League. You can scream and moan as much as you like. Not gonna change our minds.

Some of us are looking forward to watching some international rugby league next week

Internationals should be place off birth. Simple

Yes you me and thousands more all over the world bring it on lets get going

Then it would be a 4 team World Cup

Regards

King James

Edited link in post below.

Quote ="Willzay"Lebanon relying on Auzzies switching their nationality I see. How's exactly is International RL not a joke.'" Just because you don't understand/recognise the clear international eligibility criteria doesn't make it a "joke", unless the joke is on you. theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/2 ... -drubbings

Quote ="Willzay"Lebanon relying on Auzzies switching their nationality I see. How's exactly is International RL not a joke.'" Just because you don't understand/recognise the clear international eligibility criteria doesn't make it a "joke", unless the joke is on you. theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/2 ... -drubbings

Quote ="shinymcshine"Just because you don't understand/recognise the clear international eligibility criteria doesn't make it a "joke", unless the joke is on you. theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/2 ... -drubbings'" That article proves my point because it smacks of desperation. "Will hopefully put an end to drubbings". Just says we hope it'll paper over the cracks. The World Cup is essentially being filled with "Australian B sides". How is that not laughable.

Quote ="shinymcshine"Just because you don't understand/recognise the clear international eligibility criteria doesn't make it a "joke", unless the joke is on you. theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/2 ... -drubbings'" That article proves my point because it smacks of desperation. "Will hopefully put an end to drubbings". Just says we hope it'll paper over the cracks. The World Cup is essentially being filled with "Australian B sides". How is that not laughable.

Well bully for you.

Players still have to meet a nationality criteria in order to represent a team. What the ruling aimed to achieve was to allow players to represent the second tier of developing nations without giving up their chance to play for one of the top tier teams (if they also met their criteria).

I assume you don't bother watching any international sport, as the RL criteria is not dissimilar to that of many other sports, which I would guess you'd also class as a "joke".

The only people who agonise over this are the tragics on these forums.
Once the cup kicks off, 99% of viewers will just accept the selection criteria and enjoy the footy.
And if we selected a bunch of guys who barely know the rules of the game because they come from the hills around Tripoli, 99% of viewers would accept the selection criteria, but not enjoy the footy, because it would be little more than the top 3 sides going for training runs till the semi finals.

Cricket has a similar criteria especially where non Test playing teams are concerned.
For example Boyd Rankin from Northern Ireland tried his hand to get into the England Test team after he played years for Ireland in one day games, it didn't work in the end even though he was given a shot ain a few games and he with back in months playing for Ireland. Similarly Australian fast bowler Dirk Nannes was playing T20 cricket for Netherlands unde his parents heritage, until the main Ausiie team came callling and was with playind for them within a couple of months. Then there's the few players that have moved between Test playig Nation lke Luke Ronchi, who moved from Aus to NZ and the more famous one of Keppler Vessel who played for Aus when SA was not playing during the apartheid era. He played a few years for them till retired the when apartheld was lifted he went onto Captain the SA.

Drifted a little from my main point but anyway, like others have said playing for your Country of birth shouldn't be the be all and end all. After all many people are born abroad and move here for one reason or another at a young age, like Mo Farrar for exavple. I've even got a couple of mates born in Military bases and one because his parent worked abroad for the Civil service. Ateod having the game spread a far more internaional footprint, even if it is due to heritage rules that apply to 2nd tier developing nations is one way as a RL community we may be able to grow the Interational game. Hopefully it leads to bigger and better things with all tire 2 Countries. Who knows kids watching now may think this game looks awesome, I want a part of it and they start playing & maybe it'll lead to playing for their Country one day. Those lesser known Countries, just by the fact that thye'll compete well and may pinch a game against one of the big boys, could have a huge impact in years to come, who knows.

I wonder if Willzay would complain if Tom Johnstone was selected for England as opposed to his birthplace of Germany.

Then it would be seven nations: Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales, France, PNG and USA.

But probably you could add Serbia, especially if you allowed three heritage players for Serbia, namely Tom Trbojevic, Jake Trbojevic, and Nikola Cotric.

Great post Shify. Willzay and Wildthing are just small time trolls who don’t want Rugby League to be played unless it’s within a 10 mile radius of Wakefield or Leigh. They seem to find a World Cup tournament terrifying and attempt to put it down at every opportunity.

Simple really if people want to watch international drubbings then restrict the players to tight country guidlines.

You calling someone else a troll? That really is rich.

It's not Rich, it's Sir Kevin !

RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2017

GAME ON GROUP A : France v Lebanon - Sun - 05:00:00

GENERAL CHAT ABOUT THE GAME, BUILD UP, THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENS AND AFTERMATH BELOW.

Are you suggesting that Sir Kevin is poor or just middle class?