RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2017

GAME ON GROUP A : Australia v France - Fri - 09:00:00

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

I hope France can give it the best game of their lives.

Game on. Only one winner here.

Correct - Aussies by plenty.

How on earth are there so few people there? Commentator said about 12k... for the host nation in its capital...

The nations capital is just a big country town

I'm surprised there is that much, its all very uninspiring, even in Canberra there would be better things to do, at worst it'd be still better finding a pub, having a decent feed & drink far cheaper beer & watching the big screen

Not buying that I'm afraid; England v Ireland at the last World Cup wasn't exactly inspiring, but the organisers still managed to sell out the stadium.

Aussies over and that could be it For those who don't know it is live on Premier Sports and online via www.rlbet.co.uk/australia-v-fran ... 7-preview/

Aussies over and that could be it For those who don't know it is live on Premier Sports and online via www.rlbet.co.uk/australia-v-fran ... 7-preview/

You can buy into what ever you like, i don't care, perhaps people in Canberra even have better things to do than watch a second rate RL team get beaten up by the Roos

Seriously, i wouldn't expect any more than are there, i don't know why you seem to think there would be more, not everybody in Canberra likes League

Because it's a home world cup in a country where league is pretty big! Just think it and attendances at other games seem a little underwhelming after the last World Cup over here - USA v Cook Islands in Bristol got over 7k!

Give over!

Its big on a casual level, but people have lives, we get our fix through the season, this is very uninspiring, definitely a tv game, if it was in Sydney i don't know anyone who'd go, i imagine it would be expensive, if i was in a pub having a few with friends, i might glance at the screen every now & again

And that pretty much sums up Australia's attitude to international RL sadly.

you all keep saying that but it is what it is, you can't make consumers buy into something that is considered sub par, people will buy what they want, theres no use blaming the public, its up to the promoters & marketeers, other partners in the sport to make things more attractive, we aren't a bottomless pit of money

Did Hicks really just stop play for an injury and then restarted the game before the injured player was even stood up, let alone in the defensive line?

we sold out England v Fiji and Ireland in 2013, you got a smaller crowd for your *opening ceremony*. Australia shouldn't be allowed to host a World Cup game for at least twenty years.

If you could arrange that, it'd be really good

You're doing a great job of winding people up whether intentional or not.

I never want to hear a referee say "contact with the head" in SL again. The rule doesn't exist in this RLWC

Its often the case that inferior nations appear more passionate, i'm not sure of the psychology, but if you could all go away, read some Freud & get back to me

France are putting in a decent effort. Far better than the last time they played in Australia I think. They are making good progress.

yep, a great outing for France, they would have taken 38-6 at the start I reckon for 60mins.

I have to say this Aussie team need to step up a bit if they are going to cruise through this tourney.

Need more internationals

The score blew out a bit, but Australia had to work all game.

France we decent in defence for long spells but the class of the Aussies just shines through