Nobody mentioned the 4 nations...

There are probably more teams of a decent quality in this World Cup than we’ve ever seen before.

I just don’t get the issue with this at all.

What harm is it doing? It’s not like people are turning up playing for a completely random country they have no heritage or passport from is it? Sam Burgess isn’t playing for PNG and Vincent Duport isn’t pulling on a Samoa shirt.

It’s just players playing for a country they have every right to represent.

And what’s the problem with them having played for another country before? I don’t see one. Why does it matter? If a player has duel nationalities or is proud of both heritages he has, why should he not be given the right to represent both countries in his career?

My nationality is British and my heritage on my Mother’s side is Polish. I’d love to represent both countries if I ever had the chance as a homage to my nationality and heritage.

When they've played for 1 side they should have to stick with it imo

I have ling been an advicat of international RL, but just have no interest in it anymore. There has been nonpromotion of this eorld cup at all by the RFl or BBC most people and quite a lot if RL fans dont even no its happening at all. Shunting it over to bbc 2 just confirms that the beeb are not overly intersted in it either. This swapping and changing nationallity dies not help ever.

Re- Competitive Teams in RLWC

Since it started in 1930 the FIFA World Cup has only had 8 different winners and 12 different Finalists (i.e. only 4 teams have got to the Final without winning).

Hence I guess the 200+ countries that compete for the FIFA World Cup just shouldn't bother either since its not really feasible that they'll win ?

Less than a week to go and still feeling underwhelmed. Where is the razamataz? What about the lack of information? As for merchandising? If every time I look at a product on Amazon I am bombarded with adverts for that product every time I log in why is my computer so lacking in rugby league information? I get the feeling that a telegram will be arriving any day with the information that I need.

IIRC the a workmates copy of The Sun said there'd be a RLWC Pullout in Thursday's edition.

And I'll find the Sun on the same shelf as the rocking horse droppings round here.

I put my comment in response to the one about a lack of razamataz etc, just to highlight that at least on national newspaper was doing a promotional feature.

I acknowledge that some people have justifiable reasons for not wanting to buy The Sun.

Has anyone actually seen an advert on bbc TV for the World Cup? I haven’t. No exposure, American players having to pay themselves for the entire trip and cam smith obviously not having a clue who SOL was at the launch smacks of this being a pretty embarrassing tournament!

Regards

King James

Who the hell scheduled this game to be played on Friday morning?

Stupid decision.

It isn't. It is being played on Friday night.

Where is the facepalm emoji?

Regards

King James

Please tell me this is a joke post

April 1st already??

Seriously???

Its a disc race

Are people just being deliberately stupid in trying not to understand the point I assume Matty B is making?

I'm reading between the lines and assuming he's asking why is this game scheduled for Friday night in Australia/Friday morning in the UK, as opposed to Saturday night in Australia and Saturday morning in the UK?

Had this game been played Sat night Oz/Sat morning UK there would have been a chance that non-RL could have watched it. It would have been a good start to a sporting Saturday. Playing it on a Friday is an utterly stupid decision. The biggest England game of the World Cup group stages and it's going to go virtually unnoticed on a Friday morning workday. Do you honestly think that England v Lebanon is going to attract the casual observer in the same way that the Australia game would have done?

I know that Australia are hosting the tournament and so it's great to take into account their needs and maybe Friday night was good for them. But seriously, RL isn't exactly in a position that it can stupidly miss the chance to showcase the game.

Nah I think you're giving him far too much credit there



Anyway this world cup does not revolve purely around England and us brits watching from over here. This game is launching the whole tournament and it is simply how the fixtures have been arranged. There are three games being played on Saturday morning/evening so it couldn't have been played at that time.
I'm sure a Friday night game will generate plenty of interest in the southern hemisphere, like I say not everything is catered for England - did we give a sh*t what time the Aussies had to get up to watch their games when the WC was held here? Don't think so.

Perhaps.

It just saddens me because I see it as a lost opportunity to promote RL in England/UK. I get that the Aussies are hosting it but would it really have been that bad for them to play it on Saturday evening? At the Olympics the football competition began before the official opening ceremony. The matches at the RLWC are being played at different venues anyway so it's not as if the opening ceremony even means that much compared to an Olympics where the bulk of the main events take place in one city and one stadium. Would it really have mattered to people attending Papa New Guinea against Wales if that game had taken place before the official world cup opening? I doubt it.

Ah, well, hopefully people can still tune in to watch the semi-final against NZ and perhaps even a final against the Aussies.

This is exactly right. We even had some Sunday games in the Four Nations last year, in Australia and New Zealand that was very early Monday morning, didn’t see any complaints about that on here

It's a ridiculous thing to moan and complain about. The tournament is in Australia!

8 winners and 12 competitors over 20 games is far better than 3 winners from 14 (almost assuredly to be 3/15) and one other side in the Final but who have not won it*.
Note. As you counted West Germany and Germany as the same, I have done the same for Great Britain and England......

BBC2 Floodlit Rugby League Trophy. It's our spiritual home. Now be quiet and get me a Bovril.