Don't fret pet....

England will Play the Kiwis for the right to take on the Kangaroos in the final. The Italian side, together with the other teams playing in the tournament will provide loads of great entertainment and I really hope that the venues and RFL market them really well, but in reality, it will be a Kiwi/England v Australia final.

I hope you are right, I wont be holding my breath though

If you have long-term ambitions for the game, and if Italy is one country where rugby league just might conceivably be played at an increasingly high level in decades to come, where do you start? What irritates me beyond words is flat-earther rugby league "fans" who just want to call everything a "joke" and sneer at every effort that doesn't fit their worldview.

If there is a squad of blokes who want to bust a gut playing for the Italian national side, who the fsck are random prats on internet forums to tell them either what their motivations are, or what the people of Italy would make of such a thing? Are the people running the game in Italy not in the best position to sort these things out?

In the fifties, the new Italian rugby league had a couple of dozen clubs. WHAT? 24 clubs in a league in Italy?? Well, yes! There was! In fact the game got pretty popular, so much so that the international part of it was killed off in the 70s by our good friends in Rugby Onion, who were obviously nervous at the thought of RL getting a foothold of any sort.

More power to the elbows of the Italian team, the players, selectors, officials and tea lady. People have been keeping the faith with RL in Italy for well over 50 years now and they deserve applause and encouragement, not scorn and derision.

I actually think this is good for the long term development of Italian RL. Due to the country's economy the governing body over there is having a number of problems, and if it was an all 'italian' squad they wouldn't be competitive, and the competition would go unnoticed over there. They look set to be a strong, competitive side, and if they win a few games it will make the headlines and people will take note.

There is no pleasing some people, I see one chap infers that Widdop should not be in the squad. You do realise he was born and bred in Halifax before moving at the age of 16?

No,you misunderstand me. I have no objections to Widdop being in the England squad but by the same token Minicello or any other person playing his rugby league in Australia who has an Italian born parent or grandparent fulfills the eligibility requirements and has the same rights to play for Italy as does Widdop for England who learned and plays his RL in Australia also.

It just seem those who are critisizing the Italian team turn a blind eye when the big boys do the same.

Has Hayne confirmed he's playing for Fiji?

Don't think so sadly. Annoyingly I'd expect him to only decide after SoO.

1. Define pretty popular.... have found games from 1960 onwards, none have an attendance of 4k.......
2. Union killed League in Italy how exactly?
3. Would you like salt and Vinegar for that massive chip on your shoulder?

Some ing league fans need a dose of realism......

I'm not though, am I. A typical VT user bashes the game from all angles either to make themselves feel better/smarter or because they have no idea what they're on about.


On a planet that only has 2 FT pro leagues and some form of semi-pro rugby league in about 6-8 countries, how on Earth are they going to fill a 14-team World Cup without some relying on heritage players?

Nobody is creaming themselves. Stop exaggerating to try and make it seem like you've got some kind of point. It's good that a developing RL country like Italy, whose governing body/bodies are having financial issues, can field a highly competitive team for their first World Cup. It will boost the game there. Just to note (as you seem to be struggling to comprehend this), when people say "boost", they don't mean the streets if Rome will be awash with RL fans welcoming them home. It means maybe more people will take up the game and watch the game. The development will improve, like it did in Lebanon.
What would you rather they do? Play a bunch of amateurs, get killed, and thus kill off any interest in the game over there?


And here is the revelation of your dislike of expansion. Replace Salford with Cas, and you can see why that chip is on your shoulder. You don't want the game to grow because you're worried your club will be left behind. How sad.

And you 'know what your on about' do you ???? you spend your weekends swapping the slums of Hull for Rome ??? no ??? ah right, so maybe you should stop pretending your Yorkshires Italian expert ???



Where did anybod say there must be no heritage players ??? you made that up ??? ok



Yeah, when the next world cup comes around the squad will be full of italians and when every game is played the whole nation will come to a halt







you mean give a few actual Itallians the chance to compete against the worlds best rather than a team of aussies calling themselves Italy



radical



I dont dislike expansion, half your post is made up from your head mate





Correct, Milan will replace Cas in SL 2015

Indeed, there are only two possibilities when it comes to sport. Either the game is a farce and not worth bothering with, or it has to bring a nation to a standstill, with PNG-style fever in the streets of Moscow, Beirut, Rome and Belgrade. There is no middle ground, no development, no growth phase, just nothing then instant success.

I haven't claimed to know anything about Italy or the people representing that country in this team. You have.
Having been to Cas, I find it amusing that you'd even try and have a swipe about Hull!


Nobody (including myself) has said anything about "no" heritage players. However, you seem to be kicking off about a country relying on "some" heritage players, and now that it has been questioned, you are backtracking.


What is crazy is that despite me actually saying the exact opposite, you still seem to think that's what I mean. You've got one of them bad arguing techniques where you either ignore what someone has said or you blow it out to extreme proportions to make it seem daft. In reality, you've just admitted you have no argument.

So read my post again. Read what is meant by "boost", and then read your post and see if it actually makes sense as a reply to mine.


What are "actual" Italians? What qualifies you to be an "actual" Italian? And is that in line with this sport and other sport's qualification rules?

Have a look at the Scotland, Ireland, Samoa and Tonga World Cup teams from 2008. How many of them are "actual" nationals in the same definition you give about being "actual" Italian?


You don't seem to have anything positive to say about it. If you don't dislike it, you don't appear to be giving off that impression.


Basically, you have a fear that expansion will see Cas eventually replaced. You can try and distort the rate of expansion in certain areas to the ridiculous all you like in an attempt to disguise this chip on your shoulder, but it's clearly obvious what your agenda is. You don't want to be left behind.

yes, anthony minnichielo deciding to play for a country he has never been to develops the game there massively simply huge for every Itallian walking. Rugby balls will soon replace Footballs on the streets of Naples.

Not from Cas mate, sorry





Not some heritage players, mostly heritage players. The itallian public will be able to connect massively to a team full of players that cant speak the language



So what boost will this give a game that will NEVER be anything near popular in Italy ??? very minimal very very very minimal. About the same impact it would have at my club if we signed a decent Batley player imo. Get a grip.



Itallians are not shrimp eating over the hill green and gold loving surfing people with Australlian accents. HTH



So if i dont like the fact ten aussies that are not good enough for the Australian team and choose to play for a country they have never been to are making a mockery of the world cup im against taking the game anywhere but the heartlands ??? If your cars are as dodgy as your points id avoid using your buisness....id sooner walk





Yes, I saw a thread on the world cup and Italy and sat at home and thought.... ooooo those annoying Itallians after Castlefords SL spot. I better post on RLFANS to stop that happening

Again with the hyperbole - it doesn't have do be all or nothing jeez. Mini playing for Italy and letting Italy be remotely competitive in this WC will give something for people to back - even if its just a few. Sure, nothing will overtake football any time soon in Italy, but you don't see the other sports giving up there do you? Mini giving the Italian team a chance to compete instead of getting destroyed will help, it will not hinder.

ETA: Never been to? Are you joking?

Yeah, nothing will help RL in Italy like an Australian with an Itallian sounding name

Seriously what is your problem? Do you think we are all super excited that it's happening? I'm not, I'm happy Italy has a decent squad that they are entitled to play, that has players who are willing to play for them for reasons other than money (unlike Tamau, Uate, many of England's players in various sports).

Are you really upset for Italy? What are you even arguing?

Because I'd rather watch a world cup with players from the actual nation they are representing. Old fashioned I know but still......

But you are "Cas" 'til you die, so as a representative of Cas, it still works. Sorry.


Like Scotland, Ireland, Tonga, Samoa... I haven't heard you complain about them yet.


You know, when you put words in capitals, it doesn't make it a fact.

What would be a small boost over here would be a huge boost in a country that doesn't have the sport established. I think you need to get a sense of realism when it comes to development. For someone who says he doesn't dislike expansion, you sure don't seem that keen on it getting a boost of any kind.


I don't think that is covered in the international rules for obvious reasons, mainly that it's loving ridiculous.


I like how you have decided not to answer the question I asked about Tonga, Samoa, Scotland and Ireland having heritage players. In fact, you cut them out completely. Good way to pretend those hard questions were never asked!

I don't sell cars by the way. I'm a teacher. Another sign of a poor argument there: trying to insult the poster to deflect or ridicule. You're only harming your own point.


Again, you can exaggerate it to the ridiculous all you like, but you are worried that expansion will take Castleford's spot. Whether it be Italy, or a second French club...

So those Tongans and Samoans then, how do you feel about them?...

And who are you to say which nation they represent?

Yes, it is very old fashioned? I take it the mayor of london is american?

So if i chose to support Swinton, id be representative of Lancashire





Because the thread is not about those 4 nations



To me a bigger boost for them would be playing players that will live in the country pre and post tournement



Well if the god of the humber bridge says so .....



The thread isnt about that, i know ill go to the Hull KR board to look at Salfordslatest signings..... FWIW I like seeing players from the country they are from. Same as Rangi Chase.... FWIW what are your views on him playing for England ???



If thats the case then so be it mate, there will always be a Cas. Maybe we will get a merger with money thrown at us then we may be able to compete at a higher level.



Its an opinion....you know with this being an open forum and stuff you might get the occasional one

WTF - Mayor of London

No, because Swinton isn't in Lancashire.


It's also not about international eligibility, but you've decided to make it about that. So go on, what's your opinion on those 4 nations? Should they not compete either?


So even if they have moved out if the country despite being born and bred Italian?
The team you have described would be a residents team. A completely different set up, and one that most countries actually operate.
In your opinion, that would mean James Graham, Jack Reed, Garreth Widdop and the Burgess Brothers shouldn't be eligible for England either.


How many people have agreed with your point? Maybe you should sit down and think why...


I like seeing players that want to represent that nation for whatever reason they choose as long as there is a connection to it. These Italian-Australians have that connection. Earlier you made comments about Minichiello never being to Italy. Do you really believe that?

On Rangi, I believe that someone who will quite likely not be allowed to work in this country should not be allowed to represent it. But they aren't the rules, so we have to pick the best available.


We'll see if/when it happens.

All these players are qualified for Italy. They would be qualified under the international eligibility rules of virtually every sport. The likes of Minichiello were involved in the World Cup qualifying tournament last year and paid their own way to be there, who are you to say that they aren't allowed to represent their nation? Mo Farah wasn't born in Britain and doesn't live in Britain, does that mean he shouldn't have been allowed to represent GB at the Olympics? I don't know why you are repeatedly trying to be funny by suggesting that RL will be the national sport of Italy after the World Cup, but it seems to me that you don't have any sort of concept or understanding of how international sport works.

What do you think would be achieved by Italy purposely limiting themselves, fielding a team of amateur players from the local competitions and being beaten by 80 points? Do you think that would be a good way to develop the sport? You would have a point if this was an exclusively foreign organization with no ties to the nation they were supposed to be representing but that isn't the case at all, it is an Italian organization based in Italy who naturally want to field the best available team and have every right to do so.

How is one muppet derailing this thread so much?

Going from the article, a number of players, eligible to play for Italy, are volunteering their time, willing to spend their own money and have already committed to putting on a shirt in a years time. Forget who is playing for which nation and the right and wrongs of that, this attitude is a massive shot in the arm for International RL in general.

1. Being able to run a 24 team league, and have some form of international setup, would be within my definition of pretty popular. Attendances of 4,000? Well, Championship-level RL is certainly well within my definition of popular.

2. Obviously as RU was played in Italy, but RL was a newcomer, many rugby players in league came from union, and played both codes. The Italian Rugby Union threatened to ban any player found playing RL from any future participation in Union. Is that exact enough?
[urlhttp://www.rlwc2013calderdale.co.uk/italy.html[/url

3.

If you can at least give me a clue what "chip" you perceive, I'll have a go at replying to that.