International rugby league

[Foordy]

They have a garbage spine that has 0 kicking ability and relatively 0 playmaking ability for rep players, all they have is running ability and for some of them it ain’t even that crash hot.

as true as that may be ... it's still better than what they will have to face to make the final.

no-one has said they will win the world cup.

assuming they don't have to play NZ or Aus to make the final, they'll be there. they will have the 3rd best squad in the comp.

besides, this world cup won't be fait accompli like previous world cups, Australia in particular has been decimated by the second tier nations (and injury). although their spine has remained intact, so that should get them home (if they remain fit)

 

[Mustafur]

It’s not important. I’m telling you now they aren’t making a final off the back of their outside backs. No team to ever exist are. They have a garbage spine that has 0 kicking ability and relatively 0 playmaking ability for rep players, all they have is running ability and for some of them it ain’t even that crash hot. Penrith is a good team with good systems, but don’t think for a second that their backline in anywhere near as prosperous without Cleary, Api and their forwards doing most the hard work on their inside. To’o is the only one of them that would have the same stature playing at a different club cause he is valued for his metreage. So sorry but 4 outside backs having a club relationship, whilst helpful it isn’t going to make or break a game let alone a competition. Luai will be fucking borderline useless this comp cause he has 0 help. His game will have to be either entirely playmaking which is just not his style or he will spend the rest of the game pretending like nothing has changed and he will not have the an eighth of the platform to be his usual damaging runner. On paper there is enough to warrant that they are potentially going to struggle more than you can fathom.

Tonga has a group of spine players who have gone through their careers at shit clubs being just that competent player that have just gotten the job done (Not quite Tesi but you know they can’t all be perfect). They have never had a platform to work off so they will be able to create the same basic shit that got them to the World Cup. Better than players who will spend most of the comp if not all of it trying to figure out how to be effective. Tonga will do a **** load better than hedging your bets on outside backs who aren’t in the same club system who create everything for them. England, they have by far the best halves of the 3 teams. Welsby just made super league team of the year and George Williams is the best halfback out of the 3 teams by about the length of Shaq’s dick. 9’s are pretty much incompetent amongst the lot and 1’s have there ups and downs everywhere as well. So really when Samoa arguably doesn’t have anywhere near the best forward pack I am struggling to see where they are so dominant that a final appearance is so likely. They have to beat England and Tonga or England again in a semi.

This is all before you start taking into account the fact that England have all there games in a home environment. Broncos fans of all people should No how big a home environment and crowd can be. Let alone having it the entire comp.

England outside like 4 players is SL level they might be good players in the SL but it's still inferior, downplaying the chemistry of the best team in the NRL is arguing for arguments sake, May is the 4th highest in average meters of all wingers in the comp and basically equal with 3rd highest Tupou.

George Williams isn't anything special and wasn't playing that well last I heard, the gap from Welsby to Luai would be larger then what they lost at 7 I would say.

Home environment will probably help and it will need to because England lacks quality compared to Samoa.

The Area they actually dominate in is Lock.

 

[Foordy]

England squad:

Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons) - Captain
Andy Ackers (Salford Red Devils)
Joe Batchelor (St Helens)
John Bateman (Wigan Warriors)
Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Mike Cooper (Wigan Warriors)
Herbie Farnworth (Brisbane Broncos)
Ryan Hall (Hull KR)
Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants)
Morgan Knowles (St Helens)
Matty Lees (St Helens)
Tommy Makinson (St Helens)
Michael McIlorum (Catalans Dragons)
Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons)
Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos)
Kai Pearce-Paul (Wigan Warriors)
Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters)
Marc Sneyd (Salford Red Devils)
Luke Thompson (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Kallum Watkins (Salford Red Devils)
Jack Welsby (St Helens)
Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders)
George Williams (Warrington Wolves)
Dom Young (Newcastle Knights)

 

[Sproj]

England squad:

Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons) - Captain
Andy Ackers (Salford Red Devils)
Joe Batchelor (St Helens)
John Bateman (Wigan Warriors)
Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Mike Cooper (Wigan Warriors)
Herbie Farnworth (Brisbane Broncos)
Ryan Hall (Hull KR)
Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants)
Morgan Knowles (St Helens)
Matty Lees (St Helens)
Tommy Makinson (St Helens)
Michael McIlorum (Catalans Dragons)
Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons)
Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos)
Kai Pearce-Paul (Wigan Warriors)
Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters)
Marc Sneyd (Salford Red Devils)
Luke Thompson (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Kallum Watkins (Salford Red Devils)
Jack Welsby (St Helens)
Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders)
George Williams (Warrington Wolves)
Dom Young (Newcastle Knights)

Apparently Jamaica chose against selecting Young and this is why he was named for England. What on earth?

 

[Financeguy]

Apparently Jamaica chose against selecting Young and this is why he was named for England. What on earth?

Huh? He chose to rep England after talking to Wane I’m pretty sure so don’t think it was Jamaicas choice.

 

[Sproj]

Huh? He chose to rep England after talking to Wane I’m pretty sure so don’t think it was Jamaicas choice.

This could be true. I’m going on the Lebanon team article in nrl.com

 

[Financeguy]

This could be true. I’m going on the Lebanon team article in nrl.com

I think that was referring to him being a given for England once Jamaican team had been announced…not so much that Jamaica brushed him. He had already committed to England.

 

[ZTop]

England will go all the way, they have Herbie

 

[easybreezy]

My two cents:
Not taking the draw into consideration, but just looking at squads...it certainly looks like the weakest teams that the Australia and England teams have had for a while. That being said, I still think the Australia team is the strongest of the field, on par with NZ. I reckon NZ and the other pacific nations have by far the strongest they have assembled, and this is probably what makes this looking to be the most contested (not necessarily even) WC we've seen. The rise in pacific teams and decline of England certainly closes that gap between the top 3 and the rest. Sad that England has declined but truly excited that we should hopefully see some close surprise games and the occasional upset :) I think Samoa on paper can beat Tonga, but they need to get their sh$t together...

On paper, I'd have:
1. Aus/NZ (any injuries will show NZ lack of depth however)
3. Eng
4. Samoa
5. Tonga
6. PNG/Fiji

As for the rest, I'm disappointed that Theo Fages is injured for France, I really wanted to see him in action. Lebanon may compete in parts, but outside of their outstanding 6/7, they will struggle to stay with the big teams. Excited to see some Jamaican flair on the field and in the crowd. Speaking of flair...Id love the organisers actually do something bloody decent and nation-based for pre-game and entry songs/anthems, rather than churning out 'who let the dogs out' or 'firestarter'. Have a solo bagpiper as Scotland enters, didge for Australia, steel drum for Jamaica, etc.

I don't think there will be many shock teams making the QF's, with Sam/Eng (gr 1), Aus/Fiji (gr 2), Tonga/PNG (gr 4) all givens...the only contentious one I think is gr 3 with Leb/Ire/Jam battling out for second to partner NZ. From there, the finals should be closer than we've ever had...which I'm most excited about and hopefully go some way to dispelling the myth that there is only 3 decent countries.

 

[Mustafur]

My two cents:
Not taking the draw into consideration, but just looking at squads...it certainly looks like the weakest teams that the Australia and England teams have had for a while. That being said, I still think the Australia team is the strongest of the field, on par with NZ. I reckon NZ and the other pacific nations have by far the strongest they have assembled, and this is probably what makes this looking to be the most contested (not necessarily even) WC we've seen. The rise in pacific teams and decline of England certainly closes that gap between the top 3 and the rest. Sad that England has declined but truly excited that we should hopefully see some close surprise games and the occasional upset :) I think Samoa on paper can beat Tonga, but they need to get their sh$t together...

On paper, I'd have:
1. Aus/NZ (any injuries will show NZ lack of depth however)
3. Eng
4. Samoa
5. Tonga
6. PNG/Fiji

As for the rest, I'm disappointed that Theo Fages is injured for France, I really wanted to see him in action. Lebanon may compete in parts, but outside of their outstanding 6/7, they will struggle to stay with the big teams. Excited to see some Jamaican flair on the field and in the crowd. Speaking of flair...Id love the organisers actually do something bloody decent and nation-based for pre-game and entry songs/anthems, rather than churning out 'who let the dogs out' or 'firestarter'. Have a solo bagpiper as Scotland enters, didge for Australia, steel drum for Jamaica, etc.

I don't think there will be many shock teams making the QF's, with Sam/Eng (gr 1), Aus/Fiji (gr 2), Tonga/PNG (gr 4) all givens...the only contentious one I think is gr 3 with Leb/Ire/Jam battling out for second to partner NZ. From there, the finals should be closer than we've ever had...which I'm most excited about and hopefully go some way to dispelling the myth that there is only 3 decent countries.

Is England really that much worse though?

You could argue they have better outside backs then they did before and With Bateman and Radley they got quality in the forwards, yeah they don't have Widdop and Hodgson but alot of other parts of the team has improved.

The squads that have improved since last WC would be Samoa, NZ and Lebanon in that order I would say since the last world cup.

I would say there is 5 legitamate teams that could atleast make the finals, I personally don't see anyone other then AUS or NZ winning it though, the Semi final game between the two will be the decider imo.

If Lebanon had a good fullback and a few more first graders to fill out the rest of the team I would put them in the top tier group as well, their Halves are probably the 3rd strongest overall(with probably the 2nd best 7 in the WC since Hunt will be playing 9/14), Kiraz is definitely a rising talent and Lichia is a serviceable SL level Hooker, it is a shame they are on the impossible side of the draw though.

It's also good to see that one player from the Lebanese Domestic competition actually made the side too, shows the league is working since the rest of the team is nearly all at NSW cup level rather then 3rd or 4th tier like last time.

 

[Super Freak]

Daily Telegraph's likely squad.

LIKELY SQUAD: Josh Addo-Carr, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Pat Carrigan, Daly Cherry- Evans, Nathan Cleary, Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter, Angus Crichton, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Campbell Graham, Harry Grant, Valentine Holmes, Ben Hunt, Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Munster, Cameron Murray, Jeremiah Nanai, Murray Taulagi, James Tedesco, Jake Trbojevic, Jack Wighton, Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin/Shaun Lane, Matt Burton/Nicho Hynes

POTENTIAL ADDITIONS: Damien Cook, Dylan Edwards, Jordan McLean, Hudson Young, Clint Gutherson

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

What's the bet the nrl will finally crack down on luai for being a grub and suspend him for 3 games... that he will serve at the rugby league world cup ... even if he's injured....

Fair and equal nrl... oh and flegler likely picked up a 6 week suspension tonight that he must serve at random times during the broncos season only, with our most important games chosen...

 

[Sproj]

What's the bet the nrl will finally crack down on luai for being a grub and suspend him for 3 games... that he will serve at the rugby league world cup ... even if he's injured....

Fair and equal nrl... oh and flegler likely picked up a 6 week suspension tonight that he must serve at random times during the broncos season only, with our most important games chosen...

Unlikely given the NRL is doing a really good attempt at fairness and equity according to some.

 

[Sproj]

Australia and New Zealand squads named, both very strong only Carrigan from the Broncs named in either of these.

So looks like for the WC, we only lose:
Carrigan (Australia)
Farnworth (England)
Bayliss-Brow (Scotland)
Niu (Tonga - most likely)
Staggs (Tonga - possibly depending on shoulder)
Piakura (Cook Islands - likely)
Willison (Cook Islands - dependent on injury, I imagine he is in heavy doubt)

Not bad really.

 

[Allo]

Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns squads have been announced as well.

good reps from the girls and plenty of debutants.

Brianna Clark is a Kiwi apparently? And Fuimaono and Mato aren’t? Hmm

 

[McHunt]

Congratulations to Patty!

 

[BooKhaki]

Collins, Graham and Tuilagi shouldn't be in the squad. Very surprised Angus hasn't played for Aus before.

 

[Fitzy]

Collins, Graham and Tuilagi shouldn't be in the squad. Very surprised Angus hasn't played for Aus before.

Neither 3 until now should have made it. But considering what’s on offer they well and truely do. I don’t think Graham overtly does but Tuilagi had an amazing season and Lindsay has been playing origin for a few years whilst also having a good season when on the field. Campbell as long as he isn’t in the side I can live with. Obviously there is some amazing spine players thag missed out but you actually have to field a team and have proper depth across the board. Far to many spine players already in the side so I don’t reallly know who else is getting in the team over those 3.