International rugby league

[GCBRONCO]

Justin Holbrook the new PNG coach

 

[Foordy]

Justin Holbrook the new PNG coach

apparently turned down Samoa as well

 

[Mustafur]

apparently turned down Samoa as well

Something tells me with what the Aus Government is doing, it probably came with a bigger pay day.

 

[The True King]

Is there a Kangaroos thread?

Just looking at some of the outs, including Fifita, Latrell, Graham and likely Val, could be a few spots up for grabs.

Based on the last squad
1. Tedesco (c)
2. Taulagi
3. ?
4. Burton
5. JAC
6. Munster
7. Cleary
8. Collins
9. Grant
10. Tino
11. Martin
12. ?
13. Murray (vc)

Yeo (vc), DCE, Hunt, Carrigan, Cotter, and Jurbo are the other incumbents not named above who will be thereabouts. Can put a line through Angus Crichton and Wighton, also questionable if Nanai makes it.

Seems likely they'll shift a Cotter/Carrigan/Murray type to an edge and then maybe someone like Hammer comes in at centre following his origin exploits.

 

[Xzei]

i mean on form staggs should be worth a shout at one center spot,feel he was unlucky to get overlooked for origin,burton should be no where near the starting 13 imo best/staggs pairing would be what i was looking at

 

[The True King]

i mean on form staggs should be worth a shout at one center spot,feel he was unlucky to get overlooked for origin,burton should be no where near the starting 13 imo best/staggs pairing would be what i was looking at

On form yeah, problem is that Burton was great at the World Cup and Hammer was the standout centre in origin

 

[Xzei]

On form yeah, problem is that Burton was great at the World Cup and Hammer was the standout centre in origin

personally i feel burton has played in the halves all year really should be picking centers for center positions but thats just a personal preference,could make the argument for hammer over best for sure i think he spent the last bit of the season at center.

 

[The True King]

personally i feel burton has played in the halves all year really should be picking centers for center positions but thats just a personal preference,could make the argument for hammer over best for sure i think he spent the last bit of the season at center.

Mal has proven success with picking guys out of position. I don't think Burton playing in the halves will detract from getting a run at centre again.

There would be a case for Hammer even if all of the centre options were available, he was that good in origin.

 

[Sproj]

I think Cobbo will be one of the wingers, most likely at JAC’s expense as he’s been poor all year.

 

[Xzei]

might add i dont think tedesco should be anywhere near the aus 17 at the end of the year either, was horrid in SOO and most of the season.

 

[Mustafur]

might add i dont think tedesco should be anywhere near the aus 17 at the end of the year either, was horrid in SOO and most of the season.

it's a big question mark on what will happen because Roosters survived long enough for him to not be selected for the PM game, if Mal doesn't go stupid it can only be between Walsh and Ponga anything else is wrong and who ever isn't 1 should be in the 17 anyway imo.

 

[kman]

it's a big question mark on what will happen because Roosters survived long enough for him to not be selected for the PM game, if Mal doesn't go stupid it can only be between Walsh and Ponga anything else is wrong and who ever isn't 1 should be in the 17 anyway imo.

Totally agree, Tedesco has been ordinary all year and looks lost even in games. Walsh should be the certain pick, he has been great all year and deserves his shot. Mal honestly needs to be a proper coach and make the right calls.

 

[BroncsFan]

Seeing the union results overnight with France beating NZ, Sth Africa beating England and Wales playing Australia as the favourites, it makes me want to see an actual effort put into increasing the competition of international rugby league.

Tonga and Samoa are on the rise, but I think Australia are basically winning all their games in second gear, so they're far and away above the rest of the competition and it's more like Tonga and Samoa catching up to England and New Zealand, but competition at a World Cup stage is basically laughable and negatively impacts legitimacy of the sport.

I think Australia being the top dog in league isn't a bad thing, because the All Blacks have basically been dominating union for decades now and represent the 'final boss' for union, so that can be Australia in league... but it seems like union countries have exploded over maybe the last 15 years or so with the rise of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, etc. as being legitimately competitive on the World Cup stage, and the rise of Japan, Canada, Argentina, etc. as the next countries behind them.

Union internationally is really strong and is becoming a legitimate international team sport, potentially only under soccer, but I can't see any sport catching them. Is Union basically second place in terms of international team sports nowadays with cricket after that (carried mostly by India)?

Not really sure what I'm rating that on, whether it's one or a combination of exposure, participants, revenue, international competitiveness, etc. but it feels like it is a legitimate team sport internationally nowadays, whereas only a few years ago it was basically Aus, NZ, SA and England... with England being down until Johnny Wilkinson appeared.

So I wonder what league should be doing to increase the international game given union has basically exploded from where league currently is within the last 15-20 years?

Wallabies being poor has left a hole that league can fill, so the time is right for them to put a real focus on it domestically... and I'd imagine increasing the international game benefits the game everywhere.

The NRL competition, and by extension state of origin, is likely carrying the entirety of rugby league worldwide. I'd imagine it dwarfs revenue being made by ESL and international rugby league combined... but NRL is surely getting to a limit on its earning capacity?

They are looking to expand to a 20 team competition, but there is only so much you can do when you're limiting yourself to the east coast of Australia and localised areas in NZ. The heavy centralisation around Sydney also limits what they can do domestically i.e. having over half the 20 team comp located in one area prevents them from having say 5 teams in NZ in the future.

Increasing the competition internationally has to be the next step to increasing revenues for the sport.

Has union exploded basically off the back of England in the early 00's?? or maybe off the back of Rugby 7's (pretty much a starter comp for minnow countries)??

 

[Sproj]

Union has the Super whatever it is now which essentially includes clubs in the Southern Hemisphere and also had a very strong northern hemisphere club comp. Then they have the six nations and the four nations version with Australia, SA, NZ and Argentina.

There are also next tier leagues that have improved out of sight internationally which has seen the rise of Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and even the likes of Portugal and Romania and Georgia.

Additionally, you’ve got 7s at the Olympics and a strong club comp rising in Japan. Essentially, Union has a fantastic international set up that is well run, the opposite to what we see with the ARU, though Phil Waugh seems a strong appointment as the head being an ex-Wallaby with management experience. He wants to see the Wallabies be strong again and the coach appointment is reflective of that.

Basically, league is decades behind and critically, have arguably two strong leagues in the world, that’s it. Given how much the NRL dwarfs the ESL for talent and money, that speaks volumes because league literally has four good teams as well and then also rans. The depth and quality just isn’t there.

I’d love to see international league continue to rise but if Samoa and Tonga continue to rise, they will become tier 1 and then the overall quality of the comp will inevitably go backward when the big three of Aus, NZ, Eng throw money at players to choose them instead of the small island countries.

Given Vlandys also wants to purchase the ESL and bring it down to his disgusting level as well, I just don’t see international league even continuing its current trajectory, let alone exploding like union has.

 

[BroncsFan]

Union has the Super whatever it is now which essentially includes clubs in the Southern Hemisphere and also had a very strong northern hemisphere club comp. Then they have the six nations and the four nations version with Australia, SA, NZ and Argentina.

There are also next tier leagues that have improved out of sight internationally which has seen the rise of Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and even the likes of Portugal and Romania and Georgia.

Additionally, you’ve got 7s at the Olympics and a strong club comp rising in Japan. Essentially, Union has a fantastic international set up that is well run, the opposite to what we see with the ARU, though Phil Waugh seems a strong appointment as the head being an ex-Wallaby with management experience. He wants to see the Wallabies be strong again and the coach appointment is reflective of that.

Basically, league is decades behind and critically, have arguably two strong leagues in the world, that’s it. Given how much the NRL dwarfs the ESL for talent and money, that speaks volumes because league literally has four good teams as well and then also rans. The depth and quality just isn’t there.

I’d love to see international league continue to rise but if Samoa and Tonga continue to rise, they will become tier 1 and then the overall quality of the comp will inevitably go backward when the big three of Aus, NZ, Eng throw money at players to choose them instead of the small island countries.

Given Vlandys also wants to purchase the ESL and bring it down to his disgusting level as well, I just don’t see international league even continuing its current trajectory, let alone exploding like union has.

Unfortunately I tend to agree with you... I just think the current stakeholders in NRL are too selfish to actually want to expand the international game and will be happy to live off their little slice even if it is restricted to a small pocket in Aus.

I saw a post on Reddit, which was something along the lines of future players wanting to represent Samoa or Tonga won't actually be eligible, because they will likely be born in Aus and the grandparent rule will no longer apply for future generations given their parents, etc. will have been born here as well... if that's the case then it potentially puts an expiry date on Samoa and Tonga being competitive.

I think the key is growing domestic competitions, but to do that the IRL would have to 'tax' the domestic comps to supplement TV rights from international games, and feed money into emerging areas... and even then ESL would get 'taxed', but should receive funding back from the NRL comp to grow ESL... but there is no way in hell that I can see Vlando and co willingly give up any money... even if it's for something that more than likely makes them more money in the future.

Does domestic league even exist in NZ? They've been in NRL since 1995, yet the warriors have to play reserve graders in NSW Cup. How does that even work for them training wise?

Why even bother thinking about a second team in NZ if it can't even support a domestic comp equivalent to NSW Cup or QCup

NRL isn't even bothered with trying to feed money into domestic competitions outside of Qld and NSW... and even with their established locations there's always calls that they don't feed enough money into grass roots.

 

[Mustafur]

Unfortunately I tend to agree with you... I just think the current stakeholders in NRL are too selfish to actually want to expand the international game and will be happy to live off their little slice even if it is restricted to a small pocket in Aus.

I saw a post on Reddit, which was something along the lines of future players wanting to represent Samoa or Tonga won't actually be eligible, because they will likely be born in Aus and the grandparent rule will no longer apply for future generations given their parents, etc. will have been born here as well... if that's the case then it potentially puts an expiry date on Samoa and Tonga being competitive.

I think the key is growing domestic competitions, but to do that the IRL would have to 'tax' the domestic comps to supplement TV rights from international games, and feed money into emerging areas... and even then ESL would get 'taxed', but should receive funding back from the NRL comp to grow ESL... but there is no way in hell that I can see Vlando and co willingly give up any money... even if it's for something that more than likely makes them more money in the future.

Does domestic league even exist in NZ? They've been in NRL since 1995, yet the warriors have to play reserve graders in NSW Cup. How does that even work for them training wise?

Why even bother thinking about a second team in NZ if it can't even support a domestic comp equivalent to NSW Cup or QCup

NRL isn't even bothered with trying to feed money into domestic competitions outside of Qld and NSW... and even with their established locations there's always calls that they don't feed enough money into grass roots.

With NZ your kinda damned on what to do though, if they make a domestic comp and fund it, it's still going to be notably lower quality than NSW and Qcup which will have them hampered in junior development, I think NZ would need atleast 3 teams in NZ to make it work then do a Qcup style 3 affiliate team model and it should make sense.

That said most of this can be solved with a National Tier 2 competition, I think it will happen eventually and is probably possible once the Next TV deal comes around and there is enough money for another Professional tier to stick under the NRL, then you will have a significantly higher base of full time players in the RL ecosystem to work with.