RLWC 2026

Die Hard said:
There's nothing special about going for Australia in this world cup, with the amount of players we have representing other countries, and Kevin not picking on form, only players he is a fan of, kind of spoils the point of going for Australia at least in NRL. I have a lot more loyalty to our knights players than I do to the bunch of players Walters chose for the world cup.

In NZ alone we have Gagai, Ponga and Crossland, in Samoa keen on seeing our young up and comer second rowers play.
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I am a loyal Australian, but I have a lot of interest in the other nations’ performances as there seems to be Knights everywhere.
Really looking forward to this World Cup.
 
Solway90 said:
everyone is getting better lol. I’m not sure if you’ve been watching lately. It’s just basic patriotism to support your country in all endeavours, sport being one of them. You go for who you want but don’t try and act like it’s somehow normal to barrack against your own nation ffs
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Yeah they are thanks to players like Taumalolo and others who sacrificed money to help build the International game in spite of the ARL trying to hoard all the talent

It’s great they’re all getting better but Australia has still won the last 3 World Cups. They can stand to lose a couple

Big difference between supporting Australia in a global competition where we are generally the underdogs because of our relatively small population and one where we are completely dominant.

Rugby League is a very small sport globally. I just don’t see the fun in cheering for the big guy to beat up on all the little guys all the time.

Will leave the flag-waving to you and all the other patriots. I’ll support NZ with my fellow comrades
 
I don't know how players are being paid this time, but I've always said they should be paid the same across all sides if the teams are going to even out over time - except for guys in some of the minor sides who aren't NRL or ESL standard - they should be paid as semi pros.

Teams like Samoa generate a lot of TV ratings and crowds and deserve to be paid as much as the other pros from the TV deal money.

I hope they are finally paying fairly this time around.
 
Proud Aussie and I’ll back Australia in just about any sporting contest, but I’ve got to admit, I’m seriously underwhelmed by this World Cup.


So while I’ll still support the Kangaroos, I’ve temporarily applied for honorary Kiwi citizenship. 🇳🇿😂

My reasons are perfectly reasonable and not at all influenced by being a bitter Knights supporter.
  1. Kevvie’s clearly continuing his QLD charity work with his selections. Some habits die hard.
  2. Staggs over Best? 🤣 Yeah, nah. That alone is grounds for changing allegiances.
  3. The Australian boys get paid a small fortune while everyone else is basically playing for a meat pie and the love of the game.
  4. Dylbro was robbed of the Golden Boot last tournament. I haven’t forgotten, and apparently neither has my grudge.
  5. Wouldn’t it be nice to see someone else win for a change? I’m still emotionally recovering from our GF loss, so apparently I’ve developed a soft spot for underdogs
  6. I’m still basking in the glorious knowledge that Gags is still officially a Knight until November 1. Love he is still collecting jerseys including international jerseys too!
  7. A World Cup win, combined with our GF heartbreak, might just unleash a completely unhinged, supercharged Kalyn Ponga in 2027. I’m talking full revenge-tour, take-no-prisoners KP. We’ve got unfinished business and a premiership to collect.
  8. And finally, a massive thank you to NZ for doing the Knights a solid and allowing Crossland to serve his suspension. That’s the sort of international cooperation I can get behind. 🤝🤣
So UP THE KIWIS! 🇳🇿
It’s nothing personal, Australia. I’m just putting Newcastle’s interests first, as any completely rational rugby league supporter would.

And if the Kangaroos win anyway, I’ll naturally be claiming that victory too. I’m Australian, after all. 😂❤️💙
 
Billy said:
If Samoa win and get a big TV audience - they should sue.
Clearly they are being ripped off.
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Apparently the payments come from each countries governing body. So it’s the ARL paying the Australians their money rather than them all drawing from one big pool which I think would be fairer
 
mullenmagic said:
Kangaroos get $40k each for the tournament, players at the other nine teams get $850 per game.

www.smh.com.au

Kangaroos players receive $40k. Every other nation gets $850 a World Cup game. That is set to change

The World Cup pay gap will be on the agenda during the next collective bargaining agreement.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au
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Shocking that this still hasn’t been sorted after many years. NRL should pay all their international players the same rate for any international games they play. The NRL soaks up 99% of the money in the game, they need to make the payments equal.

Makes you respect the players who do turn their back on an Australian jersey for another country, though. And remembering that until this year that also meant for Kiwis giving up Origin payments if eligible for that.
 
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jamesgould said:
Shocking that this still hasn’t been sorted after many years. NRL should pay all their international players the same rate for any international games they play. The NRL soaks up 99% of the money in the game, they need to make the payments equal.

Makes you respect the players who do turn their back on an Australian jersey for another country, though. And remembering that until this year that also meant for Kiwis giving up Origin payments if eligible for that.
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Just keep in mind that the nrl does not run the international game
 
Still can’t get over this B rate Australian side, Walters and the selectors are a joke.

At this point you have to wonder why they always pick weak teams for a reason because we could have easily picked a much stronger side
 
Just flicked on to see which streaming service the games are on in the UK. Sky? No. Amazon Prime? No. Perhaps the BBC have bought the games? No.

It’s on some tin pot subscription service called Premier Sports that want to charge £19 / month.

No thanks. Will watch the highlights on You Tube later.

Genuinely wondering how this helps to grow the game by hiding international fixtures away like this.
 
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