Yeah, and don't get me wrong. Francis > Croker. Salary will be too. I'm more showing my annoyance at the quality of the tournament.
RLWC 2026
- Thread starter Billy
- Start date
krustykraz
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
I hope if he does leave he gets a big deal.
PNG could do with a Croker.
101k
Jake Mamo
This tournament is ridiculous, restrict it to 6 teams and make it some sort of whoever makes semi finals is automatically into the next World Cup and every other team competes for two spots the year before.
Create a separate competition for the other nations these score lines are insane.
Create a separate competition for the other nations these score lines are insane.
Wouldn't begrudge him that at all.
So who would you leave out, Fiji beat NZ in 2017, PNG beat Great Britain in 2019, Lebanon lost to Tonga by 2 in the 2017 quarters …
You can’t call a six team competition a World Cup. And it’s already been reduced to 12 teams this tournament.
Nobody’s forcing you to watch if you don’t enjoy it, but plenty are, as evidenced by the crowds and ratings.
MullosLefttoRight
Nathan Barnes
Problem is that there are no plans for development in International RL, they have rarely existed in the past but are practically non-existent now.
The International game is now whatever V'landys can be bothered to put together for the least expense, organised a month out from the end of the season.
Any other serious sport would have a qualification process that enables teams to have years of preparation, funding, and elite player development to give emerging nations the best opportunity to compete and grow from tournament to tournament.
The International game is now whatever V'landys can be bothered to put together for the least expense, organised a month out from the end of the season.
Any other serious sport would have a qualification process that enables teams to have years of preparation, funding, and elite player development to give emerging nations the best opportunity to compete and grow from tournament to tournament.
Thieves Like Us
Josh Perry
Rather than looking at the other football codes, perhaps RL should be looking at Test cricket for inspiration in the international game. Admittedly it wouldn’t be the same as the Test Cricket Championship because the club game is so dominant but a tournament run over a few years at the end of each season to create a league table then the top 4 play semis and a final to decide the winner.
To keep other clubs interested they could also do a shield competition for the 5th to 8th placed teams. One in the Northern hemisphere and one in the Southern to maximise interest in the two biggest markets.
To keep other clubs interested they could also do a shield competition for the 5th to 8th placed teams. One in the Northern hemisphere and one in the Southern to maximise interest in the two biggest markets.
Wagyu Patty
Timana Tahu
The only way we grow the international game outside of the Southern Hemisphere is by allowing players to fully open up their heritage for the World Cup only.
I.e. someone like say Jamal Fogarty who's arguably one of the better halves in the comp but won't get a look in for any of the top 6 international teams may happen to have a great uncle from Ireland so they let him wear the jersey.
No idea of his lineage but that sort of thing distributes talent more evenly, lesser players learn from playing with elite players.
I.e. someone like say Jamal Fogarty who's arguably one of the better halves in the comp but won't get a look in for any of the top 6 international teams may happen to have a great uncle from Ireland so they let him wear the jersey.
No idea of his lineage but that sort of thing distributes talent more evenly, lesser players learn from playing with elite players.
Last edited:
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
The obvious next step to "fix" international League is to make the pay structure fair.
The Australian players getting 40 k and everyone else getting $850 to cover their expenses is crazy and means the best players either chase the dollars or take a huge loss.
If the pay structure designed around a rating system similar to the points system in the real NRL - something like 100 game NRL or ESL players getting 20k for the tournament - players who are emerging talents getting 10k and semi-pro players getting 5k - you would find a lot more players commit to playing for Fiji or Cook Islands instead of hanging out for Australian selection.
The TV deal pays for this tournament, and Manu is getting pocket money to excite the entire RL world, while Best is getting 40k to warm a bench.
A lot of players would find their scottish, Irish, Lebanese, French, Italian, Greek etc roots if there was 20k in it for them.
The Pacific Island players who do it for pride and $850 dollars are the reason this isn't a complete joke, but to go to a new level, we need to pay everyone according to their "box office" appeal.
It would actually work a lot better for the women's game.
If everyone in the women's game got a decent payday for playing for any side they can fink a link to, most of the NRLW would be playing in this tournament, and players like Kernick, Taufa, Penitoni- Grey, Meakes, would be playing for someone else - even Isabelle Kelly might find her Irish roots.
The Australian players getting 40 k and everyone else getting $850 to cover their expenses is crazy and means the best players either chase the dollars or take a huge loss.
If the pay structure designed around a rating system similar to the points system in the real NRL - something like 100 game NRL or ESL players getting 20k for the tournament - players who are emerging talents getting 10k and semi-pro players getting 5k - you would find a lot more players commit to playing for Fiji or Cook Islands instead of hanging out for Australian selection.
The TV deal pays for this tournament, and Manu is getting pocket money to excite the entire RL world, while Best is getting 40k to warm a bench.
A lot of players would find their scottish, Irish, Lebanese, French, Italian, Greek etc roots if there was 20k in it for them.
The Pacific Island players who do it for pride and $850 dollars are the reason this isn't a complete joke, but to go to a new level, we need to pay everyone according to their "box office" appeal.
It would actually work a lot better for the women's game.
If everyone in the women's game got a decent payday for playing for any side they can fink a link to, most of the NRLW would be playing in this tournament, and players like Kernick, Taufa, Penitoni- Grey, Meakes, would be playing for someone else - even Isabelle Kelly might find her Irish roots.
Last edited:
I don’t think this tournament is missing much tbh, it needs quarters though, strong sides like England, Fiji and PNG deserve their shot at a knock out game. (I know PNG struggled last night, but that’s a sample size of one game, and with an NRL team they’ll be back up there soon).
The main thing for me is the Superleague really needs investment and professionalism. The fact they’re opening up more slots for overseas players is really concerning. Jackson Hastings currently captains a side over there, and he’s not first grade standard in the NRL. You see England fans saying things like “we competed really well with Tonga and they’re full of NRL players”. It’s sad that attitudes have come to that over there, from what was a great rugby league nation.
I’m starting to think it would be best if the NRL took charge, because the game has failed so miserably over there with its current administration. And the success of England feeds into the success of France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland. Get those sides successful again and we have a thriving world stage.
The main thing for me is the Superleague really needs investment and professionalism. The fact they’re opening up more slots for overseas players is really concerning. Jackson Hastings currently captains a side over there, and he’s not first grade standard in the NRL. You see England fans saying things like “we competed really well with Tonga and they’re full of NRL players”. It’s sad that attitudes have come to that over there, from what was a great rugby league nation.
I’m starting to think it would be best if the NRL took charge, because the game has failed so miserably over there with its current administration. And the success of England feeds into the success of France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland. Get those sides successful again and we have a thriving world stage.
Thieves Like Us
Josh Perry
Would love to see a stronger ESL but it is competing against a juggernaut in the EPL which just sucks in so much money that there’s not enough to spread around. It is only going to get worse as Sky are scaling back coverage to just 3 games a weekend and the BBC are pulling out completely. Rumours of DAZN buying rights to the other 4 games but you would imagine that they will be paying bargain basement pricing!
I feel like the game there has been weighed down by history and clubs in the north not wanting to give up their power, is that accurate? Since I’ve been following I’ve seen expansion in London, Wales, Canada all fail. I’m surprised France has managed to hold on, but they’ve had things like being excluded from the Challenge Cup too.
To me the ESL is going down the same path as club Rugby union in Australia and possibly even Rugby union in general in Australia.
From the outside looking in, both are poorly run and both seem to have old school clubs having all the power and not willing to give up any of that power up for the benefit of the game as a whole. Both struggle to get any free to air coverage or coverage in general
I think it was James Graham during the week that said ESL needs to create a breakaway comp. I actually think it might be the only way to save it now.
Have PVL run it for them for the immediate future
From the outside looking in, both are poorly run and both seem to have old school clubs having all the power and not willing to give up any of that power up for the benefit of the game as a whole. Both struggle to get any free to air coverage or coverage in general
I think it was James Graham during the week that said ESL needs to create a breakaway comp. I actually think it might be the only way to save it now.
Have PVL run it for them for the immediate future
Wagyu Patty
Timana Tahu
I reckon alot of this game would've been different if Cook Islands could have held their lead just a little longer but the score got away from them too quickly.
Even 28-16 isn't that far a stretch but they just don't have the fitness to go with them without having some extra motivation by the scoreboard
Even 28-16 isn't that far a stretch but they just don't have the fitness to go with them without having some extra motivation by the scoreboard
KPGreatness
Todd Bates
They need more players to do what the island nations do and that’s break away and join them and get more players into the NRL with elite training.
Even the Kiwis sucked for a long time, NRL clubs could do with bringing some of them into the comp if the NRL were open to dispensations like they were with the union boys
Even the Kiwis sucked for a long time, NRL clubs could do with bringing some of them into the comp if the NRL were open to dispensations like they were with the union boys
Why can’t they reduce the amount of money that the Australian side gets paid and evenly distribute that money to the rest of the teams
If the Australian players get $40,000 each, then reduce that to $10,000.
So if you have 19 players getting $10,000 instead of $40,000 that’s $760,000 to share a among the other nations
I’m not sure what New Zealand and England get paid, but I’m assuming it’s not far off the Australian players, so I’ll exclude New Zealand and England in my example
That leaves Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Lebanon, Cook Islands and France
So $760,000 divided by 133 (7 teams with 19 players) = $5,714.28 per player
The calculation would change if New Zealand and England needed top up as well
It won’t get the other nations up to the Australian amount, but it’s not far off
If the Australian players get $40,000 each, then reduce that to $10,000.
So if you have 19 players getting $10,000 instead of $40,000 that’s $760,000 to share a among the other nations
I’m not sure what New Zealand and England get paid, but I’m assuming it’s not far off the Australian players, so I’ll exclude New Zealand and England in my example
That leaves Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Lebanon, Cook Islands and France
So $760,000 divided by 133 (7 teams with 19 players) = $5,714.28 per player
The calculation would change if New Zealand and England needed top up as well
It won’t get the other nations up to the Australian amount, but it’s not far off