The Rugby League World Cup is a joke
Roar Guru By LeftArmSpinner, 17 Nov 2008 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Australia, Fiji, NRL, Rugby League, Rugby League World Cup
6,625 readsThe Rugby League World Cup is more Amco Cup than World Cup. Tonight, we were supposed to watch and enjoy a delayed broadcast of a semi-final of the Rugby League World Cup.
The Australian team comprised players from professional NRL teams. The Fiji team was a scratch team of mostly amateur players hailing from places such as Parkes and Wentworthville.
Further insult was to come for loyal TV viewers. Phil Gould, after 15 minutes and with the score already 20-0, screamed “This is entertainment!”
Give me a break.
At least the Amco Cup, more than 30 years go, recognised that a first grade team would do significant physical damage to amateur opponents and damage to the reputation of the competition if they fielded full strength teams.
Sensibly they opted for youngsters and second graders in the early rounds.
The RLWC 2008 lacks any semblance of such sensitivity. They even stole a player, Tupou, from one of the minnows when one of their chosen squad dropped out.
The semi-finals have showcased the fact that there are still only three nations competing. The final is likely to confirm that there is only one country capable of winning.
Promulgating this farce further damages the reputation of the code and those seeking to be trusted commentators.
It confirms that the administrators remain incapable of acting in the best interests of this once great code.
- Explore:
- Australia, Fiji, NRL, Rugby League, Rugby League World Cup
November 17th 2008 @ 7:31am
Skull said | November 17th 2008 @ 7:31am | Report comment
Almost as entertaining as a penalty shootout to decide a match
November 17th 2008 @ 7:43am
sledgeross said | November 17th 2008 @ 7:43am | Report comment
Rugby League World Cup, 3 competitive teams.
Rugby Union World Cup, 6 competitive teams.
Really, when you look at things on a “world” scale, both World Cups are really a sham. League is not as advanced internationally as Union, and I admit I didnt have high expectations coming in to this tournament, but I have been pleasantly surprised by the entertainment value. Most games have been exciting, even the wallopings the Kangaroos have handed out, we have seen some close, hard matches between the “minnows” and Australia have been sublime. I think they have done ok actually, and it might inspire these smaller countries to develop the game.
November 17th 2008 @ 8:13am
alan nicolea said | November 17th 2008 @ 8:13am | Report comment
Sledgecross
SEVEN competitive team in Union – SA, AUS, NZ ,ENG, FRA, WALES, ARG, maybe even FIJI.
November 17th 2008 @ 8:14am
alan nicolea said | November 17th 2008 @ 8:14am | Report comment
Sledgecross
make it nine because i forgot about Ireland.
November 17th 2008 @ 8:26am
sledgeross said | November 17th 2008 @ 8:26am | Report comment
Alan, how many can WIN the RU World Cup though?
Lets face it, its only 5 (SA, NZ, Australia, England, France).
November 17th 2008 @ 8:57am
sheek said | November 17th 2008 @ 8:57am | Report comment
Leftie,
Here’s my fearless prediction – rugby union & rugby league will come together within 20 years. Note I used the phrase ‘come together’ & not the word ‘amalgamate’.
The world game will be rugby union. In Australia, a national comp will be dominated by former rugby league icon clubs, but those clubs & players will be playing union. The leagueies might force some concessions from the rah-rahs regarding laws of the game, but essentially it will be union.
Neither code is strong enough or good enough by itself. Worldwide the rugby codes are dwarfed by assocation football. In Australia, the rugby codes will come under increasing pressure not only from Australian football but also assocaiation football.
The fork in the road will become one again.
November 17th 2008 @ 9:00am
Matt said | November 17th 2008 @ 9:00am | Report comment
Well Wales are the 6 Nations champs and the Irish team are also a pretty darn good side. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Ireland made the WC final in 2011. They have some great young talent coming through (Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls, Rob Kearney) and have probably the two best clubs in Europe at the moment (Munster and Leinster).
Wales are coming on strong under Gatland. Only just losing to world No.2 Spouth Africa. Heck, even Scotland are improving to the point where the Boks were lucky to escape. As always the AB’s are favorites, but somehow they just keep getting beaten and proving that the Union WC actually has many potential winners.
For my mind, 5 have a really good chance (those sledgeross listed above) but 8 sides have at least a realistic chance, of the similar potential as the Kiwis league team. NZ, Aus, SAF, Eng, Fra, Ire, Wal, Arg.
Ireland, Wales and Argentina will always struggle to win the Cup if they have to face the AB’s, but they can do damage to the Boks and Wallabies on a regular basis. Even Italy is growing under Nick Mallet.
There are certainly 10 great international teams (Scotland and Italy added to the above), with 8 WC potential winners. Thrown into that are the 3 Island nations (Samoa, Tonga, Fiji) who’s physicality can upset the NH sides (and almost the Boks) and the Union WC becomes pretty competitive.
If the US and Japan (plus Russia, Romania and Canada) ever get their acts together fully then there will be a very competitive Rugby world going on. And if the two Rugby codes ever did come together then there’d be some seriously passionate fans to spread the gospel, as well as a lot of money and players worldwide.
Imagine the growth of a combined ‘Rugby’ code?!
November 17th 2008 @ 9:03am
Alan Nicolea said | November 17th 2008 @ 9:03am | Report comment
Sledgecross
Like Matt said, there are about eight competitive teams who have realistic chances of thinking they can claim the webb ellis trophy. IMO i think there are nine.
November 17th 2008 @ 9:04am
Big Kev said | November 17th 2008 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Sledgeross – yes only a few teams could win a RUWC but only a few teams can win a Soccer World Cup so whats the point you are making? There are a bunch of countries who play RU in significant numbers that are not good enough to win the RUWC (Japan, USA, Romania, Fiji etc) – that is not the same as a RLWC where Fiji make the semis but there are only 500 RL players in the entire country!!
November 17th 2008 @ 9:08am
sledgeross said | November 17th 2008 @ 9:08am | Report comment
Fair enough Alan. I guess time will define the difference between realism and optimism.
Ill throw a few stats out there though. Thus far at the League world cup, the average point differential has been approx 24.5 points. The pool rounds from the last RUWC was 29.85 points.