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Oh dear, poor little rugby league really upset the apple cart by deciding to revive its own World Cup. Like most rugby league fans, I’m looking forward to the event. It makes it much easier to fill in the weekend when you know there’s more action on the field to balance the blow-by-blow account of the Broncos off season.
And what better way to spend the next weekend than entrenched in a festival of rugby league.
Now, you show me a rugby league fan that doesn’t feel warm all over with the mere mention of the word “Kumuls” and I’ll show you a fraud.
Plenty of league fans had their turn cheering on their ‘second teams’ this season with the Raiders and then the Warriors getting a turn, as blokes rummaged through their wardrobe for anything green before heading to pub or rattled off lines from Once Were Warriors to try and worm their way into the team’s supporter base.
But that was all a dress rehearsal, because the Kumuls are back in town and Papua New Guinea are officially everyone’s, and I mean everyone’s, second team.
If England normally fulfill the role of pantomime villain, then they better get ready for the crowd at their opening at match to all be bellowing “He’s behind you!,” because there will be few locals putting their support on the St George’s cross.
There would be more romance in a Kumuls opening match victory than the entire collected works of Barbara Cartland. Or, indeed, the back catalogue of PNG coach Adrian Lam’s efforts in the adult entertainment industry.
But the mood before this tournament is far from any blue light disco.
It may not be carnival in Rio, but it’s certainly enough to raise the spirits.
What has stunned me is the reaction of so many union and football fans about rugby league having the brazen temerity to host a World Cup.
Now, I don’t think there would be a single league fan who would argue that this World Cup is bigger than the football or union equivalent (in the same way that no union fan would argue that theirs holds a flame to football’s).
But does that mean we aren’t allowed to hold one?
It seems that the kill-joys seem to feel that by league looking to find a place on the international stage, it is chipping away at their deemed order of things.
The union fans who seem most upset about the league World Cup are the ones who use union’s international superiority as a security blanket when they see league towering over them in the heartlands of NSW and Queensland.
Don’t worry fellas, we’ll keep the music down after eleven and make sure there aren’t any bottle tops left lying around afterwards.
You can even come along if you want.
But you have to promise to enjoy the game for what it is and not continue to make snide remarks about a game only played in New South Wales, Queensland and Wigan.
This World Cup is all about consolidation.
The organisers are honest enough to know that putting some sides up against Australia is only going to result in triple figure deficits, which never look good (like a certain other World Cup I could mention).
But the tournament has been structured so as to be financially viable and also offer a chance for the game to grow in targeted areas.
Garth Hamilton yesterday offered two examples in an attempt to ridicule league’s efforts: Lebanon and France.
It is true that in the previous incarnation of the Cedars at the last World Cup was made up of players who plied their trade in Australia. Although, it’s not like they wouldn’t be classed as Lebanese.
Hazem El Masri was born in Tripoli, so surely he would tick the right boxes.
But after that tournament, the International Rugby League Federation instructed the team’s management that in order for them to participate at the next tournament, they would need to set up a competition in Lebanon.
They did just that. And the game is now played throughout university’s in the country.
A number of players from that competition also took part in the qualification for this World Cup, which saw them miss out at the last hurdle after being beaten by Samoa, a country whose rugby league community is also looking to re-establish itself.
Since then the Lebanese side have played a Tri-Nations tournament against Russia and Serbia.
The French were also dismissed for only fielding one side “worthy of first class competition.”
That one side is certainly a vast improvement from a few years back and also neglects to acknowledge Toulouse’s attempt to gain entry into the Super League and their participation in England’s National League One competition.
But like the maidens that Mr Hamilton referred to, some people will simply never be happy with what is on offer.
As Catalan Dragons talisman Thomas Bosc may say, “cest la vie.”
We might be on the road to nationalising all the banks, but we don’t yet have the secret police listening through the keyhole (although to be fair we do have Oztam and Viacom). So if you don’t want to watch, the simple solution is not to.
However, the prospect of seeing Tonga and Samoa battling it out at the foot of the mountains certainly gets my pulse racing. The Pacific Islander is pretty much the prototype for both rugby codes, so seeing Tonga and Samoa is akin to watching the two versions of the Terminator battle it out in T2.
The same can be said for the Aboriginal side selected to play ahead of the Australia versus New Zealand match.
It’s a tremendous idea, probably ten years overdue, but something which properly acknowledges the contribution of indigenous Australians to the game of rugby league.
So my advice is that if you want to talk about a decline, look at the sharemarket or the prospects of the value of your home.
But if it’s a bit more rugby league that you’re after, then get yourself a second, third and fourth team, fire up the barbie, and enjoy your footy.
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