I am thoroughly enjoying the 2013 RLWC from all aspects – except for one. I refer to the self-appointed gurus who increasingly pollute and try to impose their various biases on this website.
There has been a number of very close-fought, entertaining games in this rugby league event.
If you are fair-minded – and actually took the time to watch the action – surely, you would make that concession.
We’ve seen some with top class football played at a void time on the Australian sports calendar, when we are usually preparing for a summer of cricket and tennis, as well as sports related to the beach, horse racing and our nation’s beautifully manicured greens and fairways.
I am enjoying the spectacle of the RLWC for what it is worth. It is not Union’s Cup, nor is it the month-long, FIFA finale.
It is simply rugby league’s effort to take its product to the masses.
It seems, however, there are many ‘contributors’ to The Roar who have nothing better to do than bag it from A to Z. Anyone who writes a positive here attracts dozens of negatives.
Naturally, league’s World Cup has had some blowouts. That tends to happen in sports when the big dogs play puppies.
But in the end, cream will rise to the finals and the contests will be full-on, take-no-prisoners events, which have a rather large trophy to take home by the WC champions.
Why is league’s credibility being attacked by so many of you? Is it just another chance to fire some shots in these infernal code wars?
Rugby union fans should be content to comment on the Wallabies spring tour. Soccer (football) supporters have a competitive A-League season bubbling along nicely.
But no. Here on The Roar it’s a free hit for anyone with an itch to take a pot-shot at rugby league.
I really don’t get it.
League is at least trying to embrace countries other than Australia, England, France, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Sure, it’s a relatively small dish at the moment but the more countries that are introduced to the cauldron, the spicier it will get.
Ask anyone you know from Fiji, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga if the tournament means Jack to them.
Oh, you don’t know many/any people from those countries/regions? OK, just keep bagging away.
It means a heck of a lot for these competing nations to be included in such an event, even if their team is dominated by NRL players and seriously has only a slim hope of lifting the trophy.
I cannot speak for you but I am loving the chance to see New Zealand’s finest league players flex their muscles as they build their title defence.
Isaac Luke, for example, has been in magnificent form for the Kiwis. They say Cameron Smith is the world’s best hooker. He certainly has been, but is he right now? Could it be that Luke has taken over his mantle? He has been superb in his Cup games so far.
England’s challenge is undeniable – they have a pretty handy team – while Australia looks determined to do whatever it takes to secure a trophy they believe should be theirs.
I liked watching Daly Cherry-Evans playing international football. He is clearly at the forefront of the new generation of Australian league players. Watching him in this event is like peering through a window to the future.
I am enjoying the attack and defence the RLWC is presenting to those who follow and understand the game, as well as those who might be tuning in as casual observers.
This is an international showcase and the wares, by and large, have been appealing.
League is pretty much a simple game and many of its players unquestionably number among the world’s best athletes.
They are clearly enjoying the challenges at hand for their respective countries. They are showing pride in their performance and this means a lot to the mega fish right down to the minnows.
We have now had two and a bit weeks of World Cup action, it has been an interesting entree and the main course is
still to come.
I can only wish that anyone who ‘dares’ write something positive about the RLWC here on our favourite website, The Roar, is afforded a fair and decent hearing.
It has grown increasingly tiresome watching keyboard snakes slither out of the grass and strike at anyone or anything remotely related to rugby league and what is developing into the most successful and best-watched WC series on record.
If it’s not your cup of tea or schooner of beer, so be it. Get your jollies elsewhere.
I’m thoroughly enjoying Channel Seven’s coverage on 7mate. Hiss off snakes – and roll on the RLWC finals.
Tony S
Guest
JRS, I can only agree with one thing you say. 7mate and Vossy are fabulous and absolutely fantastic compared to the alternative coverage served up every weekend during the NRL season on a competing channel. The bosses on that channel must have had some sort of gripe with Vossy's approach, ego, presentation, whatever !!! Who knows ? I tend to think in my humble opinion that you have to be a member of some kind of "boys club" to even think about joining the commentary team or do the "Footy Show". Anyway, well done Channel 7, Vossy, and any other individual involved in the telecast of the RL World Cup. :-)
JRS
Guest
As a sports fan I'm loving the RLWC, why anyone should feel the need to complain about the competing nations is beyond me. I'm sure everyone representing their country feels very proud playing in front of the crowds they are drawing. Great coverage by 7mate and commentary by Vossy!
Tony S
Guest
Hate snakes....I get more than an adrenaline rush. If one of those blokes that you mentions bites you it's all over for you pretty quick. Getting tackled by Warea Hargreaves would be just as bad. It's great that the high tackles, spear tackles, gang tackles etc...have been banned. I have a good friend who became a quadriplegic as a teenager due to a bad tackle. After multiple operations, spinal fusions, bed sores, massive respiratory scares, he still survives and contributes to a club in the NRL as a statistician. Amazing individual. He suffered exactly the same injury as Christopher Reeve ( Superman ) however Reeve passed away a few years ago. I'm massively in favour of the stand the League has taken to soften the tackles on a player, although the tackles are anything but soft. You still have to be an extremely fit and strong individual to play in any NRL game. I'm amazed that there have not been more serious and permanent injuries in Rugby League. Those poor blokes playing for the "lesser profile and smaller" competitors in the World Cup must be horrified when they face the giants like Australia, New Zealand and The Poms. They would never have experienced the bone shattering tackles they will be subject to. Lots of bruises, cuts, concussions, and broken bones ahead. :-(
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I'll stick to the safer stuff ,abseiling and hang gliding for the fate testers. I would rather get tackled by Warea Hargreaves than sky dive.Maybe I should not have made that comment,This could get back to the UK where a wonderful RLWC is in motion and he might take me up on that challenge.Paced bushwalking is my main adrelain rush,more so when a red belly or brown slides near by.
Silver_Sovereign
Guest
big deal. Union made big inroads around the country when league players went to union. Rogers, Sailor and Tuqiri going to kick and clap made a much bigger impact amongst non union fans than the likes of the Neville Nobodies you mentioned. As said by Oikee, Israel Folau a league player would be the only Wallabies player most people could name. Hardly anyone would actually know the Wallaby skipper's name
In Brief
Guest
Thanks Russell - The Roar really needs to censor your use of derogatory terms such as 'yawnion'. I don't get how that is acceptable. Your vitriolic comments reveal a level of hatred which is quite foreign to Australian sports fans. Regarding rugby union players excelling at rugby league it is a fair comment. I number of players in the NRL are rugby union players, however this never gets mentioned. Conrad Hurrell is just one example. Other examples include Roger Tui Vesa Shek, Warea Hargreaves and Fui Fui Moi Moi. There are many more.
In Brief
Guest
Let's be clear - 'kick and clap', 'wendy ball', 'yawnion' and other offensive references have no place on an Australian site.
In Brief
Guest
The stats also don't record the number of rucks and mauls a player will hit or the number of scrums or lineouts. So a player like Richie McCaw has a massive workrate when you add up his tackles, runs, rucks, mauls, scrums and lineouts.
Tony S
Guest
Crosscoder, I have done lots of abseiling. Walking in the Aussie bushland is fantastic hey ?. I have also tried hang gliding and sky diving a few times. Gets the adrenaline running. The first jump is the hardest, after that all is ok except if you land the wrong way. A bit like playing footy. The adrenaline is pumping until just after the first kick-off, the first tackle you do, or the first tackle the opposition does on you. Even if it hurts like hell you just get up smiling.......ouch !!!
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Ever tried mountaineering? Love it.
Tony S
Guest
Now that comment really does explain a lot.....poor bloke. As I said, enjoy the Rugby League World Cup Final and whatever other sporting event you choose to follow, even lawn bowls :-(
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Its my rugby background Tony,thought you would have realised that.One of those nasty defectors.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Never had a problem with that .Lucky I guess.Happened to you twice already.Blame the refs. As opposed to your non use of commas, hey what!!! Oh I will, and 70,000 tickets already sold will make for some atmosphere. As the saying goes,ciao baby.
Tony S
Guest
It would be great to always put my writing into paragraphs which is what I always do. Unfortunately the website occasionally tends to post in default mode and everything shows as a single paragraph whether you like it or not. I thought you would have already known that. Be careful with your commas. They were placed in the incorrect places in your last post. Anyway, such is life. Enjoy the rest of the World Cup. The Final will be sensational hey ?
Tony S
Guest
Now that really explains a lot. Ummmm, :- /
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I prefer leather patches for my eyes Tony.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Um!!! Tony I have ,as you will notice my postings have been rather limited,which indicates I do in fact read what others have stated.It is obvious you dislike or feel offended, someone daring to respond to your posts in a rl thread.Get used to it. It is the ignorant and plain trolling ones to which I respond,feeling a bit squeezy? Massive one sided games happen in all sports and indeed world cups.It is hardly a new phenomena. The Grand Final tickets are in line with other sporting events,and I could mention a couple of other codes,who have no qualms to charge a king's ransom. As your post consisted of one huge para which needed a search party to get around,I do humbly suggest you lecturing me, on spelling and typing is rather hollow or dare I suggest hypocritical.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
You should have clarified that in the first place Tony S.To suggest did Russia ever compete in a rugby league cup again leaves you open.Dont shoot the receiver. What !!! A national team that plays Serbia,Italy and Germany in a European Shield is not a national team.FHS what is it then? You are obviously are not fully aware,in fact not aware one zot,if that be your response. What on earth are you on about hundreds of millions of dollars and billion dollar TV deals.Never mentioned either. You can call the RLWC whatever you wish,its a democracy and this is open debate.The cup will make a decent amount of money,it has recorded on two occasion on the BBC 2 million viewers the best ever for rl. Actually Russia spends a lot of money on sporting infrastructure,Oil is making a lot of loot for that country. So what if England/Australia/NZ dominate .Who dominates netball.Australia dominated swimming for many a year. As to your last dismissive line,I spend a fair amount of my idle hours researching and checking what is happening overseas.I just got back from Fiji ,and saw the media attention given to the Cup,in a country where rl is down the pecking order.I have been to Wembley and been on a Roo tour. I'll back my judgement against comments, that reek of code hating insecurity. Don't worry Tony I like my eggs sunny side up.Stick to the other code which I spent my youth following.
Sean
Guest
Yes the coverage is better No betting promotions or cross promotions of unrelated shows and they focus on the game rather then on one golden boy or their own lame comedy routines like Gus and Ray Andrew Voss is the best RL commentator going round and 9 made a huge mistake running him out of town as they are left with an increasingly aging and out of touch commentary team. The host of 7’s broadcast is Ryan Phelan and the former Storm player is Matt King
Tony S
Guest
Yep Crosscoder, better keep those rose coloured glasses on, otherwise the egg will get into your eyes.:-)