There has certainly been a lot of good vibes surrounding international rugby league recently.
The clear and obvious success of last year’s World Cup and the competitive nature of this year’s Four Nations has shown the rugby league world that there is in fact a future for Test football.
Many fans have voiced their views on how to best enable this future. Here are mine.
The greatest difference between this year’s Big Three tournament and previous ones has been its competitiveness. All the teams involved had a legitimate shot at contesting the final.
Even minnows Samoa, whom many predicted would be blown away, were legitimately competitive and never looked out of place among their more fancied and pedigreed rugby league brothers.
Regular matches do wonders for a team’s internal consistency. Samoa clearly benefited immensely from their World Cup campaign and the necessity of having had to qualify for the Four Nations by defeating Fiji earlier in the year.
It is important to encourage this consistency by giving the fourth nation every opportunity to remain with the ‘big boys’.
With this in mind, unless knocked out by a challenger, the fourth team in a Four Nations tournament ought to remain there for the next tournament.
Where would the challenger come from? That’s easy. The winners of the European and Pacific Cups would play off with the victor earning the right to challenge the fourth nation for their spot.
As it currently stands, Samoa is the incumbent fourth nation and Scotland is the current European Cup title holder. In the absence of a Pacific Cup, Scotland would then have earned the right to challenge Samoa for their spot in the next Four Nations tournament.
This idea not only provides the opportunity for regular Test football for second tier nations, it also provides rugby league’s media with excellent story angles, helping to create a storyline for the rugby league public’s imagination.
The Four Nations is an excellent motivation for second tier rugby league. The European and Pacific Cups are its natural feeder tournaments.
Imagine France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales battling out each year in one part of the world while Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga battle it out in the other. All nations striving for the chance to cash in on tournament participation.
Surely that’s a winner for rugby league?
chibimatty
Roar Rookie
What about a Pacific Islands XIII? Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands were all impressive at the RLWC last year, so I'd love to what sort of results a combined team could have. And seeing as this is not the World Cup, why not bring back Great Britain for the Four Nations also?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
A fascinating idea.
Fair dinkum
Guest
I have a far better idea.... Get them to play Rugby Union - the only oval ball code with a truly competitive International calendar. AFL, NFL, RL are all a joke internationally. Union stands out - most players NRL (Aussies included ) would sell their granny for an All Blacks jersey anyway.
Fair dinkum
Guest
I have a far better idea.... Get them to play Rugby Union - the only code with a truly competitive International calendar.
Renegade
Guest
Scott, There were shockers during every week of the NRL yet nine still repeated those.... on delay by the way. I think its imperative the NRL season is shortened.... there's a massive lull in the middle of the season. The shorter the season, the important every match becomes meaning more viewers and more bums on seats.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Major league Baseball is 9 hours of standing in the outfield. Hardly a fair comparison. And more games doesn't necessarily equal more profits if attendances drop. I would imagine there would be a curve when adding more games actually reduced profits.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Johnno Like to see the goannas in the Nines
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I can't really disagree with that. My idea is, in part, motivated by the storyline factor. I think the idea of having to challenge the incumbent makes for a more interesting story. The main point is to create legitimate pathways for lower tiered nations. But there also has to be an eye on creating a legitimate Big Four.
Johnno
Guest
Scott I agree with you about more NRL games, more matches equals more revenue,,players want the cash then they gotta earn it, it don't grow on trees. I have no objection to spring/summer footy, weve' been doing it in OZ always anyway, september finals,and super rugby in Febuary, 4 nations october/november. MLB baseball, play a massively long regular season and play offs plus they have trials. NBA,NHL same format massively long season, and Europe soccer. The thing is 2 points. -No trials may become a player welfare issue,and also more games per year would you advocate larger full time squads eg 3-5 more full time players per team? All stars game is conveluded and a waste in the bigger picture. The real indeginous side is the goannas. It would be good to see a full strength goanna's side not go on tours to play semi-pro sides in wales or france, but to play NZ Maori at full strength etc.
Epiquin
Guest
I fully agree without you Sleiman that Minnows need more high level games more often and there needs to be clearer pathways, but I disgaree that the current fourth nation should defend their spot. The tournament alternates between northern and Southern Hemisphere and when it's in Europe, the fourth team should be European. That's how you capitalize on interest. If the tournament was played home and away, I would be moe supportive of this idea.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Why that view?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
That's better than Glebe, Newtown and Norths Sydney.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
I have the opposite view. I would like to see the NRL competition increased so every team plays each other away and at home. This can be easily achieved by eliminating all official trial games games including the Rugby League All Stars game. The Auckland Nines should be allowed to excuse any rep player if they wish. Eliminate the World Club Challenge as no team has won the Grand Final this century after the trip.
Jay C
Roar Guru
It was a great shame the quality. I didn't hear about viewership but was saddened at the crowds it pulled. Samoa lost it before the toss. Just mentally weren't there. I am under no illusions about who runs RL, and as someone said previously, my allegiances definitely run Club, State, Country. And there is no way in the world I would suggest tinkering with Origin (Other than having a full bye weekend). But the season does go on for a bit. Personally I would love a 48 week season. There isn't too much to do up here of a night time and no footy is killing me. But you just have to look at the injury tolls on players and the quality of some of the H&A games as a result. Would you take 24 weeks with 3 byes? You're only losing 3 rounds a year then.
roosters14
Guest
I think the reduction of the nrl season is inevitable, when it expands to 18 teams i beleive we can take 2 rounds off for 22 playing rounds only. While the increase on teams still gives an increase in games to sell to broadcasters. This would be a win for all stakeholders imo In the short term i would like to see the 12 year calender brought in as is currently being thrashed out by thr powers that be. A sample in my mind is 2015 NZ tour england, pacific & euro cups 2016 four nations in england and WC quals 2017 world cup 2018 Kangaroos tour england 2019 4 nations, pacific and euro cups 2020 2021 world cup I would hold the pattern of tours, 4 nations, world cup every 4 years so each events status increases as its done in a set cycle. The year before the world cup is a tough one, there has been talk of a confederations cup in the style that fifa have. For me it can be done perhaps have the automatic qualifiers play in a round robin with a final.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Which is a great result and should be celebrated and heralded as the journey to base camp, in the Everest that is breaking into the NRL...
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Sleiman The PNG Hunters finished 6th in the Intrust Cup this year.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Jay Both mate, quality and viewership. It was almost unwatchable compared to the NZ v England match. The media controls everything and that means that the H&A and SOO will always get the rails runs.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
There is a difference between will be reduced and ought to be reduced. Also, I'm talking about an investment. International league has not been run properly at all for decades. The couple of times it has been given its due - World Cup 2013 and Four Nations 2014 - it has been a hit. I don't understand how the leagues cannot see that there is a greater future with Test football than with any other kind of rugby league. The only other international possibility that is realistic is to turn the NRL into rugby league's international playing ground, with teams from New Zealand, PNG and other Pacific nations competing in the professional competition. I understand completely the impact Channel Nine's short term needs have on the sport. I'm under no illusion that they would willingly give up 4-8 weeks of NRL football for the betterment of the sport. My view is simply that the sport would be better off - including money - if the season was eventually changed.
Jay C
Roar Guru
A shocker in what terms Scott? Quality or viewership? Don't you think it is too much/too long? Inglis and Co. Played deep into the finals last year, a World Cup, all the way to the GF this year, 4 nations Tourny, World Club challenge then back into the season proper. The only time off they get to recover is if the coach lets them return to pre-season late, in which they then don't get a decent pre season and struggle with injuries etc. throughout the year... I don't think the season will be reduced because Channel 9 won't make as much money, but I do think the length of the season affects the International game and in the context of feeding the four nations a reduction in length should increase interest.