ARLC can revolutionise international game’s future

Paulie The so called leaguies are not left wondering,in fact they are doing something about it. In the year 2000 lucky to be 8 countries involved in playing rugby league with competitions,that figure has since increased to close to 40. Govt grants in somme cases,Commonwealth Games 3rd step recognition in others,and Euro Sport Grants in another. And I see it for ru as NZ first day;right second.Dominance par excellence.

Taauuso you have made a dumb statement check your facts ninety six countries over four years vying for the right to qualify for the 20 team World Cup is that not international growth, lets not forget the heroic deeds of Japan, Argentina, and the lesser nations like Georgia and Romania who played hard to get low opposition scores all good stuff. The leaguies will be wondering how can we get to this level of international league they need to look outside the so called big three I see it as the big one Australia!

you can't be a league follower or you would know about PNG and Fiji teams playing in state comps. Also the massive rise of Samoa and Tonga as International teams and the big following of the NZ Warriors within NZ and Oz! I could go on but what's the point, I think maybe Cadfael you are not a league follower but a follower of another code.

I agree totally.

Because Rupert says so, its okay Lachlan will change that perception whwn hes in charge.

Rugby league was growing but it is still smouldering away. I can rtemember many years ago, the rigby league hierarchy trying to improve and grow the game. We had a South African side tour in the 60s, many of their players ended up playing league in England and Australia. We also had the American rugby league side tour and like SA, played games in major centres here. The Kumuls once played a game in Canberra. Had the powers that bve supported these teams maybe rugby league would be much bigger but apart from the Kumuls (who now generally only play at home) we don't have any other developing nations here, do we? The Kumuls have played quite a few internationals, but where?

Turbowed doesn't have to care about international league. But others do and that is the market that the governing bodies need to satisfy. Turbowed has his cake. In the end, we'll have ours too and the world will be a happy, happy place.

Yes, we could have done lots of other things too... There is a reason eyes are located on the front of our faces and not the back. The Kool Aid is tasty where I stand. Come. Join me and share in our refreshment.

seriously turbo, in a few short weeks the Roos' could end up 3rd in world rankings!!! They have also lost their last 3 games against the Kiwis'. What level of competition do you mean, you could sound to others that you mean the Roos' can't keep up anymore!

Imagine...... a planet far far away, it begins with the letter U...nooooooooooo! Why bother CC. But I have heard union came out of a mother sport called football, so maybe union is lucky to be sport at all! What long bows some draw, I only see it as envy, that people jump sites to try and put down another sport. I didn't think anyone was baiting anyone, but there is a nasty fish on the end of the line!

and why is it always Rugby League that's apparently losing fans, losing players, losing everything while the other 3 codes are all unaffected by one another?

Why have dual code players.The NRL has the money,their counterparts here do not. Just leave it as NRLSOO/Kangaroos to a growing International scene and have a 9s circuit ,which is becoming more popular day by day.The bulk of which on FTA TV.The Kangaroos have tradition.Rugby league is growing in spite of ru's existence and International appeal. And let the Wallabies and 7s circuit continue .Too much duplication with an expanded SANZAR and union tests.

Love being lectured on the history and formation of rugby league Barracuda. If you understand the reasoning behind the breakaway,due to the incompetence of a governing body who had lost touch with the players and their concerns,then one can not blame rugby league but the so called mother game.Or to be precise the blazer brigade running the show. And you are correct rugby league was also very lucky to exist as a sport at all ,in France thanks to the mother and her connivance with an illegal Govt .We certainly know how Union flourished at the expense of rl in that country.The trouble is I also understand what is happening at times in some other countries,where rl is taking root,and obstacles that are out in place.Not a good look I propose. Love your pretentious assumption ,as per your cynical last line directed at me.In fact for your edification I was born in Waverley (Eastern Suburbs of Sydney),lived my formative years in Vaucluse,attended a private ru playing school,played 5 years of union at said school, live in God's country of Sydney,so as they must be as you suggest westie credentials,get me a horse and six shooter.Alternatively I may well have seen the light.Interseting the beachside suburbs of Warringbah down to Cronulla have NRL teams. The demographics for rugby league has changed markedly in the last 30 plus years ,by the fan base and indeed the academic standards of the players .The Western suburbs of Sydney in many places has a higher consumptive income ,compared to some so called upper income areas.Also the West has at least 60% of Sydney's population,and that percentage will continue to grow.The birth rates are indeed far higher there. The suggestion the code is not growing Internationally,is false.If a code had 8 countries with competitions playing circa 2000 and has over 30, now,then if that is not growth from a shallow end the Dictionary news to find new definition. Indeed now the French rugby league has recently received Govt approval for growing the game in schools.

Imagine if there was no pay disputes, only because the difference in classes in post industrial England did we see 2 seperate games evolve. We could have been following one global code of rugby, nothing else would of mattered, we wouldn't no anything else, one less tab on the roar etc. But hang on how did soccer "association football" manage to stay one game, was there a difference in classes when it was codified, I'll give you a simple answer "yes". Would you happen to know that many present day rugby clubs where members of the football association, the present day soccer governing body in England!

Maybe we could have a certain perfect situation where there be duel code players who can play both NRL/SOO and then play for Wallabies and 7's.

Tests certainly have the most scope for improvement, development and success. What more can Origin or even the domestic professional offer? And I don't mean that as a judgement that they are bad.

A few years ago journalists were saying that State of Origin was posing a real threat to the NRL - but as Brian Smith indicated last year (http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/05/20/smithy-creativity-attack-nrl-origin/ ) the NRL is more entertaining than SOO. Since SOO was built on an underdog culture that doesn't really exist any more, its probably time to change the eligibility rules and select the teams from the NSW Cup vs Qld Cup. International Tests are the way forward. I would agree that SOO has so far provided the most intense Rugby League ever played, but it has become too predictable. Rep teams based on "Countries" would offer some well-needed variation.

Number one by default wouldn't be an acceptable outcome for Mal or any of the Australian players , I'm sure the goal would be to defeat all comers in the quest to become World champs again .

Origin is dynamite fluff. Boom!

"The problem is here, rugby league is very lucky to be a sport at all." What does luck have to do with it? Rugby league been a sport for over 100 years now... So where is the problem?