It isn’t wrestling back the title off those nomadic Stormers. It isn’t managing a salary cap consisting of Boyd Cordner, Luke Keary, James Tedesco and an inevitable late star signing.
The hardest task Easts coach Trent Robinson will face this year comes in October and November, as he tries to help the French national team into a respectable showing at the World Cup.
Appointed as director of rugby, his role involves assisting his former assistant-turned head coach, Laurent Frayssinous, from a more hands-off vantage. For one of only five countries home to a professional rugby league team, the first winners and founders of the tournament, reaching the quarter-finals should be a prerequisite.
But they haven’t finished in the top two of the group stages since 2000, and it is very plausible that the same fate befalls them once more.
It’s fair to say he’ll have his work cut out.
None of the NRL’s Pom contingent were out of nappies or their father’s sack the last time France beat an English/British side, while Samoa, complete with Origin-level players like Jarome Luai, Junior Paulo and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui would be very hard to dislodge.
(Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
I have written previously about how we as fans shouldn’t discount international rugby league because of its eligibility rules.
But even I can admit these rules have the effect of devaluing the efforts of a nation like France, independent of heritage players.
For their efforts, they underwent defeat to a Lebanon side entirely populated by Australian-born players, decades after their 2000 debut, with no home-grown players or meaningful pathways to facilitate such a possibility.
All this chat, however, obfuscates the main division in the representative game: that between the northern and southern hemispheres. Rugby league, from grassroots to professional, is so much stronger under the Southern Cross than in the Old World.
The 2019 omnishambles Lions tour, and defeats to Tonga and Papua New Guinea demonstrate the relative power of Australia, Polynesia and Melanesia. If France is to England as Aotearoa-New Zealand is to Australia, then such hemispheric divergence does not bode well.
The aim should not be to lower international standards in the idea of fairness to the lowest common denominator, but rather to help raise the standards of established rugby league nations.
In this, Robinson can help.
Robinson is a refreshing change from fly-in, fly-out coaches (cough, Wayne Bennett, cough), having committed himself time and again to French rugby league.
He is a fluent speaker, had coaching stints with Catalans and Toulouse over several years, and has taken his Roosters side to train in France with those squads when travelling to the UK for the World Club Challenge.
His victorious pedigree brings a dearth of experience and should impress a winning mentality and developmental cohesion. But the situation will need more than the coaching nous of one man.
Of course, a regular international calendar would help in securing financial commitment, but this requires assistance from les rosbifs.
England needs to commit to an annual international fixture, and work out exactly what the strategy is for the European Super League.
While the NRL made every effort to accommodate the Warriors, Catalans, despite being the only side with fans in attendance, had games cancelled and relocated, including two Challenge Cup ties and a Super League play-off.
Replacing Toronto with Leigh, a proud and historic club but situated within 12 miles of the two grand-finalists, in lieu of Toulouse, symbolises such short-term thinking.
Taken by itself, adding more top-order French sides won’t solve the conundrum. Catalans’ failure to blood more local French talent is disappointing, but it needs to be seen in the context of a competition-wide preference for Aussie imports and seasoned veterans over risky youth prospects.
Whereas players that don’t make the cut at one club can often find new options at other clubs, often within the same district, the same cannot be said for the Perpignan outfit.
The entire manner in which the next generation is developed in the continent needs to be rethought and restructured to develop the highest number of players to their fullest potential.
I do take a bias in wishing French success. I’m a francophone (albeit immersed in québécois), so would have an easier time understanding rugby league discussion in Occitan/southern French than the patter of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
But, as an Englishman, it’s sad to see our oldest rivals in such a state.
It’s my hope that they can reach a high enough quality, no longer underdogs, so that I can heartfully wish them defeat.
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
Excellent music Albo - know them all! :thumbup: Mate, I have eclectic tastes representative of the music I was exposed to by my family. Brother - blues/avant-garde/prog rock; sisters - pop (Beatles/Elvis), African (Missa Luba); father - jazz (Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass) and my mum loved country and western! There was quite a fight over the one record player! :stoked:
Nat
Roar Guru
You've misunderstood. This has nothing to do with believing the international league scene "exploding". Never said that once. This is about the development of the game by way of the heritage rules. This elidgibility criteria allows for the development of Tier 2 nations, thus making a stronger international scene. Your mates above seem to take a sick pleasure in denigrating tiny PI nations because some players are first born Aussies. Does that make them less Poli in any way? Any mention of international league and these clowns set up profiles just for the purpose of being a d... Have a look at the comment section of this class act. 2 yrs and nothing but throwing stones on international league threads. If we are talking about domestic comps, well, yes. I stand by the A-League comparison but that's not really up for debate is it.
Nat
Roar Guru
It's cute you think there is a battle Lukie. Union has all the relevance of A-league but with much less support. If ever you union guys want to some cash back in the game, come see the suburban league crowd. One month of the small suburban comp's funding can support another whole season of union. Battle? That's hilarious. The way VHS tapes are battling streaming services...
Albo
Roar Rookie
We are probably of the same vintage, Crispy ! Apart from my footy, music & film are big interests. I'm a blues guitar fan, and began my development in the mid to late sixties with the British blues based bands like the Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, John Mayalls Bluesbreakers, Savoy Brown ( Foghat) and Ten Years After. Later incorporated some US bands like Santana, The Doors ( my fav), Canned Heat, Creedence, Zappa & the Mothers, Big Brother & The Holding Company, & Roy Buchanan. For more cerebral stuff, I was into Joni Mitchell ( other fav), Neil Young, Tim Buckley, Harry Chapin . These days I am into more funky jazz stuff ( Aussie band DIG), and some jazz / blues guitarists like Robben Ford & Larry Carlton.
Tony
Roar Guru
You're full of surprises Crispy
Nat
Roar Guru
Oh we're a little more pointed now aren't we? :laughing: :laughing: Your facetious little comment backfired giving you zero credibility - again. I tell you what big man, you go tell any of the Tongan players they have no right to be there. You lose again champ but I like your commitment to sticking your jaw out on every occasion. Champion, you make old league players come off as Harvard grads with your simple linear thinking.
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
A Zappa aficionado Albo? :thumbup: When growing up I shared a bedroom with my older brother who listened to Zappa/Mothers/Beefheart, Cream, King Crimson and the Stones. I was hooked! Interesting versions of 'The Torture Never Stops' :- 'The "Torchum" Never Stops' from 'Thing-Fish' (Ike Willis vocals) and the original version with Zappa on acoustic/electric guitars and Captain Beefheart on vocals/harmonica from 'YCDTOSA Vol4' and 'Cheap Thrills'. Love my Zappa! :stoked:
Albo
Roar Rookie
I could never really come at his stuff, though he was a good mate of Zappa's !
Pickett
Roar Rookie
I think it's a good move by Robbo, and I'm pretty certain I suggested this on the Roar a while back. I'm glad to see he visits this site and moreso that he is taking my advice. But seriously, if he succeeds with the French team at the next RLWC (ie takes them to the quarter finals), then he forever shakes off the claims by Roosters hating doubters who say he is merely the beneficiary of Uncle Nick's purse strings.
Pickett
Roar Rookie
Too harsh Beathy. Other sports are very 'fluid' with their national eligibility as well. It's amazing to think that the last test series the Roos lost was to the....French! Back in 1978. It was also the French RL who instigated the RL world cup back in 1954, over 30 years before the RU equivalent. How the mighty have fallen.
Nat
Roar Guru
I'm not sure how you measure respect but if the Kangaroos showed up to the next event with half a dozen Fijian/Samoan/Tongan players I would be embarrassed for the code. Conversley, have a look at the footage below. A league player tells his Tongan grandfather he is going to represent Mate Ma'a. He turns down about $30k in doing so and likely a chance of success than if he played for Aust. Again, what is your measure of respect, a player who forgoes money and respect to represent his family or a code that uses money to poach from Tier 2 countries - and still have no measure of success. https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/andrew-fifitas-grandfather-tears-up-when-told-he-will-represent-tonga-at-the-rugby-league-world-cup/3e0cd385-ce0b-4fd7-b774-253d95fdec4b
Sam Drew
Roar Guru
Covid dispensation makes sense if not for the fact that we already have Catalans Dragons in Super League, and Toulouse's elevation would've made the situation more manageable. The latest UK border rules means that players returning from France have to isolate unless they're elite athletes, in which case they can stay in their training bubble. But as most players in the Championship, where Toulouse are now stuck, are part-time, they cannot afford to take 5 days off, and will most likely have to refuse to play.
Tony
Roar Guru
:laughing:
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Good evening Tony Thank you. Now that I know you are keeping a strict eye on me, I will endeavour to maintain my usual high standards otherwise I could be faced with an appropriate form of “pun” ishment!
Tony
Roar Guru
If you've conquered Zappa, try Captain Beefheart
Tony
Roar Guru
Nice pun John
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
English is all I speak and have no knowledge of my ancestral languages, Irish, Welsh and Cornish. Graeme Langlands showed his colourful vocabulary the day Gary Pethybridge played his last game for St.George. Langlands was heading for the goalposts but Pethybridge dummied and unsuccessfully sidestepped the opposition fullback. Rex Mossop, a great word wizard himself, said Langlands was spitting chips.
Nat
Roar Guru
Does that include the 7 players playing for another nation yet born there? That makes ok for Tier 1 nations like Aust to take 12, Wales 14, Eng 6 and even NZ has 4 - guess where from? There's another dozen NZ players running around for other nations, I'm sure they are singing the anthem with pride.
max power
Guest
and the Samoan and Tongan teams had the most players born and raised in otehr countries than any other in the RWC
Paul
Roar Guru
I'd have thought all countries would have "boy and girl words" Tim, given all countries have boys and girls living there! :happy: PS Italian ans masculine and feminine nouns & adjectives.