When people have brought this up, I’d welcome Four Quarters of 20 Minutes, but the clock stopped at every break.

I think Four Quarters would have a more drastic effect than lengthening the game.

I also think the banning of the Shoulder Charge has had a more drastic effect on how the game is played then what Four Quarters will do.

Four Quarters will require different thinking by those who manage the interchange bench. It could result in slightly more intense play as players will be generally more rested – I don’t understand a doubling of the Interchange Bench. I’d thought maybe 2 extra players would be suitable.

One thing I hope happens is that the NRL do this in consultation with the Super League and the RLIF. I have a feeling they wont care, but they do have to remember they are playing Rugby League – If they change the rules this drastically without the International Rules being modified also, then we wont be playing rugby league.

What does 80 Minutes have to do with ‘Rugby’ ?

If that’s your logic, we should have stopped calling it Rugby when we took away Mauls, Contested scrum, line outs and instituded the play-the-ball.

I for one would welcome 100 minutes have suggested 25 minute quarters as a good enhancement to the game for the last 5 years or more.

People say it’s screwing with the fabric of the game. But if we had never had screwed with the fabric of the game, then we would still be watching amature Rugby Union.

Also, just because something is different doesn’t mean it’s bad. Isn’t the All Stars played in four quarters? If it’s such a bad thing, why aren’t we up in arms about the The All Stars playing under four quarters? Also, why don’t supporters/fans get upset when pre-season games are played under four quarters if the conditions request it?

I think peoples general dissatisfaction with the idea of Four Quarters is a prime-evil one – that is they don’t like change. Change is bad. I think change is good and we should never stand still. Having said that, we shouldn’t make change for change sake. There should be clear and logical reasons why change is needed. I think in 5-10 years to come, the change will come and I will welcome it.

P.S I don’t speak for all our members. Accidently made this comment in the wrong account. 🙂

I really think the preson needs a revamp.

I’d like to see a few of the clubs play 50/50 league/union or a unified game with comparable clubs in the region.

For instance, Storm v Rebels, Souths v Waratahs, Broncos v Reds, Warriors v Whoever 🙂

It would actually be an event that people look forward too, outside of the usual NRL games, SOO etc. It’s another revenue stream.

I don’t know where you’d squeeze it in. I think if they ever rationalise the Premiership by removing rounds, then that opens the door for more pre-season activity.

Who the hell chews potpourri?

Jay, Tell them about the evil Canadians who stole their Silverware 😀

Canada are an amazingly professional outfit. It has been initially driven largely by only a few people and the funding has come mostly from them. We granted them approx. $2000 a few years ago – through the help of our members, and we’ve been pleased to see the go from strength to strength.

When you put t like that, I’m pumped up for these games. Can’t wait.

Hasn’t it been fantastic! League is looking very sexy at the moment 😉

Cheers Bearfax. I think momentum is building. ToaSomoa has been a standout. Scoring just as many tries against England, then coming within minutes of defeating NZ – what will they serve up Against Australia? I think their performance has created a lot of good dialog among the league community.

May this be the start of some great progress made in this area.

Which is great. But It doesn’t address the top tier unfortunately. Its very grass roots focussed, which again is good. But it’s not going to address the fact these nations need more tests.

The Pacific cup has been running for years, but it runs during the NRL which means the vast amount of NRL players won’t be eligible. Unless the NRL pulls it’s finger out, cancels NRL during Origin and replaces it with the Pacific Cup, it will remain on the fringes of league, as a novelty.

All we need is a break during the NRL season to allow these guys to play. It’ll give the networks coverage when they need it, the NRL should also be able to sell the rights to the Pacific Islands.

We need a top and bottom approach. I feel they are going to look at the bottom by sending some players to these nations every now and then, but that’s all. These nations need to see their national representatives playing in tests that mean something.

I think he’d be right if England were to actually win a game.

England, even though they were leading at half time, still looked lucky and didn’t look convincing at all. From looking on, their largest inadequacy appear to be their pace of 40 meters and particularly, off the mark. They look so slow. So even though they are able to make the breaks, they can’t go on with a lot of them as they don’t have the pace of the Australians or Kiwis.

Their kicking game was pretty horrible in the first half, particularly their chip kicks. I think it might have been Matty Smith?

Their set plays are also not up to scratch and look pretty ordinary.

Maybe I’m being too hard on them, as I’ve waited a long time for an England Victory. Sunday was a really good chance, but they couldn’t hold on. Perhaps they’ll get better as the tournament goes on.

This must be proof, that Rugby League needs a more significant investment in the Pacific. What we must do is have meaning full Pacific Cups at a time when the NRL & Super League is not being run – in order for teams to use appropriately qualified NRL/Super league players.

This is where the APRLC (Asia Pacific Rugby League Confederation) and RLIF need to show some leadership and put the business case forward to the NRL/SuperLeague and their partners as to why it believes this will be a good investment for the competitions(s).

At the same time, the European cup can be run in the Northern Hemisphere – which it is currently.

This could happen during the Origin period or at seasons end.

Someone needs to get on this. The Pacific is rising. Fiji could arguably pose more of a threat than ToaSamoa, if they had all their eligible players available.

I don’t know why we cannot remove the NRL rounds during origin and have the Pacific Cup on the weekend before Origin – that’s the period when teams are left without their players.

At least ask Channel 9 if they’d like to replace those rounds with Pacific Cup action. I’m not sure if Channel 9 would go for it in the middle of a broadcast contract, but something like this needs to happen from 2018 onwards. I can’t see the big deal. We’ve got masses of Pacific Talent, we need to create a path way for them otherwise, they’re going to do everything in their power to play Origin and the Australian team will do everything they can to get those players.

‘While progress is being made to establish rugby league as a credible international sport, the vast differences in funds for development across countries is indicative to its challenges for further growth. ‘

We’re trying to help. In 4 years we’ve provided thousands of $$$ to emerging rugby league nations, including Jamaica, Canada, Ghana and most recently Ukraine. If you’re into that sort of thing, you can join us and help contribute.

There needs to be more support for international rugby league. We’re trying hard to fill the gap left by the RLIF but it’s not easy. In a perfect world, the RLIF would be paid in licencing fees for letting the NRL and SuperLeague etc use it’s rules – which the NRL and SuperLeague profit from substantially.

Agree. The NRL needs to adopt online as it’s primary medium for overseas. The current rate Australians are able to subscribe to NRL games with is good. I’m sure they currently have the ability to do this too, but it needs to be marketed right. The NRL needs to employee with permanently or on contract, dedicated international sports marketing specialists to find people willing to pay for the game.

I’m sure overseas revenue will increase in the coming years. If so, it is imperative that the RLIF starts to take some of this $$$. The RLIF should be the sole owner of Rugby League rules and profits of those rules should be paid back as dividends or licence fees to the RLIF so that it can organise the international program and provide grants to developing rugby league nations.

We not only need a greater more useful RLIF, we need to re-think the capital structure of Rugby League globally. Rugby League is the product. It should be sold like on.

Maybe we’re all just hoping for an Australian loss, for the sake of International Rugby League – I think I can speak for a few of our members (not all) when I say that.

I think England have a really good team this year, particularly in the forwards. With those guy providing the muscle up front, we could some see brilliance from the England backs, particularly those we don’t get to see much of because they play in the SL. Looking forward to this match a lot.

I think part of the problem is complexity, particularly surrounding U20s, Injured players and finding replacements etc.

Although the Titans is a little larger and does appear to be more than a mistake.

Still I love seeing this year after year. You don’t hear about these small fines from the AFL – do they even police their cap?

I think the NRL has the best working salary cap of any professional code in the world. I don’t know of any other League, except perhaps the NFL (which the NRL has modelled several of it’s working practices after in recent years) has a more even competition.

If you learn your footy in that state, you play for that state. Parents, grand parents don’t and shouldn’t matter.

I’d really like to see similar rules for international players.

We need more international league. I think I speak for all our members when I say, it would be preferable to have the Pacific Cup regularly, and have NRL stars represented in the series.

Personally, I (Rodney McDonell), think having the Pacific Cup during the State of Origin weeks would be the perfect way to engage the Pacific Nations and provide TV stations with games to screen, whilst also reducing the amount of rounds in the NRL.

Imagine the Pacific Cup on the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday leading up to the SOO the following Wednesday.

I (Not all of the RLDF) agree partially. I think any exposure of the NRL will be limited, but is obvious. If the USARL are for real, they would help Hayne out with finding a place to live or ANYTHING else he needed. Hayne has obviously got some media attention over there, hopefully that continues. It’d be great for him to be on a talk show, potentially with help from the USARL. Just a little bit of exposure of the USARL would do them wonders. If more people knew about it, I’m sure they’d have more available players – especially if people believed Rugby league could provide a gateway to the NFL.

When Rugby League players play in other sports, it gives them a new market and hence also exposes Rugby league to that Market.

If Hayne makes it in the NFL, we may not have a chance to see him play Rugby League professionally again, but for those that go to Rugby or other sports, it’s arguable that when they come back, they’ll be more well known and may bring eyes and hearts with them.

It also happens the other though. No doubt some Hayne followers may end up following his eventual NFL Franchise, if he gets that far. That means the NRL can do more to promote the league by recruiting overseas players. The Work that Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler are doing in Fiji at the moment typifies this. Now if only we could find some Chinese, South East Asian, Japanese or Indian players suitable for the NRL?

Are you sure they don’t stream NRL into the US? I’m pretty sure it is.

This is just one link I found from a quick google.
https://new.livestream.com/nrl

I remember several years ago, when lote, sailor, rogers went to union, the cries were there that Rugby League was dying a slow death and that the talent drain to union would destroy us. What has happened is the exact opposite. Union in this country is probably sinking below the A-League now. In fact as a league fan, I think we’ve got to Worry about the A-league more so.

Sallaries in the NRL are improving and the cap will be 7 million for each club in a few years. Giving the outstanding viewership numbers this year for SOO and the GF, I think the broadcast rights are going to be bigger and bigger each year. I only see salaries growing further beyond 2018.