I still reckon the Panthers game and the Canberra game had about 5k too much announced. That would put me bang on mark for tonight

If someone can convince them then that would be great. I just get the impression the ARL/NRL especially resist international RL. Hopefully the independent commission will be the catalyst we need

The AUP prevents me from debating this with you further

Actually on this forum you are ok... I have no jurisdiction here

Surely the Aussies know much better than us how to grow a sport like RL , they get sell out crowds far in advance of ours , bigger TV deals and are lauded by people like yourself for expanding the game nationally

They should be in charge surely

There are many on here with far more knowledge of RL than me, but I think that an U18's world cup would be the best way forward. Once you are selected to play for a country...that's it!
I know it would be harsh on some players, but if you miss out on selection for England, you might get a chance to play for Ireland, Scotland or Wales through a grandparent rule......then, even if you turn out to be the next Andy Farrell, you are locked into playing for the country you have represented.
In Australia, the sheer number of pacifica island qualified players would mean that potentially, within 5 or 6 years, you could see a competative international competition...at the very least you wouldn't get any hammerings at the senior world cup and no need for a stupid super group!

The fact that so many Kiwis now play in the NRL is directly connected to them owning the only 2 international trophies at present. If you could get the other islanders to represent their herritage country then the I reckon another pacific island could hold those trophies within 10 years.

As I say...there are many on here who know more than I do, but I think this would be the best way forward.

The ARL/NRLs main priority is the NRL. We cant have our international game run on what is best for the NRL

nah...you're OK. I may well be OK here but I enjoy my posting rights over there as well


I can't believe m4e started this thread when he needs a minus crowd tonight

And yet they run their sport much better than we run ours , so you don't want the best qualified people running the sport ?

Agreed, but they do run the International game with themselves firmly in mind.

Players simply wouldnt represent the smaller nations at youth level. They simply wouldnt give up the opportunity to play top tier international RL. They would hold out on the hope of making it. Why would the next Andy Farrell give up ever playing one of the big three to play in a youth international tournament.

The answer is to make it as attractive to play for Fiji as it is for Australia. Have the Scotlands and the Irelands and the Samoans playing the Aussies, Us and the Kiwis.

Have the home nations and france play each other every year, mid season. Have GB represent them at the 4 nations (bar france) and as the home nations in the WC. Have Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Aus and NZ play each other and a Pacific Islands side play in the 4 nations with GB, Aus, and NZ.

Then Jarryd Hayne can play for Fiji and play in top tier internationals, Rhys Evans can play for Wales and play in the 4 nations.

Yes, and they do run their sport better than we run ours. But their priority is their sport, not ours, not the french of Pac Islanders.

There maybe things which the international board needs to do which might not be the best thing for the NRL, Whilst their priority is something else they cant run the RLIF

Sorry I cannot believe a sports governing body would do something like that , they would be so selfish as to make decisions to damage the sport in self interest



, then again ?

I didnt realise that. Think he needs to receive some stick

...EXACTLY.
So...you get them to agree to the U18 RLWC with players, once selected, unable to change shirts when they get older. SOO wouldn't suffer........NRL wouldn't suffer...in fact I'd go as far as to say it would improve and the international game could grow organically and eventually generate even more players to pick from and bucket loads of cash.
Cash is what it's all about....currently the AFL gets bigger crowds and more TV money, but if you make League a TRUE international sport the game would generate loads more for the owners of the clubs.

Smokey....I toyed with the "bring back GB" idea....it would be good for the tri-nations, but I disagree about players not wanting to gamble on their futures. Jamie O'callaghan represents Ireland......he is from west london but he has made his choice now. From what I hear, he is getting better with every game, but even if he was to break every record available...he can't (well, he should't ever) be able to play for England. Yes, you will get some players who hold out....but if they get passed over at U18's...and then U20's they may well change their stance.
Ryan Giggs is probably in the top 10 players of all time never to grace a World Cup......(and an england schoolboys captain to boot) but he never regretted (publicly) his decision. Let's face it, even with the idiot England have as coach now, there are only about 30 players who will get the chance to wear the England shirt..........420 SL Players with about 100 crims/kiwis and a dozen frogs......there's plenty of guys out there who would have jumped at an Irish shirt if they's been offered it a few years back.

The net result of what you suggest would England becoming the best of the rest , rather than the worst of the best as we currently are

We would then have a ' top ' tier of Oz And NZ , with a competitive lower tier of England and the rest

So who is going to pay to watch or invest in lower tier RL ?

Answer ? , nobody

It'll be raining soon and crowds in Sydney will be back to their normal sub 15k.

Good job Queensland is the heart of RL and keeps the avg up!

Last time I checked there were 17 players in a team and about another 17 in the squad. 68 players currently in the NRL that have a chance of representing Australia or New Zealand. 16 squads of say 30 players is 480..........take your 68 out and you have over 400 players...a lot of whom wil qualify for pacifica countries......I would suggest that if given the chance to play for their herritage country, even at U18 level, a lot of these guys would have taken it.

As for investing in the lower tiers.....the IRB seem to have no problem filtering cash down. As for watching it? I will stand in the rain again this year to watch my local comp and then spend a few hours in cars/planes watching the Orcas in the national comp.....I am a fan of the game as well as my club. I pay (only minimal, but I do pay) to watch these games...I would like to think I am not alone.
You watch Leigh...you pay to watch them....you are supporting, investing and watching the lower tier.....so there's two of us to start with



There is no quick fix.....but as I have said, if you get the 30 owners of the top clubs in the world together, show them the plans, explain that their money is safe and that what you are proposing will benefit them, they may get you to tweak it a bit, but I think they's all buy into it........getting them all to obey the rules is a totally different matter.

If the Dogs get 532 tonight you win



Big gate in Auckland helped as well BTW......Shows that NZ should get a second franchise NOW!!!!

yeh damn those warriors fans turning out for their one annual game of the season!

as you're $50 out already, fancy a flutter on the seasons average for the warriors being higher than last years 13,313?

shouldn't be hard with that first up crowd. Get the weather turning and the Warriors slumping as per usual and they will be back to their usual 14-15k.

Off the top of my head that would mean they would only be getting 11,222 per game for the rest of the year... and thats equaling it.

And in England's top team sport the top 16 averaged approximately 565,000 in the last full round of matches!

Let's compare apples with apples if we're going to make it a #%*+ measuring contest!

But then you have to compare populations. And England is much bigger than Australia/NZ