A bunch of cricket score routs, 3 entirely predictable semi-finalists (England, NZ, Australia) and probably the French getting through after the RFL offer them the chance to have home advantage just to draw some decent crowds.

IMO the super group format is worth persisting with - just swap PNG out for one of the Pacific Island nations made up entirely of second generation Aussies/Kiwis.

The last WC....ever single game counted. Every game meant something.

Thats why we need the super group pool.



I'd change it slightly.....have the top two go to the semi's and the third placed team moving to a playoff with the top team teams (And third best side) from the other two pools.....but thats it.

Super Pool works...

what did it count for? super group was dead after the secpond round of games, arguably after the first game. There were plenty of dead rubbers.



you are delusional.

I hate to say it

but he's right you know folks.
The super group format is the only way to go in order to keep things at least semi competitive.

The format may well be the right way to go but to suggest that every game meant something in the last WC is rubbish. All any team had to do in the so called super group was to win one game. Basically England had to beat PNG and after one game they are in the semi's. The games against Aus and NZ didnt make a difference (lucky for England).

The super group is advocated to keep the big three away from the minnows to avoid some pastings.

However with the super group format there is going to be one sacrificial lamb like PNG in 2008 who have no chance of progressing from the group phase. Adrian Lam (PNG coach) was very critical of this at the time and I can't see how any nation would be happy to know they were being dumped on before the tournament starts.

Also didn't PNG get beaten heavily by Aus and NZ so it didn't really cut out thrashings. England just hammered France so you will get some pastings regardless of format.

I think that the cons for the super group outweigh the pros so I don't want to see a super group again.

I think that by putting the big 3 in different groups and letting 2 from each group go through you get a better format than by using a super group.

All the participating nations get the experience of playing a top national side. All nations outside of Australia, NZ and England have a good chance of getting through the groups, as they still effectively compete against each other for the remaining QF places.

I think the best format will come from either 4 groups of 3, or three groups of 4 and NO SUPER GROUP.

You really have a problem with rugby league don't you!


No routs in union of course.....

I agree with the super pool concept, but I do npt agree with the qualifiers playing number 1...

"yeah fellas, proved yourself to be best of the rest, now test yourself againt Australia...."

If, and last time was Fiji, you prove to be the best of the minnows, your benchmark should be number 4, not number 1. Also witht he last format, the outcome of the superpool was to only play t avoid coming 4th.

For this world cup, especially with France, Wales and some of the PI's looking to improve, I'd do something like this (qualifiers are hypothetical)

Super Group (best 3 sides from the last world cup plus the host nation, England)

Australia
NZ
England
Fiji

(A-I) Double header to open world cup @ London (Wembley) - Aus vs Eng, NZ vs Fiji
(A-II) Aus vs NZ @ London (Stoop)
(A-III) Eng vs Fiji @ Hull (KC)
(A-IV) Aus vs Fiji @ Leeds (Headingley)
(A-V) Eng vs NZ @ Manchester (C.o.M)

Group B

France
Wales
Tonga
Lebanon

France and Wales stacked together to give 3 pool games each

(B-I) France vs Wales @ Paris (That 12,000 seater)
(B-II) Tonga vs Lebanon @ Brigend
(B-III) France vs Tonga @ Perpignan
(B-IV) Wales vs Lebanon @ Brigend
(B-V) France vs Lebanon @ Toulouse
(B-VI) Wales vs Tonga @ Swansea

Group C

PNG
Ireland
Samoa
USA

Games for heartlands, + one token game for Ireland

(C-I) PNG vs Ireland @ Belfast
(C-II) Samoa vs USA @ Warrington
(C-III) PNG vs Samoa @ Wigan (JJB)
(C-IV) Ireland vs USA @ St Helens
(C-V) PNG vs USA @ Leeds (Headingley)
(C-VI) Ireland vs Samoa @ Huddersfield

Then quarter finals

Q1 3rd Super pool vs winner group B
Q2 4th Super pool vs winner group C
Bye - 1st and 2nd from super pool

(QF1) England vs France/Wales @ Wigan (JJB)
(QF2) Fiji vs PNG @ Huddersfield

Semi finals

SF1 - 1st Super pool vs winner QF2
SF2 - 2nd Super pool vs winner QF1

(SF1) Australia vs PNG @ Hull (KC)
(SF2) NZ vs England @ Manchester (C.o.M)

Final

Winner SF1 vs WInner SF2

(F) Australia vs NZ @ Manchester (Old Trafford)

I do like the look of that format, especially giving Ireland a game in Belfast



3 groups of 4 would give everyone a good number of games and could still be followed by play offs to decide who finishs where . I think a third place play off would be great especially if it gave some incentive for more internationals against the bigger nations after the world cup.

But isn't Ulster the only part of Ireland without rugby league?

Not a big fan of the super pool. The games in that group seemed a waste of time after the first game when we beat PNG, it took the edge off the games where the big teams played. Plus I think people are too scared of big scorelines. The international calendar is sp as it is, and normal pool groups will give more the players the chance to play against the top teams which I think they will deserve after qualifying. Give it five or 6 WC's with them been exposed and I think you will see a massive improvement from this WC and then one in 6 Cups time. It's all about slowly developing the competition

N.I has just had a small league comp iirc

Good news




How about having the twelve teams put into groups according to their ranking?
This would work with three groups of four or four groups of three.
Group 1: nation ranked 1st, ranked 4th, ranked 7th and ranked 10th
Group 2: nation ranked 2nd, ranked 5th, ranked 8th and ranked 11th
Group 3: nation ranked 3rd, ranked 6th, ranked 9th and ranked 12th

4 team league started this year and bit of talk about an Ulster rep side.

So that means rugby league is played in all four provinces?
A four province tournament would be a good way to end the domestic season. Could even be used as trials for the Ireland Team.

Not sure if a team from Connacht played at all this year but development officers have been appointed for each province so hopefully when 2013 rolls around there will be more playing the game and interested so that a WC game could be staged here.

That wouldnt work seeing as the 2nd and 3rd ranks have an easier group than the 1st rank, and also the 12th rank has an easy group than the 10th and 11th rank etc.
For me the teams should be split up into pots based on location and then have the draw

One thing it would give you is closer games.
How about having three lots of seeds like they have in the Champions League draw in football?

I dont see the big deal with closer games. If I go to a game and saw Australia win 100-0 against Scotland, and the Aussies played Harlen Globe-trotter style rugby I would walk away very happy

Maybe, but plenty of folk will switch off at half time if it's 40-0.
Internationals are a rare thing in rugby league and the chance of seeing Lebanon, Scotland, Tonga or Samoa is something I'd love to have. Would be nice if a few others thought the same way.

But on the flip side I dont think as many would tune in if it was two smaller nations. Personally I am one of those that would go watch genuine teams (not those made up of Aussies/Brits with a grandparent from there) that I barely get to see though.
But seeing Scotland made up of Aussies and lower league English players, vs Ireland filled up with Aussies and lower league English players is not going to get me to tune in. So have either of those teams playing one of the big three is more than likely to get me to tune in

Something I've been saying for a long time.

Whatever the format I think Both Semi Finals should be played at the same ground over a single weekend (as the Magic Weekend is) but the stadia used should be in the heartlands so ether Elland Road Or City of Manchester.

Final should be at Wembley with cheep tickets for all, making revenue from advertisements, and anyone that got a 2 day Semi Final Ticket has the chance to get an even cheaper ticket at the final?
And what about a Ticket Package that gets you into the Weekend Semis and the final for a single price? that way more people will be likely to attend all three of the big games.

Lets Sell out Wembley and make a huge advertisement for both the sport and the international game!

I really like this idea, especially the playoff format with the bye for the "super" group.

Maybe I would add more complication and have a group with PNG, Wales, France + other as the "semi super" group, give top team a shot against "supergroup 4th" and then the team that comes second plays winner of "minnows" group for the mach against "supergourp 3rd".

Or scrap qualifying, make it a knockout cup and each team plays the nearest ranking team until all teams are knocked out, battle royale stylee...

A little over four years to go and I'm getting excited already!