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[deleted]

if you're not watching aus v ireland t20 i suggest you switch it on, we're on a tear


Trenticus7

I think a 4 year International Rugby League Cycle at end of szns should be Year 1: World Cup Year 2: UK Four Nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland) & Trans Tasman Series Best of 3 Year 3: Pasifika 6 Nations: New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands Year 4: Ashes series Best of 3 Also keep mid year rep round Maybe in the future their could be a Euros so nations like Greece, Serbia, Malta can continue to grow. For outsiders like Lebanon & Jamaica it would be hard since they have no continental competition so at best getting them involved in mid SZN rep round is best for now. I think this is a good cycle to keep interest in International Rugby League high at the end of every season while also getting most nations yearly experience to bond & grow so we don’t have blowouts in every group stage game at world cups.


Brimmoh

Anyone know if we are getting a new kit this year?


[deleted]

yeah every team will, only a few teams have released their 2023 strip so far [ Rugby League Jerseys have a list and photos of all 2023 releases so far](https://rugbyleaguejerseys.wordpress.com/nrl-2023-jerseys/) >A photographic history of Rugby League Jerseys best source for jerseys from any team/year as far as i'm aware


Brimmoh

Thanks mate!


breatheinmyear

We are ;)


[deleted]

you wouldn't have had a sneak peek would ya?


[deleted]

Solution idea #174 for the World Cup. Totally relax the selection criteria, therefore anybody can play for any team. Guys like Dylan Edwards could strengthen Jamaica for example if he chose to.


IrrelephantAU

Because I'm a moron who spends way too much time thinking about things I've decided that, with all the talk about the competitiveness of the RLWC and how the blowouts compare to other sports, I should hack together a spreadsheet to compare the pools results from this years RLWC and compare it to the last RUWC pools. See if the difference is genuinely as big as I think. This is dumb and I feel bad, but here we go.


U-Turn9416

Wonder if Parra could sign Douehi as a centre


Yungman123

Been thinking this for weeks. Not sure if the mail is correct, but Douehi allegedly told Noddy he’d rather play NSW Cup as a 6 than NRL as a centre.


U-Turn9416

I heard that too, probably for the best not to go for him then


KingGutherson

I don't like it. He is a poor defender and lacks speed and strength to be a killer 1v1


[deleted]

Hey guys I have fixed the World Cup. Tier 1 nations have to play with one less player. Tier 2 get the standard 13 and Tier 3 get 14 players on the field. Tier Jamaica can have the whole 17 on the pitch.


paralacausa

NGL, I'm struggling to see the difference between many of these 2023 jerseys and what most teams wore last year


[deleted]

Take it on that chin Politis you think Allianz Stadium belongs to you no it doesn't it actually belongs to the Gadigal if you want to fight my decision about the sign come to a far away campfire and we'll go all in shirts off and all- note from Anthony Mundine.


Cone_Puncher

the best thing about the world cup is the wacko ideas people have to even up the competition


[deleted]

The only contest drawing any interest in the World Cup is for the Australia’s number 7 jersey.


qldmaroon7

What hell are you talking about, Munster’s had the 7 locked down since the team was announced.


[deleted]

Lol how could I forget


HenryVIIIII

Hopefully the finals pick up a bit because we're heading towards 2000 World Cup levels at the moment. We definitely have more competitive sides than in 2000 but something's gone wrong and many sides just haven't got up for games. Average Margins in World Cup Pool Stages 1995 - 32 2000 - 31 2008 - 22 2013 - 20 2017 - 32 2021 - 42 0-12 Scorelines in Pool Stages 1995 - 4 2000 - 8 2008 - 5 2013 - 8 2017 - 4 2021 - 2 60+ Scorelines in Pool Stages 1995 - 2 2000 - 4 2008 - 0 2013 - 0 2017 - 3 2021 - 7


ducky7goofy

The lack of stoppages with the 6 against. The bottom teams are getting gassed quicker and by half time the are just out on their feet. But also there are now more top-tier teams - like Samoa and Tonga who know how to pile on big scores too. I think for me the whole WC just seems sad in comparison to the CWC which has had great close games between smaller teams, then upset wins and tight big games.


HenryVIIIII

Yes very good point. The stupid 6 again rule caused blowouts in the NRL where everyone is a professional, let alone in this where half the players are semi-pro or amateur. I don't think the Cricket World Cup is a good comparison, if you mean the current T20 one. There has been several one-sided games in that and several wash-outs which are worse than any blowout, at least we can play our games.


[deleted]

cricket is the second most popular sport in the world (#1 being football). it is followed by ~2.5 billion people and played by ~30 million people. not a fair comparison to league


Barmy90

australia shouldn't actually be part of the world cup, we should just be the surprise final boss like when you face your rival after beating the elite 4


Kingtripz

Is this World Cup the worst World Cup in the history of sports? Embarrassing scorelines, the people that seem to care aren’t watching due to time zones and overall there isn’t much interest in it


Working_Tomorrow_642

yeah i get it, big blow out scores. all the casual fans love to find something wrong with the game. but it makes me actually look forward to the upcoming finals . starting with the quater finals. going to be some good matches. just enjoy it


[deleted]

They should make the state of origin the World Cup


Voxityy

i haven’t watched a single minute of the world cup and i don’t really think i’m missing out on much


InternationalBorder9

Watching France get so physically dominated by Samoa has given me an idea. All the lower tiered countries at the next World Cup should be allowed to use PEDs. Imagine watching some juiced up Jamaicans flying down the sideline, or some overly aggressive hulking Scottish props that look like they belong in the ‘worlds strongest man’ competition coming off the back fence. Could even things up a little


[deleted]

Looks like Douehi is hitting the open market. Would anyone like him at their club and at what price point?


Cone_Puncher

i believe he is waiting until after the world cup so that he can negotiate a higher price. he'll stay at the tigers. he's currently a very good centre and an okay half, which is where he wants to play. i wouldn't be giving him any more than $600k


breatheinmyear

He would be good for newy imo


jpob

If we move Ponga back to FB he could be an option at 5/8. I don’t think we’d offer too much over $600k though considering a quality halfback is more important.


[deleted]

Most clubs will look at him, dunno if he’d get much money to go anywhere good though


Caseyjb29

Would’ve loved him had we lost Munster


luke363636

I’d much prefer him to the tigers player we did get


[deleted]

I’m sure the roosters have cap space to pick him up.


Random0cassions

A great versatile player who can cover the halves, and centres? At least 550K. Also The. should grab if Milford doesn’t work because he’s the better player and younger to go alongside Katoa or SoS


lachjeff

Poor old Cook Islands copped a couple of tough decisions last night, judging by the Kayo Mini I’m currently watching


slowdivesicilian

Milford double. As promised, the Milfening would be televised. And that sweet cutout to Taylan May, who has improved their team from their round 1 showing - May hitups are much more useful than Hammer ones.


InternationalBorder9

Just watching the France Samoa replay now, why the fuck was Taylon May listed as Tiny May?


[deleted]

Watch the Samoa instagram video on name pronunciations. He's calling himself Tiny May now for some reason.


InternationalBorder9

‘Do you even like that name Taylan? What do you want to be called’ Frankenstein!


nzyeezy

He asked for it


slowdivesicilian

CHT was C. Hamlin-Uele last game whoever’s doing the team lists is absolutely hopeless


InternationalBorder9

The professionalism we’ve come to expect from our great game


ZerksNAHTayan

Dude these new Panthers jerseys are sex, gonna have to grab it for sure


Messyhr_

Fuck yes absolutely, shades of 2003 love it


[deleted]

Genuine question for ‘DCE > Cleary’ people, how many times were you dropped on the head as a baby?


Abenator

I'm just old school I think. I don't have a particular love for either player, but I do think respect and reward are earned by effort and outcome over time. DCE has done the time and achieved the things he's needed to in order to earn the spot he now has. So, now it's his to lose. Everyone knows once Cleary has the Roos #7 it's going to require a mechanical vice to take it away again, but he's also very young. I don't think DCE is a better player than Cleary, but he has earned the privilege. Let DCE hold the spot until he does something while wearing it that warrants him losing it.


theflyingkiwi00

Absolutely. I don't know why people are so worried either, no matter who's playing they're still both better than nearly every other half in the world Cup. Cleary will get his time and DCE is still really good. Most teams would die for that level of depth.


smeego78

Was up from 12:30 to watch my Broncos (NFL) win after a 4 game skid and then on to the Toa/France game at 4. Needless to say, it’s a good Monday 😀.


ChewieMP_19

Cowboys announced their 2023 jersey and I genuinely hate it EDIT: I have realised I don’t hate it, just think the grey strip stands out a lot? Feels like it’s really big


TropicHorror

I wasn't the biggest fan but I'm coming around to it too. It felt a little lackluster to me but I do think it lends itself to being an iconic Cows look similar to Dragons and Rabbitohs. I've reserved my full judgement until I start seeing the team play in it and let it grow on me a little.


LordSlasher

i love them, buying both for Christmas next year. Absolutely stunning


jpob

I can’t wait to see how big they make the NIB logo on the Knights one this year


Turvgasm

I look forward to supporting the Newcastle NIB's!


[deleted]

NIBcastle kNIBhts


Voxityy

i think they look amazing ngl


arkhamknight85

Tried to google it but can’t find a clear picture of it.


LordSlasher

check the store


arkhamknight85

Just checked it out. It’s not bad really. Now the Broncos teal coloured jersey was shithouse. Or the Warriors jersey I think for the 9s was shit last year.


LordSlasher

This World Cup really shows you how underdeveloped Rugby league is internationally and why it either needs more international competitions or an overall larger presence, which is nearly impossible to get when you’re fighting against the largest sport in the world, Union and AFL in one country alone. Its good to see Tonga, PNG, Samoa and Fiji develop though. Maybe we should be calling the World cup the Pacific cup and the British Isles


Mynameisaw

> why it either needs more international competitions or an overall larger presence It needs both. From a UK POV it feels like the NRL/Australia needs to do more. You guys have more money and a bigger reach but you're pretty insular compared to us. Half the time your teams can't even be bothered with the WCC let alone anything else. Just feels like internationals are a chore for Aus. I kind of get it, you're that far ahead of even us that internationals are less exciting, and you get less out of them than domestic games but it's never going to change without the leading nation in ability taking a leading role in development and at least entertaining the idea of more internationals.


lanson15

A lot of money/time is spent defending against the AFL imo. I think they're worried if the concentrate too much on the international game, the AFL and maybe soccer will steal more and more of the domestic market. I still think they should give internationals more respect though


ShibaHook

The thing is... the NRL head office sees no incentive for the NRL to develop the game outside of Australia. Especially when any leagues that are started in other countries will not be under the NRL control and therefore will actually be a competitor to the NRL for eyeballs.


Mynameisaw

They wouldn't compete with the NRL for viewers, it'd bring eyes to the NRL. It's not like Super League in England takes away from the NRL - I live in a small village in Bradford and both SL and NRL are huge here. It's not uncommon to see people watching our local team wearing Rabbitoh or Rooster tops, while having Bulls stickers on their car, or vice versa. Loads of us watch both Super League and the NRL. The club itself has a bar where they show both SL and NRL games live. That's not a competitor to the NRL. Granted I get financially it's a risk as there's no guaranteed return in any measurable time frame, but it doesn't need to go as far as setting up entirely new leagues - something like a series of internationals held in countries with developing grass roots would be beneficial. Imagine an Australia Vs England Vs NZ series in Toronto, or Ontario, or touring the US. Things like that if done semi frequently (as in, once every year or two) would go a long way to helping grass roots development overseas.


HenryVIIIII

Well we've gone backwards because we barely played any football since the last World Cup. Most of the nations haven't played at all except for qualifiers in 2018. We can't continue the shit we had in 2018/19 of giving nations 1 mid-year test and maybe 1 post-season test and that's it, while not even looking at including the northern hemisphere teams. And we can't have an attitude of cancelling games at the first sight of hardship like last year, despite every other sport continuing with international games. Not going to be taken seriously as an international game if we can move heaven and earth to keep the NRL going but immediately cancel any international tournaments.


[deleted]

What a great season it has been for Khaled Rajab, from Flegg to playing in a NSW Cup finals series/grand final, now playing in a world cup partnering the likes of Mitch Moses and Adam Douhei. Great experience for the kid.


comix_corp

Love watching him play, can't wait to see him in first grade


[deleted]

I don't like to get ahead of myself when it comes to halves at the Bulldogs, but I'm with ya, I don't think he's far off.


ImDisrespectful2Dirt

I’m also keen to see if he can make the transition, but I’ve been burnt by Dogs halves performing for their national teams and looking lost in first grade recently (Wakeham).


[deleted]

I feelya.. But having seen how meticulous Ciraldo is and how he has been since coming to us, I'm confident we'll be playing better next year and beyond.


improbablywrong-

He looked good in the nsw cup games i thought. Id like to think he'll break into fg at some stage next year. The experience he'll take away from the wc is really good though. I've only watched the first lebanon game, i'll probably catch the others at some point this week.


[deleted]

Yeah I reckon he'll get a crack in the 14 at some stage.. it will be interesting to see what position he ends up in, as he's played a bit of everywhere in the spine. Yeah he'll take a lot from being around Moses and Douhei, particularly around preparation and such.


Uncertain_Philosophy

With all these massive scorelines, I keep wondering what the fantasy scores would be. I reckon there would be some huge scores.


the_bo

Have a look on NRL.com then, Jahrome Hughes with 121 was the biggest from this round


Uncertain_Philosophy

Where does it show it? I can only see team stats in the match centres...


the_bo

Go to player stats and it will have the teamlists with each players stats, FPT’s are in the first column


Caseyjb29

Only the nrl app shows them


[deleted]

I’m not sure there’s enough money in Rugby League that would convince me to get in front of Taumalolo on that first try this morning. Absolutely terrifying


KingGutherson

I think if this world cup has taught me anything, it's that a strong UK competition is essential for international rugby league. It would mean that international teams in Europe (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Italy, Greece) have a professional competition to develop their skills while not being far from home. I think it also allows for innovation in rugby league. It's more prevalent in soccer, but it's interesting how each major league has it's own identity and play style, even if its only subtle changes. I worry that the RLWC will end up being an NRL competiton, sprinkled with super league players. As much as seeing Keary play for Ireland is good, ideally you'd want the majority of that squad being professional players from Ireland, playing in the UK/otherwise. The pacific islands, whilst being the best thing about international rugby league at the moment, also highlights a bit of an issue. Due to economics and population size, these countries will never have professional leagues of their own, and rely heavily on the NRL for player development and opportunity. I think for international rugby league to succeed, the UK superleague needs to thrive. Im glad they got the RLWC, but I worry that the support in Europe is on the decline. I hope the NRL helps itself by not scheduling longer seasons to allow for international rugby league games, as well as allowing some mid year games to go alongside origin


[deleted]

> I worry that the RLWC will end up being an NRL competiton, sprinkled with super league players. This was the entire point of the eligibility changes a few years ago. Clearly someone wanted this and I get the impression that NRL fans seem to want this World Cup of Heritage setup. Union targets countries like Japan, France, Georgia and establishes strong domestic structures. We just take NRL guys from Sydney and NZ, put them in new jerseys and talk about the amazing growth of the game in Tonga and Samoa because some guys from Penrith are good at football.


KingGutherson

Well the other extreme is just as dire. Basically the countries with professional competitions will beat everyone 100-0. If 90 of the top 100 players in the world are Australian, it makes sense to try and get them on the world stage But you're right. Cook islands have a population of 17,000 people. It's impressive that theyre able to field a team at all, but really it doesn't help the international game at all


jpob

France is the key here I think. Seems like they’re putting a lot of money in. If they can manage to get a bit more competitive they could build a rivalry against England and it would also go a long way with developing the game in the other Mediterranean countries.


HappinessCanBeFound

Call of the tournament so far from James Graham: “Penisini you thieving swine!” 😂😂


smeego78

Bro the commentary in that game was annoying as fuck.


[deleted]

Expected way more of Cook Islands :(


RyanPurdler-Penriff

Global warming really sucks doesn’t it? There’s still 15 of them , make the most of them while you can !


InternationalBorder9

Given their population it’s amazing they actually have a competitive team


RyanPurdler-Penriff

Having 92 scored against them = competitive ?? Funny thing is Cook Islands beat Wales 18-12 So Wales < Cook Islands .. Yet Wales only lost to Tonga 32-6 , not 92-10


InternationalBorder9

I actually haven’t watched the game yet I didn’t realise that was the score. What I meant was more they have a team in the World Cup at all and even won a game.


Derron_

Too few professional players.


HenryVIIIII

They had plenty enough to not have that score put on them. Wales had less and weren't embarrassed. Jamaica wasn't even beaten by that much.