Should we postpone the World Cup?

[josie andrews]

This week the rugby league world was rocked by some seismic news when it was announced that neither the Australia nor New Zealand would be competing in this year’s World Cup.

Their decision has thrown the World Cup itself into question and has prompted many to worry about the international game moving forward.

It was undoubtedly a damaging decision and the question remains: what do we do now?

Plenty have suggested that we should move on with the World Cup as planned replacing the two reluctant sides with other nations like the USA. This would come with the added benefit of promoting expansion into new nations by giving them the platform of a World Cup appearance. Moreover, many have suggested that this would prompt Australians to play for other nations. This would enhance the chances of a team like Samoa winning the tournament. A good example would be James Tedesco. Arguably the best player in the world, he could wind up playing for Italy giving them a shot at World Cup glory when none existed before.

However, even this would have its own problems. By all accounts NRL clubs could push against such a move refusing to release their players for the tournament. Not only would this stop teams like Italy from poaching the wasted Australian stars, but it would be quite damaging to teams like Tonga who rely heavily on NRL talent already. Ultimately, if the NRL went with this power play they could deprive the tournament of the players it needs to function

Thus, it seems like any potential solution would come with its own problems to the extent at which it could be argued that none of them are viable potentially leaving us with one option: postpone the tournament.

If the Kangaroos and Kiwis stick to their decision, we may have to postpone the tournament. Now this might not be the world-shattering event some believe it is. It could enable a safer tournament with little to no worries of cancellations due to the virus. It would also ensure the biggest stars still take centre stage and give the tournament the adequate size it needs to be taken seriously. Without Australia and New Zealand, the World Cup wouldn’t be the same and postponing it could be the only way to ensure they feature.

I understand the football World Cup will take place right after ours potentially taking the shine and focus away from our tournament. However, we could use the hype and excitement ahead of the football to our advantage. Moreover, if we conjure up a decent sized gap between our final and their opening game, then I feel the problem would be significantly ameliorated.

No matter what we do, it is making the best of a bad situation one that can only truly be resolved by Australia and New Zealand. If they fail to do what many believe they should then we must understand that postponement is a realistic and sensible option.

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/should-w ... cup-41405/

[moto748]

My first reaction was, "it should have been postponed till next year anyway".

But now I'm not so sure. If it were postponed till next Spring, somehow (or even if it had been, say an announcement was made a month or two ago), would the NRL bosses and coaches (and let's be right, it's they who are the drivers of this situation, not the ARL or NZRL) in fact be anymore positive then than now? They would complain that it would get in the way of the NRL 2022 season, and Origin...
And it would be crammed in next to the football World Cup too. Not to mention logistical issues like stadia availability, etc. The more I think about it, the more problematic postponement seems.

[Fujiman]

Play it with an Australian Indigenous / NZ Maori’s/ Exiles / AN other side and crack on.

[southportcdm]

We should play it with the teams that want to turn up and stop pandering to the NRL all the time. It's the NRL rather than the players that don't want to come and they're using covid as an excuse. Australia and New Zealand's approach to covid is exemplary in many ways but, this time next year, they'll still be having as least as many cases as they are now and the NRL will cancel again.

[moto748]

Play it with an Australian Indigenous / NZ Maori’s/ Exiles / AN other side and crack on.

But who's going to coach this presumed team? Aren't most of the NRL coaches opposed to the RLWC, that's why we are in this mess? When and how would they get the opportunity to train together prior to the comp starting? You can't have teams that literally met up in the car-park in a World Cup.

I'm not saying such a thing is impossible; I'm saying it couldn't happen without the tacit support of NRL coaches.

[moto748]

And if NRL coaches refuse to allow Tongan, Samoan, Kumul, Fijian players to take part?

That is the logic of their current position, after all.

[josie andrews]

Crucial World Cup decision to be made on Monday

International Rugby League Chairman Troy Grant has admitted that he was shocked by the decision of the Australian Rugby League Commission and the New Zealand Rugby League to announce their withdrawal from the World Cup last week, but he believes there is still a chance they could be persuaded to change their minds, even though the timescale will be tight.

“We will hold a meeting on Monday with the World Cup team and stakeholders and quite clearly we have to decide how we are going to respond formally to the notification from the ARLC and NZRL,” Grant told League Express at the weekend.

“If they are going to change their minds, they need to do it by the first week in August in order to satisfy certain domestic protocols.

“Part of the problem for the people in the NRL is seeing so many matches being postponed in Super League. Clearly that has an unsettling effect and it’s perhaps the main barrier to them changing their stance.

“Nonetheless, at the moment we have to plan on the basis that Australia and New Zealand won’t be coming.”

Grant believes that the decision by the Australians and New Zealanders is unlikely to affect the other southern hemisphere nations.

With Samoa due to play England in the opening match of the tournament, it would be an almost insurmountable obstacle if the Samoans were also to pull out.

“That is highly unlikely,” said Grant.

“The NRL clubs may not be happy to see their players heading to England, but they are obliged to release their players for international fixtures that have been sanctioned by the IRL.

“Ultimately it will come down to the players themselves.”

One fear that Grant has dispelled, however, is the prospect of Australia playing New Zealand this autumn in direct opposition to the World Cup.

“That idea has been floated, but it would only happen if the World Cup wasn’t played,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Grant admits that the prospect of Australia and New Zealand sending Indigenous teams to the World Cup, rather than the Kangaroos and Kiwis, is a genuine possibility.

“A player contract in the NRL obliges clubs to release players to represent their Indigenous communities games organised for that purpose, so I certainly wouldn’t rule that out,” he added.

“And I think the Australian Indigenous team and the Maoris would potentially bring a lot of interest to the competition.

“Failing that, I’m sure we would want to bring in two other teams, looking first at those nations (USA, Spain and Serbia) that fell at the final hurdle in the qualifying tournaments.

“And I can certainly imagine that many nations in the World Cup would benefit from the Australians not coming by having heritage players who might expect to have played for Australia playing for them instead. Two who spring to mind are Tyson Frizell for Wales and Dale Finucane for Ireland, as well as the Trbojevic brothers potentially for Serbia, if they were to come into the World Cup.”


A crucial factor in determining the outcome of the current crisis will be the attitude of players in Australia, with the Rugby League Players’ Association outlining its own position in a statement issued on Friday.

“The news overnight that Australia and New Zealand will not compete in the 2021 World Cup is no doubt disappointing for players who were hoping to represent their Nations in the tournament,” said RLPA Chief Executive Clint Newton.

“We have had feedback from a number of players eligible for these Nations stating their intentions to compete in the tournament, pending more information becoming available in the coming weeks.

“Clearly, the views of those players have not been enough to prevent this decision and we believe it has been made prematurely.

“We have worked closely with Rugby League World Cup staff for some time now and we are committed to continuing those discussions regarding player health and safety protocols.

“We have an obligation to advocate on behalf of all players to secure the best possible terms and conditions for the tournament, and this remains ongoing.

“For players representing remaining participating Nations, our priority will be to help ensure appropriate health and safety measures are in place, and also provide them with the relevant information to make an informed decision about participation.

“We had anticipated that players from Australia and New Zealand would have that same opportunity, which has unfortunately been taken away from them with last night’s decision.”

And RLPA President, Daly Cherry-Evans, who is also the incumbent Australian captain, has added his voice to those objecting to the ARLC decision and especially the lack of consultation with the players.

“The players wanted to go and the game probably knew that, which is probably why they didn’t want to consult us,” said Cherry-Evans.

“So, of course we would have loved to have been given a bit more of a heads up on it but we do understand the game’s acting within the best interests at heart.

“There obviously is definitely an element of disappointment for sure, it’s a World Cup and I’m not getting any younger.

“So it’d be nice to hopefully have been involved.

“I can completely understand if they’re going to continue the competition but I wouldn’t begrudge the people who were making those decisions to continue on.

“Because there’s a lot more at stake than just Australia and New Zealand.”

https://www.totalrl.com/crucial-world-c ... on-monday/

[fozzieskem]

To me it’s not a World Cup without the Australians and New Zealand teams added to the pressure that the NRL will bring upon the Tongan players I can see some of them pulling out with illness and injury even if they did come.

To me to have a made up side would devalue the tournament to the point of farce what would happen if said team won the damn thing?it’s a ludicrous idea to me.

Let’s be fair RL over this side of the world hasn’t pushed or promoted the international game other than World Cup years it seems to me,they should have been playing France,Scotland in the years the big 2 didn’t want to come over to try and keep the flag flying on the International front but we didn’t hello to our old friend of forever looking inward.

So to postpone or not? For me it has to be a yes this isn’t a World Cup in football where you could lose a team or two and have others of equal class take their place,sorry to me the thought of say the USA and Serbia taking their place would make a laughing stock of the tournament,so what to do postpone till 2023 and have a big shindig such as the game has never seen and because we have bent to the NRL make them financially liable if they pull out next time,Covid or no Covid (not sure if that’s possible but I would in my world)

[Fujiman]

Play it with an Australian Indigenous / NZ Maori’s/ Exiles / AN other side and crack on.

But who's going to coach this presumed team? Aren't most of the NRL coaches opposed to the RLWC, that's why we are in this mess? When and how would they get the opportunity to train together prior to the comp starting? You can't have teams that literally met up in the car-park in a World Cup.

I'm not saying such a thing is impossible; I'm saying it couldn't happen without the tacit support of NRL coaches.

Valid questions but as long as everyone thinks of things why it cant / shouldn't happen we wont move forward. Those in charge should have an attitude of can do not cant.

[morley pie eater]

I fully accept the complexity of the decision the RFL has to make. A big part of that will be about money: what happens to government funding of it's called off? What will crowds be like if it goes ahead with USA etc plus much-weakened Tonga/Samoa teams?

From the point of view of the message we give to the NRL, I'd love be it to go ahead and for fans to turn up in big numbers, especially to watch the "minor" teams.

Also think we should be trying to persuade NZ to change their minds, even if their team is from the Bartercard Cup (or whatever it's called nowadays).