World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:52 am  

Australia and NZ have pulled out!! What a shambles.. and a major blow to the sport

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:01 am  

It was inevitable. I don't know why they announced the world cup was going ahead as scheduled without Australia's agreement. The sport is run by absolute amateurs.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:07 am  

I believe the NZRL signed the agreement a week ago! that is a disgrace.

The ARL are insular and only care about the NRL and SOO, this is not about layer welfare however much they say it is. I mean did they even ask the players?

Lets see if they can raise Invitational sides, the ARL cannot stop players from playing in the tournament

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:22 am  

christopher wrote:

I believe the NZRL signed the agreement a week ago! that is a disgrace.

The ARL are insular and only care about the NRL and SOO, this is not about layer welfare however much they say it is. I mean did they even ask the players?

Lets see if they can raise Invitational sides, the ARL cannot stop players from playing in the tournament

No but the NRL clubs can! So that affects England and Wales also! I see no option but to postpone which will be one heck of a climb down.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:23 am  

This is tough. Don’t forget many of the NZ players have been isolating away from home for quite some time. Apparently the player’s association was asked and the players aren’t up for it - would imagine in reality some will be and some won’t, but they won’t want to come with weakened sides.

There is some BS in the excuses they are making IMO - bottom line is the players are sick of quarantine and all, they’ll do it for their employers because they have to but maybe not for an international tournament on top of that.

Ironically the UK will probably be safer than Australia by the time the tournament takes place.

[Ex-Swarcliffe Rhino]

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:52 am  

Was on the cards for months really. There was a meekly offered compromise when the aussies half-heartedly suggested holding it over there instead but I don't think there was any real intent to do it.

We can talk as tough as we want, without these two its dead in the water and with the current shambles of a response to the still raging COVID situation it will be a while before we see international RL.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:55 am  

Have to agree mate. With COVID in the background you would need aligned leadership of the sport to navigate through - we just don't have that at national levels, never mind international.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:24 am  

The ARL apparently gave the WC organisers 4 minutes warning before pulling out - that is disgraceful, they should have pulled out before the announcement was made that it was going ahead

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:29 am  

Or they should not have announced the world cup was going ahead without Australia's agreement.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:31 am  

Absolute amateur hour isn't it? Seemed inevitable Aus and NZ would pull out and can't imagine a WC without them. Then the big fanfare announcement saying it's definitely on, here's the countdown, mailshots about tickets and then a week later this. Whether you blame Aus/NZ for lack of notice or organiser for making announcements prematurely the lack of communication between all parties is staggeringly bad. Complete shambles. Going to be some climbdown when they postpone/cancel after all the gung-ho promotion they piled on last week.