Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:27 pm  

The South Sea Islanders are immensely proud to represent their country and Tonga in particular have a brilliant rosta of players. Arguably go ahead and play it. Yes it will be devalued however you may see more players of island descent turning their backs on Aus and NZ and declaring for Tonga Fiji Samoa etc and that would be no bad thing

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:02 pm  

I would love to see that, even if it were to mean England didn't win

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:25 pm  

Look at it another way: if Tonga for example were to win the World Cup, what would it do for that nation?

The islander countries would have genuinely good sows if some Aus/NZ declared for them.

Let’s just forge ahead and do it. It’ll be a colourful, international festival.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:28 pm  

I've said for a long time that if islanders commited to the smaller nations we'd actually have a really close competition

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:15 pm  

If the sides had access to the vaccine,then it would be a huge incentive.The uk population would have been offered the jab.By September there would be a better idea how the pandemic was progressing .Like the post above, if Tonga win it would be be a great shot in the arm (pardon the pun ) for the game over there, and the international game as a whole.Not bothered if some consider the comp devalued.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:14 pm  

Would be the Islander World Cup with NZ and Aus players opting for heritage nations. Samoa, PNG, Tonga, Cook Islands all be decent plus one or two others.

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:27 pm  

The Olympics have gone ahead in the past without Russia or the USA. stuff them and let's go ahead without Australia or NZ. Their loss

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Sat Jul 24, 2021 8:52 pm  

Shabino wrote: Players won't care. They'll have been led to believe NRL and SOO is all that matters..... They are in good money. Why would they want to come here abd be locked in a hotel room for 6 weeks? T'would appear quite a few Indigenous and Maori players don't agree with you! https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/rugby-leag ... eam_240721

Shabino wrote: Players won't care. They'll have been led to believe NRL and SOO is all that matters..... They are in good money. Why would they want to come here abd be locked in a hotel room for 6 weeks? T'would appear quite a few Indigenous and Maori players don't agree with you! https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/rugby-leag ... eam_240721

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:52 am  

Sounds like a lot of players are revolting against the decision of NZ and NRL

Re: World Cup - Major Doubt : Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:06 am  

It will go ahead as planned. Even without the likes of New Zealand and Australia. I don't think it will be a devalued competition as some people out there think it will be. In fact the World Cup will still be a success. The Pacific Islands teams of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Cook Islands will still participate. The NRL themselves have decided on whether or nor they send NZ and Aus to the RLWC this year. I bet there would be players who would want to come to England. On the other hand it will give England an easy path to be winners. Not to forget that this will give the teams of PNG and Tonga to name a couple to be in their first ever final. In the past we had RLWC where the final was always predictable with Aus and NZ with Australia winning nearly all of them. The main difference will be that they both may drop down the rankings.