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Rugby League Tri-Nations 2005
- Thread starter Burpey
- Start date
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
If International League is ever going to take a hold in Australia, then England need to come over and play some games. Most Australian forget about this series once it leaves Australia and New Zealand. Really the first 4 games of the series should be Australia and New Zealand and then the last two games and final in England.steds said:
Tim
Cricketer Of The Year
I think to be honest there is still a rather large gap between the NRL & Super League. Last year New Zealand were in a shambles, but they have good guidance this year and they've gone up at least a notch or two.
NZ were also still having to overcome jet-lag, not to mention 3 consecutive weekends of games so I think they can still get better against GB next time around.
There are a large number of Aus & NZ players going to the Superleague..but lets face it. If it weren't for the huge $$$ thrown at them, would they still be keen on playing in that competition?
I don't want to see GB struggle though. Its important that NZ & GB play well so that international league isn't a farce (which it currently is right now)
NZ were also still having to overcome jet-lag, not to mention 3 consecutive weekends of games so I think they can still get better against GB next time around.
There are a large number of Aus & NZ players going to the Superleague..but lets face it. If it weren't for the huge $$$ thrown at them, would they still be keen on playing in that competition?
I don't want to see GB struggle though. Its important that NZ & GB play well so that international league isn't a farce (which it currently is right now)
BoyBrumby
Englishman
I agree with pretty much all of that. I think the top 4 or 5 Super League clubs could probably hold their own in the NRL, but SL certainly lacks depth.Tim said:
I, for one, would like to see more GB players going to test themselves in the NRL. Morley's certainly a far better player for it (and why didn't he start yesterday, actually?!?!) but as far as I know Carney's the only one about to follow suit. Mind you, after yesterday's performance he's lucky Gold Coast don't cancel his contract!!
I actually don't think the World Cup helps at all. Let's be honest, League isn't played seriously outside of Oz, NZ, GB, PNG & (to a much lesser extent) France. I don't think the game's cause is helped by one of the bigger League nations thrashing Russia/Fiji/Lebanon, especially when the majority of the players (especially Fiji's & Lebanon's) are Australians anyway!
I think a WC including those 5 nations, with maybe PNG & France playing off to join the tri-nations teams, would showcase the game far better.
thewizard1o1
International Debutant
Chris Thorman played for Parra in 2004. It needs to be your younger talented players thou...BoyBrumby said:
Leave the Tri Nations as it is but have a world cup like tournament sans Australia, GB and NZ. Until these other teams improve in standard. Also the Junior Kangaroos, Lions and Kiwis should play matches against these second tier nations, which would end up helping all the league playing nations...BoyBrumby said:
steds
Hall of Fame Member
Back when the game used to be played it the winter over here and the Australian season kicked in in our summer (when our competition was actually at its weakest), it used to happen quite a bit, but yeah it's sort of stopped.BoyBrumby said:
Mark Edmonson of the Saints is joining Morley at the Sydney Roosters next year.
Chris Thorman spent 2004 not getting a game for Parramatta and he came back to Huddersfield looking a better player, although I think getting regular gametime and having Eorl Crabtree (who I think is the best English prop in the Super League) and Wayne McDonald making the ground through the middle (which he didn't have people doing for him in his first spell at Hudersfield or at London) for him are more important to why he's been performing better this year.
As for this "huge" gap between the NRL and the Super League, this bit vexes me so. There is a gap, of that there is no doubt. However, the Australians, New Zealanders and some Brits (most likely the ones that only watch league when Great Britain play, thus only know that we lose alot) over estimate how large this gap is. I get so wound up when I hear/read "the Super League is inferior" because it isn't! I am fully confident that St Helens, Bradford, Hull and Leeds could easily make the 8 in the NRL and that Warrington, Wigan and Huddersfield would be able to hold their own. The fact is that the structure of the Great British game is at the strongest it has been since the late 70's, despite its progress being held back by some "money spinning" decisions rather than some "make the game stronger" decisions (London Broncos being fast tracked to the Super League from the lower divisions, Paris St Germain, Les Catalans next year?) and the promotion/relegation system being in place so each season the league gets a new whipping boy for a season, which loses all its best players when it's relegated and has to start from square one.
However, despite this we have the League and most of the players (we lack a pair of world class wingers, a quality scrum half, a fullback with the defensive quality of Wellens but with pace, fully fit Sculthorpe's and Cunningham's) to be competitive on the world stage if we are better managed/organized. Noble picked the wrong squad for the tournament and the wrong team for yesterday. He didn't get them to play as "Team GB" and you could visibly see the British players playing in "club groups" rather than playing as one unit. And him, Phil Clarke and the RFL haven't given given themselves enough time to work with the squad. The squad wasn't even named until after the start of the tournament. And the New Zealanders are moaning about playing 3 games in a row? GB have to play 5 consecutively if they are to win the tournament!
OK. Deep breaths, Sean. Calm down....
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Would you do away with relegation then, steds? I can see plusses & minuses for both sides of the argument.
I am actually in favour of London & (especially) France having teams in the Super League tho. If RL has any real pretensions to want to spread its gospel past the M62 heartland folks outside that area need to see regular first grade games & kids need a team to aspire to. The French used to be one of the game's superpowers (IIRC they're still the last nation to have won a test series in Oz), but obviously they've fallen on rather hard times of late. What I hope doesn't happen is that Les Catalans get stuffed full of antipodeans bumping up their pensions a la Paris St Germain.
I am actually in favour of London & (especially) France having teams in the Super League tho. If RL has any real pretensions to want to spread its gospel past the M62 heartland folks outside that area need to see regular first grade games & kids need a team to aspire to. The French used to be one of the game's superpowers (IIRC they're still the last nation to have won a test series in Oz), but obviously they've fallen on rather hard times of late. What I hope doesn't happen is that Les Catalans get stuffed full of antipodeans bumping up their pensions a la Paris St Germain.
steds
Hall of Fame Member
Yes. Atm, the teams that come up just aren't good enough. They need to be eitherBoyBrumby said:
a) Given 3 or 4 seasons to adjust, improve and prove themselves at Super League level or
b) Not be allowed in at all.
As it is, it's just. Team gets promoted. Team brings in Aussies who didn't make the grade back home and several Super League rejects. Team loses pretty much every game. Team relegated. Imported rejects and most promising talent jump ship. Team left with no money and in pile of *****.
So am I, but the way the Broncos were allowed to jump up into the Super League ahead of other teams was unfair, imo. And after a good first 2 seasons they fell in the table, lost alot of their money men, had to swap home grounds every season because nobody wanted them, and by 2000, weren't good enough for the league. Now, theyre an average team and financially they'd have gone under this year if it wasn't for Harlequins yawnion team saving them. They added nothing to the league but instabilityBoyBrumby said:
Paris St Germain simply weren't good enough to be let in. End of story.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Leigh were certainly not up to scratch, but before them Salford & Huddersfield have been promoted & they're both still there. Widnes survived for 5-6 years too.steds said:
I guess the biggest argument against scrapping it is that big League clubs like Widnes, Hull KR & Halifax would be cut adrift without any hope of getting back in. Mind you, some huge names in Oz no longer have a first grade presence (Balmain, North Sydney) 'cos they've bit the bullet & merged.
Blaze
Banned
Steds - I would bet my life that not all of Leeds, Bradford, St Helens and Hull would make the NRL 8 in the same year. In fact I think that Hull would probably be battling it out with Souths for the spoon. I have watched a fair amount of Super League this year and the defence and the fitness levels of players just doesn't measure up against the NRL. Sides like Leeds Bradford and St Helens would never make the top 4 they would run 6-12 IMO and they would be on par with most of the lower ranked sides in the NRL.
Look at a side like the Warriors. The nucleous of the NZ test team plays for the Warriors yet they ran 14th last year and 12th this year.
Look at a side like the Warriors. The nucleous of the NZ test team plays for the Warriors yet they ran 14th last year and 12th this year.
superkingdave
Hall of Fame Member
i thought Harris was attending the birth of a child and horne was injured?steds said:
steds
Hall of Fame Member
We're in for a thrashing here.
Wellens dropped a high one. I can't recall seeing drop one like that for atleast 2 seasons. That's got to be a bad omen.
Don't think that was forward either. Should be 8-0 down.
EDIT: Wellens has dropped a second one. This has to be an apocalyptic (sp?) omen!!!
Wellens dropped a high one. I can't recall seeing drop one like that for atleast 2 seasons. That's got to be a bad omen.
Don't think that was forward either. Should be 8-0 down.
EDIT: Wellens has dropped a second one. This has to be an apocalyptic (sp?) omen!!!
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BoyBrumby
Englishman
Well we fall at the last. Again. Maybe it's a fitness issue, but going into the last ten in both games we've been 4 & 2 points down, but ended up losing by 16 & 14.
Cunningham's pass for Cooper's intercept was pretty woeful, but he made up for it by making Ade Morley's try. We'll never have conditions more in our favour, so I think we're looking down the barrel of a whitewashing.
Cunningham's pass for Cooper's intercept was pretty woeful, but he made up for it by making Ade Morley's try. We'll never have conditions more in our favour, so I think we're looking down the barrel of a whitewashing.
steds
Hall of Fame Member
I could see it coming when Noble took KC off for the last 10 minutes. My immediate thoughts were "he doesn't want to win this." Sure, he threw a ***** pass for the first try, but he was by far our best player, and he might be unfit to play 80 minutes and half crocked all the time, but the gamble had to be made if GB wanted to win. But, yeah, the ending of the games is a worry.BoyBrumby said:
I'm still not won over by Noble. He's slowly getting there, he needs to chuck Deacon and Peacock and that's more or less it, with what's available. Taking KC off at such a crucial point was just laughable.
Not have I seen anything really special from Gasnier, yet. And I'm on about stuff that Lyon or Gleeson or Cooper or Hape or Berrigan or any other good centre couldn't possibly do. Meh, maybe it's just when the Dragons/Australia are on Sky and I'm watching when he doesn't weave this superhuman magic everyone raves about, or I'm probably just blind.
On another note, damn Minichello and Lockyer. Curse them. WHY, GOD?!?! Why make them so good?