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

Quote: Shabino "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

Quote: Shabino "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

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

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.

I hate to say it but England would not be a shoe-in even if NZ and Aus didn’t travel, if enough stars declare for heritage nations.

Favourites yes but it would still be pretty competitive in parts. Again, the additional interest this would generate in the island nations I think could be tremendous for the game.

It’s the precedent we need to consider too. Yes we have a pandemic on and yes it’s serious, but “sorry I’m washing my hair” is not acceptable. Every other major sport is finding a way.