I am totally confused with the talk of players in the NRL playing in this tournament who represent the non ANZAC nations. The whole reason them two pulled out was safety concerns. If non ANZAC NRL players are allowed to play can someone please explain to me how Aus and NZ have any argument to have made this decision. How can you claim safety and player welfare when you are allowing everyone outside of the aus and NZ teams play in England and have no issue with them coming back home.

If this was to happen then RFL & Co have to seek legal action for sure. I don't see how you can argue that Tom Burgess who lives in Sydney can play but his teammate Damian Cook who also lives in Sydney can not.

They haven't actually explicitly said they can't play. They have only said Aus and NZ are pulling out. They don't have authority to speak for the Pacific nations but yes as I understand it the clubs now can refuse players permission to travel as the NRL have deemed it unsafe.

I'd be interested to know what player's contracts say about them being released for an international game, these happen mid NRL season so it must have come up before. If a player has it in their contract they can play for their country then how could the club stop them?

Then the club's need to come out now and address this and declare their position. I could see some legal action happening if non ANZAC players are told by any club they are not allowed to play.

INSURANCE........pretty simple really.
The NRL clubs cover their players' insurance, Rugby League Italy with a market value of 2 bob don't.....so Players can claim they want to......but who covers an ACL injury, or a career-ender?
The NRL clubs can and will stop their player taking part.

As for an invitational team like the tongan farce last time........no thanks. Hold the tournament, and if England win it then send them on a round the world exhibition tour as WORLD CHAMPIONS.......'Strayans would hate that. It'd make them more like the AFL......ie, a local sport than nobody else plays and that's why you think your're good....but you ain't

Surely there is enough Aussies and Kiwis playing SL and the Championship who could represent Australia and NZ ?

They would probably still kick our Backsides !

I dont think SL have done the WC any favours really by cancelling games and 'giving' games because of covid. The game over here is a Joke at the moment and we are living here double jabbed just waiting to catch the bloody virus, because thats the governments strategy !!

I see both sides to the story, but if the Economy is now taking priority (and I think it is), then the WC needs to go ahead. Its just a shame that everyone cant p*** in the same pot !!!

Again you’re completely wrong.

The only way NRL clubs can stop players representing their country is by underhand means. For example, putting pressure on them to declare themselves unfit - they would then have to prove it. This is why the players union are angry it’s put their members in the awkward position of possible conflict with their clubs.

The other pacific island nations meet this week to decide what they’re going to do. As they have all returned their participation forms they could be sanctioned if they don’t turn up. Some of those countries have said they intend to pick NRL based players and some have said they don’t. The World Cup hangs on that meeting IMO. If they say they decide en masse to not come there isn’t a great deal you can do about it. If they decide to come it puts well over 100 NRL players in the awful position of choosing between representing their country on the biggest stage when their chance of winning has just been given a massive boost or falling out with the club they play for.

Clubs or the NRL have to allow players to play representive footy.

The difference here is the NRLs risk assessment says it not safe so doesn't count as legimitate rep footy.

Someone should tell the NRL CEO then because he’s been in the press saying it’s a players decision to play for a tier 2 nation in the World Cup.

Bit more on the shoddy way the cowardly Australians went about this. They advised the World Cup organisers by WhatsApp and they intend to play New Zealand in the autumn whilst the World Cup is going on.

The IRL have confirmed that would lead to legal action and sanctions against the ARlC and NZRL.