I would love to see it happen but not when there will be no Australia. Then the fact that the NRL will not release players so NZ and Tonga for example will bring over weak sides.

It's gonna be a world cup where England walk away with the world cup with no genuine contest. This will be an absolute farce and I am shocked the RFL are still going along with this.

Also how will England react when they are told the international players who play in the NRL cannot play.

https://youtu.be/3ZD8DLJTn08 It's not happening. Firstly the NRL have the number one priority of keeping there own competition going under huge restrictions in Australia right now so the world cup will be on the back burner. Secondly why the RFL last week it was still happening when the NRL never signed off on it I have no idea. You cannot host a tournament where sides are just decimated of NRL talent. It would be a complete farce and a PR nightmare. The RFL clearly with the Ashes series revenue are banning on the world cup and that's the #1 reason they are seem to be continuing down this ridiculous path. The BBC would have every right to tell the RFL they want a reduction in whatever they paid for tv rights if no nrl players or Australia are not there.

https://youtu.be/3ZD8DLJTn08 It's not happening. Firstly the NRL have the number one priority of keeping there own competition going under huge restrictions in Australia right now so the world cup will be on the back burner. Secondly why the RFL last week it was still happening when the NRL never signed off on it I have no idea. You cannot host a tournament where sides are just decimated of NRL talent. It would be a complete farce and a PR nightmare. The RFL clearly with the Ashes series revenue are banning on the world cup and that's the #1 reason they are seem to be continuing down this ridiculous path. The BBC would have every right to tell the RFL they want a reduction in whatever they paid for tv rights if no nrl players or Australia are not there.

It’s about time to tell the whinging Aussies to wind their necks in put on their big boys trousers & play. It appears it’s ok for France Union to tour Australia, their cricketers, golfers & tennis stars are happy in England. Also if they are not willing to play they should be made to compensate all those who have invested in the event including paying our government £25 million. The gutless NRL have done their best to kill off international football over the years. A sad day for our once proud sport.

Even if you want to see Australia told to wind there neck in how are you gonna stage a world cup without a strong NZ or any Pacific island team. You must see without NRL players this tournament becomes a joke right?

Do people only care that we get a world cup even if it is a farce??

Looking forward to seeing how the BBC promote this as a serious tournament and how England will face hard opposition.

The country will be in lockdown come September in any case, as soon as MPs come back from their holidays they'll vote for locking down, using the fake covid' positives deliberately misconstrued as infections (they aren't) as the reason to do so, there will either be no fans or it will be medical apartheid to attend.
Was deffo up for 4 matches and bringing others but no way am I buying tickets for this sham that is pretty much sign sealed and delivered not happening or has unlawful restrictions in place. Australia coming or not is irrelevant to how things will pan out IMHO.

Needs to be postponed until 2022, the players and the supporters deserve a better Would Cup than we will get in 2021 if it goes ahead.

Any word on ticket sales?

The issue is players coming back having to quarantine then they need there pre season holiday so could be returning to training very very late and too close to the beginning of the NRL season.

I see why the NRL is reluctant to let players go. It just doesn't seem feasible to stage the tournament this year.

Here is my projections for the lowest hospital admissions during the world cup which is only 95 days away.

Who cares if the NRL are reluctant, no other decent sport objects to their top players partaking in international competition in fact most welcome it. Throughout this pandemic major sports have struggled on, the Olympic Games are going ahead. The lions are in South Africa & we don’t here them or their clubs endlessly moaning , Union are quiet happy to have players missing through international duty (a lot more than league asks) . The NRL also don’t mind players stood down for origin games. It is just pure selfishness & total lack of interest in anything not Australian. People are correct saying it will be a farce without the NRL players but let’s put the blame where it belongs squarely in the arms of the NRL.

Agreed. It will be a poor excuse of a competition if the NRL players are not involved. I certainly wouldn't want England to win it if the other nations either don't turn up or put out weakened squads.

Using the Olympics as an example really isn't great when you could easily make the argument that the ioc are simply going ahead with it due to the financial fall out if they cancel it. There will be no fans at the Olympics, is that really a competition that should go ahead?

Origin is rep footy so yes players must be allowed to play but notice they didn't just go ahead and put an origin game in NSW did they? They played them all in queensland as it was safe to do so. Just as the NRL has moved to queensland.

I'm not convinced the NRL are doing this just for the sake of it. They have a competition which they can't afford to take unnecessary risks which may impact a season resulting in lost revenue from broadcasters.

The lions tour has seen games cancelled. Who's to say a test doesn't get cancelled?


Is the lions tour

I can understand that it will be difficult but International football is the pinnacle of the sport if it messes up the NRL so be it. Delay the start of their next season. Every other sport is making huge efforts to get competition’s played. It is time the NRL promoted the world game & not their competition, I won’t hold my breath as they have a long record of disrespecting anything not NRL. If we can have the Euros going ahead then a competition with fewer teams should be easy.

It's odd, albeit understandable with current Covid risk, that SL hasn't gone back to scrums, as I believe they'll be included in the RLWC.

The olympic stadium and venues are going to be empty, no public are allowed from what I last read. If the WC goes ahead with no fans then that's an even bigger financial disaster and would be a souless torunament