Was the US squad made up only of David Niu sanctioned players or were all US players eligible?

thats a decent result for the US. There was what 7/8 players with SL experience in that Jamaica side

SL experience doesn't often translate very well to the international stage due to the playing standards in that competition. This was particularly evident during the 2008 World Cup where international sides comprised of mainly SL players struggled to compete effectively.

It's also notable that a significant contingent of that USA team possess NRL experience or grades below that in either Australia or NZ. The 40-4 scoreline in USA's favour therefore doesn't surprise me in the least because a number of their players have experience of playing at a higher and more competitive level.

Cunz looks a good prospect, will be looking forward to the Sky commentary on him.

Yeah, it was probably the NRL experience of top quality players like Ryan Mcgoldrick and Matty Peterson that pulled the US through. Players who as you know, tore up SL.

Didn't Ireland make the semi qualifier, knocking Samoa and Tonga out in '08? Then gave Fiji a game too.

rlSome good TV coverage over the pond too by the looks of itrl

Interesting that they interview the American players in the team rather than just the Aussies. Point of note for Sky there I feel.

After the game against England, don't interview Lee Briers, interview one of the Welsh players.

Karl Pryce at Stand off?

Looking at the points scorers for the USA, McGoldrick and Petersen's SL experience didn't contribute. Let's take a look at the players who did contribute all 40 of USA's points yesterday...

Tries
Steve Howard (Tuggeranong Vikings - Canberra)
David Marando (Belrose Eagles - NSW Cup & Manly/North Sydney District)
Mitch Stevens (North Sydney Bears - NSWRL)
Mark Cantoni (Northern Pride - Qld Cup, Qld Country)
David Myles (Gold Coast Chargers/Titans, Auckland Warriors, NQ Cowboys)
Danny Howard (Wentworthville Magpies, NSWRL)
Mark Offerdahl (Easts Tigers - Qld Cup)

Goals
Joseph Paulo 6 (Parramatta, Penrith, Samoa, Australian Schoolboys)

Throw in a coach with several years recent NRL experience in Matthew Elliott and it ought to be of no surprise to anyone that the USA beat another team containing 7/8 players with SL experience.

They did indeed and played 3 games during the World Cup winning 1 game and losing 2, which backs up my earlier point that international teams comprising in the main of players with SL experience don't often translate very well to the international stage and struggle to compete effectively.

It takes some strange level of insecurity to confuse a compliment to the performance of the USA with a comparison between the NRL and SL.

I'd suggest it takes some strange level of insecurity (based upon an over-inflated opinion on the quality of players with SL experience) to be offering compliments to a team winning on the aforementioned basis which you alluded to initially, particularly when evidence points to the contrary.

I have no idea why you think the relative merits of SL and the NRL are germane to a conversation about the relative merits of the AMNRL and SL.

I have no idea why you felt it was pertinent to introduce the relative merits of a team just because it defeated another team containing 7/8 players with SL experience, apart from reasons related to insecurity. On the topic of the relative merits of the AMNRL, it's clear you were ignorantly unaware that 12 USA players yesterday happen to be overseas products of Australia and all 40 points were scored by those overseas products and coached by an overseas product, hence the absurdity of your continued commitment to a conversation on the relative merits of the AMNRL and SL.

Can't we just celebrate the fact that a country the size of the USA has qualified for the 2013 World Cup, with several domestic players, instead of turning it into a typical "let's try and find something to moan about" RL topic?