After reading Bovrick's post I'll change my mind and say Samoa should comfortably be the 4th best team if they get commitments from a lot of those players mentioned.

Big mal is coaching png and they've got some decent NRL players in the squad. Png RL has been spending big on development of the kumuls.

The "2nd tier" is really exciting as you have four, possibly five, very strong equal teams. Take you pick from ong, Fiji, Samoa, tonga and possibly Italy.

See, I have a feeling about Scotland myself, and not just because they will be my 2nd team in the competition. They do have some quality players in their squad, and I think they can produce a shock or two.

Just be prepared though for someone to question your knowledge about RL just because they disagree with you.....

Wales have a quality pack but not much in the backs unless Briers plays. If he does I reckon they can be the 4th team.

Scotland and Wales are like a mirror image of one another. The backs of Scotland could do some serious damage, as long as their forwards don't get smashed. The biggest problem for Wales is in the spine (which is probably the opposite of where they were at in 2000), whereas for Scotland they have probably the form SL half, a steady half with lots of experience and good defence, and a lot of depth in the hooking role.

I think France's strength will depend if Dureau makes himself available for them.

France concern me a bit, 90% of the squad is made up of an upper mid-table SL side. Until they get more players at other SL/NRL clubs they're going to struggle. Expect lots of errors and a high penalty count from them as usual.

Wales look pretty strong, but is Lee Briers playing?? Thought he'd retired?

Quite probably not, but I hope he does, Wales really need him. Like I said there's probably quite a few on that list that won't play for those nations. Jennings, T.Williams, Hayne, Uate, RTS, McIllorum etc probably won't play for the teams listed there, more likely to take squad positions in the Australia/New Zealand/England camps (or in Williams' case just not play).

That's exactly what the "world" cup needs.... More Aussies/English withlinks to minor nations. Didn't Jamie Peacock have a packet of French Fries the other day ??? Get him in the France squad

he missed the point! The reason the Kiwis are now so competitive is because there are NZ eligible players in every NRL club and plenty of SL clubs, they don;t just rely on the NZ Warriors to supply talent. Better jnr programmes in France along with Toulouse in SL and better scouting by SL and NRL clubs to identify and bring through French players would lead to a much much stronger French national side.

Good point that JB, it will take a while for the Catalans to start getting players through and into other clubs, we have seen a few and Casty is off. The quality of some of their French youth players is supposed to be superb, Escare being the first youth player to break into the side.

If ever anyone asks why RL will never grow as a truly international sport, feel free to just cut and post this ^

Excluding a very average FRANCE, 7 countries and only 30 players representing them born in that country?
4 a pop on average?


Makes the English cricket team look positively...er....English

There's 28 countries listed in the RLIF Nov 2012 World Rankings, so I'd suggest that there is a significant international base.

Its probably worth noting that many of these countries have no professional leagues, hence for an international tournament their best representative players aren't those who were necessariliy born there, but those that meet RLIF representative criteria.

However this does not mean that there is no RL being played outside the UK and Australisia, just that its profile isn't as high as other sports, something that the RLWC will improve.

as an amateur sport, I agree 100%....but RL is a professional sport and 75% of the players at RLWC XIV will be born in England, NZ and Australia.