I could have sworn it is full of union trolls and very very few Australians. Or indeed anyone at all.

A supporter of a game who can only manage a couple of mixed rules with Ireland pre year slagging off internationals just before a union world cup?

Have the Rebels made that much of a impact in Victoria?

Afl troll me thinks.

How does this prove anything other than they value RL over RU?

Internationals ate massively important, and if they build it up to a similar level as union regarding crowds, you'll see why. We average less than 70k a week over here, and Aus is about 100-110k a week. International RL should be selling out big grounds regularly, and if it was built to such a scenario you'd see how important it really is. England, France, Wales, New Zealand, Australia and another could potentially get bigger crowds combined than the NRL and SL combined if built up properly. But a small international tournament at the end of the year and one mid year isn't going to do enough to build the rep game. But we can thank SoO for that I guess.

Easy

NRL semi > RU WC

people who say we need to be like union and have a WC like theirs are wrong

its just the icing on the cake.

the club game is more important.

Any money that the ARL/NRL makes this year will be dwarfed by the money the IRB makes out of the union world cup.
Any money the RFL makes in the Uk will be is dwarfed every year by the money the 6 nations union comp makes every year.
If it wasn't for union internationals, Union in the Uk and Australia the game would be bankrupt in these countries. People who run Rugby League in Australia have to wake up to the fact that International Rugby League would be a money making machine for the game not a hinderance to the game as is thought by some people in Australian Rugby League.

Thats why I have posted stuff regarding the NRL on the VT. No one ever visits the NRL forum these days and it's full of trolls.

Sadly any posts that seem to mention NRL get shifted over onto the NRL board now where they will never be commented on again.

But hey ho. I'm not criticising any process.

Ridiculous - internationals are mega money makers for the sport if done properly.

Yes. But to be done properly, they need to be competitive. And quite frankly, England is not a competitive nation in terms of international RL. We're a far back 3rd placed team and slipping backwards.

And IMO this is because of the geniuses who say "the reason England aren't competitive is because there's too many foreign players in SL" and so the RFL goes "right, limits on the numbers of foreign players". But what that means is that SL clubs have to fill the spare places in their teams with journeymen and guys who really don't have the talent to play beyond the Championship just in order to have enough players to compete.

Aus/NZ have the better coaches, better players and better systems for player development than we have in this country. So why would you want to limit that influence? To have a stronger England team you need a stronger SL. It's no good saying "oh but English players don't get a look in because of these overseas players coming here" because that's the insanity of affirmative action that the Americans have in employment which means that you have to employ x number of a minority over more suitable or capable people. The best players will always shine through regardless of who's already in the team. And the fact that opportunities are limited to only the best will force home grown players to up their game in order to force their way into the team and therefore will mean that the players selected for England will be of a higher standard.

What percentage of income does a FIFA world cup tournament make in terms of profit? Obviously FIFA world cups are not being done properly.

Sorry, thought we were talking about RL.

Does it not even occur to you that when people cite the value of international competition, they are talking about developing our game and its profile outside of its strongholds? You really are the definition of small minded

I do find it amusing that the three people on here complaining about trolls on the NRL forum are the three people that regularly troll this forum?

A world cup will do little to be honest to developing RL around the world

getting nations which can regularly compete with australia is difficult

the only real way is guess what - introducing clubs from new nations into SL or the NRL or taking their juniors

so say a 2nd NZ side, PNG and a Pacific islands team in the nrl

more french teams, scotland and ireland in SL.

this will develop int. RL.

I stopped reading after this line...

But if they're good enough and they play in the NRL, Australia will simply take them on their team as they'll qualify as residents.