Only rugby league would have a 66% capacity for a WORLD CUP opening game. Every other sport in the world such as pole dancing, dog walking and snail racing would have got a full house. This just proves no one cares about rugby league

Regards

King James

Thought both of our centres and half backs were poor didn.t ask enough questions attacking the line, only McGilvray, Hall and Roby troubled the aussies. Thought Bennet got it wrong before kick off playing Bateman at centre and not selecting Walmsley in the team.
Nothing outstanding from the aussies just efficient and taking advantage of errors.

Agree with that, how about we pick our only other for the spot and for me Walmsley should be in every time. Just the kind of player to trouble sides, with his size and go forward, meters after impact etc. I mean seriously how much more difference it would of made if heighington wasn't playing and Walmsley was. It would have given us miles more go forward, taken the slack off Graham and Hill when Busgess got injured and I beliveve he'd have caused the Aussues some headaches

Walmsley was ill in the week, that's why he wasn't selected.

1. How in christ's name did they not fill that stadium?
2. The referee didn't win or lose the game...England lost it rather than Australia won it!
3. The Semi-final v NZ/Tonga will be the last game England play this comp unless they start to believe in themselves...they looked like rabbits in the headlights in the first half....
4. Australia will win this at a canter.....
5. How in christ's name did they not fill that stadium?

Been busy, I didn't know. Only just watched the repeat on Premier tbh.

Well all I said before but swap Walmsley for Taylor then this game

Sam Tomkins should be the full back.

I don't know but I agree it's a shame.

Thankfully they scheduled the game for a Friday morning in the UK so very few people here will see the embarrassingly poor crowd.

It does make me laugh though given how many times I've heard Aussies say that RL is so popular in OZ and how nobody cares about RU and the Wallabies. The Wallabies would probably get more than 22000 for a pool game against Namibia.

Just watching the highlights again. When Hodgson made that kick late on we surely had an overlap on the right wing. Widdop (think it was him) had done brilliantly to offload when surrounded by three or more Aussies. Was only 10-4 at that stage as well. Dammit. The Aussies had offered very little in that 2nd half. A score there and who knows what might have happened.

Namibia are probably deemed a higher class of opposition to the Wallabies than what your lot are to the Kangaroos, so blame yourselves

Feeble excuses, I'm afraid. Not being able to fill a 30000 capacity stadium for the opening ceremony/match between probably the two best known and supported international teams in the world, just makes RL look like a tinpot sport. If Melbourne is the problem then don't play the game there. It clearly didn't deserve it. Honestly, playing the game in Melbourne and at a terrible time for UK TV viewers - I think someone needs to check whether the RLWC organisers are plants from rugby union.

And I was right - Australia v Namibia in RUWC 2003 got an attendance of 28196 in Adelaide. The score was 142-0 to the Wallabies and it would have been entirely predictable beforehand that it would be a one-sided encounter.

Look son, i'm trying to go easy on you, back in 2015 Qld played NSW in a SOO game at the MCG & the crowd was 91,513.

Clearly, Melbourne & Rugby League aren't the problem, the England national team is

So, if we promised to play like Namibia and lost 142-0 to the mighty Kangaroos then you'd be able to guarantee me that you'd at least match the crowd of 28000 that union got, right?

Make all the excuses you like, son - 22000 is a pathetic attendance. Other sports have one-sided match-ups too, you do realise that, yes? The England football (soccer) team played Malta and 80000 turned up.

It's a poor effort from Aussie RL fans, however you try and spin it. I don't know why you're so upset by that statement, given that you yourself have said you don't care about the RLWC. Plus it was you that mentioned Melbourne when you were giving reasons for the attendance being poor. Now you're saying it being in Melbourne had nothing to do with it. Which is it, son?

son, SON, I said SONNNN

look at the facts.....

Rugby League in Melbourne, give them the ultimate product, State of Origin & you get over 91000

You give them an inferior product at a pretty bad time of the year to be fair, the footy has finished & peoples mindset turns to summer, the beach & cricket etc & you don't get the crowds turning out

So, you tell me?? what element caused the crowds to stay away? they aren't mugs, Melbourne is one of the great sporting cities of the world, they know when they are getting sold short, your team hasn't really done much for about 40 years...THATS 40 FRIGGIN YEARS SON!!!


awww cmon, i didn't want to hurt your feelings, but now, sorry kid, i have to be brutally honest