Are France improving? That's the main question for me. I hope they are because I think they are the one European country that has the potential to be Tier 1. I can never see Scotland, Wales or Ireland amounting to anything, sadly. Not with players actually from those countries - any country can be good if you fill it with Australians.

...is that the strap line for this world cup?
I'm in Hamilton for the epic encounter between ANZAC D v ANZAC C......I believe there are 2 of the 34 on show born in the nations they are representing and neither country has a professional club...in fact both domestic leagues are shambolic.

France are a work in progress and should continue to be nurtured by the RFL if we want them to grow.....Toulouse getting into SL in the next decade will help, but it won't happen overnight....I believe that at least one club from Ireland and one from Scotland need to be considered for CH1 in the next 3 years, but the problem the game has is that whilst professional, it is run like an amateur association with "members" agendas always to the fore....

France is improving in the basics, but needs some attacking weapons apart from Kheirallah. Morgan Escare and Anthony Gigot would have provided some of that. And Remi Casty might have made some half breaks up the middle for Escare to capitalize on. Sadly Theodore Fages did not make an impression on the game.

France lost to ANZAC E in their opener and will be absolutely hammered by the English next week....they need more international exposure with annual tours to the South Pacific if they are to truly grow....they are one of the true hopes for the game to grow and need to be backed to the hilt by the RFL and NRL......get them out there during Origin season......and if need be fly PNG to France each year for a test....that's the only way they will get better!

You get your fix through the NRL season? The NRL crowds are even lower than the world cup crowds

Im not surprised by the low attendance's at all, the Aussie RL crowds are pathetic, especially in Sydney, and tbh if you went to a game and felt how flat the atmosphere was you wouldn't want to go either

I think some of the Sydney football teams are getting bigger crowds now, and AFL teams regularly get 50,000+, which proves that the problem is the over entitled NRL fans who only get excited by the 3 origins

I guarantee that most people here don't give a toss about it, most administrators are going about organising something in the faint hop it will just suffice, they'd rather be on holidays too, i'd say half the players are happy enough they are making a quid but would probably rather also be on holidays

We the fans have had enough, the season is over, its getting warm, the competition is e, why flog a dead horse? i'd actually rather see another extended world club series, i'd rather a whole season of one big world club challenges like 97

wether you like it or not, & i'm sick of reiterating it, SOO is the best RL on the planet, people here buy into it & enjoy the theatre of it because they are discerning purveyors & this is what they choose to consume

Pathetic excuses as usual, the AFL have 10 teams in Melbourne and all have better attendance and atmosphere than the Sydney NRL teams, with Richmond averaging around 60,000 per game.

If there is so much to do in Sydney (what btw? because the only alternative you have offered so far is going to a pub) then why do the Sydney AFL teams and some Sydney football teams get better attendances and much better atmospheres than the NRL clubs?

Your comments about a 'fanboy' attitude just show the arrogance of the typical NRL fan, who are only invested in Origin and constantly make excuses about why they don't go to games, instead of getting behind their teams and creating an atmosphere.

Despite all the money in the game in Australia, the sport is arguably diminishing, largely down to the arrogance of its administrators and so called fans, and the lack of coverage of a home world cup is even more evidence of how deluded they are

France did ok, they just couldn’t compete for the full 80. France needs a 2nd Super League club and to play more internationals. Both France and PNG have a lot of potential at international level. France U18’s beat England a few weeks ago.

Obviously you care as you post on a RL forum

France not doing too well Bazza?

Apparently not