Both Damien Cook and James Tedesco have both said, in the past couple of days that they want to come and play the world cup over here, regardless of what the NRL decide

Now the Brazilian nation rugby league team have declared that they are ready and willing to send a team over to replace Australia.

I reckon we would manage to beat them by about 8-10 points

Which is great. Problem is they have no team to represent.

The players are the only ones who could really change this but that would require the vast majority of kangeroo squad telling the NRL they want to play.

Exactly. The decision should have been left to the players, not taken for them. If too many players didnt want to come and you couldnt raise a team, then pull out.

Looking at the thread on reddit about it, the vast majority of aussie fans are gutted about the situation, so its not just us brits who are disappointed

I think the recent relocation to queensland has played its part. Players are quarantined there for 3 months then again would be away from home and family for another 7 weeks in the UK.

Australia will be in the brown stuff for a while now, they shut the borders but did nothing to mitigate opening up again. Both them and nz will be in the same boat as the rest of the world just a year or so later.

The wc has to be cancelled now, extend our season by a month or so and get some credibility back

Not great news, I think a postponement to 2022 is the only option. They will struggle to sell tickets if 2 small nations replace the two big nations. It'll lack credibility if England lift the trophy against say Fiji.

Also could be a chance to tweak some of the venues and ticket prices, as some seem to have sold well but others struggling. Prices are far too high for the games in Hull and I've always thought Middlesbrough and Coventry were ambitious choices. They do however seem to have got the England games right.

The NRL are a disgrace. I tend to avoid Union, as I see it as a game who’s be quite happy to wipe League off the face of the earth but who needs enemies with the friends we have Down Under. I’ll probably treat watching the NRL/Origin much in the same way as I do watching Union now and just turn it over.

The other problem is that a postponement to next year will clash with the FIFA World Cup which will no doubt affect broadcast rights, sponsorships, overall interest, etc.

Doubtful. Our auntie Cindy will have us tucked up in a snap.lockdown if someone as little as sneezes.....the aussies have a different issue, but we're quite happy in our little bubble for now thanks....you lot carry on regardless and we'll look on in horror as people like the guys above who reckon a few hundred bodies is worth going to a nightclub

Up against a soccer World Cup,in Qatar, with all the publicity on that sport?

2023 - Rugby Union World Cup.Interesting challenge?

It is not a problem, they can delay the start of the NRL season or stand down players involved (they would for origin) .