This will be the game of the round.

Lebanon has 6 NRL quality players: The spine of full back Reece Robinson, five eighth Mitchell Moses (Parramatta) half back Robert Farah (South Sydney), hooker Michael Lichaa (Canterbury) and two props Timothy Mannah (Parramatta) and Alexander Twal (Wests Tigers) are all top notch.

The rest of the team is 2nd division or worse.

France has a quality spine, though not as good as Lebanon's: full back Mark Kheirallah (Toulouse), Five eighth Theodore Fages (St Helens) Half back William Barthau (Toulouse) and hooker Eloi Pelissier (Leigh). France has a more consistent looking pack of forwards than Lebanon in Jason Baitieri (Catalans), Julien Bousquet (Catalans), Benjamin Garcia (Catalans), Antoni Maria (Toulouse), Benjamin Jullien (Warrington), Thibault Margalet (Catalans) Romaine Navarette (Wigan) but looks very weak in the outside backs, especially in the centres. Bastien Ader (Toulouse) will be one centre, and Benjamin Jullien will probably have to play in his secondary choice position in the centres.

France's prospects hinge on the French pack getting on top of the Lebanese forwards from the beginning. Otherwise the Lebanese spine will win the game for Lebanon.

Lebanon have done what Fiji did before the last WC. They have identified all their potential players early and had them training for months, and had a big training camp to sort out who has been training like an NRL player and who hasn't.
Brad Fittler has a squad full of guys who have trained hard, so even if they haven't played professionally, they have got themselves up to the level of fitness needed.
Lebanon will surprize a lot of people, and probably be too good for France.

Lebanon relying on Auzzies switching their nationality I see. How's exactly is International RL not a joke.

get your excuses in early, for when Lebanon gives it to England.

It’s Tim Mannah you uncultured swine.

Timothy actually.

Okay we get it. You don't like international Rugby League. You can scream and moan as much as you like. Not gonna change our minds.

Some of us are looking forward to watching some international rugby league next week

Internationals should be place off birth. Simple

Yes you me and thousands more all over the world bring it on lets get going

Then it would be a 4 team World Cup

Regards

King James

Edited link in post below.

Quote: Willzay "Lebanon relying on Auzzies switching their nationality I see. How's exactly is International RL not a joke.'" Just because you don't understand/recognise the clear international eligibility criteria doesn't make it a "joke", unless the joke is on you. theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/2 ... -drubbings

Quote: Willzay "Lebanon relying on Auzzies switching their nationality I see. How's exactly is International RL not a joke.'" Just because you don't understand/recognise the clear international eligibility criteria doesn't make it a "joke", unless the joke is on you. theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/2 ... -drubbings

Well bully for you.

Players still have to meet a nationality criteria in order to represent a team. What the ruling aimed to achieve was to allow players to represent the second tier of developing nations without giving up their chance to play for one of the top tier teams (if they also met their criteria).

I assume you don't bother watching any international sport, as the RL criteria is not dissimilar to that of many other sports, which I would guess you'd also class as a "joke".