Without wanting to get into another tedious covid debate, we probably need to point out that our testing regime is now far ahead of any other nation & also that 'cases' don't equal illnesses?

As others have said, this presents the huge problem of clashing with the football World Cup. It would get horribly drowned out.

Of course nearly everyone is aware of our wonderful vaccination figures. But we still have to be wary and you cannot blame other countries from giving us a wide berth. Even with our vaccinations there will come a point (if we do not get infections down) where we cannot tolerate the deaths, those on ventilators and numbers in hospital. The numbers of infections are flying up. It is not surprising some would choose to visit Japan rather than here.

You're describing an issue with our health system, rather than any significant issue with a virus...

Sorry Dita ... not sure what you mean here. Can you explain?

This is spot on.

If our health system can't serve it's population adequately, after vaccinating the vast majority of its people, then I'd suggest it's the health system that's the issue and not the virus.

We cannot, as a nation, be held hostage to the whims of a badly run health system. We've done all we can as far as the virus goes. It's now a malfunctioning health system that is holding us back.

The players will be in a bubble and being tested on a regular basis. The players are supremely fit athletes, who will hardly feel the effect of having it, in the unlikely event they did contract it. The players would quarantine on their return home for two weeks and therefore negate the risk of passing it to more vulnerable people. The players should be able to make their own decisions on an individual basis and people would respect that.

Forget covid in this instance, it is nothing but a glorious excuse for the NRL to hide behind. These last two years has been ideal for the NRL big wigs. They have zero interest in International Rugby League.

Pretty much this. The Aussies couldn't give a toss for international RL & the health of our game here in the UK. Covid is merely a convenient excuse.

Well if the boycott is down to the NRL there are ways round it. Remember the 1997 GB v Aus series, during the ARL v Super League 'war'. The ARL clubs boycotted it and it wasn't allowed to be called the Ashes, so they just had a 'Super League Test Series' with Aus represented by players from clubs who were in the Aussie Super League like Brisbane, Canberra, Penrith and so on.

A combined nations team beat England the other week, surely they can raise a team of Aussies who are already over here. I would put a few quid on Jake Mamo being the world cup top try scorer.

I was listening to Steve Mascord last week and he talked about the pressure that the NRL clubs were putting on their top brass to pull out of the World Cup. There was a reluctance to do that because they had given their commitment to the competition but still had problems agreeing to the arrangements and financing of the players isolation on their return down under. The fact that they held off signing the participation agreement spoke volumes.
As others have said, it looks like they were waiting for the infection rates here to rise to give some kind of credence for their announcement.
Does it prove the British belief that the Australians have no interest in the international game and only participate under sufferance or are they right to 'protect' their people? Mixture of both imo.
Jon Dutton and his team have a huge decision to make as I'm sure that ticket refunds are unthinkable.
(and I've bought tickets for four matches!).

The aussies only care about SOO and the nrl. That's the truth and anyone who thinks this is based on covid cases is deluding themselves.

Surely there is a simple solution here;

Saints Academy could stand in for the Aussies and their Scholarship could replace NZ. ?

I’m not judging you for being anxious about something, but I do have to ask you - what would your solution be?

All the vulnerable are vaccinated, in fact 88% of adults have one dose and 70% have had two. That includes those not really at serious risk from COVID.

It’s clear that even with vaccinations this disease will spread like wildfire and the consequence will be some hospitalisations and some deaths. Just like every disease or health issue. You simply can’t stop COVID you can merely make it less able to kill.

So, with all the vulnerable vaccinated what is your solution to stop cases spreading? Lock down until millions go into poverty and die of starvation? Would you like to surrender your entire pension to give hope to young kids and prevent them from a shorter miserable life in poverty? Not many would. That’s why we have no choice but to open up. We need to accept its here and deal with reality. Wear a mask and avoid crowds if you feel under threat and no one will criticise you for it.

How come the Aussies are managing to attend the Olympics, the cricket and sending their RU team over here?

I thought it was ‘simply too dangerous’?