Wonder if we can get waney earlier now?!?!

Oh dear.

Elaborate mate or it means nothing.

Not saying it's right or wrong, but I'd assume he's saying it's a bit drastic.

I know I'm odd, but when it comes to British RL I'll watch Wigan and that's it. If Saints Vs Leeds is on the TV, I'll switch over. I have zero interest in anything that isn't Wigan. I'm completely tribal and it's all about us. If Wigan aren't on the TV, then they should be etc. If there's a podcast, like the Out of Your League one, I'll listen to the Wigan ones but can't think of anything worse than listening to them interview a Darryl Powell or Leroy Cudjoe etc.

When it comes to the NRL I'm the opposite. I'll watch every game and spend my week listening to podcasts about it etc. It's just better. The players (on the whole), the fitness, the tactics, the production, the stadia etc. It's what the game should be and then you switch to Cas Vs Hudds and it's like watching a knock-off version of the game.

Me too

I guess that’s what he means also and I don’t think it is drastic if you’re a fan of a British Rugby League Club. This is NRL driven and could have a dire impact on all British rugby league clubs, including our own. We need this tournament and we need it this year. We have wall to wall coverage lined up on the BBC, coverage we won’t get next season (confirmed by the chair of the rugby league earlier) because the BBC has other things to show. As a British rugby league fan I certainly wouldn’t be supporting a competition that is trying it’s best to stamp out international rugby league. I’m sure they’re not overly reliant on a British TV deal but still. It shows it no support year in year out and is now hiding behind covid as an excuse.

I’m the other way on the NRL, I don’t know how people can be so passionate for it over here without a connection to a club. The old line was always how competitive it is but it’s been anything but this season. Melbourne and Penrith are miles clear of the rest and the number of blow out scores has been a shambles. Even the meaningful Origin games were poor.

This is nothing short of arrogance and self importance from the Aussie NRL clubs refusing to accept responsibility for players quarantine when they return. Excuse after excuse after excuse. The Aussie RU side, All Blacks, cricket, football and Olympic teams are all travelling abroad to countries with high CV19 rates. They’re reasoning and excuses are beyond belief.

I don’t watch NRL. I don’t watch Origin either. I can’t stand the over inflated egos of them. Personally I’d crack on without them. Let the other nations cherry pick their talent. I’d also heavily fine them and ban them from tournaments for 10 years.

I'm as peed off as everyone else with the stance of Aus and NZ and the way that NRL arrogance is devaluing the international game.

However, for the RFL and SL to comes out with the holier than thou statements and attitudes today is as arrogant. If I was Aus and NZ, I'd point out that half the scheduled fixtures this weekend in SL have had to be postponed because the virus is running out of control again, just as it's decided to lift all remaining restrictions aka "freedumb day".

Maybe Aus and NZ have got a point?

Their situation would be totally different though. There’s good investment behind the World Cup and bubbles in hotels and training facilities would be in place and I’m sure an intense testing regime. The World Cup would have everything Superleague cannot afford.

It also wouldn’t have a couple of teams in hiding and picking and choosing fixtures around a Challenge Cup final but that rant is for another topic.

I have to agree with you

That's only an issue until August 16th when self-isolation ends for double-jabbed people.

Much as I dislike the NRL's parochial attitude to the game, nevertheless. this is me too (apart from the podcasts)



People are complaining that the sport is dying out. Well, if their predictions come true, the NRL will be the only game in town anyway. Despite some blow-out scores, the NRL, in my opinion, still provides great entertainment. My view, clearly not shared by many here, is that it is the best televised sport on the planet. Earlier I watched a good contest between Canberra and Parramatta. Will Hull and Huddersfield be as good? I doubt it, but I'll watch anyway.

I don't think it's a 'weird obsession'.

And I don't watch the NRL on Sky, as I swore decades ago never to give Sky a penny, I have a laptop subscription to NRL dot com.

I get that people are peed off and are lashing out at the NRL, but I'm not going to stop watching it.

And, as I said before, the WC should be postponed till next year anyway.

Will Covid be gone next year?

I hope the situation will be improved, NK.

Me too but I hoped that last year as well. This time next year we could be sat here with another variant, that is running even more freely through the population, so where do you draw the line? Other sports have their stars travelling the globe so why are the NRL different? (I know the answer to that).

We’re going to have to get an answer from the Aussies about what is acceptable because it’s not going away. So will they take 20,000 cases a day? 10,000? 2,000? If they’re hoping it goes to zero, we best get that World Cup 2050 sorted out. They pull out of a tournament in mid July that starts in late October, citing that things ‘aren’t improving’. Well they’re not in Mid July but do they know something we don’t about where we could be in late October?

It is so self obsessed it’s embarrassing. I stand by my comment that as a British Rugby League fan, I wouldn’t entertain another NRL/Origin game until such a time that they start to look at the wider game. It’s each to their own on that score but that’s certainly my view.