I agree. I did watch more of the earlier rounds, but in the latest round I've stayed with them only until the result becomes obvious. I only stayed with England on Saturday until half-time.

I think the difference with, for example, rugby union and football is that are fewer minnows. Even in football, you can usually narrow down the eventual tournament winner to one of maybe four teams before it starts, like with this world cup, but there is more competition en route to the final, with often a fairy tale journey for at least one country. The nature of rugby league means that you never get the fairy tale, and by that I mean a completely unexpected result.

It's great to see the smaller nations, but it doesn't make for compelling viewing. From now on, except maybe the Lebanon game, they do.

This is where the strength of the NRL game helps. There is some genuine quality in both PNG and Samoa, with very good players choosing to play for them. PNG won't be easy beats and Tonga-v-Samoa is very tough to call this time around.

I don't see the international game thriv8 for a good number of years, not enough games are played.
Maybe 7 and 9 international tournaments could be organised every other year.
Its not that long ago that Italy got pumped every game in RU, think it was Rodney March that called the RU World Cup a joke after England won it.
I'm sure lessons will be learned from our own comp but a start would be to introduce more games and more international competitions.

More Internationals is on the IMG to do list I think.
It would require a break though as the NRL wouldn't release players.
Maybe do it at SoO time.

Wasn`t one of the IMG proposals to align calendars with the NRL so that we can facilitate international breaks?

Yes I think so. I kinda like that.
But I reckon we'd have to go there though.

Indeed

One of the issues with international games, apart from all of the competitive sides are "down under" is that The Aussies are happy with SOO and generally not interested in internationals, certainly not coming over here anyway.

I agree, although I genuinely think since a lot of Samoans and Tongans have pledged there allegiance to their countries, interest in the international game seems to have picked up a little. By putting themselves forward to play for there country, they are giving up the chance to play Origin as well.

It's a tough one.
Mind you, if the Aussies aren't fully on board with the internationals, they wont happen.

I think the Origin criteria only requires a player to have played in either Queensland or New South Wales area before they are 13.

It used to but it has been said a number of times that players playing for heritage countries are giving up that right.

I suspect that will change. The quality of the players in Samoa and Tonga would weaken the Origin brand if they couldn't play Origin as well. It's not as much of an issue at the moment as the players available for NSW are of such high quality, but Queensland doesn't quite have the depth of NSW (despite winning it this year).

I think one issue that could arise is that if players increasingly choose their heritage country, Origin could become a bit of a "white" tournament, which wouldn't be a good look, unless they change the rules (ie, it would become white Aussies and indigenous Aussies only).