4 Nations Stupidity
- Thread starter pacey
- Start date
Couldnt disagree more.
Probably help if you did some research before also.
Admittedly France are the weakest and will cop a few floggings but they need to be there. They have a handful (2 or 3) of good players that could play NRL (Bosc being the main) and they did pretty well in the Super League.
As for a combined islands team????? Thats a joke. No way. The Tongans and Samoans have enough talent alone to field a competitive team. PNG just needs a bit more $$ and better management and theyd be right up there also.
Imagine if the International League Federation got serious and made players play from the countries that the originally chose to represent - Australia would lose Jennings to Tonga, Hayne to Fiji, and Petero to Fiji. That would bolster these teams immensely as well as all the 1st grade players they could load them up with. Also, not forgetting alot of the NZ team could/should be playing for Tonga or Samoa also.
The Pacific Nations Cup starts this year and is a positive step for International League. Believe it or not, Ch 9 will be showing some of it (about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
If the Pacific Cup keeps on and there is a meaningful tournament between these island nations (possibly the winner moving into a 5 nations tournament????) then the players will play for these countries and not be forced into playing for NZ or Oz.
The international game should be miles ahead of where it is. But thanks to lack of media coverage (thanks 9), the NRL doing nothing to help, and the international board going week on allegience rules it has slipped away over the last 20 years.
For me - the best memories of any league games as a kid (im now 30) were Oz vs England. They were awesome. (oh yeah, and SOO of course)
Probably help if you did some research before also.
Admittedly France are the weakest and will cop a few floggings but they need to be there. They have a handful (2 or 3) of good players that could play NRL (Bosc being the main) and they did pretty well in the Super League.
As for a combined islands team????? Thats a joke. No way. The Tongans and Samoans have enough talent alone to field a competitive team. PNG just needs a bit more $$ and better management and theyd be right up there also.
Imagine if the International League Federation got serious and made players play from the countries that the originally chose to represent - Australia would lose Jennings to Tonga, Hayne to Fiji, and Petero to Fiji. That would bolster these teams immensely as well as all the 1st grade players they could load them up with. Also, not forgetting alot of the NZ team could/should be playing for Tonga or Samoa also.
The Pacific Nations Cup starts this year and is a positive step for International League. Believe it or not, Ch 9 will be showing some of it (about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
If the Pacific Cup keeps on and there is a meaningful tournament between these island nations (possibly the winner moving into a 5 nations tournament????) then the players will play for these countries and not be forced into playing for NZ or Oz.
The international game should be miles ahead of where it is. But thanks to lack of media coverage (thanks 9), the NRL doing nothing to help, and the international board going week on allegience rules it has slipped away over the last 20 years.
For me - the best memories of any league games as a kid (im now 30) were Oz vs England. They were awesome. (oh yeah, and SOO of course)
Marshall_magic
New member
The decision for the 4th nation to be France was made before the world cup I believe. After France's poor performance there, I think there were whispers that France were going to get dumped from the 4N for PNG, Ireland or Fiji, who performed much better.
Captain_Awesome
New member
@ed612313 said:
the winner of the pacific cup will replace France in the 2010 4nations. Also the nrl needs to put funds into expanding the international game, the RFL is constantly expanding league across Europe whilst nrl has done nothing
Marshall_magic
New member
Personally I love origin, but I think it's dealt out a massive hit to international football. Players are choosing to play for Australia if they are elligble with their motive being playing Origin football, and not playing for their people. I won't think any less of a player for choosing to play for Australia so they can play origin, I think it's the NRL's fault here again. They hype it up like playing for NSW/Queensland is better than playing for your country. How many players have jumped ship in the past so they can play origin? Karmichael Hunt is the big one, but there are many others.
@Marshall_magic said:
Personally I'd like to see each state be able to pick say 2 non-Australian qualified players (if they want). I wouldn't want to see an unlimited amount of non-Aussies but one or two would be a compromise and would allow someone like Mateo to be picked and still play for Tonga. There would have to be some rules - once you got picked for one team you couldn't swap and you'd have to work out who plays for whom (whether individuals or countries were assigned or each team got to pick from a kind of draft).
Anyway sorry if I drifted off topic, just a thought I had…
@senex said:
Yeh to me thats why International Rugby League needs to be improved.
There's not many other sports in the world where State games are better quality/higher priority then Internationals.
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France used to be a strong Rugby League side about 60 years ago, they have a history and they have beaten Australia before. The problem was their Government thought it was to violent and so they banned it for decades which has allowed Union to take over.
I think there is potential in International Rugby league and they seem to be putting a lot of effort into France which I think is great. But as has been said, the Rugby Football League needs to get serious on eligibility, the NRL needs to help the Pacific Island teams out, and the ESL needs to make a bigger effort to help other UK countries such as Ireland and Wales out.
I'd like to see at some stage competitive teams such as:
Australia
New Zealand
England
France
Wales
Ireland
Scotland
Tonga
Samoa
Fiji
PNG
Lebanon
I know its wishful thinking but it would be nice if most of those teams are competitive at some stage.
Juro
Well-known member
One idea I have is that players can have something like a dual citizenship. They can play for Australia when their other team is not involved in a competition. Eg, Farah could play for Lebanon in a world cup but that wouldn't stop him playing for Australia against NZ or England. That would bolster these less competitive teams and help to build the profile of rugby league in those countries.
The other thing that I think needs to be done (not sure whether it is already) is that when a player first plays in the NRL, they need to state clearly what country they are eligible for (and what state if they qualify for SOO). That way it removes a lot of confusion.
The other thing that I think needs to be done (not sure whether it is already) is that when a player first plays in the NRL, they need to state clearly what country they are eligible for (and what state if they qualify for SOO). That way it removes a lot of confusion.
@Jazza said:
Actually what happened is the Vichy French government banned league during WW2 and took all their assets but allowed union to keep going. It was a very sordid affair which reflects very poorly on the French union people at the time.
French RL was strong in the 50s and 60s but declined after that, strangely enough because "amateur" union clubs get poaching their players.
Before WW2 France were on the outer from international union because of their violent play and lack of commitment to amateur values.
They did beat Australia 2-0 in 1978 though.
@pacey said:
Thats one of the main problems, the international rugby league should make it that all countries can only pay players a standard fee that all countries can afford… pulling on the Green & Gold should be enough of a reward...
And if there are some so-called stars that will not play for that smallish amount of money i'm sure there will be 5-10 blokes in that position ready & willing to put they're hand up...
huddgiant01
New member
international rugby league will never grow if players keep swapping eligences fro example playing for Fiji then for Australia :wink: If this is stopped the future is bright.
Dual citizen ship idea is a joke.
So what happens when Samoa (who on paper are the 4th best team in the world) have someone like Utai (when he was good)?? What, he plays for Samoa in all the warm up games/pacific cup and then Samoa win that, which gives them entrance into the next 4 Nations to be held in the Southern Hemisphere then Utai decides to play for Oz?? No way. Pick your country and stay there.
Anyway, in saying that Samoa just got beaten by the Cook Islands and will not even be playing in this upcoming Pacific Cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands and Tonga are playing)
The only thing that is holding back Samoa and Tonga from being 1st tier league nations is the NRL. I think both nations would be better than England (not saying much) if they had there full complement of players.
And as for the $$$$ being a factor that makes me sick. Any player that raised this as an issue should be dropped. Thats not what playing for your country is about.
If anything, all those match payments should go to the development of league in a place like Tonga.
So what happens when Samoa (who on paper are the 4th best team in the world) have someone like Utai (when he was good)?? What, he plays for Samoa in all the warm up games/pacific cup and then Samoa win that, which gives them entrance into the next 4 Nations to be held in the Southern Hemisphere then Utai decides to play for Oz?? No way. Pick your country and stay there.
Anyway, in saying that Samoa just got beaten by the Cook Islands and will not even be playing in this upcoming Pacific Cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands and Tonga are playing)
The only thing that is holding back Samoa and Tonga from being 1st tier league nations is the NRL. I think both nations would be better than England (not saying much) if they had there full complement of players.
And as for the $$$$ being a factor that makes me sick. Any player that raised this as an issue should be dropped. Thats not what playing for your country is about.
If anything, all those match payments should go to the development of league in a place like Tonga.
huddgiant01
New member
@ed612313 said:
not sure i agree with you there mate, England have some very good players the problem is our coach goes for names and finaly he has realised and is bringing young players through.
