RLWC 2013

themont85

Rugby League needs to get over itself on this whole "fascism" thing. Its an inconvenient truth for some but Labour politicians in Australia had rugby union thrown out of Catholic schools in favour of league and RL had no problem with trying to enter South Africa during the 60s when a lot of other sports were getting out (not some, notably rugby union, cricket and F1, to their shame). Nor did Rugby League stop playing high profile events like the Challenge Cup when Britain were fighting the Nazis, when events like the FA Cup and the Five Nations ceased (and yes I know some will come in and talk about it being for morale purposes...but why wasn't this the same for other competitions, league needed to earn a crust).

No denying the history, nor that book being excellent and a great read for all fans (particularly those of both codes) but this us versus them thing with league is sad and chippy. The attempt is to paint a sport as some sort underdog, downtrodden and blaming everyone else is not healthy for what is an excellent sport.

This is the RLWC, why on earth does it need to be mentioned?

themont85

toomevara wrote: »

This is an utterly incredible result..didnt see the game, but to call Italy a minnow is doing minnows a disservice....

Eh did you see the Italian team....its a good chunk of a very respectable NRL outfit.

I wonder how many of them have played for Italy since 2008?

themont85

KevIRL wrote: »

In another answer to my question, it appears that Setanta Sports 1 are showing the warm up games next week, so hopefully they will have the cup games too.

Some man to be answering my own questions so I am.

Yea I'd say they will given Premier Sports is apart of the Setanta stable.

Ireland-Australia better be on Setanta Ireland. Build the audience.

toomevara

themont85 wrote: »

Eh did you see the Italian team....its a good chunk of a very respectable NRL outfit.

I wonder how many of them have played for Italy since 2008?

Did indeed, decent enough bunch with some serious talent in key positions, but nobody saw that one coming. I think the curse of English rugby league i.e. the complete inability to put together a decent international team may be about to strike again....

toomevara

themont85 wrote: »

No denying the history, nor that book being excellent and a great read for all fans (particularly those of both codes) but this us versus them thing with league is sad and chippy. The attempt is to paint a sport as some sort underdog, downtrodden and blaming everyone else is not healthy for what is an excellent sport.

This is the RLWC, why on earth does it need to be mentioned?

Great book, deserves an audience way beyond rugby. Don't agree with the'chippy' thing. True in the past but long gone now, living in leeds for many years its was great to see how union and league teams shared the same ground and training facilities....anyone involved in RL now accepts that the biggest problem with the modern game is not some conspiracy against a chippy, plucky working class sport, but the vast ineptitude of the people who run the sport at the highest level....entirely self inflicted...

Dozen Wicked Words

Can't help it, I'm still a bit chippy! Although saying that, the SA v NZ game from the other week was just some of the best sport of any kind I've seen, could nearly make me a regular Union watcher.

Nearly.

toomevara

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Can't help it, I'm still a bit chippy! Although saying that, the SA v NZ game from the other week was just some of the best sport of any kind I've seen, could nearly make me a regular Union watcher.

Nearly.

That was an utterly astounding 80 minutes of professional sport, amazing.

themont85

toomevara wrote: »

Great book, deserves an audience way beyond rugby. Don't agree with the'chippy' thing. True in the past but long gone now, living in leeds for many years its was great to see how union and league teams shared the same ground and training facilities....anyone involved in RL now accepts that the biggest problem with the modern game is not some conspiracy against a chippy, plucky working class sport, but the vast ineptitude of the people who run the sport at the highest level....entirely self inflicted...

Of course its chippy...every single article I read trying to bring RL to a new audience has to include it.

KevIRL

themont85 wrote: »

Ireland-Australia better be on Setanta Ireland. Build the audience.

Its on Setanta Sports 1, Just had a look at the EPG on UPC

Good news for me as I have the Setanta/BT pack. Seems like Setanta will be showing the games that Premier have but BBC dont have.

toomevara

Gareth Hock's been kicked out of the England squad for repeated disciplinary infringements.....TBH the guy was a red card waiting to happen anyway, the Aussies would have wound him up mercilessly.

toomevara

TV coverage of RLWC, what time and channel:

http://www.wheresthematch.com/rugby-league-world-cup-on-tv/

also, nice piece from the Guardian today:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/oct/23/rugby-league-world-cup-2013-england-australia

themont85

KevIRL wrote: »

Its on Setanta Sports 1, Just had a look at the EPG on UPC

Good news for me as I have the Setanta/BT pack. Seems like Setanta will be showing the games that Premier have but BBC dont have.

Ridiculous. Why not put it on SI for a bigger potential audience?

P_1

themont85 wrote: »

Ridiculous. Why not put it on SI for a bigger potential audience?

€€s in new subscriptions I'd imagine

themont85

P_1 wrote: »

€€s in new subscriptions I'd imagine

I'm sure Irish people will be queing up just to watch one game from a completely minority sport.

I'm more annoyed at the organisers, it isn't hard to request it when they sold the rights.

toomevara

England's catastrophic build up to tomorrow's game continues with McNamara walking out of a press conference today following some persistent but you'd have to say relatively innocuous questioning around the Gareth Hock thing..

On the field three Burgesses (collective noun a 'Batter' of Burgesses) have been selected in the 19 man squad to face Australia...be interesting to know if three brothers have ever represented their country at the same time, in the same game...

Dozen Wicked Words

45,000 tickets sold for the opener. Decent but this is probably biggest game of whole tournament numbers wise unless hosts get through to final. Not sure how other games have sold yet.

toomevara

Hard to know, but New Zealand V France in Avignon is virtually a sell out apparently (17,000).

icdg

KevIRL wrote: »

Its on Setanta Sports 1, Just had a look at the EPG on UPC

Good news for me as I have the Setanta/BT pack. Seems like Setanta will be showing the games that Premier have but BBC dont have.

Worth noting that despite what Setanta's website says, todays opening double header and next weeks Ireland v England game will be apparently on Setanta Ireland (on cable at least). This however is due to Setanta's desire to move their Premier League (which is Manchester United both weeks) coverage to Setanta Sports 1 rather than any desire to promote rugby league.

Ordinarily, Setanta Sports 1 is an exact simulcast of Premier Sports, except in two situations: (1) Setanta have their own programmes to show in the slot (e.g. Premier League games on Saturday afternoons and some Champions League nights) or (2) Premier Sports don't have the Irish rights to the sport in question (mainly affects GAA, e.g. tonights International Rules series will be on Premier Sports but not Setanta Sports 1 because TG4 has the rights).

toomevara

Australian Team to face England today;

Australia: Slater, Morris, Tate, Inglis, Boyd, Thurston, Cronk, Scott, Smith (capt), Tamou, Bird, Thaiday, Gallen.

Interchange: (from) Robbie Farah, Andrew Fifita, Luke Lewis, Corey Parker, Jarryd Hayne, Nate Myles.

Bloody hell, that is some outfit.That backline alone....If England win this one it'll be a minor sporting miracle...suppose they could pray for rain, but don't know if the roof in the Millennium will be closed or not. The England team will be named later this morning.

KevIRL

V good start from England

toomevara

Burgess, what a monster. Forward dominance to England, some nice creative play. Rangi Chase going well...

toomevara

Superb kick Sinfield...surely a try...

Dozen Wicked Words

Aussies were asleep for start of the game, looks like they are well and truly in their stride now. Unless England fly out of the traps 2nd half, only one winner as usual.

toomevara

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Aussies were asleep for start of the game, looks like they are well and truly in their stride now. Unless England fly out of the traps 2nd half, only one winner as usual.

Yep, looking like the Roos were just blowing off some cobwebs in the first twenty. Thurston, for me, has taken the game by the scruff and brought it to the English...Been to two England V Oz games over the last few years. England have been committed and involved for an hour and then fallen to pieces, with big blow out scores...hope we're not going to see a repeat here. Chase has impressed me as has Georgie Burgess, Ryan Hall, Benny Westwood, Kev Sinfield...just got to keep concentration and give them nothing. The Slater try was pretty naive stuff from England....

toomevara

Genius from Slater to deny England a 40/20.

Dozen Wicked Words

Feck it, knock on there

toomevara

Burgess Lucky to stay on there...

Dozen Wicked Words

toomevara wrote: »

Burgess Lucky to stay on there...

Should have gone.

toomevara

Discipline becoming an issue for the English here...

toomevara

Thats all she wrote, creditable enough from England, but you'd have to say they won't get a better chance with the Aussies a bit ring-rusty…incidentally just heard that England/Ireland in Huddersfield next week is a sell out….