# Rugby League World Cup



## AndyRM (15 Oct 2022)

Bit of an embarrassing start to proceedings as the PA system at SJP failed.

Decent game so far between England and Samoa, England punishing Samoan mistakes, and I suspect there will be a lot more of those as they run out of steam.


----------



## AndyRM (15 Oct 2022)

60 - 6 to England in the end. Samoa's defending was shocking!


----------



## DRM (15 Oct 2022)

Hard to think that a lot of those playing for Samoa were in the NRL Grand Final between Penrith Panthers & Paramatta Eels, which was one heck of a game, England were brilliant, hope they can keep it up, I would dearly love to see them do the same to the Aussies!, Mrs DRM and myself went to see Leeds Rhinos v New Zealand last week, we got whooped, but the New Zealand squad did the Hakka at the end of the game again right in front of the South Stand at Headingley, was really good


----------



## Bonefish Blues (15 Oct 2022)

Their prep only started on Monday. They will get much, much better, but even so it was a heck of a thumping!


----------



## DRM (15 Oct 2022)

Up next Australia v Fiji, currently chucking it down at Headingley, I think they’ll be a lot of dropped ball/knock on’s in this one if it keeps raining.
Edit I do hope Jonathan Davies isn’t commentating on this one too, he’s bl**dy clueless


----------



## Chromatic (15 Oct 2022)

DRM said:


> Up next Australia v Fiji, currently chucking it down at Headingley, I think they’ll be a lot of dropped ball/knock on’s in this one if it keeps raining.
> *Edit I do hope Jonathan Davies isn’t commentating on this one too, he’s bl**dy clueless*



We're of the same opinion of him when he's doing Union too.


----------



## AndyRM (15 Oct 2022)

Great player, terrible pundit and horribly biased.


----------



## Beebo (16 Oct 2022)

It’s interesting to compare the approach to chest high tackling between League and Union. 
There would be 10 red cards per match and 
I do think Union has gone a bit too far with the red cards.


----------



## Bonefish Blues (16 Oct 2022)

Beebo said:


> It’s interesting to compare the approach to chest high tackling between League and Union.
> There would be 10 red cards per match and
> I do think Union has gone a bit too far with the red cards.



My perception is that Union has had many more issues wrt player safety and post-career disabilities, and hence the 'severity' of the response. Not sure if that's accurate tbh, interested in other views.


----------



## DRM (16 Oct 2022)

Without getting into the age old one code is better then t'other, in league it's usual to have players backing each other up, so if you don't do chest high tackles, the ball is instantly passed to someone else and doesn't count in the six tackles rule, so you aim to wrap the player up so he can't pass the ball, making the defending side one tackle nearer to getting the ball back


----------



## DRM (16 Oct 2022)

One for me that seems weird is the captains challenge, this is an NRL rule in Australia, we don't have such nonesense in the Northern Hemisphere, it seems the captain can query the referee's decision once, if the ref is correct, that's it, you have no more challenges, but if the ref's decision is overturned you keep the challenge to use again, I think it's just easier for the supporters to give the ref a chorus of " The referee's a w#n*er" sometimes it can even be heard on Sky Sports if it's a particularly bad wrong decision!


----------



## AndyRM (16 Oct 2022)

It does surprise me that there aren't more head and neck injuries with the chest high tackles, these fellas are hitting each other hard. The clash in the Australia Fiji game was the first serious knock I've seen.


----------



## DRM (16 Oct 2022)

The RFL have banned shoulder charges as now these players are so strong and big it’s like hitting a brick wall, they have also started with the head injury assessment in the game, previously they would hit the deck, be out of it for a bit, then get up and refuse to leave the field of play, but since Robbie Burrow had his MND diagnosis, the RFL have tightened up on head injuries, especially with a clash of heads, spear & high tackles.
But it’s not unheard of for someone to be taken off dazed & confused


----------



## AndyRM (16 Oct 2022)

Didn't expect Scotland to take such a hiding off the Azzuri, we looked absolutely inept for most of that!


----------



## david k (27 Oct 2022)

Beebo said:


> It’s interesting to compare the approach to chest high tackling between League and Union.
> There would be 10 red cards per match and
> I do think Union has gone a bit too far with the red cards.



If you tackle low they win the ruck as they can play the ball quicker and get a roll on they need to clamp.
First man is high, second man wraps and third man chops, ie takes the legs


----------



## david k (27 Oct 2022)

Short explanation of tackling in rugby League.


View: https://youtu.be/88x5jbPNC8Y


----------



## Beebo (27 Oct 2022)

david k said:


> If you tackle low they win the ruck as they can play the ball quicker and get a roll on they need to clamp.
> First man is high, second man wraps and third man chops, ie takes the legs



I know why they do it. 
The point I was making is about the risk of head injuries. RU has effectively banned the chest to chest tackle as it risks a head clash and was deemed too dangerous. 
If RL were to ban it then the game would really open up, with more off loading.


----------



## david k (27 Oct 2022)

Beebo said:


> I know why they do it.
> The point I was making is about the risk of head injuries. RU has effectively banned the chest to chest tackle as it risks a head clash and was deemed too dangerous.
> If RL were to ban it then the game would really open up, with more off loading.



It would change the game yes. Offloading is less if an issue than the super quick PTB. As that's a greater advantage as the defenders have to retreat.

I prefer the old style game, modern RL with super quick PTB can look like tick and pass. For me keep tackle beneath the head, allow holding down for 2 seconds and have a more controlled fame, which is what we are seeing in the World Cup.
They haven't changed a thing in RL other than a shoulder charge quite a few years ago, they just have harsher bans for high tackles.


----------



## david k (28 Oct 2022)

I thought Ireland looked good in game one but terrible in game two against Lebanon 
Which side will turn up against NZ tonight? They need to play very well just to compete with a star studded NZ side


----------



## dave r (28 Oct 2022)

david k said:


> I thought Ireland looked good in game one but terrible in game two against Lebanon
> Which side will turn up against NZ tonight? They need to play very well just to compete with a star studded NZ side



I'm half expecting a massacre.


----------



## david k (28 Oct 2022)

dave r said:


> I'm half expecting a massacre.



It's certainly possible but they will be so desperate to give a better showing you only need NZ to have an off day and they may make a game of it, unlikely yes but I'm hoping 😁


----------



## dave r (28 Oct 2022)

david k said:


> It's certainly possible but they will be so desperate to give a better showing you only need NZ to have an off day and they may make a game of it, unlikely yes but I'm hoping 😁



Thats all we can do, but after Scotlands surrender against the Australians who knows.


----------



## Beebo (29 Oct 2022)

Is there really any point in Greece entering the competition?
I know they are trying to grow the game, but a game like that doesn’t really help anyone. 
And realistically Greece will never have a professional player base.


----------



## cisamcgu (29 Oct 2022)

interesting question, but consider this :

approx. 20 years ago, NZ beat Tonga 74:0
approx. 10 years ago, NZ beat Tonga 46:8
approx. 5 years ago Tonga beat NZ 28:22

Teams can get better, and there is no professional league in Tonga -admittedly now a days all the players compete in NRL or Super League, but there is no reason the same could not be true, eventually, for Greece.


----------



## Beebo (29 Oct 2022)

cisamcgu said:


> interesting question, but consider this :
> 
> approx. 20 years ago, NZ beat Tonga 74:0
> approx. 10 years ago, NZ beat Tonga 46:8
> ...



True but as you say the pacific islands have a long history of playing both codes in NZ and Aus. 
I can’t see Greek players coming over to Halifax and Wigan.


----------



## DRM (29 Oct 2022)

Beebo said:


> True but as you say the pacific islands have a long history of playing both codes in NZ and Aus.
> I can’t see Greek players coming over to Halifax and Wigan.



They’re not really Greek though, they all play/live and were born in Australia, and have Greek heritage, they mainly play in the ARL, the league below NRL, same as the Lebanese side, iirc there’s a large Lebanese community in the Canterbury & Bankstown area of NSW


----------



## david k (31 Oct 2022)

Very interesting the development of the Pacific Islands and their players 
Largely led by the NRL but the pashion from PNG, Tonga, Samoa etc and their links to the community's is very important 
Tonga coach talks about it here on 40 minutes.


View: https://youtu.be/D3jd9xeORXc


----------



## DRM (5 Nov 2022)

https://www.mndassociation.org/get-involved/fundraising/fundraising-events/7in7/
Kevin Sinfield is at it again, this time it’s 7 ultra marathons in 7 days, finishing at the World Cup final, in aid of the MND charity, the reason it’s 7 is that was Rob Burrow’s squad number at the Leeds Rhinos.
it seems an ultra marathon is 60km


----------



## AndyRM (7 Nov 2022)

So, I've just been watching a wee bit of the wheelchair version. No idea what's going on, and my sound was off. 

What's the craic with everyone being covered in ribbons? @DRM you seem to know your way around the sport?


----------



## jowwy (7 Nov 2022)

AndyRM said:


> So, I've just been watching a wee bit of the wheelchair version. No idea what's going on, and my sound was off.
> 
> What's the craic with everyone being covered in ribbons? @DRM you seem to know your way around the sport?



They are tackle bands, they got pulled off to represent a tackle i believe……they use the same in childrens rugby, to stop full on contact happening at a young age.


----------



## Bazzer (7 Nov 2022)

Mrs B and I watched the England womens game played at Wigan the other day. Fierce tackling and I suspect some of the Canadians will be still be nursing sore body parts.


----------



## DRM (7 Nov 2022)

AndyRM said:


> So, I've just been watching a wee bit of the wheelchair version. No idea what's going on, and my sound was off.
> 
> What's the craic with everyone being covered in ribbons? @DRM you seem to know your way around the sport?



Jowwy has nailed it, it’s like tag rugby for the kids, but blimey they weren’t holding back were they!


----------



## AndyRM (7 Nov 2022)

OK, so can they only be tagged a certain number of times per game? Gonna have to read all the rules I guess, it does look pretty fun.


----------



## DRM (7 Nov 2022)

I think, not 100% certain, that the tags are pulled off to indicate a tackle, the player reattaches them at the play the ball, I am also uncertain but it should be 6 tackles then you have to handover the ball to the opposition, so after the 5th tackle the ball will be punched forward, just as the able bodied players will kick the ball forward and chase it, the ref indicates the 5th tackle by holding their hand up with 5 fingers separated


----------



## AndyRM (7 Nov 2022)

DRM said:


> I think, not 100% certain, that the tags are pulled off to indicate a tackle, the player reattaches them at the play the ball, I am also uncertain but it should be 6 tackles then you have to handover the ball to the opposition, so after the 5th tackle the ball will be punched forward, just as the able bodied players will kick the ball forward and chase it, the ref indicates the 5th tackle by holding their hand up with 5 fingers separated



Gotcha, ta!


----------



## Brandane (12 Nov 2022)

Wow; what a game! Quite a turnaround for Samoa having been beaten 60-6 by England in the group stage. 
Great entertainment for a neutral (); well played Samoa .


----------



## Bonefish Blues (12 Nov 2022)

Bonefish Blues said:


> Their prep only started on Monday. They will get much, much better, but even so it was a heck of a thumping!



Big mouth. TBF I didn't think they'd get _that_ much better


----------



## Beebo (12 Nov 2022)

Didn’t watch it, but I’m amazed that they overturned a 60 point lead.


----------



## DRM (12 Nov 2022)

What a game, I really thought England would do it, but they were evenly matched, but the main thing is it’s a huge thing for Samoa to be playing the Mighty Kangaroos in the final, the Samoan team and people should be proud of this achievement


----------



## dave r (12 Nov 2022)

Very entertaining game, just the wrong result, well played Samoa.


----------



## Chromatic (14 Nov 2022)

Now I'm no expert at this game but we seem to be playing the ref as well as the New Zealanders in the semi tonight, or am I talking bollocks?


----------



## dave r (14 Nov 2022)

Chromatic said:


> Now I'm no expert at this game but we seem to be playing the ref as well as the New Zealanders in the semi tonight, or am I talking bollocks?



I've no idea, but don't you think one of the New Zealand players looks somewhat masculine?


----------



## Chromatic (14 Nov 2022)

dave r said:


> I've no idea, but don't you think one of the New Zealand players looks somewhat masculine?



No comment.🤐


----------



## Supersuperleeds (18 Nov 2022)

England the wheelchair world champs


----------



## DRM (18 Nov 2022)

Supersuperleeds said:


> England the wheelchair world champs



That was absolutely fantastic


----------



## david k (21 Nov 2022)

A very good world cup overall, England son 2 of the 4 on offer.
Shame for men's and women's going out at semi final stages 
Womens did great considering they are all amatuer.
Mens didn't manage the game well, worked hard but poor game management.

But it's got people talking and watching RL so that's good.


----------

