Photos: Rugby League World Cup facebook
WHAT do we make of the Rugby League World Cup currently being played here across Australia, NZ, and PNG?
If you’re a rugby league tragic like me, then any footy is great footy. Or is it? I loved seeing the Kiwi’s stretch the Aussies in the opening game going down in the end 24-22. But that’s kinda been it.
Oh, except for the Fijians who gave the Aussies a bit of a scare last Sunday at Suncorp on the back of makeshift five-eighth Kurt Donoghoe laying on three tries for the Bati. But being honest, I don’t think any league lover likes seeing blowout scores that has most of the games over in the first 20 minutes!
Even when there was a hope of a major upset last Sunday when the Cook Islands raced out to a 16 points to 12 lead on the back of an eight minute hat trick to young winger Esom Ioka, the scoreline then zoomed in New Zealand’s favour 82-16!
In fact, the average winning margin in the 2nd round of the men’s world cup was 51.2 points. In the women’s World Cup that ballooned to an average winning margin of 70.5 points! With scores of 92-0, 78-0, and 76-0 catapulting that average. But how do we fix it?
Like in most World Cups of any sport, the minnows are always on the wrong end of the score line. In the last World Cup, back in 2022, there were 16 countries who participated. Countries that didn’t get a look in this time was due to a few reasons.
Firstly, this World Cup was supposed to be in France, but like Melbourne with the recent Commonwealth games, they simply dropped the ball. So, for financial and logistical reasons Aus, NZ, and PNG, bailed out the French escapade, but it meant only 10 countries rather than 16 would participate. While the international game has obviously grown, there is still a need for the fledgling nations to play more footy. Even watching the game between England and Tonga in round one of this current Cup knowing that the loser won’t see any semi-final action is indeed a shame.
Going forward I’d like to see 14 countries playing in the Rugby League World Cup. And you get to play in it based on how many ‘points’ you’ve collated in the three years leading up to the WC. For instance, Greece and Jamaica debuted at the last WC but are nowhere in sight for this one. So, for my blueprint the 14 teams who make their way through are all seeded. The top six seeds, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, England, and Fiji all play each other twice. Points are awarded for the win, how many tries you score, and how many points you win by. The four countries with the most cumulative points play in the semis.
Likewise, those tier B countries who have made their way to the World Cup do the same. Indeed, a virtual ‘two comp Cup’ with France, PNG, Cook Islands, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Italy, and Lebanon doing the same as the six nations playing in Tier A.
Let’s be honest, none of those eight countries I’ve just mentioned are winning a rugby league world cup in the near future. But for the future of the international game there has to be more carrots dangled for the minnows of our sport so at least they have some sort of incentive every four years to try and make their way into the main six team/nations competition.
MG (random Westie) OAM
