League "World" Cup

[rowan]

England much too good for PNG - who were overall a little disappointing, I think. The Kumuls were co-hosts and generally regarded as one of the 'big 5' of rugby league, and it is their national game afterall. But, as I said earlier, much better for the image of the tournament that there is at least one team from outside of Oceania. Roos-Poms final looks likely now.

[Mr Mwenda]

Pity they couldn't have played the quarter-final in Port Moresby.

[rowan]

As league and union vie for the allegiance of Pacific Islanders Down Under it almost seems as though this tournament has been custom built to win Polynesian hearts and lure them across to the XIII made code. Fijians and Tongans are watching their national league teams beat the mighty Kiwis and take their places in the semi finals of an international tournament while their national union teams are getting beaten in the AIs as per usual - and even a quarterfinal spot in a 20 RWC format seems beyond their reach in the modern era. So it could be that league has actually done something really clever, because there is no more sought after resource in either code than natural Pacific Island rugby talent. Union needs to be on its guard here.

[kk67]

Pity they couldn't have played the quarter-final in Port Moresby.

Don't think it would have changed the result but at least the stadium would have been full.
Fewer English supporters paying top dollar, I'd imagine.

[rowan]

Pity they couldn't have played the quarter-final in Port Moresby.

Don't think it would have changed the result but at least the stadium would have been full.
Fewer English supporters paying top dollar, I'd imagine.

I saw highlights of the semi in Wellington and the stadium looked half empty.

[kk67]

The commentators kept talking about the thousands of English supporters in the city but the Melbourne stadium was less than half full.

[rowan]

Pretty sure only Sydney, Brisbane and the big stadiums in Britain draw big crowds for international league. That's the way I remember it anyway, but they used to get huge crowds into Wembley for club finals.

[kk67]

I assume it's like football and they make more money from the tv than the gate receipt.
In which case having a full stadium of 14,000 is better than having a half empty stadium of 14,000.

[rowan]

The commentators kept talking about the thousands of English supporters in the city but the Melbourne stadium was less than half full.

Melbourne doesn't have any fucks to give about league.

Nor union, evidently. It's an AFL town, and that's why it's called Victorian league. The only other code that's got a chance there is soccer, and that's because the city is full of immigrants from the Mediterranean and Balkans regions and their descendents. But rugby of all descriptions is regarded with suspicion, seen as an unwelcome impostor from the East Coast and beyond, a potential threat to their distinctly Victorian way of life. & besides, there's not enough kicking!

[Galfon]

haka v. sipi tau v. cupa tea...who wins ?


time to bring on the morris men I reckon..

[rowan]

1st semi: Aussie 54 Fiji 6. I'm not going to say anything . . .

[rowan]

1 guy gets 6 tries! Only time I've seen that in international rugby was when Marc Ellis (somewhat greedily) bagged a half dozen in the ABs 145-17 sin over Japan at the 95 RWC

[Galfon]

valentine holmes - dad from nz, maori/cook island heritage ?.very confusing.
kevin iro was a cookie i'm sure - he was a winger and a half too.

[rowan]

valentine holmes - dad from nz, maori/cook island heritage ?.very confusing.
kevin iro was a cookie i'm sure - he was a winger and a half too.

Not surprising really. There are about 700,000 NZ-born Australians and many more 2nd and 3rd generation Kiwis, of course; just another minority group. Yes, I remember the Iro bros - both around 6'3 (190cm) and 14 st (95kg), looked like giants in league but wouldn't have stood out in the All Blacks backline of the day size-wize. I remember thinking Jason Robinson was normal before he switched codes, then suddenly he was a midget - but a good one

[Galfon]

Not surprising really. There are about 700,000 NZ-born Australians and many more 2nd and 3rd generation Kiwis, of course;

Strewth...it's like if there were 10M Brits living in Europe..
Is it that hard to make a go of it in NZ ?

[rowan]

Not surprising really. There are about 700,000 NZ-born Australians and many more 2nd and 3rd generation Kiwis, of course;

Strewth...it's like if there were 10M Brits living in Europe..
Is it that hard to make a go of it in NZ ?

It certainly has been at times. Bigger population, bigger economy, more opportunities, of course. I even tried my luck over there myself a couple of times, most recently in the late 90s when I discovered my international press pass would get me into all kinds of major sporting events - with a seat in the press box into the bargain! But I couldn't get a darned thing published, otherwise I might still be there, instead of having come to Europe.

[Mr Mwenda]

Just turned on the England semifinal, doesn't look like Tonga have another upset in them unless there's a cracking last 20. Love the singing from the Tongan fans.

[Mr Mwenda]

some decent stuff from England, letting Tonga tire themselves out.

[rowan]

Seems like the Kiwis just had a really, really bad tournament. Fiji & Tonga not much chop in the end.

[Mr Mwenda]

Nice rally at the end here from Tonga!

[Mr Mwenda]

Bloody hell, 3 tries in 5 minutes. England shaken! 2 minutes left!

[Mr Mwenda]

Phew! What a finish!

[rowan]

Yes, amazing comeback but too little too late. Good tournament for the Tongans. Can't see the Poms getting close to the Roos in the final.

[Mr Mwenda]

Yup. Same ol', same ol' there, i suspect.

[Mr Mwenda]

England were saved by the TMO in the end. That final call was bullshit.

How so? I'm not sure on all league rules. I thought the tongan player knocked on. Was there something else to it?