Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:41 pm  

Thought Widdop was excellent at fullback today. I've thought he looked like a fullback trying to play in the halves for us for a few years now and it looks comfortable out the back.

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:52 pm  

brearley84 wrote:

football is king im afraid

Not here is isn't......the Wellington Phoenix play in the Aussie A-league and struggle to get 7k to games...it's only the All Whites that folk are interested in. My first game at the cake tin was England v New Zealand in the 2010 4 Nations when we got 21,000 to the game.....The warriors got 30k for the Bulldogs in 2013, 22k for the Tigers game in 2014 down here...the Bulldogs took their home game here in 2016 and got 18k...in total 9 NRL games have been played in Wellington with an average of 21k.....that's better than the local Super Rugby side get....the difference is that those games are marketed and there has been little if any marketing done for this one game here in Wellington.
There's an audience down here for League but they need to be engaged....

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:56 pm  

My standout players from tier 2 countries

1 Kevin Naiqama - Fiji
2 David Fusitu'a - Tonga
3 Nene MacDonald - PNG
4 Aku Uate - Fiji
5 Suliasi Vunivalu - Fiji
6 Mitchell Moses - Lebanon
7 Ata Hingano - Tonga
8 Andrew Fifita - Tonga
9 Michael Lichaa - Lebanon
10 Ashton Sims - Fiji
11 Rhyse Martin - PNG
12 Viliame Kikau - Fiji
13 Jason Taumalolo - Tonga

14 James Segeyaro - PNG
15 Tim Mannah - Lebanon
16 Herman Ese'ese - Samoa
17 Sio Siua Taukeiaho - Tonga

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:59 pm  

Call Me God wrote:

Sorry....the BBC showed a Union game last weekend?
I was under the impression that SKY owned the autumn internationals......oh, I am right, it was on SKY action and Sky Main Event but not on BBC......

Sorry your right about that BBC have not shown live England RU games, in reality its even worse, the friendly I saw the BBC were showing was Scotland vs Samoa in a friendly, so a match with considerably less of an audience than an England RU game, yet when Scotland played Samoa in the RLWC it was not shown live.

I don't understand why we dont just give the RLWC to SKY, they would probably show all the games live and the BBC can still do their little highlights shows if they want them.

Anyway it doesnt matter where the games are shown because the idiots who have organised the tournament have put Englands SF on at 4 in the morning next week instead of playing the game a few hours when people might be awake.

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Sun Nov 19, 2017 11:31 pm  

leedsnsouths wrote:

Sorry your right about that BBC have not shown live England RU games, in reality its even worse, the friendly I saw the BBC were showing was Scotland vs Samoa in a friendly, so a match with considerably less of an audience than an England RU game, yet when Scotland played Samoa in the RLWC it was not shown live.

Scotland v Samoa in Union (ATT 67,000) is of course a far lesser draw than England in Union but it'll still have dwarfed the Scotland v Samoa at League game watched by 4,309 bored souls in Cairns.
There was general disbelief on League forums 4 years ago when the figures for Ireland v AB's on BBC on the 24th of November 2013 were greater than those for the previous days action from Wembley on the BBC......but as your so keen on REALITY.......that's the reality of where our sport sits in the British Public's awareness.

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:18 am  

roopy wrote:

My standout players from tier 2 countries

1 Kevin Naiqama - Fiji
2 David Fusitu'a - Tonga
3 Nene MacDonald - PNG
4 Aku Uate - Fiji
5 Suliasi Vunivalu - Fiji
6 Mitchell Moses - Lebanon
7 Ata Hingano - Tonga
8 Andrew Fifita - Tonga
9 Michael Lichaa - Lebanon
10 Ashton Sims - Fiji
11 Rhyse Martin - PNG
12 Viliame Kikau - Fiji
13 Jason Taumalolo - Tonga

14 James Segeyaro - PNG
15 Tim Mannah - Lebanon
16 Herman Ese'ese - Samoa
17 Sio Siua Taukeiaho - Tonga

Agree with most but I'd look at some of these getting in. Don't think Sims has been particularly great all tournament but stepped up against NZ.

Alex Twal - workhorse and sets a good platform with Mannah
Pangai-Junior - been great off the bench
Morgan Knowles - stand out in an awful Wales team. Okay would never get in over Taumalolo.
Saifiti - see Pangai

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:25 am  

Agree about Knowles. In fact, I have to say, most of the Saints contingent have had pretty good World Cups so far.

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:41 am  

moto748 wrote:

Agree about Knowles. In fact, I have to say, most of the Saints contingent have had pretty good World Cups so far.

His workrate in defence is a level above most. Wales missed 151 tackles across their 3 games which is shocking, but Knowles was accountable for just 2 of those. He made 122 tackles across the 3 games. Despite playing a game less he'd be in the top 10 for tackles in the tournament, as would Luke Douglas.

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Mon Nov 20, 2017 2:58 am  

SecondRowSaint wrote:

Agree with most but I'd look at some of these getting in. Don't think Sims has been particularly great all tournament but stepped up against NZ.

Alex Twal - workhorse and sets a good platform with Mannah
Pangai-Junior - been great off the bench
Morgan Knowles - stand out in an awful Wales team. Okay would never get in over Taumalolo.
Saifiti - see Pangai

Ashton Sims had the best game I've ever seen from him against NZ. I put him in for that game alone.
Tevita Pangai is looking good, but I still can't forgive him for walking out on Newcastle as a 16 year old.
Jake Saifiti is only doing short minutes because of his compartment syndrome I think. If he ever gets over that he'll be as good as his twin brother, but just now Dan can do 60 minutes a game and Jake can only do 40.

Rhyse Martin is the breakout player of the cup I think. He's been knocking around the lower grades for years and I always thought he must have played a fair bit of firstgrade, but he's yet to debut. This year he made the NSW cup team of the week 9 times and the NSW cup team of the year, so he must be close to making the top grade soon.

Re: World Cup: Thoughts so far? : Mon Nov 20, 2017 7:42 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

On the field it's been a great tournament. The organisers have let the game down off the field but I expected nothing else but apathy from the Aussie public.

The game really needs to take the opportunities that are presenting themselves during this tournament. If the Aussie powers that be and general public don't care for international rugby then cut them out. I'd be more then happy to see England play more games against Tonga, PNG, Fiji etc. A tour down under to play those teams at the end of 2018 would be exciting.

That'd be great, then we wouldn't have to put up with this sub standard sludge fest