RLWC2017 Predictions : Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:09 pm  

Predictions for the quarters onwards, the format is as follows:
Group A
Australia
England
France
Lebanon
Group B
New Zealand
Samoa
Scotland
Tonga
Group C
Papua New Ginea
Wales
Ireland
Group D
Fiji
USA
Italy
Quarter Finals
QF1: Group A Winner v Group B Third
QF2: Group B Second v Group D Winner
QF3: Group B Winner v Group A Third
QF4: Group A Second v Group C Winner
Semi Finals
SF1: QF1 Winner v QF2 Winner
SF2: QF3 Winner v QF4 Winner
Final
SF1 Winner v SF2 Winner

I'll go with:

Quarter Finals
Australia v Samoa
Tonga v Fiji
New Zealand v Lebanon
England v PNG
Semi Finals
Australia v Tonga
New Zealand v England
Final
Australia v New Zealand
Winner
Australia

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:45 pm  

TheUnassumingBadger wrote:

Predictions for the quarters onwards, the format is as follows:
Group A
Australia
England
France
Lebanon
Group B
New Zealand
Samoa
Scotland
Tonga
Group C
Papua New Ginea
Wales
Ireland
Group D
Fiji
USA
Italy
Quarter Finals
QF1: Group A Winner v Group B Third
QF2: Group B Second v Group D Winner
QF3: Group B Winner v Group A Third
QF4: Group A Second v Group C Winner
Semi Finals
SF1: QF1 Winner v QF2 Winner
SF2: QF3 Winner v QF4 Winner
Final
SF1 Winner v SF2 Winner

I'll go with:

Quarter Finals
Australia v Samoa
Tonga v Fiji
New Zealand v Lebanon
England v PNG
Semi Finals
Australia v Tonga
New Zealand v England
Final
Australia v New Zealand
Winner
Australia

I'd go the same apart from France making the quarters ahead of Lebanon. Would have fancied us to beat NZ and make the final if it was on home soil, but the conditions will obviously suit them

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:22 pm  

Group A
Australia
Group B
New Zealand
Group C
Papua New Ginea
Group D
Italy
Quarter Finals
QF1: Australia v Samoa
QF2: Tonga v Italy
QF3: New Zealand v France
QF4: England v PNG
Semi Finals
SF1: Austrailia v Tonga
SF2: New Zealand v England
Final
SF1 Austrailia v England
Winners Austrailia

Although I think Tonga have a real chance of winning group B, which would be great for the game and the World Cup.

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:53 pm  

Quarter Finals
QF1: Australia v Samoa
QF2: New Zealand v Fiji
QF3: Tonga v France
QF4: England v PNG

Semi Finals
SF1: Australia v New Zealand
SF2: Tonga v England

Final
Australia v England

Winners : Australia

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:52 pm  

Group B is very hard to predict.
NZ are at their weakest for some time, while Samoa and Tonga have finally started taking International League seriously since the last WC and have played some very good games against each other and other Pacific nations. Scotland are also surprisingly strong. Anyone could win that group, but Samoa is my tip, with Tonga a chance to pip NZ for the other spot.

PNG should win their group easily. They are a much stronger side at home and a much stronger side since the last WC.

Fiji should be a bit too strong for Italy.

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:13 pm  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

Although I think Tonga have a real chance of winning group B, which would be great for the game and the World Cup.

Tonga could win the world cup and it would do nothing for RL in Tonga, let alone the game as a whole, but would be a great boost for a second NZ NRL side as that's where most of their squad come from

My predictions are:
Quarter Finals
Australia v Samoa
New Zealand v Fiji
Tonga v Lebanon
England v PNG
Semi Finals
Australia v New Zealand
Tonga v England
Final
Australia v Tonga
Winner
Australia

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:10 pm  

England to lose a close one to the kiwis in the semi, then Australia hammer Kiwi's in the final.

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:59 am  

problem with Samoa & Tonga is that they'll gas towards the end of games, they'll always start strong but physiologically pacific islanders struggle staying the distance

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Fri Oct 13, 2017 1:44 pm  

Australia to beat NZ in the final and England to lose gallantly in the semis, just as it has been for so many years.
However, until a ball is passed or kicked, we can dream.

Re: RLWC2017 Predictions : Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:53 am  

Do England have any warm up matches or do we just rock up to face Australia first game ?