Quote jackdog="jackdog"The trouble is, there are only three (if we include England) top international teams in RL.
Then only a couple of other 'credible' teams - France and PNG - with their own nationals making up most if not all of the team.'"
Three top teams out of how many that actually play the sport? Compared to some other 'global' sports, that's a decent percentage.
Quote jackdog="jackdog"I am sorry to say that all the rest is a sham. Hardly any players in the =#BF0000Welsh, Irish, Scottish (and other) international sides actually belong to those countries, and no qualification rules can disguise that fact. That makes it hard for those teams to have a real identity for the fans, however serious and committed their players are.'"
Are you sure about Wales? I agree about the other two, although there are many countries playing with genuine bona fide players.
Quote jackdog="jackdog"It is also true that players (as in the Darrell Goulding example mentioned) only play for the minor countries as a second choice, if not picked for one of the big three. So playing standards suffer.
I always found it cringeworthy, for example, to hear a player like Keiron Cunningham described (usually by daft Eddie on Sky) as a "Welshman." Is he eck as like, no matter how proud he may be of his heritage and how keen he may have been to play for Wales.
I know country-hopping occurs in other sports, including soccer, but it's nothing like as bad, or as contrived, as in RL.'"
Agree 100%. It's a real bugbear of mine this. The RLIF need to grow a pair and stop players doing it. Unfortunately until the ARL/NRL show the RLIF some respect and the RLIF becomes THE world authority, it sadly isn't going to happen.
What a joker. Nobody is questioning his aggression, competitiveness etc.
