WORLD CUP 2013

[shamus]

Got my World Cup tickets in the mail today. Unfortunately I probably need to made the decision to not attend. The tickets look rad.

Jesus I must be old............I thought rad was good??

[Chaserz]

Oof, I had a board meeting the other day, regarding the qualification opportunities for European countries to qualify in the next World Cup (that is, all other countries aside from England). The RLEF has proposed a complicated scheme for the future, I still have to figure it out, somehow...

Anyway, few fellow mates are going too, since it's just across the North Sea for us... if work allows me -_-...

[DIEHARD]

Hope you can make it Chaserz. Keep us informed.

Yea I meant rad as good. I'll post some pics when I can of the tickets. Might be time for a new Roos jersey too. I can't believe it's been 5 years since the 2008 World Cup. Which was an amazing experience and a successful World Cup for our sport.

Still wondering how the Kangaroos will look. Any bolters?

[Titanic]

Looks like I can make the PNG/France game in the first round, it's at Hull and I will be in London for meetings :-)

[DIEHARD]

Looks like I can make the PNG/France game in the first round, it's at Hull and I will be in London for meetings :-)

Oh what a great fixture. PNG v France. That'd be one of my picks of the pool games to attend.

[Chaserz]

Awk, that would be cool man.

I'm still checking on flights on Oct 26th to Cardiff to see AUS vs ENG opening match, but the returning flights on the same day or the day after are quite expensive, especially for the given distance.

I'll check on my fellow board members what they are up to . Then again, I have had some serious bills coming in here, so I need to take off my own financial matters first maybe...

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[DIEHARD]

Rabbitohs' early exit has silver lining for Kangaroos star Greg Inglis

Greg Inglis is confident the knee that plagued him throughout the second half of the season won't destabilise his World Cup campaign.

Inglis declared himself a certain starter for the Kangaroos, ending doubt that his troublesome knee would force his withdrawal from the tournament. The South Sydney fullback, who will switch back to the centres for Australia, was well down on his best form after tearing his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the opening half of Queensland's victory in Origin III.

Originally expected to miss up to eight weeks with the injury, he missed only three games before battling on.

Inglis said he had struggled to adjust to playing with discomfort, as South Sydney again fell agonisingly one game short of a grand final appearance with a 30-20 loss to Manly.

Advertisement Their early exit allowed Inglis to give his knee a much needed rest.

“The season is over and a new chapter begins and that's representing the Aussie squad,” Inglis said. “[We're] still licking our wounds [at South Sydney].

“In the end in the NRL for the South Sydney Rabbitohs it wasn't to be this year. Fingers crossed for next year. We have to knuckle down and work harder.

“When you have a PCL you have to get used to the feeling and everything back in your knee. You've got to get used to the bumps and bruises you can get. I felt things in there that I haven't felt before.

“Over a few weeks I started to get the same niggles and I knew what it was and kept going on it.

“Towards the back end of the season I kept producing better games week to week. I was out there training a bit with the boys. The first few weeks I was behind training wise.”

Inglis said he wouldn't risk playing in the tournament if he felt he would do further damage.

“This is the highest accolade you can get playing this sport.” Inglis said. “I love representing Australia and I love spending time with the boys.

“Wearing the green and gold you've got to represent the best you can.”

The pain of Australia's 2008 World Cup defeat to New Zealand still haunts Inglis. Inglis played in the 34-20 loss, just one of two times he has tasted defeat in 23 appearances for Australia.

“It still hurts,” Inglis said. “The Kiwis have all the bragging rights in the world. They are the world champions. Hopefully we can go over there and walk away with it. It's not going to be an easy road.

“We have England straight up.”

The Kangaroos leave for England on Monday.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league

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My teams...

Australia
France (Can't ever not love them and hope they return to former glory)
PNG
Wales

[DIEHARD]

Kangaroos' Tate ready for best ever RLWC

Australian centre Brent Tate believes the Rugby League World Cup starting this month will be the toughest in the competition's history.

More than 120 top-line NRL players will be in action in the 16-team tournament that kicks-off on October 26 when the Kangaroos take on England at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

And North Queensland star Tate said Sonny Bill Williams' u-turn decision to play for defending champions New Zealand only added to the tournament's lustre although it could spell trouble for Australia's bid to reclaim the trophy they once dominated.

"As a fan it's great that he's playing, but not as a player. But it shows how seriously everyone is taking this World Cup," Tate told AAP.

"It's a big challenge for us. It's over there in England in their conditions and their team now has plenty of NRL experience and Sonny going to the Kiwis is going to lift them immensely.

"You be foolish to think you can just turn up and win.

"I think it's going to the best World Cup rugby league has seen."

Tim Sheens' side will face an England side containing three of South Sydney's Burgess brothers, Canterbury's player of the year James Graham in addition to Sam Tomkins and Lee Mossop, who are joining the Warriors and Parramatta respectively next year.

But Tate warned attention must be paid to Tonga and Samoa who have a host of quality NRL players in their line ups.

Tonga will have Manly's Jorge Taufua and Brent Kite in their side in addition to Sydney Roosters grand final hero Daniel Tupou with Samoa likely to field South Sydney prop Roy Asotasi and Canberra excitement machine Anthony Milford.

"When you look at all the developing nations like Tonga and Samoa they have some real good players.

"Then you have England with the Burgess brothers and New Zealand with all their players it is going to be a real challenge for us."

Tate, who was part of the squad that lost to the Kiwis in the 2008 final in Brisbane, admits he never thought he'd get the chance to pull on the green and gold jersey again after undergoing a third knee reconstruction in 2010.

The Queensland centre tore his anterior cruciate ligaments in the Four Nations final defeat to New Zealand but has recovered well to reclaim his spot in the international side.

"Thinking back to 2008 I didn't even think I'd be playing rugby league in 2013," he said.

"I missed the last final through injury but I remember the feeling I had for a couple of months after, it was pretty bad.

"I must admit after that injury I didn't know the future held for me.

"But now I am back and I am desperate to be part of a team that brings the World Cup back to Australia."

Source: http://www.NRL.com

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World Cup Sin Bin: Big crowd tipped for tournament opener
Steve Mascord

The opening game of the 1995 World Cup – the one against which all since have been measured – attracted 41,271 fans to Wembley.

OK, that was only one game – between Australia and England. But there are signs that next Saturday's opening double header, which tacks on Wales v Italy to the same fixture, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, will draw more.

That's what organisers are saying, anyway. The reason England are playing Australia on “neutral” ground is straightforward: there is no need to over-burden the London market before the semi-final double-header at Wembley on November 23 and fans from the north have supported an entire Super League round being played in Cardiff in the past.

If the prices of accommodation are anything to go by, the city is just about sold out. There are still rooms at the Park Plaza and the Hilton if you've left it late – for $493 or $525 a pop. But the key opportunity that awaits rugby league over the next seven weeks is to finally establish the brands of the national teams and wash away residual cynicism, particularly in Australia where the money is.

Advertisement These teams, boasting recognisable faces, will be on television and on news bulletins, for five days straight, then after a 24-hour break, another five days straight and then the same again. While sponsoring an NRL team might be beyond many businesses, the idea of getting behind a national side should begin to take seed in the minds of potential backers and media companies if the events are well run and there aren't too many blow-outs. These are teams with millions of dollars worth of NRL and Super League talent that are commercially under-resourced, almost pristine; big billboards waiting to be filled, television properties available to be sold who would play more games between World Cups if people would fund them. It seems like rugby league has been put in the clear with the line open. But just watch those tufts of grass jump out of the ground and pull off the shoulder charges between now and November 30.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz2i4FMArSb