Phil Rothfield argues that the rugby league World Cup is a an insult to past Test gre

[TITAN PETE]

Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph
November 18, 2013 12:00AM



INTERNATIONAL sport is Australia v England in the Ashes at the Gabba, Wimbledon, a golf major, world championship athletics and swimming, a Bledisloe Cup, boxing in Las Vegas or the Tour de France.

Some sports are not meant for the international stage - and the rugby league World Cup is one of them.

Australia's 62-nil quarter-final win over USA on Sunday was a farce, a game played in front of 5726 fans on a pitch that still had lines marked out for the local soccer team.


That team and individual records were broken is an insult to our champions of the past who once earned their milestones and greatness against genuine opposition in the days when Tests and World Cups were restricted to countries that could actually play the game.


The scoreline against USA should have been 70-plus but for Johnathan Thurston's rare day off with the boot.

At one stage of the first half four tries were scored in seven minutes against a team of brave but totally outclassed players.

For more than 20 years I've been listening to the same old lines from rugby league officials about having patience with the international game and developing countries.

From Kevin Humphreys to Ken Arthurson to Dave Smith … blah, blah, blah, blah.

When Australia beat Russia 110-4 in England in 2000, we were told to give them time.

The same when we beat France 74-nil in 1994 and PNG 82-nil in Townsville in 2000.

Seriously, no one cares.

Outside of Australia, New Zealand and England, it's a tournament of manufactured teams filled with NRL players, many of whom have never even visited the countries they are representing.

Distant relatives, grandmothers and great aunties, somehow allow them to qualify.


Players who quite frankly are flat out making NRL squads each week, let alone play at an international level.

It's all shown on 7mate - a channel a lot of people can't even get - at either one or six in the morning.

If there was any real interest in the tournament, Channel Nine and Fox Sports would be showing it.

This rubbish is not fair on the NRL clubs who fork out millions of dollars of wages to the elite players.

They should be resting and recuperating in the off-season, not spending eight weeks in England on what's become not much more than a boozy holiday, with a couple of serious games against the Poms and Kiwis.

Half of them are likely to struggle next year or suffer form lapses and burnout because they missed a proper off-season.


Supporters of USA show off their colours during the Rugby League World Cup Quarter Final. Source: Getty Images

Cronulla have already lost Luke Lewis for half of 2014 and Storm could have similar problems with Billy Slater's knee.

There is one simple solution to fix this debacle.

In future World Cups should be played over three weeks and only include Australia, New Zealand, England and a country that wins a qualifying tournament.

Even a Rest of the World side could be thrown in as the fourth team.

Anything that gives us competitive football.

Anything that makes it worthwhile to suffer sleep deprivation from sitting up in the early hours of the morning.

No doubt the final in two weeks will be a blockbuster, almost certainly the Kangaroos v Kiwis.

Foran v Thurston, Sonny Bill v Gallen, Luke v Smith.

It's just a joke we've had to wait eight weeks and watch so many meaningless floggings to get to it.



HIGHLIGHT

The Corey Parker flick-pass for Jarryd Hayne's fourth try against the USA was the best since Benji Marshall's in the in 2005 NRL grand final.

LOWLIGHT

Watching so many records get broken at the World Cup against sub-standard teams. It's not fair on champions of the past who achieved their wonderful milestones against genuine opposition.


SHHH

Reports are emerging from the Kangaroos camp in Manchester that Titans forward Nate Myles is not the only player who doesn't get on with Cameron Smith.

[TITAN PETE]

Nobody likes this germ but i thought we all should read what this Oxygen thieve has to say...

I for one have loved watching the Minnows play & have come to look forward to seeing some of these "No Names" play with as much passion as i've ever seen from any player in the game.

Maybe poor Phil didn't get an offer to cover the series & he's feeling a little left out , i wonder if u have a long lost son who works for a Brisbane paper

[DIEHARD]

That's why people call him slothfield.

Honestly this guy is a disgrace, biting the hand that feeds him. When there are countless other talented rugby league loving journalists who would love a crack.

He also fails miserably to understand the entire point of a WORLD competition.

It isnt about ultra competitiveness, it's not the NRL and the big teams come together in the Finals anyway.

It's about giving nations something to aim for, this allows them to approach their governments and sponsors. Imagine trying to grow a sport in a fledgling country with nothing to aim for.

It's not just about being the best in the world, its about representing your country against the worlds best.

It's just as much about the smaller nations giving it a crack, stars being born and as it is about the eventual champions.

Ive stayed up or got up early for every single game and most have been very entertaining, some of them truly epic.

Australian television ratings have been beating a league and other sports even though its on late or early in the morning and night. Channel 7 is very happy.

Something like 2million Britons have been watching the English side on BBC!!

The Olympic spirit must got right over this muppets head!

[DIEHARD]

Also all the crowds have been tremendous at this tournament. Although I was let down by the 1.4 final in Wales, I guess they were just upset their national side didnt make it.

And the World Cup is going to make a massive profit!

[Titanic]

I feel we lose an opportunity with the World Cup by not allowing the lower tier teams to compete in some sort of undercard competition eg Russia plays Croatia as a curtain-raiser to Oz/Pommieland ... if we are going to allow "bogus" teams like the US, let's be fair they didn't select from 1/2 their own comps and their coaching merry-go-round was a joke, then we should recognise those who are actually trying to develop the game.

Rothfield is vermin but the World Cup could be/should be a much better platform for the minnows rather than the lower graders.

[DIEHARD]

Emerging Nations World Cup as part of an organised under card?