World Cup waste
by Paul Sculthorpe, Liverpool Echo
SHOULD rugby league even bother with a World Cup?
You have to have your doubts.
Let?s be honest, there are really only three teams with a sniff of winning the trophy ? Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain (or England as it will be in 2008 ? don?t even get me started on that one!)
Most of the other teams are a million miles behind.
It?s the nature of the game ? there?s no hiding place and these days it?s very difficult to employ spoiling tactics to even things up.
These are the reasons the groups for the 2008 tournament have been concocted the way they are.
Australia, New Zealand, England and Papua New Guinea in one group with three going through to the semis! You have to admit, it looks a bit strange.
No wonder PNG are up in arms about it ? talk about drawing the short straw.
Rugby league is the national game there and they are looking at this as a slap in the face.
They won?t have the chance to show they are better than many other nations and are threatening to boycott the tournament.
You can hardly blame them for being upset.
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