PNG are not far off tier one
International Rugby League World Cup 2026
- Thread starter WahsaurusRex
- Start Date
NZWarriors.com
- Thread starter
- #42
Draw has been released, surprise NZ game in there
Oct 15: New Zealand vs Australia @ Allianz Stadium
Oct 25: New Zealand vs Cook Islands @ One NZ Stadium
Oct 31: New Zealand vs Fiji @ CBUS Super Stadium
Oct 15: New Zealand vs Australia @ Allianz Stadium
Oct 25: New Zealand vs Cook Islands @ One NZ Stadium
Oct 31: New Zealand vs Fiji @ CBUS Super Stadium
I thought it was Australia and PNG only hosting games? Since when do we get a home game?
NZWarriors.com
One NZ Stadium will be schmoozing up to every sporting organization they can find to fill their new stadium.
Wouldve been a much better proposition than playing NZ vs Cooks in Townsville or Melbourne
No disrespect to the Kuki but no one is gonna go watch that.
Waste of time.
They could have at least given us Fiji.
Last edited:
Yeah it'll be hard to sell, but I suppose that fixture would be hard to sell in aussie too.
NZWarriors.com
I will be! Any chance to support the Kiwis in Christchurch and I'm there!
NZWarriors.com
Respect though bro, I am a Kiwis nutter super fan, I get what you meant.
My issue is that Australia have colonized world league in all the worst meanings of colonisation.
To them we are some tiny Pacific Island Atols which means we are to be ruled and subjugated like the two small Islands of monkeys we are.
Which is why Australia have aggressively taken ownership of the sport world wide, which is some coup when you consider it was invented in Britain.
Ticket prices to a one hundred nil opposed training session as a world cup crumb reflect this colonial ownership of the Kiwis, we are one of their monkey breed little be Afro teams in their league from the far flung Ilse of their global Australian reffed and officiated empire.
Accept that shit at your peril while they shovel Origin at you as the best game in the world so you invest your interest in a 100% Australian owned brand of your masters.
The Pacific cup which they also bought out just proved that is a big fat colonial lie.
Last edited:
Mate, i couldn't agree more. $77 plus fees to sit behind the posts, fuck that, I'll go to the captains run.
The draw is terrible with 3 groups , should have been 2 x groups of 5 with top 2 teams going through to the semis
NZWarriors.com
Man I hate going straight to semi finals.
You need QFs with some jeopardy (yes I'm looking at you Fiji 2017).
There is some proper jeopardy in the B+C pool with one of Samoa, Tonga or Eng not progressing to the semi-final.
If I were to make a guess I think Aus beat us in the pool.
I reckon Samoa top pool B and will go with Eng to finish 2nd.
So you have a pretty blockbuster semi-finals of
Aus v Eng
NZ v Samoa
Aus V NZ in the final for me.
Bring on Suncorp.
You need QFs with some jeopardy (yes I'm looking at you Fiji 2017).
There is some proper jeopardy in the B+C pool with one of Samoa, Tonga or Eng not progressing to the semi-final.
If I were to make a guess I think Aus beat us in the pool.
I reckon Samoa top pool B and will go with Eng to finish 2nd.
So you have a pretty blockbuster semi-finals of
Aus v Eng
NZ v Samoa
Aus V NZ in the final for me.
Bring on Suncorp.
Given the small number of teams, QFs is hard - especially when they want to avoid blow out scores - but otherwise agree!
Don't count your Suncorp chickens... I got burned by that in 2017. Booked myself a trip to Brisbane thinking I'd get to see the Kiwis in either the semi or the final. After the pool games, I thought I had struck gold and might get to see them twice... I was wrong and instead got to watch Australia demolish Fiji and beat England 6-0.
But - I do think that's how the draw will play out on current form.
NZWarriors.com
Yea I would back us to be a bit better...
Although we are sweating on Hughes being fit for us to be elite.
We've come a long way from the key being in the wee wee
Cutting the number of teams is so stupid as a long term decision for the sport.
Were the likes of Jamaica going to make a run? No, absolutely not. But it gave them something to work towards and build from, and soon enough they'd be in the mix with the likes of the Cook Islands.
Same with the women - how the hell are Tonga and the Kukis not there?
Moronic decision making that ignores the wider context of a world cup in favour of "let's cut straight to the semis".
Were the likes of Jamaica going to make a run? No, absolutely not. But it gave them something to work towards and build from, and soon enough they'd be in the mix with the likes of the Cook Islands.
Same with the women - how the hell are Tonga and the Kukis not there?
Moronic decision making that ignores the wider context of a world cup in favour of "let's cut straight to the semis".
NZWarriors.com
Yeah I would’ve gone with 12 teams including South Africa and maybe wales, USA, Italy or Argentina who have won the last few South American championships.
Then u have 4 pools of 3 that play each other once, top 2 move into quarter finals.
You would end up with Australia, nz, England, Samoa, Tonga, png and Fiji in the last 8 who can all field competitive teams plus 1 who would be making up the numbers but still can take pride in making it that far.
At least try look legitimate- the way they’ve done it is weird and makes it look like the whole tournament was planned around having Austrians and nz play twice.
