Rugby League World Cup 2021 – Final Network Diagram

From the semi-final image (https://fulltimesportsfan.wordpress.com/2022/11/09/rugby-league-world-cup-2021-mens-semifinal-network-visualisation/), it’s not surprising that England lost, they are very much the outlier in that diagram.

To an extent, England are the Super League punching above it’s weight (the new NRL television deal made L realise how big the financial gap between NRL and Super League is, apparently I hadn’t conveyed the size well enough). Given the number of NRL players, Samoa should have won the semifinal, and did.

At the moment, basically, if an English player plays in the NRL, they will get into the national team, because the NRL is the harder competition. The question becomes how can the gap be closed, so the Super League isn’t left behind as a feeder league.

(I have no answer to this question, only I don’t think it’s money)

On the other hand, while there were no Saints, Leeds or Wigan players in the final, Hull, Huddersfield and Catalans did provide players so it’s not all sad for the Super League.

Penrith Panthers provided the most players in the final, with 9, 6 for Samoa and 3 for Australia. This is followed by 5 for the North Queensland Cowboys (4 Australians and 1 Samoan), and the Sydney Roosters and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles with 4 (Roosters = 3 Australians, 1 Samoan, Sea Eagles = 2 each).

I was so hopeful for Samoa and I wasn’t alone.

There’s a few Australian fans complaining that every non-Australian was cheering for Samoa – take it as a compliment. In my lifetime, there has been only 1 non-Australian winner (Stephen Kearney’s glorious New Zealand team), we are all desperate for a not-Australia winner.

Would I like it to be England? Yes, but I would be happy for Tonga, or Samoa, or New Zealand or anyone.

If Samoa can keep this team together and build (because several of the building blocks are still so young, e.g. Stephen Crichton is only 22 and already that good) … oh there is such great potential.

I’m going to use this space to highlight two things:

1 – The Jillaroos are just the best. No idea if they’re just paying forward Cam Smith mentioning them in his victory speech last time, but for whatever reason, good on them for giving the Wheelchair winners an honour guard.

• https://twitter.com/RLWC2021/status/1594029871197523970?t=R7SVxCgrZRa1ChVE7yi4iQ&s=08
• https://twitter.com/AusJillaroos/status/1594044439269609473?t=XMiBwIy8YyxeTM00U1V9ww&s=08

2 – Also the best, Kevin Sinfield.

I recommend watching the clip in the link (https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1594011819630383109?t=9ZXIU8Rh-_fwmUPa7lX5vw&s=08) and joining me in saying, “may we all have a friend like Kevin”.

In his general honour, and that of Dodie Wier, he’s the Motor Neurone Disease Association’s website – https://www.mndassociation.org/