The Virtual Terrace • 2021 World Cup
Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:
Looking at current rankings the seeded groups could look like this. Compare these fixtures to the group games we had in 2017, I don’t know how anyone can be in favour of this format, it doesn’t work for Rugby League, we don’t have enough strong Nations.
1 Australia
5 Fiji
9 Lebanon
13 Italy
2 New Zealand
6 Samoa
10 PNG
14 USA
3 England
7 Scotland
11 Ireland
15 Jamaica
4 Tonga
8 France
12 Wales
16 Canada
Would have been better as two strong groups of 4, top 2 go through.
England
New Zealand
Fiji
Scotland
Australia
Tonga
Samoa
France
Two weak groups of 4, top teams go through, 2nd place teams playoff again the 3rd place teams from the strong groups.
PNG
Wales
Jamaica
Canada
Lebanon
Ireland
USA
Italy
Downside is the playoffs take another round, and attendance may not be high as teams wont be known til just before.
But from a playing point of view you get closer group games and I reckon an inform group C and D team could give a 3rd place group A and B team a game in a one off playoff. Ireland or Italy may have given a disapointing Samoa a game in the last world cup for example.
Statistics: Posted by UllFC — Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:51 pm — Replies 14 — Views 460