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Only two nations left to cover in this years world cup and I’m wondering if anyone has noticed my lazy copying of wikipedia articles and use of the official world cup website.

So onto Samoa, a small Pacific island nation which means, yep you guessed it, New Zealand have probably already stolen all their good players. But I’ve been told they haven’t which can’t possibly be true but I’ll look into for you. The game has only really been played in the country since 1985(ish) but now plays host to a 12 strong competition on the islands although most of the better players compete in the NRL and Super league.

Now Samoa is way out in the Pacific and as with all the islands I’m never quite sure where abouts so I got a lovely map we can all have a look at (yes straight from wikipedia)

The squad is coached by John Ackland and captained by Souths players Nigel Vagana who is sporting a rather strange beard, very System of a down style. 

The squad is:

George Carmont (Wigan), Dave Faiumu (Huddersfield), Harrison Hansen (Wigan), Ali Lauitiiti (Leeds), Tuaalagi Lepupa (unattached), Kylie Leuluai (Leeds), Wayne McDade (Auckland Vulcans), Francis Meli (St Helens), Joseph Paulo (Penrith), Frank Puletua, Tony Puletua (both Penrith), Ben Roberts (Canterbury), Tangi Ropati (East Tigers), Smith Samau (Gold Coast), Lagi Setu (St George Illawarra), Terrence Seuseu (Cronulla), David Solomona (Bradford), Willie Talau (St Helens), Alby Talipeau (unattached), Misi Taulapapa (Cronulla), Ben Te’o (Wests Tigers), Tupu Ulufale (unattached), Matt Utai (Canterbury), Nigel Vagana (South Sydney)

Plenty of Super league and NRL experience but having been taken the last qualifying place I’m not expecting too much from Samoa. But the good thing with this world cup format is that both pool B and C can produce some good close games and Samoa certainly have players who can be effective.

HOW MANY SLEEPS TO GO? …. um, not many.  I can’t be bothered counting.  But the Rugby League World Cup is a-gettin closer and Errol HQ is abuzz with excitement. 

And looking at what’s happened in the past week, I can only assume I have missed out on several Important Top-Secret World Cup meetings where, apparently, everyone decided the best way to even the playing field for this year’s cup was to annihilate Australia’s back line. Just as Justin Hodges was ruled unfit with a “busted shoulder”, and Brett Stewart got one too, brilliant defender and all-around hot bitch Matt Cooper suddenly needed “groin surgery“. DON’T THINK YOU CAN FOOL ME, BITCHES. This is so blatantly transparent I can’t even stand it. Taking Hodges and little Bretty out with Tonya Harding bats-to-the-shoulder then sending in some kind of World Cup Mata Hari to shag Hot Bitch Cooper into injury. 

I’m 99% sure their next plan is to ensure our new recruits Darius Boyd and Karmichael Hunt are charged by police and booted from the team halfway through the comp.

I can’t wait to find out what horrible injury they have planned for the newest Kangaroo – and Oh Errol Award nominee – Joel Monaghan. Car door to the head perhaps? Falling down a mine shaft? Does he even realise he’s stepping into a cursed team? Poor baby.

It’s all very suspicious. 

 

See? Even touchies want Ruben Wiki to score!

The whole thing also had me wondering if New Zealand are even capable of sabotage. You tell me. Maybe think about it while we move onto other news.

All images: Getty Images

Top o’ the morning to y’all, into Pool C we go and we’ll start our journey here with the lucky Irish. They qualified for the world cup by finishing top of their group that included Lebanon and Russia (two up coming nations for whom rugby league is really catching on). Rugby league wise in the country there are two leagues running in Ireland, The Carnegie League and the Emerald Rugby National Conference, however the squad is predominently made up of super league based players.

Again we have another country where Rugby union is more popular, they also like to watch a lot of hurling in Ireland, as I found out when trying to watch a Villa Chelsea game in an Irish bar during the final of the hurling last year and anyway it’s like AFL and American football nobody else plays hurling outside of it’s main base country.

The team are nicknamed the wolfhounds apparently, I assume after the Irish league’s representative team “The Irish Wolfhounds”. Coached by Andy Kelly and captained by Stuart Littler the squad is : 

Ross Barbour (Carlow Crusaders), Bob Beswick (Widnes), Damien Blanch (Wakefield), Mick Cassidy (Barrow), Ged Corcoran (Sheffield), Lee Doran (Leigh), Liam Finn (Dewsbury), Simon Finnigan (Bradford), Karl Fitzpatrick (Salford), Steve Gibbons (London Skolars), Sean Gleeson (Wakefield), Scott Grix (Wakefield), Gareth Haggerty (Harlequins), Ben Harrison (Warrington), Graham Holroyd (Halifax), Wayne Kerr (London Skolars), Stuart Littler (Salford), Michael McIlorum (Wigan), Eamon O’Carroll (Wigan), Michael Platt (Bradford), Pat Richards (Wigan), Ryan Tandy (Wests Tigers), Shayne McMenemy (unattached), Brendan Guilfoyle (Treaty City Titans)

Not a bad looking team, with plenty of experience and in what should be an interesting and competitive group in pool C. 

You’ll be able to follow the Ireland team with the Oh Errol girls who’ll be posting on here over the world cup.

William Hill odds : 150/1

We continue our journey around the nations competing in this years world cup with the most northerly nation – the Scottish. I don’t mind Scotland, I know a few Scottish people and they’re not bad, rarely sober but that’s a national trait apparently. They aren’t too bad at Rugby Union although like every other nation of Great Britain they don’t like to see the English do well and in return I can’t see the Scottish doing anything brilliant at this world cup either.

As far as I know there isn’t a massive amount of rugby league in Scotland, there’s always talk of them opening up a Super League franchise up there (you thought it was cold playing in Cumbria!) and the millenium magic weekend is going to be at Murrayfield next year, I guess now Wales have their own super league team in Celtic. 

Historically I can’t think of any Scottish rugby league players except Alan Tait, who was pretty good, but I guess I only remember him because I grew up watching Widnes.

I won’t bore you with a map you should all know where Scotland is so onto the team.

They do have a good squad of NRL, Super League and National League players and they will be more than happy to have Michael Robertson who was within touching distance of a place in the Australia squad. Coached by Steve McCormack, who is still coaching Widnes as far as I know, and capatained by Danny Brough and his caveman like features and silly hair do’s the squad is as follows : 

Chris Armit (Canterbury Bulldogs), Danny Brough (Wakefield Wildcats, captain), Dean Colton (Doncaster), Paddy Coupar (Edinburgh Eagles), Gavin Cowan (Wests Tigers), John Duffy (Widnes Vikings), Ben Fisher (Hull KR), Andrew Henderson (Castleford Tigers), Ian Henderson (Auckland Warriors), Kevin Henderson (Wakefield Wildcats), Jack Howieson (Sheffield Eagles), Paul Jackson (Huddersfield Giants), Wade Liddell (Brisbane Easts), Scott Logan (Canberra Raiders), Neil Lowe (Keighley Cougars), David McConnell (Leigh Centurions), Duncan McGilvery (Wakefield Wildcats), Iain Morrison (Widnes Vikings), Gareth Morton (Widnes Vikings), Mick Nanyn (Oldham), Lee Paterson (Widnes Vikings), Michael Robertson (Manley Sea Eagles), Jon Steel (Hull KR), Oliver Wilkes (Wakefield Wildcats)

So more players called Henderson than you can shake a stick at,  plenty of Widnes players (so I may keep an eye on Scotlands progress) a good amount of rent-a-Aussie’s and various others. In fact I’d be suprised if there’s many Scottish accents in the team. I think as well it would be much better if they were allowed to play in kilts instead of shorts, although not with sporrans and those little daggers things they have, that would just be dangerous.

William Hill odds : 150/1

Now I got myself to thinking had my aspirations as a 12 year old kid kicking around a rugby ball led to more than dodgy knees, a loss of rather of a lot of my life to alcohol and far too many occasions dressing as a female and I had actually made playing rugby league into a career, then on top of that actually been quite good who would I elect to play for nationally? Now being born in England I could obviously play for them, then my grandma was of Irish decent so I could probably add Ireland into the mix. I have once visited France and can speak a little French so I could no doubt play for them, and I’ve spent nearly a year in New Zealand and my visa doesn’t run out till December so there’s no reason I couldn’t play for them surely?

Now it wouldn’t really be a choice, if I were good enough I’d play for England without any doubt but then say I wasn’t good enough would I look for a way to play for Ireland? It wouldn’t rule me out of ever playing for England either, I could just get better and try for England next world cup. Take big ol’ Mauri Fa’asavulu up there in the picture in his lovely (over priced) Great Britain shirt, he’s played 7 games for Samoa yet he’ll be pulling on the red and white of England for this world cup. 

If I wasn’t good enough to represent England is it fair that I take the place of an Irish bloke who really wants to play for his country but made isn’t quite as good as me – that is believable I’d clearly have made a very good player.

I think it’s a debate that comes up everytime there’s anything on an international scale and given the narrow competitivness of the rugby league national game it’s more of a problem than sports like football. New Zealand and Australia are made up of the best Pacific Islanders, the rest all play for their islands, Scotland, France, Ireland, Wales – all have their ringers from the Australian and New Zealand nationals. 

Often players are making a choice between representing their country or winning a competition. It’s very unlikely Tonga will win this year so if you can make it into the Australia squad does the personal ambition come ahead of making Tonga a slightly better team?

It’s hard to answer but I think the rules should be more solid, people should have to make a choice and unless they have a very good argument they should stick to it and it would be better for the game if players tended towards their home nations rather than adopted ones. Surely it only stifles making a competition competitive if the best players can be pooled into a few nations?

We continue the review of world cup nations by moving to the second team from group B and Pacific islanders Fiji. Apparently there are only 500 Fijians who play rugby league so to turn out a team for a world cup is pretty impressive. I don’t really know much about Fiji or rugby league in Fiji, I just know it’s one of those Pacific Islands who have a spattering of players throughout super league and the NRL.
Being a Pacific Islands team it also probably means (no offence to those turning out for Fiji) that the team is made up of those who weren’t picked for New Zealand or Australia. 

So to start with a helpful map Fiji is here:

So just where I said – one of those pacific islands. I’ve also heard Fiji is very nice and is made up of around 500 or so pacific islands. Don’t you enjoy these geography lessons? Much more interesting than they were in school.

Anyway onto rugby league which has been played on the island since 1992 and there is a national competition consisting of 9 teams and the national team play in the Pacific cup. It was home to players such as Lote Tuqiri and Petero Civoniceva both of whom are pretty good so were pinched by Australia. 

Nicknamed the Bati, coached by Joe Dakuitoga the squad named for the world cup are :

Nick Bradley-Qalilawa (Manly Sea Eagles), Jason Bukuya (Cronulla Sharks), Iowane Divavesi (Terrigal Sharks), Aaron Groom (Canterburry Bulldogs), Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels), Sevania Koroi (West Magpies), Josua Koroibulu (Milton Ulladulla Bulldogs), Jone Macilai (Fassifern RLFC), Daryl Millard (Canterburry Bulldogs), Wes Naiqama (Newcastle Knights), Vula Louis Dakuitoga Naqau (Terrigal Sharks), Kaliova Nauqe (Fassifern RLFC), Alipate Noilea (Parkes Spacemen), Josateki Ravueta (Sawtell Panthers), Osea Sadrau (Fassifern RLFC), Ashton Sims (Brisbane Broncos), James Storer (Cronulla Sharks), Waisale Sukanaveita (Terrigal Sharks), Semi Tadulala (Bradford Bulls), Semisi Tora (Parkes Spacemen), Malakai Yalimaiwai Tuiloa (Milton Ulladulla Bulldogs), Akuila Uate (Newcastle Knights), Suguturaga Nemani Valekapa (unattached), Ilisoni Vonomateiratu (unattached), Jone Wesele (Darlington Point)

All in all not a bad team with plenty of players from the NRL and Super League (I think I already said that somewhere above). On the general scale of things the best they can probably hope for is a trip to the semi-final qualifier.

William Hill odds : 150/1

Bonjour mes amis, ca va? Being from the north west of England I’m a little bit cultured and therefore I speak a little French, un peu if you would, but the French are not a nation known for speaking the language of rugby league. More often they can be seen playing with round balls or their special brand of all flare no substance rugby union. Rugby League has actually been played in France since the 1930’s although I think they’re probably the only country to issue an outright ban on playing the sport. That was ages ago and super league have been trying to get a team going in France for a while since the disaster that was a Paris team, and with Catalan Dragons they seem to have a team that is working and as far as I know rugby league in France is doing well alongside them.

In a squad with a couple of rent-a-aussies the team is mostly made up from French men who play for Catalan with a sprinkling of players from other teams such as Tolouse. 

Coached by John Monie and captained by Jerome Guisset the squad is as follows

Jared Taylor (Lezignan), Justin Murphy (Catalans Dragons), Teddy Sadaoui(Carcassonne), Sebastien Raguin (Catalans Dragons), Sebastien Planas (Toulouse), John Wilson, Dimitri Pelo (both Catalans Dragons), Christophe Moly (Carcassonne), James Wynne (Lezignan), Maxime Greseque (Pia), Thomas Bosc (Catalans Dragons), Laurent Carrasco (Villeneuve), Gregory Mounis (Catalans Dragons), Eric Anselme (Leeds), Jamal Fakir (Catalans Dragons), Jean-Christophe Borlin (Saint-Gaudens), Olivier Elima (Catalans Dragons), Adel Fellous (Lezignan), Jean-Philippe Baile, Jerome Guisset (both Catalans Dragons), Julien Rinaldi (Harlequins), Remi Casty, Matthieu Grifi (both Catalans Dragons)

I can’t see France equalling their top placing of twice being runners up but they are certainly capable of finishing top of pool B and pushing for a semi-final place.

William Hill odds : 100/1

A brilliant gem that has popped up on youtube, an Oxford university rugby football league training video. The first above teaching you how to pick up a ball from the floor.

I must say the floppy fringe is brilliant.

You can all learn how to catch with another video after the click.

So as I said in the England article the main purpose of this series of articles is to introduce people to the nations they may not know much about and so we come onto the third team in pool A – Papua New Guinea. One of the few nations who can boast that rugby league is their national sport.

A slightly lesser known nation than the previous 3 PNG have had plenty of players on the world rugby league stage and still do with a squad of players including plenty from NRL and Super League clubs. They have also previously made it to the quarter finals in 2000.

But for those geographically challanged I can hear you asking “but where the hell is Papua New Guinea?”. With the aid of the following map I shall tell you.

Well the map kind of explains it all, it’s just there above Australia, so on second thoughts a lot of people probably know where it is, especially those in Australia. Maybe there’s some people from Yorkshire who’ll find that map informative anyway.

So onto rugby leauge in PNG, as mentioned it is the national sport although a struggling national infrastructure have caused problems with the game being played nationally there is still a major league running known as the PNGNRL (or Papua New Guinea National Rugby League). 

Coached by Adrian Lam and captained by Stanley Gene the squad reads as :

Paul Aiton (Penrith), Makali Aizue (Hull KR), Jay Aston (Storm NYC), Michael Bani (Manly), Wayne Bond (Redcliffe – QRL), Tom Butterfield (Broncos NYC), Richard Cambo (Wentworthville), Jason Chan (Windsor Wolves), Neville Costigan (Canberra), Trevor Exton (Ipswich), Steve Franciscus (Banyo Bris), Stanley Gene (Hull KR), Rod Griffin (North Pride Cairns), Sam Joe (Melbourne), George Keppa (Brisbane North), Tuu Maori (Sydney), David Moore (Gold Coast), James Nightingale (Windsor), Merv O’Flanagan (Souths/Logan), Kevin Prior (Wentworthville), John Wilshere (Salford). Dion Aiya (Bingtangor Eagles), Dominic Angra (Bingtangor Eagles), Sigfred Gande (Bingtangor Lahanis), Nigel Hukula (Bingtangor Lahanis), Jessie Joe (Masta Mark Rangers), Benjamin John (Masta Mark Rangers), Gimapau Keimelo (Masta Mark Rangers), Geno Kima (Agmark Guiras), Nickson Kolo (Masta Mark Rangers), Anton Kui (Bingtangor Lahanis), Larsen Marabe (Agmark Guiras), Michael Mark (Masta Mark Rangers), Mark Mexico (Toyota Mioks), George Moni (Mabey & Johnson Muruks), Thomas Ninkama (NCD Civpac Vipers), Joseph Omai (M&J Muruks), Charles Onguglo (Masta Mark Rangers), Benny Pamunda (Bingtangor Eagles), Kingston Pisep (LBC Bombers), Rodney Pora (M&J Muruks), Francis Ray (Bingtangor Eagles), Elizah Riyong (NCD Civpac Vipers), Junior Ropra (Bingtangor Lahanis), Niko Ubile (Bingtangor Lahanis), Charlie Wabo (M&J Muruks), Menzie Yere (Agmark Gurias), Simon Young (M&J Muruks)

A lot of players from the PNGNRL who will be somewhat of an unknown quantity PNG certainly have the capacity to pull out a suprise result of two in their Pool A games and could certainly book themselves a game in the knock-out rounds if the big 3 aren’t careful.

Will Hill odds : 150/1

Now before I continue with this feature I thought I should point out that the main point of it isn’t to introduce you to the 3 nations covered so far for the simple reason most people associated with Rugby League know plenty about them. Instead it is to introduce you to the smaller nations who will start to be covered after this article.

But continuing we come to the land that invented rugby league, the home of super league and the team I’ll be supporting this world cup – England. Personally I think they’re the most likely to challenge the Aussies for the title and I certainly expect to see them in the final. Playing in group A with Australia, New Zealand and Papau New Guinea I fully expect the England boys to finish at least second in the group.

Coached by an Aussie Tony Smith the squad announced this week are 

Keith Senior, Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow, Jamie Peacock (captain), Gareth Ellis, Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Lee Smith (all Leeds), Paul Wellens, Ade Gardner, Leon Pryce, James Graham, James Roby, Maurie Fa’asavalu, Jon Wilkin (all St Helens), Rob Purdham (Harlequins), Mark Calderwood, Mickey Higham, Gareth Hock (all Wigan), Martin Gleeson, Adrian Morley, Ben Westwood (all Warrington), Jamie Langley, Paul Sykes (both Bradford)

Jamie Peacock I like at captain and whilst a few things have been said about the ommision of Stuart Fielden I think it has been a long time since he has been effective for his country.

Having only ever won under the collective Great Britain I reckon England have a good chance of scoring their first win in the tournament and personally I wouldn’t settle for anything less than a spot in the final. 

Surely there’s nothing non-aussie’s love more than watching the kangaroos lose, and I’m sure another England team beating them on their home turf would go down nicely.

William Hill odds : 11/2