9:00am Friday 10th October 2008
By Simon Fitzjohn
In case you missed it, the England squad for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup was announced this week, and the ‘shock’ inclusion was none other than Harlequins skipper Rob Purdham.
Well, to be honest, it wasn’t a shock in my eyes, but if you read, watched or listened to our more illustrious media partners you would think so.
“Who is this Rob Purdham?” they exhorted, scrambling for some stats on this unknown upstart, who apparently plays for some club down south.
But listen to people in the know, such as Super League coaches, and you can quickly take solace that they felt Purdham was no gamble.
In fact, Wakefield coach John Kear was gushing in his praise for the loose forward, claiming Purdham could easily claim a first-team spot for any of the Super League’s big guns.
So could this be a watershed moment for the boys from the Stoop? A signal of intent that Quins are capable of producing international-calibre players?
Let us hope so and, if Purdham can cause a stir Down Under, the impact it could have on the future development of the club could be potentially huge.
Alas, any discussions on the World Cup must also include a broadside aimed at the organisation of the tournament itself.
Instead of simply electing for two groups of five, the competition is split into one group of four and two groups of three.
The reason for this confusion? To guarantee that the big guns – Australia, New Zealand and England – all make the semi-finals.
Being a fan of both codes of rugby, I have taken the usual flak every time the union showpiece rolls around.
You know the sort – how can you have a World Cup when only a handful of teams play, etc, etc.
But at least with the union version you have at least six to eight teams who are very evenly matched, mixed in with the usual array of mis-matches.
Take a look at the league version, though, and you see powerhouses like Ireland, Scotland and Papua New Guinea making up the numbers.
Although I will watch with interest, surely the World Cup is nothing more than a tri-nations tournament with a couple of friendlies thrown in.
And, if anyone other than Australia, New Zealand or England make the final, I will gobble down the largest slice of humble pie you can find.
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