BLAME GAME
Brown blasts structure
RUGBY LEAGUE is in danger of shooting itself in the foot because of its poor planning.
That’s the warning from former England star Kev Brown.
England’s World Cup hopes were crushed with their self-inflicted semi-final defeat by Samoa.
But Brown (inset) fears the whole sport is failing fans because the international calendar is virtually bare over the next few years.
He said: “Off the back of the success of this World Cup, there should have been a calendar in place so that everyone could get excited and buy tickets.
“People have been excited by this World Cup, and the one before that, because it isn’t just about three countries any more – there are five or six good nations now.
“But without anything planned, interest will die off and we will lose momentum.” The next World Cup will be in France in 2025 but no internationals or tours have so far been announced for next year.
Matt Parish, whose Samoa side beat England 27-26 to set up a final showdown with Australia, said: “There needs to be a structured calendar for international footy to thrive. There have been some unbalanced scorelines in this World Cup but you have to start somewhere.
“It wasn’t long ago that Samoa were getting flogged. “Everyone now wants to see Samoa and Tonga and for Fiji and Papua New Guinea to be given opportunities to grow.” Brown, who played in the 2017 6-0 World Cup final defeat to Australia in Brisbane, said: “We need to play and we probably need to go to the southern hemisphere for games, even if it’s once a year. “But whatever it is, there needs to be some discussion and planning.”