Lebanon coach Michael Cheika has called for an increase in international fixtures to address the growing problem of lopsided results in the Rugby League World Cup currently being hosted in Australia. Cheika emphasized the importance of more frequent matches to help emerging nations prepare adequately for major tournaments, noting Lebanon's difficulties in securing warm-up games ahead of this year’s event.
“We just need more footy,” Cheika said, highlighting that Lebanon has not played a competitive game since the last World Cup. Efforts to arrange preparatory matches were reportedly blocked, leaving the team with limited opportunities to develop cohesion and match readiness. Cheika pointed to 20-year-old Bulldogs halfback Alex Conti as an example of a promising player who has had minimal game time in the tournament despite showing potential in his appearances against Papua New Guinea and France.
This issue is underscored by a series of high-scoring blowouts during the tournament’s opening rounds, which have raised concerns about the competitive balance and overall appeal of the event. In the men’s competition, Tonga, Samoa, England, and New Zealand collectively scored 264 points while limiting their opponents to very few replies. Only Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands managed to register tries against these stronger teams. Among individual highlights, Cook Islands winger Esom Ioka scored a hat-trick within nine minutes to showcase his try-scoring prowess, despite his early exit due to injury. Ioka, who has scored 22 tries in 21 Queensland Cup games this year for the Brisbane Tigers, previously trained briefly with North Queensland before moving to Brisbane.
The women’s tournament has faced similar disparities. Australia’s Jillaroos recorded a 78-0 victory over England, closely matched by Samoa’s 76-point win against Wales. The Kiwi Ferns equaled the highest World Cup score by putting 92 points past France on Sunday. These unbalanced results suggest a need for deeper development across several competing nations.
In response to these competitive imbalances, some stakeholders are advocating for regular regional tournaments similar to the Pacific Championship, which was established in 2019 and relaunched in 2023. This annual competition involves Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea and has been credited with improving the standard of rugby league in the Pacific region. A comparable competition for northern hemisphere teams—such as England, Lebanon, France, Wales, Italy, and other emerging rugby league nations in Europe and Africa—could provide vital game time and preparation in the lead-up to future World Cups.
The National Rugby League (NRL) is reportedly open to modifying its season structure, possibly introducing a conference system and expanding to 20 teams. Such a change would create an international window, enabling more dedicated time for national teams to train and compete without conflicting with the domestic club calendar.
Injury concerns have also impacted squads during the tournament. Jillaroos star Julia Robinson was hospitalized with a suspected fractured left wrist during the match against England. South Sydney’s Latrell Siegwart sustained a dislocated shoulder while playing for France. Papua New Guinea’s forward Jack de Belin suffered broken ribs in their loss to Samoa. Lebanon’s Khaled Rajab was forced off with a hamstring injury against Tonga, apparently ending his campaign. England’s Jasmin Strange, a premiership winner with the Sydney Roosters, was ruled out due to an ACL injury sustained during training last week.
Meanwhile, New Zealand forward Xavier Willison delivered a standout performance against the Cook Islands, demonstrating his physicality and hinting at his potential role in filling the void left by departing Brisbane Broncos teammate Payne Haas. The Broncos have also strengthened their backrow with the addition of Shawn Blore, joining players such as Jordan Riki and Brendan Piakura.
As the Rugby League World Cup progresses, calls for structural reforms to international scheduling and development pathways grow louder, with the aim of fostering greater competitiveness and engagement among the sport’s emerging nations.