www.leaguefreak.com/news.php?readmore=710 Quote Australia is looking to bid for the Soccer World Cup in 2018. Considering we are in the worst timezone, there are only 22 million of us and soccer in Australia is not a dominant sport, the only way we will get the event is if FIFA are feeling generous (And by that I mean we pay the right amount of money to the right people) and our record of hosting big events well gets us over the line. To get the soccer World Cup Australia needs to upgrade a number of stadiums to get up to the FIFA standard, so the NRL, AFL and Cricket Australia are all pleased to support the bid in the knowledge that they will end up with better facilities because of it. There is a sticking point though....'" www.leaguefreak.com/news.php?readmore=710

www.leaguefreak.com/news.php?readmore=710 Quote Australia is looking to bid for the Soccer World Cup in 2018. Considering we are in the worst timezone, there are only 22 million of us and soccer in Australia is not a dominant sport, the only way we will get the event is if FIFA are feeling generous (And by that I mean we pay the right amount of money to the right people) and our record of hosting big events well gets us over the line. To get the soccer World Cup Australia needs to upgrade a number of stadiums to get up to the FIFA standard, so the NRL, AFL and Cricket Australia are all pleased to support the bid in the knowledge that they will end up with better facilities because of it. There is a sticking point though....'" www.leaguefreak.com/news.php?readmore=710

If i were NRL and AFL i would comprimise and say we will shut down for 2 weeks.



Run with the first 2 weeks of the comp but play at venues they arent using, that way all the tourists can come experience a league or AFL game then for the final 2 weeks of the world cup shut down because even know i think league is the greatest game their it would be stupid to go agaisnt world cup semis.

desperate for people to "look at me, look at me" you have to post a link to your own website about your own article. Which without looking is probably based on the fact that the NRL and AFL will have to be cut short due to the only real world game, as the media over here have been reporting.



ah bless the likkle fella.

u ain't gonna get the 2018 world cup anyway so don't worry about it

No, for once I felt like the NRL section needed something interesting posted in here.





I find it funny that my very successful web site continues to upset you though.



I'll keep going, just for you.....

short term pain for long term gain. Australia would be mad to miss out on teh biggest sports event in the world due to two small national comps.

I wouldnt say that two billion dollar sporting competitions are small.





I think considering the soccer world cup will see Newcastle end up with a 40,000 seat stadium, North Queensland, Parramatta and Canberra stadiums upgraded and even Penrith looking to get some money out of it.....it would be stupid not to look at a few ways to take that money and look to play some games outside of Australia for a couple of months.

RL fan eh ?

i would be surprised if Oz got the WC. if by chance it did though, it would only be if the afl and nrl get on board and for that the FFA would have to compromise with them, as they couldnt just shut their seasons down for several weeks.



how have the afl reacted to the WC bid?

I thought I was an AFL fan last week?

Compared to the World Cup they are! An 8 week soccer tournament sells more in merchandise than both the NRL and AFL are worth in total in a year! It is hard to say exactly what it is worth overall (just like the NRL and AFL, I'd be interested to know where you plucked the $billion from) but sponsorship alone is worth over $16billion then you have ticket sales of over a billion, merchandise over 3 billion, 5billion in stadium and infrastructure improvements, 1/2 billion in tourism spending etc etc.



Australia would be mad to miss the opportunity, as would the NRL, and to a lesser degree as they won't get the stadium benefits so much, the AFL.

I can see the financial benefits for Australia, and approve, however in what possible way does it benefit the NRL?



Some minor stadium upgrades which will largely be irrelevant to League fans. Lang Park and Homebush will get upgrades, and maybe the SFS, but dolling up the MCG and Docklands in Melbourne, Hindmarsh in Adelaide and Subiacco or the WACA will do nothing for us.



The cost to the game on the other hand will be huge.

4 weeks of disruption to Sydney and Brisbane games

4 week mid season break

Shortening the season or extending it further towards February and November when it's really too hot to play.

People not buying League memberships to pay for massively overpriced (and they are) World Cup tickets.

Frustration and anger for those who don't care about soccer, and those who love both sports

Massive publicity for the roundball game with League nowhere to be seen - it's not even like we would have the opportunity to play showcase matches.



Show me the wonderful benefits, and how it would not be an all around disaster for League?