Fri, 11 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Rabbitohs 10, Knights 20
Sat, 12 Sept, 4:05 pm, Final score, Warriors 16, Dolphins 26
16 26 →Sat, 12 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Sharks 26, Cowboys 16
26 16 →Sun, 13 Sept, 4:05 pm, Final score, Panthers 19, Roosters 12
19 12 →Sat, 19 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Roosters 46, Sharks 10
46 10 →Sun, 20 Sept, 4:05 pm, Final score, Warriors 10, Knights 12
10 12 →Fri, 25 Sept, 7:50 pm, Final score, Dolphins 20, Roosters 36
20 36 →Sun, 27 Sept, 4:00 pm, Final score, Panthers 14, Knights 22
14 22 →Sun, 4 Oct, 7:30 pm, Final score, Roosters 19, Knights 18
19 18 →
The Jillaroos will be expecting to rack up a cricket scoreline when they face Wales at Western Sydney Stadium this afternoon.
asserted
they → expect → Stadium
The Australians have only been beaten once in the past decade and are the raging favourites to win a fourth straight Rugby League World Cup title.
asserted
Australians → beat → title
Men's international rugby league has come a long way in the past decade, largely thanks to changed eligibility rules and the increased number of Pasifika players in the NRL.
asserted
league → come → NRL
The women's game is coming from a standing start, and players and experts argue it is unfair to judge a fight where one side has a hand tied behind its back.
asserted
hand → come → back
Bridging the gap
Tayla Preston is one of the stars of the NRLW, and the Canterbury Bulldogs captain is experiencing a whole new world as part of the Welsh side.
asserted
captain → bridge → side
She qualifies through her maternal grandfather and says it has been an "eye-opener" to see the differences between the game in Australia and Europe.
asserted
it → qualify → Australia
"I think it was about 90 per cent of the girls that have never been paid to play rugby league ever," Preston said.
asserted
Preston → think → league
"So to get them to come to a World Cup, get paid to play a Rugby League World Cup and verse the best of the best week in, week out, it's pretty special."
asserted
it → get → best
The Jillaroos and Kangaroos players will each receive equal payments of $40,000 at this tournament, but the rest of the countries, men's and women's, are well behind.
asserted
rest → receive → countries
Preston says $15,000 is spread across the Welsh men's and women's teams, with most staff members volunteering for the tournament, and only several hundred registered women's players in the country.
asserted
members → say → country
"Compare it to the NRLW where we've got 360 contracted girls …
asserted
we → compare → girls
I think it just shows the difference of where the games are at the moment.
asserted
games → think → moment
But we want to help bridge that gap," she said.
asserted
she → want → gap
"I think that's the importance of showcasing the World Cup and seeing the differences there.
asserted
that → think → differences
"When you compare the resources and what the girls have, they're making the most of what they do have and it shows that they're just playing for the love of footy and I think we [in Australia] weren't too far away from that probably about five, 10 years ago too.
"
asserted
we → compare → that
Hopefully we can get some more funding into the smaller nations, even like France as well and PNG.
asserted
we → get → France
I think we're going to see a lot more athletes be able to have access to professionalism and training facilities and things like that to be able to build full-time programs as well."
asserted
athletes → think → programs
Preston says it's unrealistic to expect players to perform as full-time professionals when they are essentially part-timers.
asserted
they → say → professionals
But she doesn't think a truncated World Cup or shunning smaller rugby league nations is the answer.
asserted
Cup → think → nations
"We've had some girls who have had to step away at times to be able to work; also, a lot of girls have had to take leave without pay just to play at the World Cup," she said.
asserted
she → have → Cup
"Obviously those challenges a lot of the public don't see and face. And so for us, it's just about playing with all our heart, and we want to just do it for the Welsh community back home and grow the game for them.
asserted
we → see → them
I think the only way you can improve is by versing the best of the best and challenging yourself against the girls that are the elite professionals."
asserted
that → think → girls
ABC Sport commentator Matthew Elliott agrees.
asserted
Elliott → agree → ?
"A great experience for those athletes [is] to go back to where they came from and go, 'Wow, we need to improve,'" he said.
asserted
he → go → where
"We know ourselves in our own lives, sometimes when we have that level of disappointment, that gives us the opportunity to make a difference in our life, and I think it can make a difference to the sport."
asserted
it → know → sport
The men's game in the Pacific has boomed in recent years, with big-name players choosing to play for the countries of their heritage.
asserted
players → boom → heritage
Former NRL player Christian Welch says the women's players don't have the same luxury.
asserted
players → say → luxury
"We've seen Payne Haas, Jerome Luai, the Hammer [Hamiso Tabuia-Fidow], incredible players who probably would be walk-up starts for Australia and New Zealand, generally the two biggest nations, they're able to make those [financial] sacrifices and represent their countries, Samoa and Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji," he told Summer Grandstand.
asserted
he → see → Grandstand
But when Jerome Luai is on $1.2 million, he can forgo a 40 grand payment and pick up three, four, five grand that Samoa will be paying him.
asserted
Samoa → forgo → him
"Whereas the women, they're in a much tougher situation, NRLW salaries are much lower, the minimum salary I think is about $48,000.
asserted
I → think → situation
"To ask a player to forgo $40,000 and sign up for $2,000 to $5,000, it just doesn't make financial sense for these women who are still working part-time.
asserted
who → ask → women
"No-one begrudges the Jillaroos for getting $40,000, they deserve it, they're incredible and they're just so dominant.
asserted
they → begrudge → it
But at the same time the competitive balance is really suffering."
asserted
balance → suffer → time
The rise of Pasifika nations has been rugby league's great success story, but it has coincided with a decline in the game in the northern hemisphere, particularly England.
asserted
it → coincide → hemisphere
Once considered among the "big three" in the international men's game alongside Australia and New Zealand, England could miss the semifinals of this tournament.
uncertain
England → consider → tournament
England's women have never even been in the mix; their second pool game ended in a 78-0 defeat to Australia.
asserted
game → end → Australia
The NRL is seeking a stake in the Super League to help inject life back into the game there.
"I've been at Wembley and walked out there with 100,000 people [at a rugby league game]," Matthew Elliott said.
asserted
Elliott → seek → game
"There is a passion for it, but it's got to be fed and it's not being fed in the right way.
asserted
it → be → way
"It's up to the whole international game, including Australia, to find a way to build the sport overseas because we know when you get it right people love consuming it."
asserted
people → include → it
Welch also wants to see investment in the game more broadly.
asserted
Welch → want → game
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
