• e-mail

The organisers of the Rugby League World Cup have put the chances of the tournament going ahead at '50-50', but the final decision will rest with the players and their views will become clearer following a survey that will be conducted over the next four days.

The World Cup has been plunged into crisis after the Australian Rugby League Commission and New Zealand Rugby League announced last week they were pulling out of the competition.

But the chief executive of the World Cup committee, Jon Dutton, said today that the Aussie and Kiwi authorities had not consulted the players before they took their decisions to withdraw.

Reigning champions Australia (pictured)  and NZ have pulled out of Rugby League World Cup

The tournament will now listen to all the competitors before making a decision on the next step, which includes proceeding as planned, postponing the tournament until next year or cancelling it altogether.

Detailed information about Covid protocols and quarantine arrangements is being shared with players from all countries and they will be invited to take part in an anonymous survey through the Rugby League Players' Association.

The process will take four days and a final decision on whether the tournament will proceed this year will be made next week.

'We are absolutely committed to staging this tournament but only if we are able,' Dutton told a press conference on Tuesday.

'The things we will do over the coming days are first of all speak and listen to the players. It has been abundantly clear… that so far that hasn’t happened.'

Asked by journalists what the chances are of the tournament going ahead, Dutton said: 'I think we are trying to predict the future. I think authentically, 50-50. We don't know and won't know until we listen to players.'

Rugby League World Cup chief executive Jon Dutton (left) paraded the  trophy at Downing  Street with Prime Minister Boris Johnson before the Australian and New Zealand withdrawals

Australia and New Zealand are the best two sides in the world, but they could be replaced

Dutton admitted there was huge pressure to make a decision with players, clubs, national teams, fans, sponsors and broadcasters all waiting on news of the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on October 23.

'This is a matter of days,' said Dutton. 'I think within the next 96 hours we need to get in front of as many players as possible. Talk to them, listen to them and understand where they are.

'We are only 80-odd days away, hopefully, from staging our first game of the tournament. We do not have an absolute drop-dead deadline date but we are talking a handful of days.

'At some point next week, we will be able to come back to stakeholders and have a clear outcome. People want certainty, we understand that.'

The Australian and New Zealand rugby league authorities cited Covid safety and player welfare as the reasons for their withdrawal from the tournament.

However, players, commentators and rugby league officials in England and elsewhere believe the decision was at least in part a result of the National Rugby League in Australia wanting to protect the domestic game.

Players returning to Australia after the tournament would be required to quarantine for 14 days, which would impact on pre-season in the powerful NRL.

Australian-based players are increasingly speaking out about the fact they have not been consulted on the decision to withdraw and some are stating they want to play.

Calls for an indigenous all-star team to replace the Kangaroos and a Maori side to take the place of the New Zealand national team are growing louder. A Maori team did compete in the 2000 World Cup.

Melbourne Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr is leading the indigenous players' campaign.

Addo-Carr, South Sydney Rabbitohs full-back Cody Walker and team mate, Latrell Mitchell, are helping to head the charge for Indigenous and Maori sides to replace Australia and New Zealand. 

In addition, Aussie and Kiwi players, who do not have indigenous or Maori heritage, have said they will play for other national sides where they are eligible. This is allowed under International Rugby League rules.

Sydney Roosters star player, James Tedesco, has said he would play for Italy - for whom he already has six caps - if Australia did not enter a team.

Australia's Indigenous All-Stars are on the charge to play at the Rugby League World Cup

Melbourne Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr has spoken to the NRL about releasing players

Players' union general president Daly Cherry-Evans claims there would have been a stand-off with the ARL Commission had players been consulted on Australia's Rugby League World Cup withdrawal.

Cherry-Evans is one of the most influential figures in the game as Rugby League Players Association general president, but is also the incumbent Kangaroos' captain.

However, while encouraged by the noises emerging down-under, Dutton said it was important to hear directly the 'players' voice and the players' choice', while insisting the organisers were capable of staging a safe tournament.

'We want to listen to the players. We appreciate they have concerns. I think a lot of the concerns are about wellbeing rather than safety, many have been in bubble environments and away from their families.

'Without the players we do not have a tournament and that is why we have to listen to them in the coming days.

If the Australian-based players are strongly in favour of playing in the tournament the pressure will ramp up further on the NRL to at least allow players to participate with the indigenous and Maori all-star teams and those sides they are eligible for. 

But it is is still unclear if the NRL clubs will release the players, despite a meeting between Australian executives and Dutton yesterday.

Regardless of what happens with the Australian-based NRL players, the World Cup organisers want to know that all of the other countries' players remain committed.

Dutton said: 'The worst scenario for us would be to forge ahead and find that other nations and other players do not get on the planes to the UK. That would not be the optimal position.

'That is why it is important we listen. Overridingly, we believe the sentiment is positive and that is why we are encouraged to hive this a few more days and give this everything we have got.'  

Meanwhile, Australian rugby league forward Joel Thompson has added his voice to calls for the Indigenous and Maori All Stars sides to be introduced to this year's World Cup.

Thompson, who played for the Raiders, Dragons and Sea Eagles in the NRL, before joining St Helens in the Super League, has made seven appearances for the Australian Indigenous All-Stars.

A host of top players have already spoken out in support of the All Stars teams joining the World Cup, including ex-Kangaroo's star Blake Ferguson and a former Eels teammate of his, Brad Takairangi.

Joel Thompson captained the Indigenous All-Stars against the Maori All-Stars last year

Now UK-based Thompson has joined in.

'Let's make it happen. Get the Indigenous/Maori sides into the World Cup,' Thompson, wrote on Twitter.

'Strict protocols can make it safe for the players in the UK. Rugby league needs to keep moving forward through the pandemic. We're seeing this with most sports across the world.'