Economy-class Irish air grievance at business-class Poms

If Tongan rugby league officials thought they were on their own in considering themselves second-class citizens in the World Cup, consider this: The Irish team are officially a second-class team. Or an economy-class team.

When the English team leaves Manchester today for Sydney for the rugby league World Cup, they will do so in the relative luxury of business class. But on the same Emirates plane, the Ireland squad and officials will travel economy. Irish eyes are not smiling.

Ireland's officials have fired in an official protest to the Rugby Football League, the administrators of the game in Britain, and were still awaiting a reply early this morning (NZ time).

The development will be seen as another example of the minnow nations being short-changed in the World Cup, following Tonga's frustrations over first Anthony Tupou being called into the Australian squad just hours after training with the Tongans and the Rugby League International Federation ruling two more players, Fuifui Moimoi and Taniela Tuiaki, ineligible to play for them.

Irish officials have been careful not to publicly criticise the RFL but are privately unhappy over their treatment, with one calling the snub "unacceptable".

The RFL blamed budget constraints for Ireland's cattle-class controversy.

"The England team have more money from their sponsor, Gillette, and they've got significant funding from Sport England," spokesman Craig Spence said.

"The Irish team are funded by Carnegie, but not to the extent that England are. What it comes down to is budgets. It's through no fault of the Irish.

"The English have a bigger budget and they've used it to pay for an upgrade. It's not a case of the RFL saying England are flying that class and the Irish are flying that class. If the Irish team had the same budget, they'd probably do the same."

To underline how the World Cup, and the minnow nations, are seen by many, an Immortal, in former Queensland five-eighth Wally Lewis, made the extraordinary claim yesterday that Queensland and NSW - not Australia - should contest the tournament in the interests of ensuring a competitive event. And even then, he predicted the Australians would still dominate.

"It's very difficult but if other international teams have been broken up into other bodies and the strength has been weakened, it makes it very difficult for those teams to beat Australia, which is at their best," Lewis said.

"If they are divided up, it makes it a little bit tough for them. Really, Australia is the only team that doesn't suffer."

Ireland, in the same group as Tonga, have also been dealt their fair share of withdrawals. After Melbourne's NSW prop Brett White pulled out of the tournament with a toe injury, they then lost Wests Tigers' Shannon McDonnell due to a hamstring problem, leaving coach Andy Kelly to curse the late notice. He has brought in former Western Suburbs forward Shayne McMenemy, now playing in Western Australia, and a player from the Irish domestic competition, Treaty City Titans' Brendan Guilfoyle.

Ireland open their World Cup campaign against Tonga at Parramatta Stadium on October 27.

-with AAP

- © Fairfax NZ News