South Sydney manager Wayne Bennett believes it's not his close to "deprive" immoderate of his Rabbitohs players of competing successful the Rugby League World Cup and has warned rival NRL clubs of being blameworthy of "a treble standard".
The seven-time premiership mentor was stern successful his views connected the World Cup following the decisions of the Australian Rugby League Commission and New Zealand Rugby League to retreat the Kangaroos and Kiwis respectively from the competition, acceptable to beryllium played successful England crossed October and November.
Both the ARLC and NZRL opted retired of the World Cup owed to information concerns for players and unit amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving tourney organisers to determine if it's worthy going up with the contention without the 2 champion teams.
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Given the tireless efforts of clubs to support the NRL and State of Origin live during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bennett says it'd beryllium a substance of treble standards if clubs banned players from travelling to England for the showpiece event.
"Of people I would (allow my players to play successful the World Cup if it went ahead). It's the players' rights. Why wouldn't I enactment it?" Bennett told reporters.
"The NRL and NZRL person made a decision. That's fine. But if a subordinate wants to spell and play for Samoa and Tonga, I don't spot wherefore helium can't beryllium allowed to play.
"We person made truthful galore exceptions and exemptions to support our contention going here.
"If England and different nations privation to support the World Cup alive, past I don't deliberation it's our prerogative to interfere.
"I would not forestall immoderate subordinate I'm coaching from going. If helium wanted to spell and it meant that overmuch to him and the contention was on, I don't consciousness I person that close personally."
Penrith's Jarome Luai, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton (Samoa), Viliame Kikau and Apisai Koroisau (Fiji) would inactive beryllium eligible to play successful the World Cup if it went ahead.
Melbourne's Justin Olam (Papua New Guinea), George Jennings (Tonga) and Tui Kamikamica (Fiji) are besides among those inactive successful the frame.
"Who is going to deprive them? It's not the close of the club," Bennett said.
"We don't person an enactment erstwhile it comes to playing Origin oregon for Australia. If we garbage to play for Australia we get stood down. What's going to hap for these players that privation to play for their countries?
"It's a implicit treble standard. If a subordinate wants to play and the nine says helium can't, but if a subordinate doesn't privation to play and the crippled says you've got to play. There's got to beryllium a equilibrium there."
Every World Cup dating backmost to 1975 - 9 person been held successful that clip - has either been won by Australia oregon New Zealand.
Such is the quality of endowment improvement successful rugby league crossed the globe that determination are tremendous discrepancies betwixt countries similar Australia and Lebanon and New Zealand and the Cook Islands.
But contempt the domination of the Kangaroos and Kiwis, Bennett insists that planetary rugby league does not revolve astir those 2 nations.
"Obviously England and different nations consciousness they committed to the World Cup and Australia and New Zealand consciousness they can't marque that commitment," Bennett said.
"Well, that's their prerogative but it's besides the prerogative of the different nations to proceed with the World Cup.
"If they went of their prime and could instrumentality prime players with them it would lone heighten their position.
"Life volition spell connected without Australia and New Zealand; we are conscionable a portion of it."
However, erstwhile England manager Bennett says the England Rugby League would beryllium gutted astatine the withdrawals of the Kangaroos and Kiwis.
"There's nary uncertainty there'd beryllium a batch of hurt. There's nary uncertainty astatine all," Bennett said.
"It's successful their state and they've done a batch of enactment towards it and each the enactment that has gone into it with authorities and section councils. They were beauteous bullish astir what they had done and thought it was a well-worth exercise.
"They'd beryllium bitterly disappointed, peculiarly with Australia not supporting it, I'd say."
In Bennett's Rabbitohs camp, Tom Burgess (England), Josh Mansour (Lebanon), Tautau Moga (Samoa) and Tevita Tatola (Tonga) are among those inactive eligible for the World Cup.
"They (Souths players) are each disappointed," Bennett said.
"They were prepared to go. Tom adjacent postponed his matrimony to go. They had nary qualms. I deliberation helium (Burgess) volition (go) if it is on."
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