It's about 50-50 in terms of the starting players this year for who has started in an NWWC finals in the past. How relevant that is in determining whether a national team should be afforded the same consideration for seeding as in the previous year (based on their finals placement) is a matter of opinion and not one where anyone can be 'right'. In a team competition, as I said in response to Melsyo, I think that point makes a lot of sense and I'd agree with you. In the context of a national tournament, where there is a constant factor (the nations do not change and the best players from that nation that are willing to play are playing), I don't find that logic as convincing. I think the seeding should be appropriate to each team's performance in the previous edition.
Going back to my point earlier, 60% of your team didn't play in the final for last NWWC, so you're saying your seeding should be relevant to 6 other players who performed last year and aren't playing this year. That makes no sense.
And you saying that it's a national tournament shouldn't make seeding any different. If there were 2 favourite teams (like other years) they would be on different sides of the brackets. However, there seems to be 1 stronger team (or 3 equal teams, whichever way you want to spin it). Previous NWWCs should come into how seeding is done. It should be done on how teams performed in Groups.
Also I doubt ENG would have kicked up as fuss if it was GER vs FRA in the semi's. And I highly doubt FRA would too. (but this might be because of an ENG vs FRA final).
I honestly don't see why the brackets are up for debate. And by the sounds of it, it was made by a 2ic that was going against what he was told to do.
But saying previous years NWWC results should be taken into account when seeding the knockouts is stupid, when you even said yourself that half the team (starting lineup) is different.
Play the tournament how it was originally set, if ENG lose, it's not because you had a harder seed. It's because you weren't good enough. If you carry on trying to get an ENG vs FRA final, it's just gonna seem like you're trying to grab yourself a guaranteed silver. Which would be extremely sad.