Sunday, October 25, 2009
Four nations league
For those who didnt watch it on Sunday morning you missed an absolute beauty of a rugby league test match. Australia Vs NZ which turned out to be a 20 all draw was one of the best games I have watched all season. The Kiwis bashed Australia all game and just when you thought they were gone they put on 2 tries to look like the winner with 8 to go. Luckily the brilliance of Greg Inglis got Australia back level with a few minutes to go and saved a few red faces. I thought the likes of Inglis, 70 cents a litre and Smith were very good whilst Thurston(apart from a lucky 1 on 1 strip for a try), Gallen and waterhouse should fly home now as they werent real flash, especially Gallen who missed some tackles and did nothing in attack. I think this series is going to be a lot closer than everyone thought. Not saying France will do anything but if England can find another gear like they did in their 2nd half against the frogs, we could have a 3 way fight for the title.
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NZ - If they used their huge ammounts of possession more effectively they could have beaten Australia by at least 12 points. However they kept Australia in the game through turning the ball over. By far the better side and deserved to win the game.
ReplyDeleteAussies - Very poor. If we didnt have Petero and Inglis we were in big trouble. Gallen, Waterhouse and White should never have been selected in the 24 man squad. Creagh, Johnson and Poore were robbed. We lack punch on the edges apart from Watmough. Thurston continues to ride the favourite bandwagon. Until we pick sides on form not reputation we will not reach our potential. Cronk and Hindmarsh should have been in for game one and if they miss out this weekend it is a discrace.
England - Awful. They will get hammered by Aussies and NZ and then tell everyone who is willing to listed that they will be a better team next year. Ammount of possession turned over and the lack of enthusiasm in the first half was embarrassing. Good luck against the Aussies!!
France - Would win the wooden spoon in the NRL lets be serious and shouldnt be in the competition. This team finished last in the World Cup only last year but somehow get to play in a 4 nations with the top International teams??? Tried hard and competed but competing isnt enough if we want to get people to respect Rugby League Internationally. PNG or one of the Island nations should be in this tournament not the french.
Good post Pawd! Its nice to have 160mins of League on the tele of a weekend to feed the addiction.
Australia v NZ actually has the potential of reaching Bledisloe Cup rivalry status if the Kiwis keep on beating/competing with us as they have done the last 12 months.
ReplyDeleteThe 4 Nations concept I am led to believe is basically a mini World Cup between us, NZ and the poms with the fourth coming from a 'developing' nation in rugby league terms. Apparently the next 4 Nations will be in Australasia where one team from the likes of PNG and the coconuts will be vying for the chance to be the whipping boys at the expense of The Big 3. I guess it is imperative that we give these developing teams a chance. A bit like the grubby sri lankans through the 80s in cricket. Were probably introduced a little too early and got flogged, but ended up winning a World Cup in the mid 90s and have been pretty competitive ever since.
Aussies have some work to do if we're going to beat NZ in The Final, if we make it that far. Pretty sure Pritchard has used his one decent game a season/comp card, so he shouldnt factor again being the cat he is for Penriff
Get serious Boxhead- Rugby League isn't ever going to be respected internationally, it's gone backwards in the last 50 years, when England and France could come over here and beat us.
ReplyDeleteRugby League is a game played in parts of Australia, the north of England and Auckland. There are 70 sports with a better international scene. 99.5% of people in the world don't even realise there is such a thing as rugby league, they know of "Rugby" but don't realise there are two codes. I like league, don't love it like many on this forum, but league heads MASSIVELY overrate its appeal sometimes.
Having said that, it was good to see some good footy on the weekend- NRL coaches must be spewing to see these fobs put in now when they run hot and cold for the blokes signing their paychecks.
ReplyDeleteIm under no false impression as to the appeal that League has world wide. However im talking about the appeal that League creates throughout its own supporters. How can the International federations running the game justify having France in this competition, I agree to an extent that we need to give them an opportunity but its embarrassing for the game.
ReplyDeleteAnd Deevs, League isnt going to sit on their hands and just say becoming an international game is too hard. They need to make an effort to progress and make inroads and my agruement is that this isnt they way to achieve it.
Must be close to contract time for Pritchard?