Australia vs. New Zealand

[St Helens RLFC]

The other game in group one is on this Sunday and is the early highlight of the tournament. I can't wait for this one.

 

[QLD]

Australia

Billy Slater, Joel Monaghan, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Brent Tate, Darren Lockyer (capt), Jonathan Thurston, Petero Civoniceva, Cameron Smith, Steve Price, Glenn Stewart, Anthony Laffranchi, Paul Gallen. Interchange: Brent Kite, Josh Perry, Anthony Tupou, Kurt Gidley.

New Zealand

Lance Hohaia, Sam Perrett, Steve Matai, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, Benji Marshall, Thomas Leuluai, Nathan Cayless (capt), Nathan Fien, Adam Blair, Simon Mannering, Sika Manu, Jeremy Smith.
Interchange: Dene Halatau, Greg Eastwood, Setaimata Sa, Sam Rapira.

Some interesting selections from NZ, no Krisnan Inu or Isaac Luke.

An all NSW backrow with a reserve NSW backrower on the bench.. two debutants starting (while I admit those two deserve it) is a worry. And Gallen starting? Does anyone not remember his disgraceful performance in Origin III, well pretty much the whole series? Topou's another overated player.

Thaiday and Johnson **** all over Gallen and Topou so much its funny.

Go Australia.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

I can see this being a really tight and dramatic game.

 

[QLD]

HT Australia 14 - New Zealand 6

Trys to Inglis, Monaghan, missed the NZ try. Only seen the first 20 though.

 

[QLD]

If anyone wants really good live coverage of the RLWC go here http://www.justin.tv/thumperstu

 

[An Tarbh]

The quality on veetle is slightly better.

 

[esoj]

aus very classy deserved to win but man did they certainly get a massive boost from the officials tonight.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Well what a washout. The Kiwis were pathetic, it took them 19 minutes to build an attack, their discipline was appalling and the defending abysmal. If they're the second best team in the competition, then God help us.

The Aussies played well but never had to even get out of second gear.

 

[nam97]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (St Helens RLFC @ Oct 27 2008, 12:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Well what a washout. The Kiwis were pathetic, it took them 19 minutes to build an attack, their discipline was appalling and the defending abysmal. If they're the second best team in the competition, then God help us.

The Aussies played well but never had to even get out of second gear.[/b]

It actually did seem as though the Aussies held a hell of a lot back... as if they had been ordered to not blow the score line out of proportion for the sake of making the World Cup seem a bit more competitive (that's my imagination running). They really should have put 50+ on us, we looked and played like ****.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

I swear some of the players are brain donors. Some of the penalties they give away are incredibly, unforgiveably stupid. I'm no fan of the referee today but the penalties they were inviting him to give against them were tantamount to braindead. And I think Matai might be giving his wrist a nice rest for one game, maybe two.

 

[nam97]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (St Helens RLFC @ Oct 27 2008, 12:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I swear some of the players are brain donors. Some of the penalties they give away are incredibly, unforgiveably stupid. I'm no fan of the referee today but the penalties they were inviting him to give against them were tantamount to braindead. And I think Matai might be giving his wrist a nice rest for one game, maybe two.[/b]

What about Billy "Hunchback" Slater kicking the ball out of Ropati's hands for the try? Surely that was a penalty try, two men were tackling Ropati and old hunchback came and kicked the ball out of his hands. How is that different to a strip? Not that it made any difference at all but the refs seemed very pro-Aussie.

We just have a bunch of goons. If you look at our forward pack, these are basically the guys that are used as enforcers for their respective clubs. Guys like Manu, Blair, Smith, Rapira etc... They are very skillful at times, but they just do stupid things all the time.

I feel sorry for Matai, he's been one of the best centers in the NRL all year but it looks as though he just needs a rest, so if he gets a ban then meh.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

I have no idea what Steve Ganson was thinking. It was a definite penalty try. But how dare you criticise Billy Slater? Don't you know he's perfect in every way? He has got the positional sense of a wheelie bin. His pace just disguises this fact. However, the Kiwis should have had a try and Slater should have been in the bin.

 

[candybum]

I dont know why the NZ persist on players that never perform on the international stage. Guys like Leuluai, Cayless, Blair, Halatau etc... Fien was just shet, Perret was alright, Benji played well, Vatuvei didn't get enough ball and Matai was a liability for us because he was injured all the damn time!

I think PNG will beat us unfortunately

 

[St Helens RLFC]

If you guys play as badly as you did tonight and PNG play like they did last night it could be a close game. However I totally expect NZ to win that game by more points than England did.

 

[esoj]

well they can't play much worse than they did last night. I would be expecting a couple of changes in the kiwis team for the match against png.

 

[Bennyfishel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (wairarapa_cullen @ Oct 26 2008, 10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Not that it made any difference at all but the refs seemed very pro-Aussie.[/b]

What a load of **** ..sour grapes mate,if things dont suite you just blame the referee....I saw the same match as you.

 

[esoj]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bennyfishel @ Oct 27 2008, 03:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (wairarapa_cullen @ Oct 26 2008, 10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not that it made any difference at all but the refs seemed very pro-Aussie.[/b]

What a load of **** ..sour grapes mate,if things dont suite you just blame the referee....I saw the same match as you.
[/b][/quote]

I don't think you did actually otherwise you wouldn't have made a comment like that. aus were clearly the better team sure but they did get quite a lot of calls going their way too. just one example billy slater kicking the ball out of ropati's hands over the tryline. there was a good case for a penalty try or at least a penalty but instead it was ruled as a knock which was blatantly the wrong decision

 

[QLD]

How good was Thurston? Man of the match after the events that occurred over the weekend, shows the champion qualities of the man.

Billy "thug" Slater should be sent off for what he did. He did it in the grand final and will concuss someone one day if he keeps it up, definetly a penalty try to NZ.

NZ need to bring in Krisnan Inu and Isaac Luke, obviously. Does anyone else think Cayless is past it? plays pretty ordinary for Parramatta as well considering the money hes on.

As said, our backrow seems to be the only problem in the team. Laffranchi had a brilliant game on debut, gets stuck into every tackle.. but its Gallen, f***ing Gallen, absolutely useless. BRING IN JOHNSON/THAIDAY.

 

[nam97]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bennyfishel @ Oct 27 2008, 06:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (wairarapa_cullen @ Oct 26 2008, 10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not that it made any difference at all but the refs seemed very pro-Aussie.[/b]

What a load of **** ..sour grapes mate,if things dont suite you just blame the referee....I saw the same match as you.
[/b][/quote]

:lol: Read my posts properly you imbecile.

 

[Klarkash-ton]

yeah, saw some odd decisions. didn't matter in the long run, but not sure why it was happening. The Aussies don't need any help. The basically scored when they felt like it. Usually went the length of the field on each set of six too.