Four Nations Thread

[RoosTah]

Kiwis have a great chance next week. I can feel it.

I don't... they're going to get schooled big time in front of a packed out Suncorp. The Kangaroos will probably put Lockyer back in, but even without the likes of Inglis etc in the line up, this team still has a tonne of talent and will cut the Kiwis up.

Australia by 24.

 

[Saints1]

I've heard this before.... Tri Nations final 2006 (I think) and World Cup final 2008 comes to mind, when your boys got served big time. I can sense an upset.

 

[RoosTah]

I've heard this before.... Tri Nations final 2006 (I think) and World Cup final 2008 comes to mind, when your boys got served big time. I can sense an upset.

It's possible now that they've announced they're going to field the B team of Lockyer, Tonga, Slater etc (seriously, Carney et al were so much better last week..), but I just don't think the kiwis will have the mental edge to bounce back so soon after.

In all honesty I hope that they do. I also hoped they'd give the Kangaroos a really tough match at Eden park, and hoped your boys would do the same in Melbourne, but more often than not it doesn't happen.

 

[Saints1]

England are a waste of time.

 

[RoosTah]

England are a waste of time.

One of these days Dan... if the game is growing, then one day they'll be a force to be reckoned with again. Heck if Australia can produce a consistently competitive Rugby Union team despite the sport being miles behind Rugby League and AFL, surely England can produce a strong starting XIII. All your lot need is better organisation at the top.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

When's MacNamara's contract up?
If Brian Noble can take basement dwelling Crusaders to the playoffs in 1 season, imagine what he'd do with an average England side

 

[Saints1]

He's been there, done that.

Dan - our problems are in coaching, not encouraging ball handling backs.

 

[RoosTah]

He's been there, done that.

Dan - our problems are in coaching, not encouraging ball handling backs.

It's interesting when you think about it in terms of over all patterns. You have a strong and competitive forward pack, but your backs lack flair and you don't have any world class halves. In Union the situation was much the same for a long time and now England finally seem to be producing a few backs that can really run the ball.
For us its the reverse; in union we don't develop our forwards, but generally have dynamic backs. In league we've generally got it pretty solid all round, but that's largely a function of just how successful the game is as a whole here.

 

[RoosTah]

Well Dan, I have to say that you were indeed right, but not by much .

Bloody high intensity game though! I hate to say it, I personally just think that this just shows how little the selectors know... The roos were dynamic last week with Cronk partnering Carney. By comparison this week they looked boring and unimaginative with Lockyer, who is becoming something of a passenger now.

It obviously didn't help for Australia to lose 2 players (and for the love of god, why did it have to be Tate? If one had to go why couldn't it be bloody Tonga?! He does NOTHING), but still full credit to NZ; they basically out Queenslanded Queensland for a second time.

Hopefully this will just nail home the point that just because Qld are dominating SOO doesn't mean they should fill almost every position. So many better players from NSW were seemingly overlooked... I mean heck, how did Lyon and Gaz lose out to Tate and Tonga (seriously, Tonga barely manages playing at NRL level..)?

 

[Saints1]

I called that at the start of the tournament, not just last week. I knew Nez Zealand were going to win today. Australia's halo has slipped since the world cup final loss. Not even the most optimistic Kiwi fan would have expected that and I don't think the Aussies have been the same team since. Their air of invincibility has gone.

I agree that the backs lacked creativity, but on the flip side the Kiwis monstered the forwards and backs struggle to get into the game if their forwards don't make ground. Selection issues aside, whilst losing subs didn't help (and I hope Tate and Lewis are back playing soon) I still think the Kiwis would have won it. Their forwards were superb. How many times did Archer shout "dominant" when they were tackling?

Benji Marshall had a superb match as well, always on the front foot, always probing and his kick through for the second try from Nightingale was Lockyer-esque. It was a superb all round package from the Kiwis, in spite of some stupid knock ons. However, in spite of all this, they still nearly lost. The Aussies took a pasting but stood tall and proud, in spite of running out of players. And fair, fair play to them. They just got undone by a bit of brilliance by Marshall.