| Rugby League Is Quickly Becoming A Feeder System For Rugby Union |
 Rugby League has gone through an amazing period of growth over the last ten years. Coming out of the Super League War we have seen the game strengthen its hold in traditionally strong areas, while also going on to break new ground and flourish there as well.
However now the game has come to a point where, for all its positives, there is one major negative.
If you reach a certain level of ability in Rugby League, the game will no longer pay you what you are worth.
The world is a much smaller place than it was ten years ago. Air travel is cheaper and more frequent, the internet and general media means that we get instant, daily access to the goings on in other parts of the world and things like Youtube and Satellite TV means we can watch players from the other side of the world while wearing out PJ's and sitting in front of the computer.
All of these changes to life mean that sportsmen have many more options than they did in the past.
Where once a player might have worked his arse off to try and break into first grade, now he can get in contact with player managers in the UK, get his name passed around and in six months time he can be earning more playing in Super League than the player he couldn't get past in the NRL will ever earn during his career.
That is working at the highest levels too.
Once upon a time a top class player might have had two or three clubs who were willing and able to pay top money to get him in their lineup. Now, that same player can look at other NRL clubs, Super League, Australian and European Rugby Union....hell even places like Japan are starting to look like a real option.
What this all means is that Rugby League now how major competition for not only its best players, but for all players, from the best juniors right up to Test players.
We loved to boast how good a game Rugby League is, and believe me, as a fan of many sports, nothing offers what Rugby League does as far as excitement goes.
Name me another sport that takes speed, strength, skill, toughness and endurance. One where you need all the skills in the world, and to be able t apply those skills while being bashed over two hours of relentless football.
Sure other sports have bits and pieces of what Rugby League has, but none of them have the complete package.
We also boast that Rugby League produces world class athletes, and that has never been more evident than these days.
The likes of Israel Folau, Jutsin Hodges and Greg Inglis would have been superstars in any sport they decided to take up. Big, strong, athletic, mobile, skillful.....Rugby League produces athletes that stand up to any other sport you want to name.
The thing is, these days, we're not the only ones that know that. Everyone else knows that too. They know if they want something special, they can look to the NRL and find what they want.
The problem we have is, these people that want world class athlete are willing to pay these players what they a truly worth, and right now the NRL is not willing to do the same thing.
If you look around other sports, you will see that the best athletes get paid what they are worth.
Do you think the likes of Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Ronaldinho, Randy Moss and Lewis Hamilton have ever once been asked to take a major pay cut by their employers?
It wouldn't be so galling if the pay cuts weren't so massive either.
Take Greg Inglis for instance. He just signed a contract with the Melbourne Storm and it would not any been worth any more than AU$500,000 a year.
At the same time there are Rugby Union players who, compared to Inglis, are park footballers, and they wouldn't even talk to a club willing to pay less than AU$1,000,000 a season!
How long does Rugby League think it can go on paying a fraction of what players are worth?
I've always asked a very simple question in regards to player payments.
How much is Darren Lockyer worth to the Brisbane Broncos, the NRL, State Of Origin and Test football?
I would love a marketing type of come up with a figure that, not only involved his value to a teams on field contributions, but his standing in the game and his amazing promotional use across the entire country on a week in, week out basis.
Just as a guess, I would use at least AU$1,000,000 as a very basic starting point just on State Of Origin alone!
Right now Rugby League is not paying its elite players what they are worth. It's not even close!
If we expect to keep seeing the best in the world, we had better start being willing to pay for the best in the world, because as it stands, Rugby League is fast becoming a feeder system for other sports.
When you reach a certain level in Rugby League, the sad fact is, you have to look elsewhere just to get what you are worth.
League Freak
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| What Does England Need To Do To Improve? |
 One of the major stories out of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup was how poor England played.
Winning just one of their four games played at the World Cup, and then only just beating Papua New Guinea, the England side went to Australia talking themselves up and left with their tail between their legs.
While some are now using the line "They didn't play to their potentual, they really are better than that", the fact remains that results over the last 10 years have been the worst in the history of the British game.
For real change to happen, and for results to turn around, the entire game in England needs to be pulling in the same direction. Unfortunantly for Rugby League in the UK, the game is full of egos and agendas, and making this happen is almost possible.
However the RFL needs to take a tough stance anyway and put in place a few things that will lead to improvement.
I personally don't believe there is a quick fix. England posseses no players that are playing today who are capable of tunring things around, and there are no younger players or coaches who look capable of turning into the quality players needed to kick on and become the best in the game.
Any moves made now to improve are with long term goals in mind.
So what would I do to improve the British game?
Lifing The Standard Of Game Officials
One thing to come out of the World Cup was complaints by Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia that English Super League referee's were not up to standard.
All of these nations requested that future games they are involved in are controled by NRL referee's.
This has been an issue for many years and the gulf between NRL and Super League officials has grown immersurably over the last decade.
The issue hasn't been helped by the attitude of English administrators and fans, who have seen such complaints as an attack against the supposed "English Game".
The RFL needs to put in place a program to upgrade refereeing standards at all levels.
All referee's at Super League level should be professional referee's. They should attend referee training sessions, video sessions and be graded on every performance they put in.
If referee's don't put in place the standards the RFL sets in place, they should be dropped from the top grade. If they continue to fail, they should be saked.
Make no mistake, if there is a chance to become a professional referee then you will find officials in the lower ranks of the game will push and improve themselves and become what the RFL wants them to be to atain their goals.
Areas of the game in which the RFL needs to focus on are:
1. Consistency in the 10 meters given between referee's. This has always been a problem in England.
2. Clearing up the play the ball area and forcing attacking players to correctly play the ball and allowing defenders to complete a tackle before calling for them to move off the tackles player.
3. Offside calls, especially from kicks and players standing at marker.
On top of this the RFL should make a few changes to certain rules to bring the English game to a level that other nations play. Some of the rules I would put in place are:
1. Only 8 interchanges per game. This is the direction Australia has been heading towards, its time for England to be pro-active for once.
2. Get rid of quick taps from the 20 meter line. Allow the defense to set before the tap can be taken.
3. Add a 50/10 to the 40/20, this would encourage more work on the kicking game.
Results
The idea is to tighten up the game and force teams to lift their standards. The changes made will mean that there is more of an emphasis on defense, therefore making it harder to score points.
This means that in attack teams will be forced to be more creative and individual players will have to add to their skill set.
Teams will have to learn how to break down a defense, how to apply pressure and try and get repeat sets of six. Field position will be at a premium, meaning teams will be pushing for better kicking and better positional and attacking play from their fullbacks.
New Elite Performance Group
England really needs a clear and focued push for improvement in playing stanards. The RFL can not just sit back and hope clubs drive for these improvements. Clubs have their own agendas, all based around short term goals. The RFL needs to have longer term goals.
The RFL needs to set up an elite group within the game who's entire focus is improving playing standards at all costs.
The Director Of Performance for the RFL would be in charge of lifting standards and basically kicking heads. It would be one of the most powerful positions in the game and would be the break between the adinistration side of the game, and the football side of the game.
The Director Of Performance would have a coaching background so that he knew what he was looking for in players and coaches. He would be able to turn up at any club at any time and view the progress of players while also making suggestions about certain programs players might be played on to help their development.
His job will be a thankless job, he is not there to be liked and it is almost assured that he will given a hard time when pushing for reforms and changes in the game.
On one side, people will see it as a position held by a big ego, a dictator. The reality is this will be the most selfless position in the game.
The National Coach would long longer be required to be selected on a full time basis. The National Coaches role would be very simple, to give the England side the best preperation possible and to provide the game plan and game management needed at the elite level.
The National Coach should be a current top class coach from the National Rugby League. When they come into the room, they are the boss.
The Director of Training And Fitness would be charged with making a complete review of the training methods at the elite level and would go on to be the head trainer of the England side during Test matches.
Yearly Review
At the end of each year a review of playing standards would be held among this main group and the RFL administration to plot the progress being made in the games standards.
This will allow any changes to be made going into the next season and to give a greater focus to areas that are not meeting the standards set out the prevoius year.
Results
Accountability would be brought into the game and with a small group pushing the game forward, you wouldn't find the efforts to impove being diluted among too many chiefs when you dont have enough indians.
Halfback Academy
We have now gone a few generations of players since Great Britain produced a player with the full skill set that a modern day halfback requires. This means that we have a generation of coaches in the UK right now that are teaching halfback play, when they themselves do not know what is needed for good halfback play.
To change this, the RFL should set up a series of coaching clinics held around the country for the games elite junior halfbacks. Only halfbacks and standoffs would be invited to these clinics with the idea utlimately to plant the seed in the minds of young halfbacks to take in what the best players in the world are doing, mimic them, practice and improve their own game, and ultimately learn what it takes to be a top halfback.
Coaching Clinics
The Halfback Coacing Clinics would be set up around the apearance of a top of the line halfbacks.
They would include a talk to a top of the line halfback about some of the things they do in a game and would include passing and kicking drills.
The DVD
The RFL should produce a DVD that can be made available to players at these clinics. You need someone quick and easy to use that young players can throw in their computers or DVD players and be able to see anything they need very quickly.
1. It should include a section on how the halfback controls a team with commentary by the likes of Andrew Johns, Allan Langer, Ricky Stuart and the like. It should show plays teams use, higlighting the halfbacks play and the options available to him.
2. It should have a section on kicking techniques, the way to kick the ball different ways, but most importantly commentary of how certain game situations dictate which is the best kick to use.
3. It should contain a section on passing, from the very basics, to counting defender, to how to know which player you should pass the ball to.
4. The RFL should organize to get a top halfback such as Scott Prince or Jonathan Thurston to be set up with a microphone during a match with accompanying footage of just how he controls the game. It should show the entire games worth of attacking football, howing how the halfback organizes his attack, how he positions himself and the players around him and as a result, what he does during the game himself to help his team win.
This is not a highlights DVD and is not a promotional tool. To some people this would be a very boring DVD, but to anyone wanting to learn more about the game it would be gold.
Results
At the end of the day the difference between players that wear a 7 on their back, and the very best halfbacks is desire. By targeting the games young halves, you might see a few hundred players over the course of a year. If just two or three of those players take on board what is being taught, go home and work hard on their game, you just need one of those youngsters to kick on and become a test halfback who now does know what is needed.
National Talent Scouting Scheme
England is well behind most other Rugby League nations when it comes to having players who, in pure athletic terms, can be regarded as being part of the games elite.
Other nations are producing World Class athletes who have proven they can compete at a high level in a number of other sports. What the RFL needs to do is target youngsters who are pure athletes and get them to choose Rugby League.
The RFL in conjunction with Super League clubs should hold a number of talent scounting camps that are promoted as a way for prospective young athletes to test themslves and possibly get a foot in the door on the way to becoming a professional athlete.
At these camps players would be tested in speed, strength, endurance, print times, verticle leap and other physical markers, all in front of Super League talent scouts.
The best of these groups will be given scholarships to help them enter the game, with fees paid, equipment bought as well as knowing that they are on the radar of Super League clubs.
This will be a way to get athletes that normally wouldnt have thought about Rugby League being able to look at the game as a real option. There are few sports in the world that pay better than a top class Rugby League player.
Results
You need to give young athletes the idea that Rugby League is a good career path to follow. There is no doubt that Rugby League in the UK is open to any young athlete who is comitted to improving themselves.
There are many different ideas about what needs to happen, and you could talk about changes to representative programs or better preperation all you like.
The fact remains though that unless the English game can produce players who are up to standard with the likes oif Australia and New Zealand, it can never hope to compete with them on a regular basis.
The work that needs to be done to make this all happen needs to start now.
League Freak
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| Titans Look At Farah But Have They Got Their Eyes On A Bigger Prize? |
 The Gold Coast Titans have been making a lot of news recently with future signings being the order of the day.
First of all we saw that the Titans were willing to go all out to sign Melbourne Storm, Queensland and Australian hooker Cameron Smith, seemingly offering half of South east Queensland to move north for the remainder of his career.
That all seems like its not about to happen though as the Titans have withdrawn their offer for Smith, possibly due to their latest wish to get their hands on the West Tigers Robbie Farah.
Farah is a little younger than Smith and offers more in attack. Farah is also likely to comand less money than Smith another there are a couple of question marks hanging over him.
First and foremost is the back injury that has been a problem for Farah for a while now. The Titans are looking for a doctors clearence becfore they comit to Farah but the problem is that back injuries tend to be a long term problem for a player once they get one.
When you think of the work a hooker gets through in a game, when a hooker gets a back injury is bad news.
There also has to be questions about Farah's defence. He isn't know for his great defense, he's not bad but from from the standard setting hookers like say a Danny Buderus. So do you really want to spend all that money on a hooker that is not a great defender?
Some people suggest that Farah plays well enough at halfback that he is a bit wasted at hooker. There is no doubt he is a better hooker than halfback, but when you see how well he can play as a halfback, there has to be a few teams out there wondering of they can sign him as a number seven.
At the end of the day I would be a little surprised if the West Tigers were willing to watch him walk. The club pretty much can't attract top class players from outside the club and they develope, like Farah, to get by.
Which leads me onto what may be a bigger prize the Titans are after.
Benji Marshall is off contract and while he has said he will not play for another NRL club,. chosing instead to go overseas or play union, there is a feeling that for the right offer the Titans would get Marshall if they paid the right price.
Marshall is a real question mark for all teams, an amazing, game breaking talent, but one who is injury prone and who has major problems in defense.
He is still young though, he is a good level headed bloke and he is as marketable as any player in the game.
He is also very good friends with Titans halfback Scott Prince, and was not happy when the Tigers let Prince go to another club.
I think its more likely that Marshall will end up with the Titans then Farah, and I think Farah is a decent chance of heading north anyway.
With Prince, Farah, Marshall, Bailey and Campbell at their core, the Titans would be one hell of a team to play against.
It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 8 months. By then we should know where everyone is going.
League Freak
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| A Choose Your Own Adventure Playoff System? |
 I remember when I was in Primary School and we had our Library lessons, ever so often you'd pick up one of those choose your own adventure books, skip through all the directing pages, and just get to the end and see what happens.
Yeah, Primary School was the best 17 years of my life.
Well it seems someone at the RFL has the same fond memories I do, and that seems to be what is behind this ridiculous plan to let teams chose their own playoff opponent.
This would never happen in Australia.
First of all, we refuse to support mickey mouse concepts like this, and as soon as some official gave hint of the idea to the media, the next week would see it being thrashed by all and sundry until someone come out and said "We never planned to do anything like this in the first place so don't worry".
Then you have to consider the situation that one club, I higher ranked club, basically calls out an opposition with the idea that they are easier to beat than everyone else.
Doing that in Australia would be asking to get a humiliating thrashing.
Still, that's whats going to happen in England with the new Super League playoff system, and while the consequences won't be the same, the mickey mouse nature will definantly be there for all to see.
Considering the absolute humiliation and realization that the England game is dying, I'd have thought the last thing the RFL would have been trying to do is destroy the integrity of the Australia/New Zealand second division comp they have built in Super League.
Super League is the only thing in the UK that Rugby League has going for it, and yet ridiculous decision like this will see general sports fans and the media write it off as some joke.
Just look at what the farce over the signing of Dwayne Chambers did to the game, it was a laughing stock!
Can you imagine the horrible spectacle of watching some smug top three club on Sky naming a much weaker opponent for their next match?
It makes me sick to even think about it!
Then again it will probably go a long way to stroking the right ego's within the British game. The same people who parade around northern England thinking they are the ducks guts, but at the same time making sure that they never get tested against the worlds best and have their little comfort zones shattered.
Then again when that does happens, as we saw just a few weeks ago, they just say they didn't play their best and move on anyway.
This system is a farce, and every fan of the game should call their local club and the RFL itself and make their voices heard.
League Freak
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| So What Lessons Did We Learn From The 2008 Rugby League World Cup? |
 Its amazing to think that after so many years of waiting, the 2008 Rugby league World Cup is now behind us.
After setbacks, questions about whether it would even be run, countless doubters and a cynical supporters base wondering if they would get it right, you have to give the organizers credit for pulling together a great competition that brought new feelings and emotions to even the most hardened Rugby League fan.
So now we turn our attention to the future and what lies ahead for the future of the Rugby League World Cup.
Unlike the aftermath of the 2000 tournament, there is a real sense of optimism and an eagerness to look towards a future World Cup.
So now that we have hindsight to prepare us for the next time around, what changes should be made to the future World Cups and what can be done better.
Lets have a look at it shall we?
The Hosts
Its pretty obvious that the next World Cup should be held in Australia and New Zealand as that's where the majority of Rugby Leagues international communities lie.
Fans of Australia, Tonga, Samoa, PNG and New Zealand all managed to really get behind the World Cup and at the end of the day these are all the communities that support the game at all levels.
Playing the World Cup in Australia worked well with TV times too, with the game on at a decent hour in all Pacific nations and even in Europe where they were on in the morning rather than 2am at night.
You would think the next time around some games would be played in New Zealand itself, while I also wouldn't be surprised if maybe PNG, Samoa, Tonga or Fiji ended up hosting a game or two between them.
Having attended Samoa vs Tonga at Penrith, the atmosphere was unbelievable, I can't even imagine what it would be like if those games were played in the Pacific Islands.
One last point to make, the World Cup needs to keep the big end of town happy, and when it comes to Rugby League, Australia is the big end of town.
When the World Cup is played in Europe, its a case of out of sight, out of mind. All our players go over, we get results in the paper the next day, we hear about injuries instead of watching great games and you end up with the World Cup being a bit of a pain in the arse to everyone.
By holding it in Australia you open peoples eyes, you keep their interest, you feed the need for more football.
Venues
I think they got it right when they decided to play games at some of the "smaller" venues, rather than being dragged into the thought that every game should be played at a 40,000 seat stadium.
There were some very good crowds at this World Cup and in the smaller stadiums they made for a great atmosphere.
Next time around they will be very tempted to go bigger, but personally I think they should stick to what they did and not even think of going to bigger venues. Worry about bigger venues if games are being sold out.
I think the only really bad choice of venue was probably Australia's Semi Final versus Fiji. That game was always going to include one of the big sides against one of the minnows and it would have been better to be held in say Parramatta or even up in Newcastle.
I think the Final should be held in Suncorp Stadium once again as its simply second to none.
Competition Format
People were critical for the competition format going into the World Cup but at the end of the day it provided good, close games, lots of unpredictable upsets and it must have had others sports watching and wondering if they should adopt a similar approach to their own World Cups.
I think we might see a few little changes made however next time around, probably just to sort out a few minor issues.
I felt that there was a bit of a lull in public interest after Australia has thrashed England and everyone knew they would not play another competitive game until the Final. I think next time around Australia will probably start the tournament with a big game, say against England, and then they wont play New Zealand until they are just about to head into the Semi Finals.
I also think there needs to be a bit of work on the semi finals and how teams get there.
I wouldn't mind seeing only the top two teams from the "Super Group" being assured of a place in the Semi's, with the third ranked team having to play off with say the winners of Group B and C and maybe the next best team in the tournament for a place in the Semi Finals.
I also think they need to look at playing the B and C Group games over a longer period of time rather than within a few days of each other. I think the quick turn around some teams had really effected the end result of a lot of games.
These are just all minor tweaks though to a format that has proven to be a winner.
The Lead Up
I think the organizers were very lucky that the poor lead up to the World Cup didn't come back and bite them on the arse.
Most teams come into the competition having not played a game for at least a year, and many of the teams such were coming into camp having never played at this level together before.
I think the next time around, as soon as the NRL and Super League seasons finish, teams need to get into camp and the smaller nations in particular should be playing warm up games against each other.
I don't think it is as important for Australia or New Zealand, but England should be straight on a plane down under and getting as many warm up games against World Cup opposition and in Australian conditions as they possibly can.
While it is a fine line between having teams ready for the World Cup, and not wearing out players before the World Cup is over, I think with the competition format we have and the fact the most World Cup games you can possibly end up playing is five (If you make the Final), then you would rather want teams ready to go then just hitting their stride as their pool games come to a close.
Sponsors, Broadcasters And Kick Off Times
The organizers of the 2008 World Cup got it right as far as pleasing sponsors goes. Finally we saw sponsors being given good air time for going out on a limb and supporting this competition and it should be more of the same the next time around.
The broadcasters were forced to promote the people that made the 2008 World Cup possible as well as promoting the official World Cup web site. I got a little chuckle out of knowing Channel Nine were forced to do this.
I think next time around they need to change the kickoff times for the big games.
It was completely ridiculous to have games kick off at 8pm on a Sunday night. Sure it was good for TV (Who actually delayed the coverage anyway so it made no difference to them!), but for fans it was a nightmare.
Having to travel from Western Sydney into the city on a Sunday night, and then worry that after the match you had to rush to the train station so you could actually get home is not what is needed.
People have lives to live, they have work on Monday morning and they have kids to get to school. How could you take a young family to the game at 8pm on a Sunday night? You just couldn't do it!
I've said for a long time now that no Rugby League game should kick off any later than 7pm. That means its all over by 9pm and everyone can get home at a reasonable time. Its not good catering for the single 20-30 year old's alone, the game needs to make sure games are played at a time when as many people as possible can attend at match.
Getting People Involved
One great thing I got out of this World Cup was a sense of how the Rugby League community is made up of so many different cultures.
Is there any other game in the whole world that boast that it touches the lives of so many different nations with such different backgrounds. From the freezing North of England to the tropical jungles of Papua New Guinea, people from so many backgrounds love this game and fllow it every week.
Seeing this World Cup showed that, in a perfect side, you'd have a mix of all the styles thats come together in this competition.
You have the toughness of the Australians, the flamboyance of the Fijians, the size of the Samoans, the athleticism of the Tongans, the passion of the Papuans....it all comes together to form this great game of ours.
Next time around I would like to see the organizers really take the game to these communities, especially in Australia.
The Tonga, Samoan and Fijian sides should get out to the local community churches and support the same people who support them.
Australia publicize training sessions they hold in places like Blacktown and Liverpool, take the game to the people that love the game.
I saw during this World Cup that so many communities come out of the woodwork and proudly supported their countries. For many of them, it was their one real opportunity to get out and support their nation on the sporting field.
This needs to be carried on in future World Cup,s because at the end of the day you can talk all you like about the sport, but the reason we play the game is to bring people together from all walks of life to have a bit of fun.
League Freak
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| Memo To Australia: Pull Your Fucking Heads In! |
It was very strange seeing New Zealand doing a victory lap with what I consider to be OUR World Cup, and while it was great for the game to see it happen make no mistake, I wanted Australia to win the big one.
Having said that, I think the reaction by some within the Australian camp, and in particular Ricky Stuart has been bloody disgraceful!
If its not bad enough that some of the players had a whinge about the referee to journalists, Rickey Stuart went all out, abusing them at the post match ceremony and then again the next day when he saw them in a Brisbane hotel.
Ricky Stuart is a great coach, and lord knows I'd rather have a coach that gets pissed off about losing a game then someone that's as calm as a Hindu Cow, but if all the talk about wanting to push forward the international game was true, then why the over the top reaction?
Sure Klien did Australia no favors, but its Test football, if you want favors you don't belong at that level (Look at England for proof!), and at the end of the day, New Zealand were the better team on the night.
Now, if Australia had been screwed out of the game, I might understand the reaction. But when you give away an obvious penalty try and then you throw the Kiwi's another gift and you find yourselves getting smashed, you can't complain about the frigging ref!
I dont think Stuart should lose his job, but he defiantly needs to pull his head in.
This whole episode shows why the IRLF needs to be Independence from the ARL, NZRL, RFL and any other national governing body.
They all have their own self interests to serve, and how can you end up with a decent process in regards to suspensions, fines and such when the people making these decisions are in some cases also in charge of defending the people they are judging?
I'd suggest that the money raised during the World Cup should go into the process of forming an independent IRLF, however all you'd end up with is a bunch of suits looking for easy handouts and free trips away, making terrible decisions and doing nothing good for the game anyway.
League Freak
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| New Zealand Are The Rugby League World Champions!!! |
Strap in folks, this is gonna be a long one!
In an amazing game that was a fitting end to the centenary celebrations in Australia, New Zealand has beaten Australia 34-20 to claim the Rugby League World Cup!
I was lucky enough to be at the game and it was very surreal to see New Zealand doing a victory lap with the World Cup.
Anyway, lets have a look through my World Cup Final experience:
Suncorp Stadium
I've been lucky enough to visit many of the stadiums described as the best Rugby league stadiums in the World.
The Sydney Football Stadium, Parramatta Stadium, Old Trafford, The Sydney Olympic Stadium....
None of them even come close to Suncorp.
This was my first time visiting Suncorp Stadium and it is nothing short of amazing. Any stadium build for Rugby League from now on should just be a scaled version of Suncorp.
I was say behind the sticks at the Northern End of the field and the view was superb. I can't imagine there is a bad seat in the place, you are right on top of the action, the atmosphere is amazing and even the big screen at the other end of the field was easy to see.
It is just an unbelievable place to watch the game.
The Game
New Zealand really held their nerve early and that something this Kiwi's side has over previous teams. When they went down to Australia mid way through the first half there was defiantly a feeling by most that this was the beginning of Australia kicking on with the match.
To their credit, New Zealand hit back and at half time they were defiantly in the contest.
The second half was one of the most amazing halves of football you would ever see. It provided moments that will be remembered for the next 100 years including one moment that has been described by everyone as the moment Billy Slater threw the World Cup away.
The Kiwi's dominated the second half and really pressured Australia. I thought the New Zealand forwards were outstanding, I said leading into this competition it was the best New Zealand side ever named and that proved to be the case.
Australia played very well, and I think that's what made this such a great game. New Zealand won this match simply by being the better team, there was nothing Australia can look back on and blame for a fluke loss.
Going into the match I said New Zealand needed to match Australia in two areas, field position and territory, and they managed just that.
The New Zealand kicking game was perfect for their opposition. They never tried to challenge Australia in an aerial contest out wide and it gave them a better chance at winning the ball. They put in little kicks that were difficult for Australia to manage and it led to mistakes.
I personally thought Adam Blair was the man of the match. He is so big and amazingly mobile, he has some ball playing skills, I really felt like this World Cup saw him step up to another level.
Going into the last 20 minutes, you expected Australia to do what we have always known them to do, step up, come up with the big play and break the hearts of everyone not wearing Green and Gold.
I think one reason we probably didn't see this happen is because Australia didn't show any sort of patience.
Australia played the game as though they were just about to break the Kiwi's open and ice the game, but it never happened. You didn't see Australia kick for touch to settle things down, you didn't see them dictate the pace of the game, yes they played a million miles and hour, but you never got the sense that they had taken control of the game.
You have to wonder how much of an effect the lead up to this game had on both teams.
Australia had a tough game against New Zealand in the opener, then walked through England, PNG and Fiji with ease. New Zealand meanwhile had a tough game against Australia, a good settler against PNG, then they had two games against England to harden up, refine their game and be ready for the Final.
In Australia we are very big on having a good preparation to big matches, and scoring at will against our last 3 opponents leading into the final wasn;t much help in hindsight.
New Zealands selections helped them cope with the pace of the match, their mobile forwards copped well and the speed of the game brought the likes of Hohaia, Marshall, Fien and Leuluai into the match.
At the end of the day, they just out paced Australia. You could see by the 70th minute, Australia look like they were on their last legs while the Kiwi's looked ready for more!
It was an amazing game I'm sure will be replayed as much as any other game in the history of Rugby League. Having attended the 2006 Tri Nations Final and now this one, wow, it was a real privileged.
The Penalty Try
The play that led to the penalty try happened right in front of where I was sitting and straight away I thought I was a penalty try.
You CAN NOT allow a situation where a team can take out a player heading for the ball in goal. It would have been a cop out of they had just sin binned Joel Monaghan so I was pretty pleased that the penalty try was given.
I hate nothing more than soft decisions by referee's and this is probably the second biggest decision Ive seen made by a ref since the 1999 NRL Grand Final.
The Referee's
Ashley Klein didnt do Australia any favors but lets face it, if you are looking for favors at this level then you are completely out of your depth.
Steve Ganson was the video referee and I would love to know if he welcomed to chance to make such a big call on the penalty try, or did he dread the thought of having to press that green button.
At the end of the day I don't think the referee's had an impact on the result. In fact I think we'll see Klein referee a lot of Test football during his career because Australia doesn't mind him, neither do New Zealand, its probably only England who would hate him because funnily enough they would lose games under his control as well.
What Does This Loss Say About Australian Rugby League?
This Australian team is outstanding, and to think that New Zealand has beaten them its a massive shot in the arm for the game.
When you look at both sides, the vast majority of players in the field were developed in the Australian system. I think when you look at the World Cup overall and look at the standout teams, and then the standout players, it all says a lot about the massive engine driving the game in Australia.
Australian Rugby League has probably finally brought New Zealand up to the elite level.
Fitness, strength and conditioning, coaching....its taken a long time but you can see the polish on many of the New Zealand players that's comes from learning their game in Australia.
Another great positive is the fact that the current Australian team stands right up there with any side you would want to name. It boast a handful of out and out legends, some of the best athletes the game has ever produced, some of the most successful players of all time and its coached by one of the best as well.
There is probably only two areas you could worry about Australia.
First of all, Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price are the two best props in the World by a wide margin, however both are in their 30's and even if they played until they are into their mid to late 30's, they only have a few more years left in them.
There are some good Australian forwards behind them, but no one in the same class and certainly no younger players that look like they will take the step up.
The other area that I think Australia really does lack in is the back row.
The likes of Gallen, Laffranchi and co are very good player, but they are not a patch on the legends Australia normally has at its disposal in the back row. The fact that Craig Fitzgibbon can get a run says a lot.
Australian back rowers these days are just tackling machines. Skillful locks are a thing of the past, and there are not too many hard ball runners at all.
This is all a result of the ridiculous levels of athleticism and endurance that is needed by a forward to hold down a place in the NRL these days, and it probably isn't helped by the fact that when a decent lock comes along with a bit of skill they are groomed to be a five-eight.
You have to wonder if playing say Terry Campese at lock would have given Australia just that extra bit of skill it needed to pry open the Kiwi defense....
At the end of the day the beauty of this World Cup result is the fact that, it wasn't won on the back of a great nation who's best days are behind them. It was won on a great performance.....which leads me too....
What Does This Loss Say About New Zealand Rugby League?
When the Auckland Warriors were added to the NRL in 1995, this is what the people that made that decision one day hoped to see.
Since the Warriors were added we have seen a massive influx of New Zealand talent in the game. Even if it hasn't come through the Warriors system (And 99.999% of it hasn't!) you have to wonder if having that shop from open in New Zealand has seen the game get into the hearts and minds of some Kiwi's who might otherwise have not made Rugby League their career choice.
I think this win will do two things in New Zealand.
First of all, the Kiwi's are the only major World Champions New Zealand has. The All Blacks can't beat third rate opposition to win the other World Cup, the New Zealand Rugby League team just beat the best of the best in any code.....that's a major boost for the game over there and will elevate it to a new level in New Zealand.
Second, I think we'll see a push for a second New Zealand based NRL team.
With the bigger profile the game over there will now have, and the unquestionable amount of talent New Zealand is producing, the calls for a second side will gather strength and you'll find there will be plenty of backers for a second club.
I've said for years now that I thought New Zealand was growing towards a World Cup win in 2008. Its great to see them reach their potential.
Well, What Now?
As soon as the game was over I said two things.
First, we can never allow a neutral referee ever again!
Second, you can bet your bottom dollar that the next World Cup is held as soon as is humanly possible!
Forget five years, they next one is all but assured to be held in 2012. I think it will probably be held in Australia and New Zealand as well, its just been such a success this time around it would be foolish to change a winning formula.
I would love to see New Zealand, in their capacity as World Champions, really get behind the move to play Tonga and Samoa on a regular basis. If the Kiwi's shun Australia a little and gave the Island nations, not only backing, but games, it would be fantastic for Test football.
I am really looking forward to seeing how Australia comes back from this loss. I think we'll see a few current players retire from rep football if not immediately, then after next year.
It will also be interesting to see how the coaching, management and build up to big games changes for the Kangaroos.
To say that this was a massive win for the World Cup concept is an understatement. No longer will the World Cup be held and be given the old "Its a forgone conclusion" stamp that some like to give it.
THIS is why we play the World Cup, and I think having the goal of a World Cup to build towards has done so much for the game.
So What Does The Freak Feel Like After Losing?
I've always said I'm a fan of the game as a whole, before my club, my state or my country. I was crap to lose the World Cup, but it was so amazing to be there and witness history, I don't think anyway that saw the match could be too down about the game.
The good thing is I know Australia will bounce back, and we at least have one good team to give us a run for our money in New Zealand while Samoa, Tonga and the like have stepped up and filled the void left by the disastrous English who proved once again that the British game is dead.
So I'm pretty upbeat and looking forward to the future full of more Test football.
You know what the best thing is though?
England still suck!
League Freak
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| The 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final Preview - Australia vs New Zealand |
Well its here, the Rugby League World Cup Final and the chance for one nation to claim it is the undisputed World Champions.
Australia have held that mantle for three decades, and while New Zealand managed to win the 2005 Tri Nations Final, this is the only game you can win and claim to be the best in the World.
I'll be attending the game, my first ever World Cup Final and I have to say I can not wait.
52,000 will pack into Suncorp Stadium to witness the match and millions more will be watching on televisions around the world.
So the question on everyone's lips is can Australia be beaten?
Australia
Australia gear up for the World Cup when ever it is played and 2008 is no exception.
Looking through the side, its hard to find any weaknesses at all, and the dazzling style of football they have been playing is nothing short of mind blowing.
While they did comfortably beat New Zealand in their opening game of the tournement, they will know that past wins mean nothing. I don't think Australia will have got too much out of that game, New Zealand were not at their best and they are a very different lineup, especially in the halves.
As usual in big games there is one name to look out for, Darren Lockyer.
Lockyer is one of the few players that can claim to have done everything possible in the game if he captains Australia to victory in the Final. He is also closing in on the record for the most tries scored in Test match history, a record currently held by the great Ken Irvine.
Lockyer always plays at his best in the big games and over the course of this World Cup I think he has shown what makes a truly great player. His ability to make those around him that much better, his great sense of timing, and the way he plays the game seemingly in slow motion and yet is ten steps ahead of everyone else on the field, he is one of the games all time greats.
Look for Thurston to step up too, he tends to come up with big games for Australia in finals while Billy Slater will be at his usual best and Greg Inglis has the ability to turn a close game into a one sided smashing.
New Zealand
New Zealand started slowly but they are peaking at just the right time.
Their forwards are great, so mobile and with a fair bit of skill about them. This is a great Kiwi pack and if they hit their straps they have the ability to win this one for New Zealand.
They Kiwi's seem to have also sorted out their playmakers are just the right time. Marshall and Fien in the halves look too, with Leuluai playing hooker and Issac Luke coming off the bench.
Luke has the ability to break the game open for New Zealand. If the Kiwi pack can lay a good platform and wear Australia's defense down around the ruck, Luke can come off the bench and put on tries. This is a big key to this game.
I think the most important performance of this match however is that of Benji Marshall. He has described this as a career defining game, and if he can weave his magic he is one of the few players that can leave Australia with no answers for his brilliance.
Marshall needs to dominate, he needs to make this his game. His running game is vital but I think its more his passing game and ability to put in little trick passes and kicks which will be what New Zealand needs.
So How Do You Beat Australia?
If New Zealand come out and play technically perfect football, they'll be beaten.
The Kiwi's needs to make sure their kicking game is very good and they need to at least hold their own in the battle for field position.
You can't run fancy long winded passing moves on Australia because their defenders will pick your off and shut you down. The way to beat Australia is with the intangible plays that you can't plan to defend.
Offloads by forwards will be a big key, but I tend to think the way to break this Australian side will be with wide kicks that fall just short of the centers and wingers. This was a tactic used in State Of Origin a few years ago, it makes it a 50/50 shot at the try line, but it will take out of the game the likes of Inglis and Folau and put pressure on the edge defenders to come up with the ball from the kick, not something any forward or even half wants to have to deal with.
Short kicks will also come into play but they have to be used very sparingly. Billy Slater is one of the best fullbacks you will ever see at defending short kicks behind the line, so just putting those types of kicks in on the last tackle is not the way to go. You need to really get him when he is out of position, say after he has been forced to make a tackle.
Basically to beat Australia you have to challenge them in areas of the game where its going to be 50/50 situation and the player in the right place at the right time comes up with the ball.
The only real weakness you might find in the backline is with Israel Folau. He has a tendency to plant his feet, which allows a faster player to get on his outside. This will not be too much of a factor however because of the quality of defenders around him. In any case, its a bit like clutching at straws, if you beat him on the outside he has the ability to not only catch you, but throw you over the sideline.
I don't think New Zealand should go out of its way to target Darren Lockyer with its attack. I've never ever seen that tactic work. Lockyer gets through at lot of tackling in a game and he can show down a play on his own. It also fails to wear him down, has Darren Lockyer ever been anything but the most dangerous player on the field in the last ten minutes of a match?
Jonathan Thurston's defense could be exploited. I think he is carrying a bit of shoulder problem and he has fallen off a few tackles in this World Cup. You'd think the likes of Jeremy Smith would be the perfect player to target Thurston, a hard runner who can hit the line and get an offload away. I think New Zealand will look at Thurston as a target to try and break down the Aussie defense.
Australia can be beaten, but boy, its going to take a hell of an effort and a game plan that New Zealand really sticks to. I don't think you can beat Australia with a team wide game plan, I think you need to assign individual players with a goal in the match, and with each small goal a player can achieve you are a step closer to beating the Kangaroos.
So Who Does League Freak Think Will Win The 2008 World Cup Final?
This is a fantastic Australian side and while I really like the look of this Kiwi outfit, I can't go past the Kangaroos.
If they turn up and play their usual standard of football, they should win. If they turn up in one of their moods, they could put on a thrashing.
They did something similar in the 2000 World Cup when they completely owned the Kiwi's, but I think this New Zealand side is a lot mentally tougher then any in the last 10 years and that should help them keep the game respectable.
You have to sit back and just enjoy this Australian side though. There is no other team in World Sport quite like it. So many players at the top of their game, and they never disappoint. You know when you turn in on Sunday that you are going to see the best sporting team on Earth strut its stuff. So it goes without saying.....
GO YOU MIGHTY AUSTRALIAN KANGAROOS!!!!!
My Tip: Australia by 18
League Freak
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| Kangaroos Through To Final With Big Win Over Fiji |
I know, I know, its a day late, but Australia did beat Fiji 52-0 to advance to the World Cup Final on Sunday night.
Fiji did their best but Australia is just way to good. It looked early on though that the scoreline could have pushed 80-100 but the Fijians managed to hold out Australia for a good portion of the game and kept the scoreline being too bad.
Fiji have done really well at this World Cup and the spirit in their camp has been amazing to see. There is also a lot of positive news coming out of Fiji in regards to how well received the World Cup has been and the game is sure to get a boost out of that over the coming years.
Australia did get some bad news with Brent Tate leaving the field with a hip flexer injury that is very likely to see him miss the final which is a real shame.
I'm sure Ricky Stuart would have liked a bigger hit out leading into the Final against New Zealand, however its hard to tip against Australia when you watch the type of football they are playing.
League Freak
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| New Zealand Through To The World Cup Final With Win Over England |
New Zealand has won a great test match beating England 32-22 and booking a place in the 2008 World Cup Final.
It was a fantastic game to watch and at time it looked like either team might win the game, but the Kiwi's always seemed to have something in reserve.
England probably played their best game of the World Cup but still look like they need another month of football to work out where they really want to be. Too late!
Anyway, lets have a good look at how both sides went.
New Zealand
New Zealand have a few things to work on looking towards the final.
They have a problem with their defensive line, they are strong around the ruck, but they are a bit lazy wider. This means if the dummy half can get out and draw in the defense around the ruck, there is a bit of space just wider that a running forward can get some good meters out of.
Lance Hohaia still looks shaky at the back and I would be tempted to have Sam Perrett start the final at fullback instead.
The Kiwi's also drop their heads very quickly when the game isn't going their way. They have the skill and ability to cover mistakes and recover from a bad position, but they need to work on the mental side of the game as well.
You can put that down to it being a young side, with a few players who are not really seasoned playoff performers.
On a positive note they look at lot better around the halves with Nathan Fien playing at halfback and they can put on some very nice plays out wide with Marshall, Fien and even forwards like Blair and Smith being able to all use their ball playing skills to put the opposition under pressure.
I really like the Kiwi forward pack. If they can just get a bit more impact from a few of their bench players they will be able to cause some problems for Australia.
England
England played well when they got a good amount of possession but it seemed like they needed the Kiwi's to hand the ball over to them on back to back sets for England to really make anything happen.
They looked good around dummy half with Roby and Higham, but for some unbelievably stupid reason Tony Smith had Rob Burrow then play hooker for pretty much the majority of the game!
Danny McGuire looked at his best when given the role to guide the team around the park and Purdham and Westwood made good on their elevation into the starting side.
The familiar problems were all there still for England though.
Defensively when they have to deal with decoy runners, they simply have no idea what to do, they are completely confused and they make terrible decisions which leads to easy tries.
They also don't have any idea how to break down a good defense. In the 51st minute England had New Zealand on the back foot and defending their own goal line. Higham went for a dummy half scoot, which would work in Super League, but doesn't work at this level, and it was an opportunity lost....it was a very telling play on the short comings of English players.
Gleeson was diabolical in defense. he wants to play in the NRL but he will be money in the bank for opposition teams, he has no idea how to defense.
Ade Gardner was involved the whole game, and its fair to say that this test match summed up his career. He can do some good thing, a lot of which is under rated by England fans. Then he'll go and do something that whats you think "What is he thinking!". I think he is worth persisting with because lets face it, who else has England got?
Wellens again was terrible and ended up being replaced by Leon Pryce, the type of decision that must have been thought of going into the match and yet another decision that is terrible.
If you think Wellens isn't going to give you what you want at fullback over the full 80 minutes, don't pick him in the side!
Rob Burrow again offered nothing, in fact the best kick of the whole World Cup for England came from Purdham from a scrum. You have to wonder how many years it will take England before they stop this stupid Burrow experiment that has been a failure.
At the end of the day, England just are not good enough, but I lay a hell of a lot of blame for their World Cup performance at the feet of Tony Smith.
He came in with ideas, all of which have been wrong. He failed to prepare the team for what they would encounter in the World Cup.
His team selections were all over the place, his in game decisions and tactics were terrible and his off field bleating was that of a coach in over his head.
He waited until the World Cup itself to start to experiment with the side that worked the best and as he got the job half done, the World Cup was over for them.
England now have a lot to think about as far as the direction of the English game goes. I'll be writing a feature article on what I would do to improve England standards very soon, so keep and eye out for it.
League Freak
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| Egocentric England Refuse To Take Any Blame For Their Own Terrible Performances |
Its mind blowing to me that a nation that claims to be the second best in the Rugby League World, but who has not beaten the best in the world for 30 years, can honestly think its doing things right and is just down on its luck.
As an outsider, its hard to know how to feel about it all. Frustration is the first word that comes to mind, but it is quickly followed up by contempt when you realize that the English continue to back slap each other despite results saying they are complete and utter failures.
Ask anyone who has been the most disappointing side in this World Cup and you will find a bit of umming and ahhing. Its a toss up between last placed France, and England.
Its not hard to see why England fail. Just this week all the signs have been there.
It all started when they decided to huddle around each other instead of facing the New Zealand Haka. I have not seen a more pathetic approach to facing the Haka ever. It told of a mindset in the English game that screams "We have no time for you non English types".
This of course has been followed up during the week by ridiculous comments that the England team can do what they like while the opposition "Dances" and this has been followed by calls to keep the Kiwi's from stepping over the half way mark next time, because we wouldn't want them to confront the precious English side.
If they hadn't been so easily destroyed by New Zealand during the match, I would suggest that there would have been a lot more said about the ignorant way England has handled itself in the face of a culture thousands of years older than its own.
We also saw the English ignorance on display when coach embattled Tony Smith decided to criticize the tournaments organizers for not allowing an English referee to control games England are taking part in.
This of course is all a last desperate attempt by Tony Smith, who is completely in over his head, to try and give England some sort of advantage over its rivals.
England is more comfortable playing touch football, they like the play the ball speed to be super fast. They are not very good at it mind you, and no one in the England camp seems to realize that a faster ruck would have just seen Australia, new Zealand and PNG pile on another 20 points against them, but as I said, this is an act of desperation and there is not much thought behind it.
England have also been very quick to talk about the "Australian Way" the World Cup has been officiated, completely dismissing the fact that the only other complaints from teams in this World Cup have been about the inconsistent performances put in by English referees.
It seems New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea all at the very least also play the game "The Australian Way", which makes you wonder if its the "Australian Way" or is it just the way Rugby League is played these days?
Another area of the game England has shown to be ignorant in is the preparation for this World Cup.
It all started off with England arriving in Australia late and laughing of suggestions that they would struggle to acclimatize to the Townsville heat because "It gets hot in Leeds too".
I knowing they would have to beat at least Australia and New Zealand to win the World Cup, England left it to the last 2 weeks of the tournament itself to call in a "Wrestling Coach" to teach the team a tactic that has been in use in the Rugby leagu8e playing world (Except England) since 2003.
That is mind blowlingly poor preparation. If a coaches job isn't to have England ready to take on its opponents leading into the World Cup....then what is a coaches job?
Its all a pattern of behavior you can trace back for a few decades now. Its a belief that England can look within itself and come up with solutions to its own problems.
All of the games cutting edge tactics and training techniques come out of an Australian Rugby League system that is a melting pot of ideas and experimentation. The style of play used in Australia is not set, it evolves in a natural process that is akin to survival of the fittest.
You have the best players and coaches in the world constantly trying to break down the game of the opposition. Tactics and playing styles rise out of this, teams try new things. Some work, others don't.
The ones that do work get adopted by other sides, they get studied, they get broken down and eventually, they get beaten by a new tactic, a new playing style, something bigger, better and targeted to give one team and edge over the other.
England completely turns its back on this system. They turn their back on the cutting edge of the game and then believe they will somehow win just because they are England.
You won't have to go far to find someone with in the English game that will say Australia is arrogant.
What these people don't see is that, Australia knows its place in the Rugby League World.We have defined the game of Rugby League for 100 years. Every other country knows this, they don't feel threatened by it, and they all want to emulate Australia and its success.
Everyone expect England.
Rugby League in England is doomed unless those within it are willing to open their eyes and take in what is happening around the world. The style of the game played, the newest tactics in use, the latest training techniques, the way talent scouting and player development is done, they need to take it all on board because 30 years of results prove that England itself can not come up with the answers to its own problems.
English Rugby Leagues one hope is that it will finally face up to the ultimate truth, that as much as they hate us, Australia is the answer to all of England problems.
League Freak
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Newest Member: James_A
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| engage Super League XIII |
| |
Team |
Pld |
Pts |
+/- |
| 1 |
St. Helens |
27 |
43 |
483 |
| 2 |
Leeds |
27 |
42 |
450 |
| 3 |
Catalans |
27 |
34 |
69 |
| 4 |
Wigan |
27 |
29 |
-50 |
| 5 |
Bradford |
27 |
28 |
80 |
| 6 |
Warrington |
27 |
28 |
-23 |
| 7 |
Hull KR |
27 |
23 |
-149 |
| 8 |
Wakefield |
27 |
22 |
-186 |
| 9 |
Harlequins |
27 |
22 |
-194 |
| 10 |
Huddersfield |
27 |
21 |
-43 |
| 11 |
Hull FC |
27 |
17 |
-161 |
| 12 |
Castleford |
27 |
15 |
-276 |
Full Table 
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