Kiri Te Kanawa, Alan Deere, Keith Park, Gary Freeman, Kurt Sorensen, Bernard Freyberg, Vik Olliver, Kotare, Phil Blake, Graham Lowe, your boys took a hell of a beating!
Since when did Leon Pryce become a world-class stand-off? What happened to Gareth Raynor? I remember when he was intensely average; suddenly he’s become a cracker.
And I’m really impressed by Tony Smith, especially dropping Terry Newton after the first test. I wouldn’t have changed anything from the first game, but clearly, the benchmark of expectation has been set higher.
And Scotland are into the World Cup.
Didn’t I read in the paper today that we’d left nine of our top blokes at home (injuries, no release from NRL clubs etc)? But yes, pretty bad from an NZ perspective. Kemble has plans to “review myself and see what I am doing wrong” – but in my view it’s the players who need a kick up the proverbial.
But hey, we’ve always got union and the Rugby World Cup..oh bugger, lost that too.
No excuses from the Kiwis. The likes of Paul Wellens and Jamie Peacock are bubbling at the moment under Tony Smith’s leadership. It’s perfect timing because finally the Australian side will have a quality and worthy opponent for the upcoming 2008 Rugby League World Cup in Australia.
I seem to have heard that song several times before.
Yes but before we never looked so good going into a World Cup year. I guarantee this side will push Australia all the way and New Zealand will not even come into the reckoning.
One thing that gives me a degree of confidence is that I don’t think Tony Smith will do anything as stupid as David Waite did back in the 2004 Tri-Nations, when we beat the Aussies with a winning performance from Long and Danny McGuire, and then dropped McGuire for a visibly unfit and out-of-form Iestyn for the final. That he sacked Terry Newton after the first test, as I said in the post, suggests we’re being a sight more rigorous.
Let’s hope Adrian Morley doesn’t blow up again like he did in 2003…
Anyway, I’ve seen a crap team beaten by a middling one before, many times, and I’ve seen a decent team beaten by a great one before(hell, ’94, ’96, ’03, ’04..), and I think I know which is which.
I reckon Tony Smith is a much better coach and he has also taken on the job at the right time as the top players are coming to the fore at just the right time in my opinion.
Rugby League or Rugby Union? Which is better? Personally i
think Rugby League Out Classes union by far, though being a
Wakefield Trinty Wildcats fans makes me a little biased!
However i do admit that internationally rugby league needs
some work so Rugby union has that on its side but what about
the game itself? It seem just like a collection of dog piles
most of the time followed by short lived runs which either
involve running straight into the other teams players or
straight to the try line!