DIEHARD
08-11-07, 11:02 AM
Superpower of Superpuff?
It?s not often that the United States goes into anything as underdogs, but the world superpower knows it has a massive challenge on when its international Rugby League team face tiny Pacific Island nation Samoa in the semi-finals of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Repechage competition at the Halton Stadium, Widnes on Friday evening.
The USA, team known as The Tomahawks, haven?t come to Britain just to make up the numbers. They?ve targeted taking the tenth and last qualifying spot for next year?s World Cup Finals in Australia.
To achieve that goal they have to beat Samoa and then overcome the winners of the other semi-final between Lebanon and Wales in the Qualifying Final at Featherstone next Wednesday.
The Tomahawks qualified to face Samoa when they beat Japan 54-18 in a decider played in the States last month.
American National Rugby League President David Niu, himself a veteran league player, knows what the boys from States will face when they play Samoa who just missed out on automatic qualification.
Niu, a former St George player in Sydney, Australia, said: ?We?ve proved our serious intentions by bringing in Matthew Elliott from Sydney?s Penrith Panthers club as our head coach as well as some experienced players from Australia and Britain who have US qualifications.
?We would really have liked to have done this job with all US-born players but we?ve had to be realistic given the size of the task facing us against Samoa.?
Some of the US preparations went pear shaped when they were beaten 70-0 by Cumbria in a warm-up game at Barrow last Sunday but Nui was dismissive of that result.
?Conditions for us were not ideal for us and Matthew didn?t get the chance to run some of the guys in the combinations he wanted,? he said.
?We?ve had the rest of the week to run that game out of our system and focus on playing Samoa. There?s no way we?ve come all the way across the Atlantic and not have hopes of winning, no matter what the odds might be.
?Matthew has one or two things up his sleeve which will be revealed on Friday evening.?
Nui also believes that the Tomahawks have done well to reach this point in the World Cup?s development.
?Given that we have a cluster of clubs around Philadelphia and one out on a limb at Jacksonville, Florida we?ve done a fantastic job,? he said. ?Qualification for the World Cup would be massive for us because of the recognition it would bring for the sport back in the States.
?I?ve worked hard for ten years to get the game this far in America and no matter what happens there?s no going back now.?
By John Huxley
http://www.rugbyleagueworldcup.com
It?s not often that the United States goes into anything as underdogs, but the world superpower knows it has a massive challenge on when its international Rugby League team face tiny Pacific Island nation Samoa in the semi-finals of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Repechage competition at the Halton Stadium, Widnes on Friday evening.
The USA, team known as The Tomahawks, haven?t come to Britain just to make up the numbers. They?ve targeted taking the tenth and last qualifying spot for next year?s World Cup Finals in Australia.
To achieve that goal they have to beat Samoa and then overcome the winners of the other semi-final between Lebanon and Wales in the Qualifying Final at Featherstone next Wednesday.
The Tomahawks qualified to face Samoa when they beat Japan 54-18 in a decider played in the States last month.
American National Rugby League President David Niu, himself a veteran league player, knows what the boys from States will face when they play Samoa who just missed out on automatic qualification.
Niu, a former St George player in Sydney, Australia, said: ?We?ve proved our serious intentions by bringing in Matthew Elliott from Sydney?s Penrith Panthers club as our head coach as well as some experienced players from Australia and Britain who have US qualifications.
?We would really have liked to have done this job with all US-born players but we?ve had to be realistic given the size of the task facing us against Samoa.?
Some of the US preparations went pear shaped when they were beaten 70-0 by Cumbria in a warm-up game at Barrow last Sunday but Nui was dismissive of that result.
?Conditions for us were not ideal for us and Matthew didn?t get the chance to run some of the guys in the combinations he wanted,? he said.
?We?ve had the rest of the week to run that game out of our system and focus on playing Samoa. There?s no way we?ve come all the way across the Atlantic and not have hopes of winning, no matter what the odds might be.
?Matthew has one or two things up his sleeve which will be revealed on Friday evening.?
Nui also believes that the Tomahawks have done well to reach this point in the World Cup?s development.
?Given that we have a cluster of clubs around Philadelphia and one out on a limb at Jacksonville, Florida we?ve done a fantastic job,? he said. ?Qualification for the World Cup would be massive for us because of the recognition it would bring for the sport back in the States.
?I?ve worked hard for ten years to get the game this far in America and no matter what happens there?s no going back now.?
By John Huxley
http://www.rugbyleagueworldcup.com