4nations: Australian Kangaroos v New Zealand Kiwis

[DIEHARD]

Australia v New Zealand
Gillette Four Nations - Sat 24th Oct KO: 20:00, Twickenham Stoop Stadium

[DIEHARD]

This is it, mark this one in your diaries. Our next taste of footy. I can't wait!

[TITAN PETE]

Kangaroos squad named for Four Nations

AAP Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:09:16
Parramatta forward Nathan Hindmarsh has won a Kangaroos recall as part of the 24-man Australian Four Nations squad announced on Wednesday.

Hindmarsh has not played for Australia since 2007 but has been called up on the back of the Eels' memorable grand final finish to the NRL season.

Test coach Tim Sheens said form dictated the squad, with seven rookies picked and five incumbents from the May 8 Test win over the Kiwis omitted.

Robbie Farah, Ben Hannant, Michael Jennings, Luke Lewis, Josh Morris, David Shillington and Brett White were all selected for the first time.

Luke Bailey (arm) was not considered due to injury, while fellow incumbents Darius Boyd, Brent Kite, Glenn Stewart and Anthony Laffranchi were left out.

Minor premiers St George Illawarra and third placed Gold Coast did not have a single player selected in the touring party.

Premiers Melbourne had six players selected, with Cooper Cronk and Ryan Hoffman winning recalls alongside White, Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.

Hindmarsh and Jarryd Hayne were the only representatives from the losing grand finalists.

"Bailey was unavailable ... the other (four) missed out on, I suppose, form when you think about it," Sheens said of the incumbents omitted.

"It is a side picked on recent form."

Sheens said there were still injury concerns over some players in the squad and those in doubt would need to prove their fitness before the team departs on October 16.

Sheens said there were some shadow players on standby, but did not name them.

"There are some issues and quite a number of players still in doubt," said Sheens.

"If you cannot run and complete training then we have to think about it.

"We cannot add to that squad after we leave. This 24 is the only 24."

Squad: Petero Civoniceva (Penrith), Cooper Cronk (Melbourne), Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers), Israel Folau (Brisbane), Paul Gallen (Cronulla), Kurt Gidley (Newcastle), Ben Hannant (Bulldogs), Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta), Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta), Justin Hodges (Brisbane), Ryan Hoffman (Melbourne), Greg Inglis (Melbourne), Michael Jennings (Penrith), Darren Lockyer (capt, Brisbane), Luke Lewis (Penrith), Josh Morris (Bulldogs), David Shillington (Canberra), Billy Slater (Melbourne), Cameron Smith (Melbourne), Sam Thaiday (Brisbane), Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland), Trent Waterhouse (Penrith), Anthony Watmough (Manly), Brett White (Melbourne).

[TITAN PETE]

A few shocks in the squad (Gallen ahead of Harrison or Laffranchi) but still should be a Red Hot Team & very happy to see Hindmarsh get the recall he certainly deserves

[DIEHARD]

No Dragons, when was the last time the Minor Premier had no Kangaroos!?

Well done Panthers on 4 representatives. Sad to see no Titans there, particularly Harro. But at least it means our boys can rest up...

Happy to see Cronk in there. He'll play Origin next year, moving in for Hunt as our key utility player.

[DIEHARD]

Hard to believe this is on this weekend! The very first 4 Nations game!

I love international footy, staying up late in the warm glow of the television watching the Roos. I feel directly connected to my childhood, watching my heroes.

[GCT_89]

Hard to believe this is on this weekend! The very first 4 Nations game!

I love international footy, staying up late in the warm glow of the television watching the Roos. I feel directly connected to my childhood, watching my heroes.

i thought the ENG V FRA game was the first one.......
is that one televised over here?

and this AUS V NZL game is like 6am sunday morning aye?

[DIEHARD]

All games will be televised in Australia, still working out which network it'll be on though. Hoping the NRL put out a press release soon. I cant find any listings for rugby league on Fox Sports... or Nine. Really piss weak effort by our game's media partners.

Aus v NZ is on at 5:50am Sunday Channel 9.

Yea I screwed up about the first game lol.

[DIEHARD]

Top ref to officiate Kangaroos-NZ clash

England's Steve Ganson, Super League's leading referee, will be in charge for Australia's opening Four Nations match against world champions New Zealand at London's Twickenham Stoop on Saturday (Sunday morning AEDT).

Ganson, who was the man in the middle for both the Challenge Cup Final and the Super League Grand Final in 2009, will have Clint Sharrad (England) and Jose Pereira (France) as his touch-judges.

The video referee on Saturday will be Ian Smith.

New Zealand's Leon Williamson will referee the tournament's opening match between England and France at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium on Friday.

Williamson, who refereed two matches involving France in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, will be assisted by touch-judges Adam Burns (Australia) and Alan Shortall (New Zealand).

Phil Bentham will be the video referee.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[Capital_Shark]

1 ref for this series - good stuff.

[DIEHARD]

Kangaroos' Four Nations lineup unveiled

Brett Morris' brilliant 2009 season reached a stunning crescendo on Wednesday night with the St George Illawarra flyer one of three debutants named in the Australian side for this weekend's Four Nations rugby league clash against New Zealand.

Morris will join props Ben Hannant and Brett White in pulling on the green and gold for the first time when the Kangaroos open their campaign against the World Cup champions in London on Saturday night.

The 23-year-old Morris beat off challenges from twin brother Josh and Penrith centre Michael Jennings to snare the wing berth vacated by the injured Israel Folau, with Parramatta superstar Jarryd Hayne filling the other wing spot.

Morris's elevation to the Test side completes a meteoric rise after he started the NRL season playing for Shellharbour in the NSW Cup and finished it as the NRL's leading tryscorer.

"I started the year in reserve grade so from where I was to where I am now, it's like a roller coaster," Morris said.

"I'm on a massive high and I can't wait to get out there on Saturday night."

Morris admitted much of the credit for his rise to Test football had to go to his Dragons teammates.

"With the year that we had - without those guys I probably wouldn't be here - they made my job a lot easier, playing consistent footy," he said.

In all, coach Tim Sheens made seven changes to the side which defeated the Kiwis 38-10 at Suncorp Stadium in May, with only Folau and Steve Price missing out due to injury.

Dropped from the team are Darius Boyd and backrowers Anthony Laffranchi and Glenn Stewart, while bench props Luke Bailey and Brent Kite also failed to make the make the touring squad.

Along with the three debutants, Hayne, Trent Waterhouse, Sam Thaiday and Ryan Hoffman were reinstated to the national side.

Australia: Billy Slater, Brett Morris, Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges, Jarryd Hayne, Darren Lockyer (capt), Johnathan Thurston, Ben Hannant, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Trent Waterhouse, Ryan Hoffman, Anthony Watmough. Interchange: Brett White, Sam Thaiday, Paul Gallen, Kurt Gidley.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[DIEHARD]

I have my Kangaroos jersey ready. And my French jersey for tomorrow morning. (Thanks rugbyman13!)

[Capital_Shark]

GO THE FROGS! lol put a 10er on the nose of France at $15 and grabbed Clint Greenshields or James Roby for first try.

[DIEHARD]

MOIMOI RETURNS TO LEAD KIWIS PACK

Powerhouse front rower Fuifui Moimoi will play his first international in two years when the Kiwis open their Four Nations campaign against the Kangaroos at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday night.

Moimoi (30), outstanding for the beaten Parramatta side in this year's NRL grand final against Melbourne, was today confirmed as the only personnel change from the side that beat Tonga 40-24 in Rotorua last Wednesday.

Tongan-born Moimoi played the last of his five Tests against France in Paris in 2007. After missing last week's victory over his home country, he has been named to partner Melbourne's premiership-winning prop Jeff Lima on Saturday night.

While he returns, a hamstring injury will keep World Cup-winning utility Greg Eastwood (22) out of the side to meet Australia. He was limited to minimal activity at the Kiwis' training runs at the London Irish Rugby Football Club last night and the London Scottish Rugby Football Club today.

Eastwood, who started his 10th Test at loose forward against Tonga in Rotorua, has been replaced in the No 13 jersey by Melbourne's Adam Blair. The line-up is otherwise unchanged from the one that last week produced the sixth victory in Stephen Kearney's nine Tests so far as Kiwi coach.

"Greg has been troubled by a tight hamstring this week," said Kearney.

"We had hoped he'd recover but at this early stage of the tournament we don't want to take a risk with it.

"While he's out, it's great to have Fuifui back in the New Zealand side. He's been in great form in the NRL and is certainly one of the most exciting players in the game right now."

While Blair has played most of his 13 Tests as a prop, he had a stint in the second row during last week's Test against Tonga and he started each of Melbourne's last six games of the year in the back row.

"Adam has shown he has the ability to play there," said Kearney.

England's Steve Ganson has been named to referee Saturday night's encounter.

FOUR NATIONS
NEW ZEALAND v AUSTRALIA
Twickenham Stoop, London
8.00pm, Saturday, October 24, 2009
Referee: Steve Ganson (England)

New Zealand Kiwis:
1 Lance Hohaia (Warriors)
2 Sam Perrett (Roosters)
3 Steve Matai (Manly)
4 Junior Sa'u (Newcastle)
5 Bryson Goodwin (Canterbury-Bankstown)
6 Benji Marshall [c] (Wests Tigers)
7 Nathan Fien (St George Illawarra)
8 Jeff Lima (Melbourne)
9 Issac Luke (South Sydney)
10 Fuifui Moimoi (Parramatta)
11 Bronson Harrison (Canberra)
12 Frank Pritchard (Penrith)
13 Adam Blair (Melbourne)

Interchange:
14 Thomas Leuluai (Wigan)
15 Frank-Paul Nuuausala (Roosters)
16 Iosia Soliola (Roosters)
17 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Manly)
18 Kieran Foran (Manly)
19 Ben Matulino (Warriors)
(two to be omitted)

Coach: Stephen Kearney

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF NEW ZEALAND RUGBY LEAGUE

[DIEHARD]

Kangas looking forward

AUSTRALIA may boast potentially the best back line the game has ever produced, but if the Kangaroos are to end the Four Nations as tournament victors, coach Tim Sheens believes the forwards will have to overshadow them.

In a clear message for starch over star power, Sheens has challenged his forwards to steal the limelight from the likes of Jarryd Hayne and Greg Inglis ahead of Australia's opening Four-Nations match, against a strong Kiwi pack at the Stoop.

''Everyone's talking about the Australian back line,'' Sheens said. ''It reminds me of Canberra in the old days. By the end of those seasons, Glenn Lazarus, Bradley Clyde, Gary Coyne, Steve Walters all played rep footy.

''They're overshadowed a bit by the superstar backs, but they'll be useless if the boys in the middle don't do the job.

''We will blow sides off the park with our back line if we gain the ascendancy in the middle. The challenge is for the forwards to do that, to stand up and be recognised as part of the team and the focus not being on the back line all the time.

''The backs will score the points, but if we're going to win these games, it'll be what the forwards do that makes the difference.''

In fact, Sheens believes the less ball the backs see in the opening exchanges, the better it will bode for his side.

Source: http://www.leaguehq.com.au