Four Nations Final: Australia vs England

[DIEHARD]

Australia vs England

[DIEHARD]

Four Nations Final preview - Australia v England
Elland Road, Leeds Sunday, 5am AEST

It?s the dream final that could signal the dawn of a new era in international rugby league and rekindle one of the game?s great rivalries. England?s stunning revival in the 2011 Four Nations to reach the final against old foes Australia has set the scene for a thrilling conclusion when the two sides meet in Leeds this Sunday morning (Australian time) ? one that means far more than just the silverware that will be awarded to the eventual champion.

Not since 1995, with their 20-16 win at Wembley in the World Cup, has England upset the Kangaroos; however recent efforts aimed at a return to the glory days appear to be paying dividends. The inclusion of Australian-based stars Chris Heighington, Jack Reed and Gareth Widdop has had a huge impact on the home side?s football and it is hard to ignore the clinical manner in which they disposed of reigning Four Nations champions New Zealand last week.

In fact, they could even consider themselves unlucky not to have shocked Australia a week earlier when a series of controversial calls against them contributed to their 36-20 loss. The increasing propensity for English players such as Gareth Ellis and Bulldogs-bound James Graham to try their hand in the NRL promises many more intense battles ahead but England will be confident that they already have the ability to win their first Four Nations crown.

Sunday?s final represents a significant milestone in the career of prop Adrian Morley, who will become his country?s most capped player when he runs out for the 50th time. He will be keen to ensure the day is that much more memorable by toppling the tournament favourites.

Still, as motivation goes, it?s hard to top Darren Lockyer?s farewell.

The veteran of a record 355 first grade games over 17 seasons in the NRL will play his 59th and final Test when he runs onto Elland Road and the Australians will be determined to ensure his career finishes on a fitting high.

No doubt, too, that Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens will be glad to have him back after resting him against the Welsh last week. Although the sheer class of Australia shone through in the end, the world?s No.1 side struggled for cohesion in the first half ? leading just 18-8 at the break before running away in the second half to score a comfortable 56-14 win.

Lockyer is one of a number of key players returning to bolster the Kangaroos? line-up, with enforcer Tony Williams back from his one-match suspension and Luke Lewis also available again after missing the Wales game through illness. Akuila Uate will be recalled on the right wing with either Josh Morris or Jharal Yow Yeh making way, while Corey Parker and Beau Scott are also likely to drop out.

England is expected to name the same squad that accounted for New Zealand 28-6 last week.

Watch Out Kangaroos: Young fullback Sam Tomkins looks to be the superstar that England have been waiting for. The dynamic 22-year-old has arguably been the standout performer of the Four Nations in 201 ? blitzing Wales for four tries in the tournament opener three weeks ago, troubling Australia a week later and running circles around New Zealand last Saturday. Blessed with dazzling footwork and scintillating, he is the X-Factor that threatens to throw a spanner in Australia?s defensive works.

Watch Out England: Back from his one-match suspension in time for the final, Kangaroos back-rower Tony Williams is set to again make England?s life miserable in the final following two destructive performances in the round matches. Weighing in at a monstrous 118kg, Williams terrorised England a fortnight ago ? sending Chris Heighington flying on his way to scoring Australia?s second try and running for 118 metres in a match-defining performance. He will again take plenty of stopping this weekend.

Plays To Watch: Australia?s edge defenders need to be on the ball against an English side that loves to spread the ball wide. In particular they must keep a close eye on halfback Rangi Chase, who will often dummy repeatedly to his line runners before firing the ball out wide. England scored their first try against New Zealand in this exact fashion and found similar success against Wales with this play a fortnight earlier.

Australia are the masters of the second-man play and are certain to test the host?s ability to read in defence ? particularly on England?s right side. The presence of Darius Boyd at fullback suggests the Kangaroos will at some stage adopt the second-man play, with Boyd wrapping around the back of a decoy runner before putting his winger in space.

The History: Played 10, Australia 7, England 2, drawn 1. Australia boasts a dominant record against England with just two losses and a draw in their 10 meetings ? the most recent coming two weeks ago. In fact, it is now 16 years since England last tasted victory against Australia when they won a thriller 20-16 at the 1995 World Cup ? the four-point margin also their biggest ever win over the Kangaroos (although playing as Great Britain they did manage a 23-12 win during the 2006 Tri Nations at the Sydney Football Stadium). Australia?s biggest win over England was a 52-4 thrashing in Melbourne three years ago.

Last Time They Met: Australia secured their place in this year?s Four Nations final with a 36-20 win over a gallant England two weeks ago. It was a tough slog for the Aussies, who conceded the first try and enjoyed some good fortune with the match on the line early in the second half when England winger Tom Briscoe was denied a fair try early in the second stanza. Having trailed 4-0 early, tries to Luke Lewis, Tony Williams and Greg Inglis gave Australia an 18-8 lead shortly after the half-time break and they took advantage of Briscoe?s misfortune to run away with the result soon after.

Conclusion: This promises to be the most enthralling Australia-England rugby league Test in years. England?s resurgence as an international force isn?t yet complete but they boast plenty of talent and have been in fine form throughout this year?s Four Nations. Still, toppling this Australian side will be no simple task.

Darren Lockyer?s impending retirement has the Kangaroos fired up to finish the job and although star fullback Billy Slater is missing through injury, the presence of their other big three in Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith is crucial. Australia will be confident of scoring yet another trophy and they deserve their favouritism.

Match Officials: Referee ? Matt Cecchin; Sideline Officials ? James Child & Shane Rehm; Video Referee ? Ian Smith.

Televised: Channel Nine ? Live, Sunday, 4.45am; Fox Sports 1 ? Delayed 7am.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[DIEHARD]

Hashtags for tomorrows game #4Nations #4NFinal #engvaus

[DIEHARD]

End of the road, but what a journey

Darren Lockyer signs off on a rugby league career tomorrow morning that kicked off with a most inauspicious international debut, writes Brad Walter in Leeds.

AS DARREN Lockyer noted over lunch at a burger bar in Manchester, a lot of things have changed since the first of his seven end-of-season tours with the Kangaroos - mostly for the better.

''I have seen our game grow immensely in the past decade or so as it has become a more popular product,'' Lockyer said. ''Just little things like the way we get looked after with gear now indicate to me the game is going in the right direction.

''We come in, we get fitted out with suits and we get fitted out for training gear whereas in 1998 you rocked up and they just gave you a bag, the sizes were all over the shop and you would only get two pairs of training shorts.

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In action during the 2008 World Cup. Photo: Getty Images
''It was like playing for the under-12s team but that was a reflection of where the game was at then, not just internationally, but at club level.''

Many thought the kit Lockyer received from that 1998 match might have been the only one he would ever receive after one of the worst debuts by any Australian player in the Anzac Test against New Zealand in Auckland.

After coming on as a replacement for Robbie O'Davis, Lockyer made mistake after mistake - dropping passes, spilling bombs, fumbling grubbers and falling off tackles - to almost singlehandedly gift the Kiwis a 22-16 win.


Breaking clear to score the winner against England in 2003. Photo: Getty Images
Whether the then 21-year-old fullback would ever recover was a question on many lips that night but at about 4am the following morning I gained an insight when I returned to the hotel after a night out and saw him sitting in the foyer.

While many players would stare at the floor to ignore a journalist who had probably just written their Test football obituary, Lockyer at least offered some acknowledgement.

He then caught a taxi to Auckland airport, flew home to Brisbane and turned in an absolute blinder for the Broncos the following day.

When full-time is blown on his remarkable career after the Four Nations final against England, Lockyer will have played a record 59 Tests.

''I have never taken the Australian jersey for granted because it is the highest honour in the game, and you have got to remind yourself that there are people who would do anything to be in your position,'' Lockyer told the Herald at the start of the tour. ''Whenever I have worn it I have wanted to do the jersey proud.''

He has felt that even more so since taking over as captain in 2003 in almost Steven Bradbury-style circumstances after Andrew Johns and then Gorden Tallis were forced out of the Ashes tour with injuries.

In the eight years since, Lockyer has made it his mission to ensure the international game gets the respect it deserves and modelled himself on Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting and Wallabies skipper George Gregan.

''They were always professional and the way they carried themselves reflected not just on their team but on the country so I thought it was important for me to make sure my presentation reflected well on rugby league and Australia,'' Lockyer said.

During the Four Nations tour Lockyer has been the subject of a two-page feature in The Guardian - coverage that is virtually unprecedented for league, and particularly for a non-British player - and a one-hour television special on Sky Sports. Yet amid all of the hype surrounding his last game - the Four Nations final at Elland Road - Lockyer has maintained a business-as-usual attitude to ensure he heads into retirement as a winner.

Away from the spotlight, Lockyer plays the role of a diplomat within the team camp, ensuring there are no tensions among players or with the off-field staff led by coach Tim Sheens.

It was Lockyer who discovered the burger bar in Manchester and, when the Herald dropped in, a number of other players were dining there. He has also regularly offered updates on the quality of coffee at cafes close to wherever the Kangaroos have stayed.

His lack of satisfaction finding a coffee he has been consistently happy with may be one of the reasons Lockyer told reporters this week he didn't want to waste Widnes boss Paul Cullen's time when approached to play for the newly promoted Super League club.

Lockyer organised for the majority of the Australian squad to take a three-day break in Berlin after the Wembley Test, choosing the German city because none of them had been there. After a disastrous experience in Prague in 2004, when the players arrived to find they were staying in a rundown hotel on the outskirts of the city, Lockyer got a travel agent friend in Brisbane to make the bookings. The Kangaroos' trip to Prague entered folklore after former Panthers winger Luke Rooney complained on radio: ''None of us liked it. There was nothing to do. There were hardly any pubs, no TABs. I would rather be in Penrith.''

Some of the players had been ''scarred'' from that experience and Lockyer had to assure them Berlin wouldn't be ''another Prague'', but not everyone enjoyed the trip. ''It was mixed,'' Lockyer said. ''Most of the older guys liked it but some of the younger ones didn't. The language barrier was a bit of an issue.''

However, most came back from Berlin talking about the horrors either inflicted under Hitler before and during World War II, or by the East German regime after it.

With the players back in camp, Lockyer has tried to ensure they regain their focus and has been spotted jogging through Leeds at 6am. After doing everything possible to ensure his farewell tour goes smoothly, Lockyer wants it to end on the right note.

''It is my last game but I guess the bigger picture for me is that it is the final of the Four Nations and we want to win,'' Lockyer said. ''Personally, it is my last game and the week leading up to it will live with me, so I want to do it right. It is about making sure that when I take the field on Saturday I am ready for my last game. I don't want to get to the end of the game and have a regret because I didn't do enough in the lead-up to the game.''

Darren Lockyer in his own words

On his long farewell:
''I'll only do this once, so once I made up my mind, I wanted to make sure I did it in the right manner. I knew when I made the decision, there would be lots of questions about this game, that game and the farewells. But I knew that was part of the process so it's not a problem.''

The public reception:
''It's been overwhelming. I've tried to keep my head out of the papers as my focus has to be the footy and making sure I do my job first. But the scenes I have seen this year are a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. I'm just grateful for the generosity shown to me by the Australian public.''

Living in the spotlight:
''As a kid you want to be a footballer who is famous and signs autographs and, once that sort of thing comes your way, you then feel this responsibility and you want to do it well. On the field, when you are high profile, there are a lot of responsibilities. Off the field, you know anything you do or say will be scrutinised.''

On retirement:
''Talking to past players, they all say it is not easy retiring. I don't think for one minute this is going to be easy for me. There are going to be times where there is a void in my life … the challenge for me is to find other avenues in my life to substitute for that.''

Playing for Queensland:
''The thing about Origin is that it can be cruel and it can be glorious. Sometimes the bad times in Origin help you find yourself as a person. Some blokes who have played Origin for Queensland have never tasted defeat. For me, there was a very valuable lesson learned from defeat that will help me after football.''

Wayne Bennett:
''He was instrumental in building me as a footballer but also as a person. He builds an individual's character and that is how they get the most out of themselves.''

The best players of his time:
''Joey [Andrew Johns] for sure. Most complete, skilful player I've ever seen. I have a soft spot for Alfie Langer because I played so much footy with him. When the game was on the line, he always produced something.''

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/

[DIEHARD]

Old enemy closes gap on Kangaroos

KANGAROOS skipper Darren Lockyer has warned England will eventually beat Australia in a series or tournament - he just hopes it is not in this weekend's Four Nations final.

Lockyer, who will play his final game in a career spanning a record 59 Tests, 36 State of Origin appearances for Queensland and 355 premiership matches with Brisbane, believes England are closing the gap and Australia's 39-year domination of the traditional rivalry between the countries will end soon.

''There is going to be a day that the Poms are going to beat us,'' Lockyer told the Herald. ''That is probably going to happen one day.

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''Australia will just be off their game and they will get beat. But that is part of the evolution of the international game.

''We want these other countries to be competitive so that is a challenge for Australia to remain on top.''

Lockyer's comments echo a similar warning made by his mentor Wayne Bennett when he was coach of Australia in 2005, and the

Kangaroos later lost that year's Tri-Nations final to New Zealand.

It was the first time the Kangaroos had lost a series or tournament against any country since being beaten in successive Tests by France in 1978, and the Kiwis have since won the 2008 World Cup final and last year's Four Nations decider.

''It was always going to happen one day wasn't it,'' Lockyer said.

''Overall it probably has been a good thing for international rugby league and I think, moving forward, Australia isn't going to dominate again for 20 years like it once did.''

Lockyer, who also holds the record for the most Test tries by an Australian (34) and has led the Kangaroos more times than any other captain (37), said his first series in charge in 2003 had almost ended in defeat by England.

''On the way over we got beat by New Zealand and all the talk was these guys can't win in England so I was starting to get a bit nervous thinking I could be the captain of the first team to lose the Ashes in something like 30 years,'' he said.

''The first Test was the famous one where Adrian Morley got sent off in the first minute so they had 12 men for 79 minutes and we only just won in the last few minutes.

''I reckon had we not won that game we would not have recovered mentally and they would have grown another foot in confidence.''

Lockyer, who will remain involved in the game through work with the Broncos, the NRL and the Rugby League International Federation as an ambassador for the 2013 World Cup, will have his parents David and Sharon present for the first time at a Test in England.

''I thought it was quite relevant to what they have done for me that they will be there for my last game,'' he said.

''That will be good, it will be a new experience for them and I think they will enjoy it.''

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/

[eelectrica]

If the last match between England and Australia is any indication, it should be a great game. Really happy the Poms knocked the kiwis over to set this match up.

Is it 4am (QLD time) we set our alarm clocks for?

[DIEHARD]

If the last match between England and Australia is any indication, it should be a great game. Really happy the Poms knocked the kiwis over to set this match up.

Is it 4am (QLD time) we set our alarm clocks for?

The telecast starts at 3:45am QLD Time so you get all the pre-game build up.

[Smakked]

I will be up for sure, looking forward to it. Its a long time till the next NRL game

[TITAN PETE]

Alarm is set wouldn't miss it for the world , should be a ripper match with hopefully Lockyer kicking the winning field goal

[Titanic]

2am kick off in China ... see you all there.

[TITAN PETE]

Wake Up & Stand for the National Anthem

[TITAN PETE]

Can't believe the Pom Commentators whinging about the refereeing after only 4 minutes

[DIEHARD]

They are trying to set a RLIF record for whinging! No trophy for that Poms!

[DIEHARD]

England are lucky that there isnt alot more points on the board against em.

Yow Yeh is injured... no good at all.

[DIEHARD]

Looks wet and slippery out there too.