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  1. #16
    Administrator DIEHARD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TITAN PETE View Post
    Except for the fact that Boyd & Tamou shouldn't have even been considered
    It's a bit Cartwright isnt it.

    I dont know about Tamou's form, but agree on Boyd.
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  2. #17
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    TBH I think Gillett should replace Cordner. Both been good but Gillett is very powerful.

    - - - Updated - - -

    And I think Boyd deserves Wing spot. He has a great combo with JT and Inglis for QLD

  3. #18
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    Kiwis cruelled by injuries.
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  4. #19
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    I fear this match may threaten the reputation of international Rugby League. Not ideal to bring the Roos back to Sydney for this.
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  5. #20
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    Well.. not actually holding the event on the weekend closest to ANZAC Day in the first place is a bit of a stumbling block. Didn't the NRL pencil it in while they were sorting out the Rounds, earlier this year?

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Toads View Post
    Well.. not actually holding the event on the weekend closest to ANZAC Day in the first place is a bit of a stumbling block. Didn't the NRL pencil it in while they were sorting out the Rounds, earlier this year?
    I agree. Its been like this for years and isnt even officially the Anzac Test.

    Sadly looks like we are well down the track of Anzac club games.

    So this Test while necessary in my view is sort of stuck in limbo.
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  7. #22
    Super Moderator TITAN PETE's Avatar
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    Australia v New Zealand preview
    By Tony Webeck
    NRL.com
    3:30pm Wed 30th April, 2014


    Australia v New Zealand
    Allianz Stadium, Sydney
    Friday, 7.30pm

    In that parallel universe where rugby league Tests are decided on paper, this one doesn't end well for the New Zealanders.

    As Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens has stuck solid with the men who won him a World Cup just six months ago, Kiwis mentor Stephen Kearney has stocked his side with players he thinks can be world champions in 2017.

    The Kiwis boast half the amount of Test experience of their Aussie counterparts (264 games to 133) but the chasm between the two sides becomes more evident when you take Simon Mannering, Adam Blair, Jason Nightingale and Greg Eastwood out of the equation: The remaining 14 members of the New Zealand squad have played three more Tests combined than Kangaroos captain Cameron Smith (40-37).

    With six debutants and just five remaining players from the side that contested November's World Cup Final, it's an extraordinary clean-out by Kearney who was reappointed as Kiwi coach in February for a further two years with an option for another two that would take him through to the next World Cup to be hosted in Australia and New Zealand.

    With debutants in Peta Hiku, Isaac John, Ben Henry, Siliva Havili, Martin Taupau and Kenny Bromwich, Kearney certainly appears to be working towards a four-year plan, although injuries have also decimated his squad.

    Hooker Issac Luke remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, Kieran Foran went down with a knee injury the week before the side was named and Frank Pritchard is nursing a torn pectoral muscle that will keep him off the field for the majority of the season. Jeremy Smith, Sam McKendry, Josh Hoffman and Jason Taumalolo were also unavailable but the omissions of Alex Glenn, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Ben Matulino, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Manu Vatuvei and Frank-Paul Nuuausala raised eyebrows on both sides of the Tasman.

    The selection of John from the New South Wales Cup is a throwback to the mid-1980s when cult figure Olsen Filipaina was plucked from Balmain reserve grade to inspire his nation to victory (although it must be said Filipaina was a past great) while Willie Talau enjoyed the same ascension when chosen by then Kiwi coach Daniel Anderson in 2003.

    The Kangaroos weren't without their own selection headaches with a shoulder injury ruling out Jarryd Hayne while Boyd Cordner and Nate Myles were preferred over Josh Papalii and Andrew Fifita. But while Sheens was able to cure his ills with a nice cup of tea and a lie down, Kearney was forced to wrestle with a Sonny Bill Williams-sized migraine before settling on his squad.

    Footy's a funny game but it will take the greatest upset in 30 years of international rugby league for the Kiwis to topple their paper giants.

    With a host of great ticket options and free entry for junior pass holders, there's no reason not to be there. Those wishing to use a junior pass for entry into the Test need to redeem a ticket at one of the box offices which will secure a spot in a Category 3 seating section.


    Watch Out Kangaroos: It's a brave man who'd suggest that losing a winger seven minutes into a World Cup Final changed the course of the game but there's no doubt Kiwi winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will feel he has some unfinished Kangaroos business to attend to. Having been in doubt the entire week leading up to the final, RTS was cleared to play but then suffered a fractured leg and left the field with the scores locked at 2-all. He missed the Roosters' World Club Challenge win but coach Trent Robinson has been quick to utilise his extraordinary attacking skills to their greatest effect since. When the Roosters are in the opposition half Tuivasa-Sheck shifts to the fullback position in attack and this extra dimension to his game will be a godsend to Kearney on Friday night and into the future. In eight games so far in 2014 he has made four line breaks, scored three tries and provided two try assists and while he may start on the wing in just his third Test appearance, the Kangaroos should be ready to see those fast feet at any point on the field at any time of the game.

    Watch Out Kiwis: Amidst the hysteria surrounding Daly Cherry-Evans's claims to a Test No.7 jersey there have been some who have been quick to overlook one important factor: Incumbent halves Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston have been in terrific form. Their respective teams have not had the start to 2014 many expected but the Storm No.7 and Cowboys five-eighth have lost none of the attacking spark that tore the Kiwis apart six months ago. Cronk sits alongside Brett Stewart for most try assists in the NRL with 11, Thurston hot on their heels with nine. Against Manly two weeks ago 'JT' laid on three tries in a masterful performance while Cronk boasts a try assist in each of the seven games he has played for the Storm this season. Cherry-Evans's claims are genuine but the Kiwis need to shut these two champions down before they go worrying about the next generation.

    Plays To Watch
    : With such limited preparation – and with so many new faces in the Kiwi team – game plans will be kept to their most basic. With arguably the greatest hooker forward to have ever played the game facing off in the Test arena against a 22-year-old on Test debut, the biggest mismatch is in the most important part of the field.
    When he runs out on Friday night for his 38th Test Cameron Smith will pass Clive Churchill to become the eighth most-capped Kangaroo of all time and should pass Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier (both 39) and Brad Fittler (40) by the end of the year.
    Going head-to-head with a part-time No.9 in Ben Henry, Smith will orchestrate a Kangaroo stampede through the middle of the ruck and then let his halves apply the polish.
    The Kiwis' great strength lies in their outside backs but they will have to assert themselves up front before trying to get Tuivasa-Sheck, Dean Whare and Peta Hiku into space on the edges.

    Where It Will Be Won: As mentioned previously, the experience and class of the Kangaroos in the middle of the ruck and in the halves are trump cards that the Kiwis appear to simply have no match for.
    The combination of Smith, Cronk and Thurston has been dominant at international level for the past two years and they will punish any errors or opportunities that the Kiwis offer them.
    Shaun Johnson will have inexperienced eyes looking at him for direction from both inside and out and as brilliantly talented as he is, that is far too great a load for a 23-year-old to bear.

    The History: Played 126; Australia 94, New Zealand 29, drawn 3. When the Kiwis backed up their 2008 World Cup win with a shock upset of the Kangaroos in the final of the 2010 Four Nations tournament, the balance of power appeared to have shifted sufficiently to be at least approaching parity. But seven consecutive victories by the Australians has re-defined world rugby league's pecking order, culminating with the lopsided 34-2 World Cup triumph last November. There have been five meetings of these teams at Allianz Stadium and it's been a whitewash to the home side, including wins of 44-0, 48-6 and 30-6. The closest New Zealand have come to defeating Australia at Allianz came in the 2006 Tri-Nations Final when Darren Lockyer scored in extra time to earn his side a 16-12 win. In one of the most gripping Test matches ever played, the game only progressed to golden point when the video referee denied a try to Johnathan Thurston in the dying seconds.

    Match Officials: Referee - Shayne Hayne; Touch Judges - Russell Turner & Anthony Elliott; Video Referees - Bernard Sutton & Luke Patten.

    Televised: Channel Nine – Live 7.30pm (Qld & NSW).

    The Way We See It: I'm old enough to remember the fighting spirit the Kiwis showed when they were cobbled together in the 1980s to terrorise 'big brother' but the game has come a long way since then and modern fairytales so often have unfulfilling conclusions.

    Only the staunchest Kiwi with Speights running through their veins could possibly wager that their team will win on Friday night but when you give quality footballers the chance to elevate their game to another level and against all the odds, amazing things can happen.

    There is an abundance of class in the Kiwi outside backs but getting them quality ball in good position on the park will be the greatest challenge they face against a hardened, well-drilled Kangaroos outfit. Australia by 18 points.
    Last edited by TITAN PETE; 01-05-14 at 05:36 AM.
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  8. #23
    Administrator DIEHARD's Avatar
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    Today is the day! International Rugby League is back in Rep Round!

    Backing the Kangaroos for a big win but hoping the Kiwis can show some fight and hope. Honestly we SHOULD have a capacity crowd but I don't think we will... I was hoping the ARL Commission would make it a point.
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  9. #24
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    Greg Bird won’t write off the Kiwis in Test

    GREG Bird knows better than to go into a match underestimating the power of youth.

    It was 2007 when Australia selected eight debutants for a one-off Test against the Kiwis in New Zealand.

    The likes of Israel Folau, Brett Stewart, Cooper Cronk and Bird, deputising at five-eighth for the legendary Darren Lockyer, earned their Test debuts that day in Wellington.

    The result was a 58-0 win, Australia’s biggest ever victory over their trans-Tasman rivals, and the start of a new era of dominance.

    That game is why Bird refuses to write off the Kiwis at Allianz Stadium tonight.

    New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney has picked six rookies in his squad and only five in the team were in last year’s World Cup final that lost to Australia.

    They have been labelled one of the worst Kiwi teams in recent history with bench hooker Siliva Havili having not even tasted 80 minutes of NRL action.

    Still, Bird won’t have a bar of it as the 30-year-old Titans co-captain prepares to make his 12th Test appearance.

    “They’ve got a few inexperienced players but there’s a lot of other players who have played in the black and white a fair few times,” he said.

    “I’m not thinking it’s going to be as dominant as everyone’s making it out to be.

    “I remember my debut. There was eight who debuted and we went over to New Zealand and touched them up.

    “I’m sure they’ll be thinking the same thing coming over here with a fresh-faced team full of enthusiasm looking to catch us by surprise.”

    The statistics don’t bode well for the Kiwis though.

    Australia’s squad boasts 290 Tests between them compared to New Zealand’s 151.

    The Kangaroos have won the past seven clashes between the two and the Kiwis have only won three of the past 23.

    Australia has only made two changes to the World Cup winning team with Titans co-captain Nate Myles and Brisbane’s Matt Gillett coming in for Andrew Fifita and Sam Thaiday.

    Bird said it was that continuity in the Kangaroos camp that had them confident of victory tonight.

    “We’ve only really had the two sessions but the squad’s been together throughout the whole World Cup so there wasn’t a great deal of work to be done,” he said.

    “A lot of the guys have been playing together for five or six years.

    “The football hasn’t changed too much. It’s just going to depend on how we turn up.

    “Everything feels really familiar. Nothing is too foreign to us.

    “We’re on top (after the World Cup) and it’s about maintaining that desire and professionalism to stay on top.

    “I’m confident we can do that.”

    Myles was a surprise addition to the squad and Bird said his Titans teammate wouldn’t have any issues fitting back in.

    “There was a few blokes who maybe haven’t played a lot of football or been in the best form,” Bird said.

    “The blokes coming into the squad have been killing it at club level.

    “Nate knows what to do. He’s played a million rep games and stood out in a lot of them.

    “I’m sure he’ll be one of our strong middle blokes.”

    While the majority of Myles’ 23 Queensland Origin appearances have been in the back row, he is the only prop on the Kangaroos bench.

    “I thought if there was any possibility for a spot it would be in the back row,” Myles said.

    “It was going to be a hard side to crack because they were coming off the World Cup win.”

    http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/
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  10. #25
    Super Moderator TITAN PETE's Avatar
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    The Kiwis are really giving QLD a Shake ATM
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  11. #26
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    Kiwis looked at a possible upset, but Hayne has refed Australia to the lead.

    Still not over yet.
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  12. #27
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    Up the Roos!
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  13. #28
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    With victory they play the song Down Under which I think should be the official Kangaroos theme. Love it.
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  14. #29
    Super Moderator TITAN PETE's Avatar
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    Great performance from the Kiwis & I thought it was very unexpected by most , me for one , Aussies looked tired & I think Smith is no where near 100% maybe there's an injury he's carrying, if DCE got some serious time on the park the score may have looked more like we thought it should look , Bird,JT & Morris were my best on the park ..


    P.s thanks for my 1st Thumbs Down Brad , u know I put that there for u
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  15. #30
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    Kangaroos overrun brave Kiwis

    Australian try-scorer Greg Bird takes a run during the Trans-Tasman Test against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium.
    The Australian Kangaroos have won out a tit-for-tat battle with the Kiwis in the Trans-Tasman Test, prevailing 30-18 in a much closer than expected match in front of 25,429 fans at Sydney's Allianz Stadium.

    With five debutants in their team, the Kiwis were expected to be an easy task for an Australian team hosting 14 players from their World Cup final-winning side of last year.

    While Stephen Kearney had been questioned throughout the week about his selection motives, with several players yet to play international football and others from the NSW Cup – the Kiwis did their country no shame in an admirable effort.

    With the likes of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Ben Matulino and Alex Glenn being dropped from the side and others, like Issac Luke and Thomas Leuluai, missing the game through injury, the Kiwis did extremely well to go down by two tries, having held a shock 18-12 half-time lead.

    While there were questions raised over the form of Cooper Cronk leading into the game, the Melbourne halfback proved the doubters wrong and highlighted he was the man for the job – punctuated by his understudy Daly Cherry-Evans warming the bench for the first 71 minutes.

    With the majority of rugby league fans expecting a blow-out and most bookmakers posting the Kiwis chances of winning at double figures, the men from across the ditch left many speechless after scoring the first try of the evening in the sixth minute.

    Off the back of a Shaun Johnson in-goal kick that caused a drop-out and another repeat set in the process of play, Storm front-rower Jesse Bromwich fell over the line from dummy-half to secure an early 6-0 lead.

    Australian five-eighth Johnathan Thurston wouldn't have it though and six minutes later he sublimely handed it off to fearless back-rower Greg Bird to level the scores. Kiwi prop Sam Moa was down hurt in the process of the try playing out, with the Kiwis left to defend with 12 men.

    An indifferent bounce from a Cameron Smith kick left debutant Kiwi fullback Peta Hiku spilling the pill 15 metres out from his own line just past the quarter-hour mark. Aussie winger Brett Morris scored his 22nd try for the Kangaroos off the proceeding scrum play thanks again to Thurston, handing Australia a 12-6 lead after 18 minutes.

    Though the brilliance of the Australian No. 6 would not overawe the Kiwis, as Thurston's unlikely opposite five-eighth Tohu Harris levelled up the scores in the 23rd minute in a highly scrutinised video referee decision – the big Melbourne behemoth managing to place the ball down practically over his head.

    Four minutes later New Zealand's other prop Sam Moa barged his way over for his first ever international try, the Kiwis hitting the lead for the second time of the evening for what would end up being an 18-12 half-time scoreline.

    After an error-riddled first 10 minutes from both sides to kick-off the second half, the Kangaroos drew first blood in the 52nd minute through the hands of Brett Morris for his second try of the evening – Thurston again levelling the scores with his conversion.

    After a brilliant defensive set where the Kiwis were unlucky not to escape the in-goal, the Kangaroos, off the back of a brilliant side-to-side movement, would score their fourth try of the evening through the hands of Greg Inglis in the 61st minute – the lead changing hands for the third time of the evening, with Australia holding a 24-18 advantage.

    After several entertaining sets from New Zealand, the Australians would come out with their heads held high – not only preventing the Kiwis levelling the score but scoring a long range try through halfback Cronk to take the score to 30-18, putting the game out of reach for their brave opponents.

    Australia 30 (Morris 2, Bird, Cronk, Inglis Tries; Thurston 5 Goals) defeated New Zealand 18 (Bromwich, Harris, Moa Tries; Johnson 3 Goals) at Allianz Stadium. Crowd: 25,429.

    http://www.nrl.com/kangaroos-overrun...0/default.aspx
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