World cup

[stryker]

$BW= big fat zero.
Good to see the real champions show their wares.
All I have been hearing all week from every Kiwi I know is how good $BW is , how good Shaun Johnson steps and how NZ won the best game of league ever.
Time for a reality check.
Go the Aussies.
PS We would have won by far more if the refs kept the sides apart.

That was a good tough and exciting game last week because both sides were evenly matched. But lets look at tonights game as the yardstick. The Kangaroos are at least 1 and 1/2 times better than the next best. Shaun Johnson is not an international calibre halfback and if it wasnt for 3 brain explosions from the English in the last 2 minutes, the Kiwis would not have even played tonight as England were the better side for the majority of the semi. Like you CK, I have been copping it all week from the Maoris on site and quite a few of them even stumped up some cash…probably take me 4 months to recieve it but it will be sweet!

 

[TurnStyle]

i was actually so glad england lost that game because the 'man of the match' sam burgess shouldnt even have been playing imo. that shot on thaiday was worthy of him missing the rest of the tournament.

 

[VanillaThunder]

Thoughts on Thurston as man of the match? I had Hayne then Slater, with any of Cronk, Thaiday, Smith, Parker, Gallen and maybe even Morris ahead of JT. Been a few puzzling gongs this World Cup, maybe I'm just seeing it differently…

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[Tbone]

Considering Hayne was knocked out in the first 10 mins, his performance was special in every regard - crunching defence, positional play, skillful kicks and setting his man up with ease. He was instrumental in several tries, including the freakish Chuck Morris try and Cronks non try. Thurston was very good too, so I'm not feeling too aggrieved but I rated Haynes performance as best on field. Halves often get the nod because they have so many touches.

I thought Corey Parker was fantastic off the bench all tournament.

So many hard working players for the Aussies all tournament - Scott, Bird, Thaiday, Gallen, Smith etc. Meanwhile, I look forward to a time when the mom for the tigers isn't the only guy who runs for 100 metres and makes a reasonable amount of tackles.

 

[Knuckles]

Congratulations to Tim, Robbie and all the team on another outstanding World Cup victory.

 

[innsaneink]

$BW= big fat zero.
Good to see the real champions show their wares.
All I have been hearing all week from every Kiwi I know is how good $BW is , how good Shaun Johnson steps and how NZ won the best game of league ever.
Time for a reality check.
Go the Aussies.
PS We would have won by far more if the refs kept the sides apart.

The Kiwis have some very very good, classy and talented players….but an almost impeccable defensive effort showed what rugby league is about.
Get the defense right, and the rest follows.

Too bad Sheens didnt realise this when he was here with us, he built his team and game plans for a decade around one bloke.

Aussies were terrific.

Slater is a freak...to come back from that injury in that space of time - remarkable

Scott Bird Hayne Parker Morris Thaiday Thursty all brilliant

 

[Winnipeg]

Congrats to sonny bill, he's world champ!

Doesn't pay attention to corrupt judges, you see

 

[innsaneink]

Thoughts on Thurston as man of the match? I had Hayne then Slater, with any of Cronk, Thaiday, Smith, Parker, Gallen and maybe even Morris ahead of JT. Been a few puzzling gongs this World Cup, maybe I'm just seeing it differently…

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

I agree with you….but I dont put a lot of weight on MOM awards....theyre just some other blokes opinion

 

[stryker]

Sheens does deserve credit for the way he managed this squad. He pulled a group of extremely talented players together and turned them into a machine who didnt allow a try in 5 successive games. As for MOM, could have gone to most of them. I did think Hayne was a standout though, as he has been since being moved to the centres. Brilliant move in hindsight wouldn't you say Happy?

 

[pHyR3]

Whose position would he take? Honest question pHyR3\. Bird and Thaiday were amazing in attack and defence. Both of them smashed him when he ventured in field so he doesnt get a look in there, Hayne was one of our best all tournament and GI is GI so he cant squeeze into the centres either. He wouldnt get a look in at lock as Gallen is head and shoulders the better player and a tireless machine. Cant see him taking Tamou or Scotty's spot either. He would probably take the number 17 of Corey…but only just. He really isnt as good as people think he is. I wouldnt call him a dependable player at this level. He goes well in club footy against guys who dont have the experience but when he plays against the cream he folds. Like I said the English did the same thing to him last week and I think he would struggle to make their first 13 either.

probably bird. although sbw had a poor game i still think he's a class player. it's a team sport, and he felt that pressure on himself in the last 20minutes so he had to try something. in the same way farah probably 'screwed up' in origin 3 because he knew the halves werent doing anything so he tried to take things into his own hands in the last 10 min.

it's a lot easier to look great in a team that is going forward and leading by 3 converted tries.

 

[stryker]

Each to their own, IMO as a rep player Sonny can not tie Birds bootlaces. Bird has proven himself through origin and test matches, Sonny has shown nothing. You say it is easier to look good in a side going forward. Our back rowers play a vital role in that. Yours do not… In fact Sonny spends all game targeting the halves and centres. He. Is a good player, but not good enough.

 

[Peaches]

Was a thorough professional commanding performance by the Kangeroos. Well done to the players and coaching staff.

On a serious note, Old Trafford should not host rugby league. Everytine a player attacked a ball in the in-goal they were in serious danger of hurting themselves. How Vatuvei didn't come up injured after flying high, landing in the gully and his left shoulder and ran hanging out and ending under the fence; is nothing short of a miracle. Player welfare has to be considered much more then it did last night.

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[stryker]

Was a thorough professional commanding performance by the Kangeroos. Well done to the players and coaching staff.

On a serious note, Old Trafford should not host rugby league. Everytine a player attacked a ball in the in-goal they were in serious danger of hurting themselves. How Vatuvei didn't come up injured after flying high, landing in the gully and his left shoulder and ran hanging out and ending under the fence; is nothing short of a miracle. Player welfare has to be considered much more then it did last night.

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

Yeah the surroundings of the field were diabolical. The organisers were warned that the players would throw themselves into touch to score or attempt to and did nothing to make these areas safer. What happened to Morris and Vatuvai should never happen. Luckily they both continued playing but anything could have resulted from that and the organisers should be held to account.
Apart from that, the whole tournament was well run but they are bloody lucky no-one broke their neck in this final. Old Trafford may be a great ground for the round ball but is completely ill suited to either rugby code.

 

[innsaneink]

Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens told Grandstand that he was proud of the way his team had regrouped after the game against England.
Audio: Interview: Tim Sheens (ABC News)
>
"We knew we were in for a really tough battle in this tournament (after that game)," he said.
>
**"We really focused on D (defence) … I gave up a lot of opportunities to practice offence to give more time on defence.**
>
"The Fiji first game in St Helens, (was) probably the toughest conditions an Australian team has played in for some time, and they hung together in that game.
>
"From there we really set the tone."

Looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks

 

[happy_tiger]

Was a thorough professional commanding performance by the Kangeroos. Well done to the players and coaching staff.

On a serious note, Old Trafford should not host rugby league. Everytine a player attacked a ball in the in-goal they were in serious danger of hurting themselves. How Vatuvei didn't come up injured after flying high, landing in the gully and his left shoulder and ran hanging out and ending under the fence; is nothing short of a miracle. Player welfare has to be considered much more then it did last night.

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

Problem is most grounds in England have the same issues that could hold that sort of crowd

Probably the only one that would fit the mold is Twickenham and they won't be letting any Rugby Leagues teams play their in the near future

 

[Fade_To_Black]

Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens told Grandstand that he was proud of the way his team had regrouped after the game against England.
Audio: Interview: Tim Sheens (ABC News)
>
"We knew we were in for a really tough battle in this tournament (after that game)," he said.
>
**"We really focused on D (defence) … I gave up a lot of opportunities to practice offence to give more time on defence.**
>
"The Fiji first game in St Helens, (was) probably the toughest conditions an Australian team has played in for some time, and they hung together in that game.
>
"From there we really set the tone."

Looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks

Fair to say he had a bit better team at his disposal in the WC than what he did at the Tigers, in every facet of the game.

 

[innsaneink]

Thats beside the point

He focussed on attack here, defense was secondary….he persisted for a decade. Basing everything around one player.
It got him less the 50% win ratio

He's learnt something...the old dog

 

[Marshall_magic]

Impressive performance in the final by the good guys, it's a shame the kiwis didn't live up to their side of the bargain. Hayne was incredible as was JT.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

Hopefully the sheep shaggers have a go tonight

They didn't.

Their only hope for a victory was to belt the daylights out of the Aussies yet they come out and play meek as lambs. The moment Isaac Luke patted Smith on the back after his high tackle on Elijah Taylor summed their mindset up. He should have stood up for his teammate and give him a backhander. Can't picture Kevin Tamati or Quentin Pongia patting an enemy on the back.

The Kiwis definitely blew their bolt last week.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

Thats beside the point

He focussed on attack here, defense was secondary….he persisted for a decade. Basing everything around one player.
It got him less the 50% win ratio

He's learnt something...the old dog

How is it beside the point that he focussed on defence when he had the world's best defensive players in his team whereas at the Tigers he had blokes who couldn't tackle a runaway toddler? He knew that the Kiwis main hope was to out-attack us, they for sure weren't going to out-defend Australia…they never have. So defence was always the key to victory, hence the focus on that part.

You coach to your strengths, at the Tigers defence was the worst aspect of our game by far so he went with the attacking side of the game instead. Our defence was so pathetic in part due to his apparent lack of detail to that aspect of the game but then again, you can tell blokes to tackle until you're blue in the face, whether or not they wanna actually do it is up to the players themselves. We had too many pretty boys that didn't want to get involved in the tough stuff, better to look good.