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Kangaroos win but expect changes
Glenn Jackson
November 1, 2010
SHORTLY after castigating the Kangaroos for a below-par performance last night, Australian coach Tim Sheens watched the seven members of the Australian squad who are yet to play in the Four Nations tournament put through drills on AAMI Park.Both happenings showed there will be significant changes to the squad for their final pool match against New Zealand in Auckland next Saturday night - and all seven players could be playing against the Kiwis.
Advertisement: Story continues below The Kangaroos’ 34-14 victory over England means next week’s match will be a dress rehearsal for the final - the only difference being a number of players are still auditioning for the November 13 decider.
‘‘I don’t think some of the players played well enough,’’ Sheens said of last night’s display.
‘‘There’ll be some changes. [And] if guys stand up next week and have outplayed guys that I’ve given two games to, they will be considered for the final for sure. It wasn’t quite up to our standard.’’
Having played the same 17 players against PNG and England, Sheens is now likely to send Emus Darius Boyd, Dean Young, Robbie Farah, Matt Scott, Greg Bird and Chris Lawrence out against the Kiwis. He will keep his ‘‘spine’’ of full-back Billy Slater, five-eighth Darren Lockyer, half-back Cooper Cronk and hooker Cameron Smith, all of whom are displaying some rust, but everyone else appears fair game.
Second-rower Luke Lewis is already ‘‘long odds’’ to play, according to Sheens, after suffering a calf injury against England.
But it was a rather lethargic second half that was worrying Sheens more than niggling injuries.
‘‘Our second half was pretty ordinary,’’ Sheens said.
''I am concerned about how easily they walked through us in the middle. As I said to the guys, New Zealand will be licking their lips at the thought of some of the defence in the middle. We’re going to have to be a lot better than that.
''We might be rated as the favourites, but … we had a lot of players unavailable, and that’s showing a little bit in respect of our game. New Zealand went in with a lot of their key players playing really well, particularly their forwards, and I think they’ve showed that.
‘‘The next two games are going to be very interesting.’’
Lockyer added: ''There’s room for improvement there. We’re in the final, and that’s a positive, but that second half … there’s a lot of guys in there [the dressing room] not feeling great about things.
‘‘We know we’ve got some work to do. We can do better.’’
The blight on international football right now is that Australia is through to a major final - and it has failed to look great to do so.
The Kangaroos never really needed anything more than third gear as England was let down by the fingers of its own players and those of the video referee - both sets producing confusing displays. They did what they had to do.
‘‘We’re bitterly disappointed,’’ England captain James Graham said.
But England has long struggled to put 80 minutes into its matches against Australia. On this night its competitiveness lasted about 18.
The English were not helped by the officiating. After 18 minutes, Lockyer kicked and Lewis was awarded his second even though there appeared to be a touch from Cronk in the lead-up. Centre Brent Tate’s 28th-minute try was also controversial, after Tate appeared to have bounced the ball in the act of scoring, while England’s awful luck was evident when a bad pass allowed Lewis a cut through a shredded English defensive line and hand the ball on to centre Willie Tonga, who scored the Kangaroos’ fifth try of the first half.
Neither side was happy with the refereeing. Sheens described the officiating of the play-the-ball as ‘‘a joke’’.
‘‘If you’re going to expect that sort of rubbish on the ground. They just choked us on the ground and … no penalties,’’ Sheens said.
‘‘That standard’s not acceptable, as far as I’m concerned.’’
No one was apparently happy with anything, really. Except seven players being put through their paces an hour after a match in which they didn’t play.
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I love this Guy - Not happy unless its perfect and conscious of the big picture.
Sometimes I wonder if our WT was a more mature organisation with a bit more $$$ what we could have achieved.
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Nominations for Changes guys???
Lawrence in for Tonga is the obvious one for me.
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Believe it when I see it.
Tim has a habit of making these statements and than shuffling a few players.
I honestly expect Lewis and Gidley out to be replaced by Young and Farah and that is it if anything
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Myles to the backrow and Scott to the bench as Prop.
Slater rested, Carney/Boyd to Fullback.
Tonga & Lote rested, Lawrence to Centre with Morris switched to the left. (I hope they keep this combination for the Final)
Farah to bench.
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Would really like to see Gallen and Watmough shafted…
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Watmough & Gallen have been useless in the past two games.
Myles in the front row is a waste. I’d start Shillington with Scott on the bench, Myles to 2nd row for Lewis and Bird to lock for Gallen.
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Nomination for Changes???
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Sheens to axe seniors for rookie Roos
NRL.com
Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:21:00Several Kangaroos rookies are set to make their international debuts this weekend in the dress rehearsal for the Four Nations Final against New Zealand after coach Tim Sheens confirmed last night he would axe some senior players.
Soon after stating “there will be some changes” – more as a result of disappointing form than injury – Sheens put Australia’s seven rookies through a fitness session while the team showered following their 34-14 win over England at Melbourne’s AAMI Park yesterday.
The rookies - Dally M winner Todd Carney (Roosters), Greg Bird (Titans), Dean Young (Dragons), Matt Scott (Cowboys), Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Raiders), Nate Myles (Roosters) and Chris Lawrence (Wests Tigers) – will have until Thursday to push their claim for selection for the final round match against the Kiwis in Auckland on Saturday.
Man-of–the-Match Luke Lewis is in doubt with injury, but Sheens expects him to be fit for the all important Final the following weekend (Sat, Nov 13) at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, where New Zealand upset Australia in the 2008 World Cup Final.
“We want to win this game (this Saturday) and I will pick a team to win the game … and there will be some changes, in respect there are a couple of injuries, but also I don’t think some of the guys played well enough,” Sheens said.
“I said to them before the game - the 17 guys who started all had experience - either State of Origin or playing for their country. A lot of the guys not playing were the rookies and that’s why the senior guys got the chance.
"I played them game one from a point of view of getting them condition. Game two was a critical game and we went out with an experienced side, but there’s no doubt there were some fundamental errors in and around the ruck.
“I am concerned about how easy they walked through us in the middle … New Zealand would be licking their lips with the thought of some of the defence in the middle tonight so we’re going to have to be a lot better than that.”
Both Sheens and Australian captain Darren Lockyer were disappointed with the second half performance against England which Sheens described as “pretty ordinary”.
“We’re in the Final and that’s a positive,” said Lockyer. “The second half … there’s a lot of guys not feeling good about things.
“As Tim said, we know we have a lot of work to do. The conditions played a part in that but at the same time we can do a lot better.”
Umm … TLL and Nate Myles? What about Farah?
My team would look something like this:
1. Slater
2. Morris
3. Tate
4. Lawrence
5. Tuqiri
6. Lockyer
7. Cronk
8. Shillington
9. Smith
10. Civoniceva
11. Thaiday
12. Myles
13. Bird14. Carney
15. Scott
16. TLL
17. Gallen -
My team would look something like this:
1. Slater
2. Morris
3. Tate
4. Lawrence
5. Tuqiri
6. Lockyer
7. Cronk
8. Shillington
9. Smith
10. Civoniceva
11. Thaiday
12. Myles
13. Bird14. Carney
15. Scott
16. TLL
17. GallenSorry Robbie - Alex’s team looks about spot on to me.
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My team would look something like this:
1. Slater
2. Morris
3. Tate
4. Lawrence
5. Tuqiri
6. Lockyer
7. Cronk
8. Shillington
9. Smith
10. Civoniceva
11. Thaiday
12. Myles
13. Bird14. Carney
15. Scott
16. TLL
17. GallenSorry Robbie - Alex’s team looks about spot on to me.
x 2
Tonga is strangling the left side. Midget-Head Myles would be more damaging running wide. Carney is the X-factor to combat Marshall.
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i think sheens will make these changes for the next game:
boyd to the wing for morris
myles shift to the backrow for the injured lewis, shillington to start at prop, scott added to the bench
bird on the bench for watmough
carney on the bench for gidley
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I think Boyd will be in for Tuqiri but would leave Tuqiri in with Lawrence on the left side.
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for me sheensy said he would use everyone at some stage and he will keep the core there as well which is a bit odd but anyway
1. Slater
2. Boyd
3. Carney
4. Lawrence
5. Tuqiri6. Lockyer
7. Cronk8. Shillington
9. Smith
10. Civiniceva
11. Thaiday
12. Myles
13. Bird14. Farah
15. Young
16. Scott
17. Leoroyd Lahrs -
for me sheensy said he would use everyone at some stage and he will keep the core there as well which is a bit odd but anyway
1. Slater
2. Boyd
3. Carney
4. Lawrence
5. Tuqiri6. Lockyer
7. Cronk8. Shillington
9. Smith
10. Civiniceva
11. Thaiday
12. Myles
13. Bird14. Farah
15. Young
16. Scott
17. Leoroyd Lahrsi really hope dean young doesnt get picked. he doesnt deserve it. so he played good for the dragons, so what? thats club footy. nsw would never pick him for origin, so y would u pick him for australia? other than that, i think all the other blokes deserve a go
