Interesting hearing a Lachlan Coote interview on the Cowboys site today where he said he was close to putting his hand up for Scotland this World Cup. In hindsight, I'm not sure where he would play because of how well Russell has performed but he no doubt would of added that extra attacking threat to a side that is currently going so well without him.
Retiring Italy forward Cameron Ciraldo hospitalised at rugby league World Cup
LIAM FITZGIBBON AAP
AAP
NOVEMBER 12, 2013 8:22AM
Cameron Ciraldo of Italy is held up by a strong Scottish defence. Source: Getty Images
VETERAN NRL forward Cameron Ciraldo spent the last night of his playing career in hospital after suffering a rare abdominal injury at the Rugby League World Cup.
Ciraldo is likely to require surgery before he can return home from the tournament after he suffered a lacerated pancreas in Italy's 16-0 loss to Tonga in Halifax on Sunday night.
It was Ciraldo's his last game as a professional player, with the 29-year-old to take up a coaching role with his NRL club Penrith next season.
The former Newcastle and Cronulla forward was rushed to hospital by ambulance after complaining of back and stomach problems when he arrived back at the team's Leeds base after Sunday's match.
Italy are out of the tournament and the rest of the squad will fly home on Monday, but team manager Reno Santaguida will remain with Ciraldo in Leeds to ensure he is assisted in his recovery.
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary, at the tournament as New Zealand assistant coach, will also visit the player in hospital later on Monday while Ciraldo's parents are also in the UK.
Ciraldo overcame a sickening injury earlier in his career to play 94 NRL games.
Playing for the Knights in 2009, he broke his fibula in four places and severely dislocated his ankle but returned the following year.
By Matt Encarnacion
NRL.com
7:30am Tue 12th November, 2013
Sam Burgess showed his worth for England against Petero Civoniceva and Fiji.
1. The emerging nations have emerged
The fun thing to do at these global get-togethers is point the finger at the hosts for not providing enough sun, or for having too many warm refreshments.
But when the life of the party has been the unlikely ones – like first-time visitors USA and Italy – then we guess at some point someone's got to raise a glass to the people organising the damn thing.
Sure, the regulars might be the ones who'll last the night, but for every person who's enjoyed a USA, Italian or Scottish victory up to this point, it's another tick in the box for a tournament which often doesn't get fun until the final three games.
2. Daly Cherry-Evans has emerged
It's not often a coach's hand is forced by the whiff of a Man of the Match medal, but the pressure is on Tim Sheens to pick Daly Cherry-Evans on the bench for the Kangaroos' quarter-final against the USA after the halfback's stunning performance against Ireland.
Hey, you wanted to give them all some time with the pill, and what you got was a headache. This is the business end now, don't screw it up.
3. Sam Burgess will emerge
In case you haven't heard, Sam Burgess is a headcase. It's true, we read it in The Daily Telegraph.
But while it's been fun getting up to pace with how much the Rabbitoh may or may not hate his fellow countryman in James Graham, we were shown plenty of evidence in their match against Fiji that the aggressive forward means as much to England as James Anderson.
You won't find many stat lines from a forward better that this one Burgess put together against the ageless Petero Civoniceva and Fiji: 182 metres, eight tackle breaks, four offloads, three line breaks and a try.
4. Tonga won't emerge
We can't let the stragglers leave the party without a souvenir, can we? Now, officially, host nation Wales walked away with the wooden spoon, having not won a game all tournament.
And while the locals have every right to be all up in arms about their Super League-flavoured failure, we can't exactly let the Tongans, those of the 1122-games of NRL experience persuasion, slip by without any kind of Sam Burgess-like treatment.
The NRL has been blessed with the talent coming out of the pacific island nation, and it's just a shame we won't see them in the knockout stages.
5. Halves win games, and World Cups
It'd be unfair of us to point out the significance of what the names Thurston, Cronk, Foran, Johnson, Chase and Sinfield mean to their nations.
But when you look at the wealth of talent displayed by countries not named Australia, England or New Zealand, you realise there's a common missing ingredient among the lot: a real class halfback.
One might make an exception for Scotland's Man of Steel Danny Brough (and Scotland have surprised a few by advancing to the quarters), but unfortunately, that's pretty much where it ends.
As the old saying goes, 'You can't win a grand final without a good halfback'. Well, you can certainly apply it to World Cups too.
By Dominic Brock
NRL.com
10:40am Tue 12th November, 2013
The Americans will face a massive jump in class when they take on Australia in the World Cup quarter-finals.
The 2013 Rugby League World Cup group stage has been completed, with eight nations advancing to the quarter-finals and six others bowing out. Here is how things look going into this week's quarter-finals.
GROUP A
Australia go through undefeated with a points differential of +90 to easily top the group, with England taking second spot as expected. Fiji's win over Ireland was enough to take them through in third place, with the Irish beaten by a combined 92-0 in their final two matches against England and Australia.
GROUP B
New Zealand are the highest-scoring team of the tournament so far, averaging almost 50 points a game thanks to big wins over France and Papua New Guinea.
Samoa – who at least tested the Kiwis on the way to a 42-24 defeat – have taken second place after beating France in their final group match, with the French taking the third qualifying spot ahead of the luckless Papua New Guinea who lost all three of their matches.
GROUP C
In the closest-fought group of the tournament, Scotland pipped Tonga by two points, drew with Italy, and managed to knock both highly-fancied teams out of the World Cup.
Their win over the USA made them the only undefeated team of the group, with Tonga recovering from their first-up defeat to beat the Cook Islands and then Italy, who suddenly dropped from first in the group to last.
GROUP D
The Welsh were arguably the flop of the World Cup, losing their three matches against Italy, the USA and the Cook Islands.
The Americans were the first team in the tournament to book their passage to the knockout stage after beating both their group rivals, while the Cooks ended their campaign on a high with a 28-24 win over Wales.
QUARTER-FINAL MATCH-UPS
Reigning champions New Zealand will start warm favourites against plucky Scotland, Australia should continue their charge towards the final with a win over the USA, England will take on the unconvincing French and Fiji take on Pacific Islands rivals Samoa.
By Mark Ramsdale
NRL
10:53am Thu 14th November, 2013
NRL chief executive Dave Smith will address British Members of Parliament at a meeting of the UK's Parliamentary Rugby League Group, just days before the RLWC2013 final.
Smith's visit is the second successive meeting of the Group to have an international focus and take place during the World Cup; on October 29 Rugby League International Federation Chairman and chairman of New Zealand Rugby League Scott Carter spoke to the Group about the sport's position and development around the world.
Open to all MPs and peers, as well as associate members from outside Parliament, the Group has the sole purpose of supporting the sport of rugby league football, something it has been doing for 25 years.
The Group's most recent success came just ahead of the World Cup, with the pressure it put on Virgin Media to show RLWC2013 provider Premier Sports on its platform credited with helping a deal being secured just a day before the tournament kicked-off.
On announcing Smith's visit the Group's chairman, Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland, said, "We're delighted that Dave can join us and are very much looking forward to his visit and hearing his thoughts on the game from the from an Australian viewpoint, as well as – particularly as a Welshman – how he feels RLWC2013 and the international game fares in the global sports market."
On accepting the invitation, Smith said, "It is a wonderful privilege to visit the Houses of Parliament and meet the members of the UK Parliamentary Rugby League Group.
"We have recently launched our 'Friends' Groups in Australian parliaments and I'm interested in exchanging ideas on how the UK group engages its membership and leverages opportunity with government.
"The 2013 World Cup has demonstrated that international rugby league is strong and it's organisations such as this that positively promote our game in both the UK and Australia."
INTERNATIONAL sport is Australia v England in the Ashes at the Gabba, Wimbledon, a golf major, world championship athletics and swimming, a Bledisloe Cup, boxing in Las Vegas or the Tour de France.
Some sports are not meant for the international stage - and the rugby league World Cup is one of them.
Australia's 62-nil quarter-final win over USA on Sunday was a farce, a game played in front of 5726 fans on a pitch that still had lines marked out for the local soccer team.
That team and individual records were broken is an insult to our champions of the past who once earned their milestones and greatness against genuine opposition in the days when Tests and World Cups were restricted to countries that could actually play the game.
The scoreline against USA should have been 70-plus but for Johnathan Thurston's rare day off with the boot.
At one stage of the first half four tries were scored in seven minutes against a team of brave but totally outclassed players.
For more than 20 years I've been listening to the same old lines from rugby league officials about having patience with the international game and developing countries.
From Kevin Humphreys to Ken Arthurson to Dave Smith … blah, blah, blah, blah.
When Australia beat Russia 110-4 in England in 2000, we were told to give them time.The same when we beat France 74-nil in 1994 and PNG 82-nil in Townsville in 2000.
Seriously, no one cares.
Outside of Australia, New Zealand and England, it's a tournament of manufactured teams filled with NRL players, many of whom have never even visited the countries they are representing.
Distant relatives, grandmothers and great aunties, somehow allow them to qualify.
Players who quite frankly are flat out making NRL squads each week, let alone play at an international level.It's all shown on 7mate - a channel a lot of people can't even get - at either one or six in the morning.
If there was any real interest in the tournament, Channel Nine and Fox Sports would be showing it.
This rubbish is not fair on the NRL clubs who fork out millions of dollars of wages to the elite players.
They should be resting and recuperating in the off-season, not spending eight weeks in England on what's become not much more than a boozy holiday, with a couple of serious games against the Poms and Kiwis.
Half of them are likely to struggle next year or suffer form lapses and burnout because they missed a proper off-season.
Cronulla have already lost Luke Lewis for half of 2014 and Storm could have similar problems with Billy Slater's knee.There is one simple solution to fix this debacle.
In future World Cups should be played over three weeks and only include Australia, New Zealand, England and a country that wins a qualifying tournament.
Even a Rest of the World side could be thrown in as the fourth team.
Anything that gives us competitive football.
Anything that makes it worthwhile to suffer sleep deprivation from sitting up in the early hours of the morning.
No doubt the final in two weeks will be a blockbuster, almost certainly the Kangaroos v Kiwis.Foran v Thurston, Sonny Bill v Gallen, Luke v Smith.It's just a joke we've had to wait eight weeks and watch so many meaningless floggings to get to it.
HIGHLIGHT
The Corey Parker flick-pass for Jarryd Hayne's fourth try against the USA was the best since Benji Marshall's in the in 2005 NRL grand final.
LOWLIGHT
Watching so many records get broken at the World Cup against sub-standard teams. It's not fair on champions of the past who achieved their wonderful milestones against genuine opposition.
SHHH
Reports are emerging from the Kangaroos camp in Manchester that Titans forward Nate Myles is not the only player who doesn't get on with Cameron Smith.
By Andrew Bryan
NRL.com
10:55am Mon 18th November, 2013
It's easy to write off the World Cup on one scoreline. Australia 62, USA 0. But to do so is missing the point.
Try telling Cam Smith, Paul Gallen, Greg Inglis and Johnathan Thurston that this World Cup doesn't matter.
Or try telling the same to the fans who attend the games or spend hours waiting outside the grounds in the freezing cold after full-time in the hope of getting a photo with one of their heroes.
Maybe they should mention it to the kid Billy Slater sat beside in the stands after leaving the field early in the quarter-final against USA, due to what could in all likelihood be a tournament-ending injury. Billy and the kid watched the rest of the game together side by side.
That little boy's name? Billy Slater Leather.
Then there is the young lad in a hoodie who was waiting beside the team bus.
He was picked up by big Sam Thaiday and taken onto the team bus because he had somehow missed getting a photo with his favourite player Johnathan Thurston after waiting for over an hour after full-time.
Sam carried the boy onto the bus and down the back, grabbed his phone, took a photo of Thurston and the kid smiling together and then safely returned the phone and child to his parent who could not believe what had just happened.
Yes, Australia are expected to make the final and if they do, they will play against one of the other 'big 3' – New Zealand or England. But tell the fans, the players or anyone involved in this World Cup that the games leading up to the semi-finals haven't mattered.
Tell Boyd Cordner and Josh Papalii that their debuts in the famous green and gold jersey do not matter, or brother Brett and Josh Morris that playing together for Australia is meaningless.
Tell the young halfback Ryan Brierley from Leigh Centurions that his 30 minutes of one-on-one time with Cooper Cronk talking about how to control a match after Australia had finished training didn't matter.
Maybe mention to the USA Tomahawks that the tournament doesn't matter. Before the game against Australia, the staff talked of the amazing journey and friendships they had forged in the short timeframe of the tournament.
They were glowing about their historic win over France in a trial, then their first ever World Cup victory over the Cook Islands, backed up by a 24-16 win over Wales that cemented their place in the knock-out stage of the tournament.
Sure they were predictably beaten by Australia in the quarters, but does that make their achievement any less significant for rugby league?
Their motto was 'shock the world', and while they didn't do that against the Kangaroos, their story certainly did get a lot of coverage. The Wiggles released a song about them that has had over 65,000 views on YouTube and gained media attention across all major publications.
The Rugby League World Cup is not perfect – some teams get seven-day turnarounds while other teams play three games in nine days. Sure, there are minnows and there are giants in this World Cup. No-one is denying that. But the same could be said of most sports.
One or two results shouldn't deter from what has been an excellent tournament.
"OK, that's it then. GI, can you give JT a hand putting DCE's gear into the bus?
Come on the rest of you blokes, hurry up. The plane leaves Heathrow at 8.30; we want to be back home in time for the final episode of The Bachelor.
Yeah, yeah Sam I know we've still got two games to go but didn't you hear the news?
Buzz Rothfield reckons the World Cup is a farce so they've called it off.
Now which of you clowns has hidden Billy's crutches?"
Well why not?
According to my esteemed colleague Mr Rothfield this whole Rugby League World Cup thing is a complete waste of time.
By racking up big scores against Ireland and the USA the Kangaroos have apparently insulted the great players of the past, such as Immortals Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier and Graeme Langlands.
As Buzz sees it there is no room in international rugby league for scores such as 50-nil, 62-nil and 50-12 . . . oh hang on, that last one isn't from the current RLWC, it was Australia versus England at Swinton in 1963 featuring Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier and Graeme Langlands.
Maybe we should have called that game a joke too, instead of lauding it as the Kangaroos' greatest-ever performance.But let's not confuse the knockers with history Or facts.
The truth of the matter is that the RLWC isn't being held for the sole entertainment of Phil Rothfield or any other dyed in the wool rugby league supporter.
That's what the NRL is for (incidentally Buzz, did you call it a farce when your Sharks beat Manly 68-6 in 2005?).
While bragging rights are at stake between Australia, NZ and England the real aim of the tournament is to promote the game, support the "minnows" and, hopefully, garner interest in new markets.
Yes, it is true that the three "home nations" are making up the numbers - a quarter final spot for Ireland, Wales or Scotland is neither here nor there - and many of the Italian players wouldn't know whether Tagliatelle is an opera, a pasta dish or a racehorse, but so what?
The real success stories of this World Cup have been the US, Fiji and Samoa.We shouldn't be ridiculing the performance of the Americans in the quarter final, we should be praising the fact that they got there - and pushing for a RLWC to be held in the US as soon as possible.
And yes Buzz, you could rightly argue that rugby union is the more dominant sport in the Pacific Islands.All the more reason to get behind the three Islander teams.
Take a look at international rugby union Buzz, there are a lot of Sonny Bills, Peteros and Fui Fuis running around.
The NRL teams might have to prop up the World Cup by releasing their players through the off-season, but that is the cost of expanding their talent pool.
If one Polynesian kid living in Auckland or Sydney is inspired enough by the World Cup to become a Shark, Blue or Roo rather than an All Black or Wallaby doesn't that make it worth the exercise?
Let's not forget that the biggest boost rugby union ever had in the Pacific was when Samoa beat Wales and made the quarter-finals of the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
As for the legitimacy of teams like PNG or France going up against the likes of Australia or New Zealand, don't you get it mate?
Not all teams competing in England seriously believed they had a chance of winning the World Cup (and that doesn't stop the Sharks chasing the premiership year after painful year does it?).
Some, like the Kumuls, who represent the one nation on earth that calls rugby league its national sport, were just hoping to get on the same paddock as the game's heavyweights.
Like the Socceroos, our minnows of world sport, they want to play against the best and their fans want to see them taking on Thurston, Inglis, Slater, Hayne, Smith and co.
Unlike you Buzz, their supporters don't mind getting up early to watch what you call "rubbish".
It is their World Cup as much as yours.
Actually, I take that back. It isn't your World Cup at all. You don't deserve it.
THE man who masterminded New Zealand's shock victory at the last World Cup has declared the 2013 tournament "is better than 2008" and Wayne Bennett has rejected talk that it is a waste of time.
While there is justified criticism over some of the lopsided scorelines, Bennett last night said "what people have to realise is that this is not just about Australia, New Zealand and England, this is about the rest of the world.
"And this is not about now, this is about where we want the game to be in 40 years."
Bennett was the brains behind the Kiwis' stunning upset victory over the Kangaroos in 2008 and he has no doubt in five years the developing league nations have grown significantly, directly because of their involvement in the World Cup.
"One of the reasons I took on the New Zealand job was because everyone was talking down the World Cup and in my opinion this one has been better," the seven-time premiership winning coach said.
"It is not a waste of time for the people of Fiji and everyone else who benefitted out of this. The United States. France. Italy. And that's what the World Cup is about, it is a bit bigger than the NRL, and we need to realise that."
"Fans vote with their feet and they have voted over there that they have enjoyed the concept and the quality of football.
"Everyone that was complaining about the 5000 people who turned up for Australia's game against Ireland should realise that crowd was the biggest rugby league crowd ever in Ireland.
"Biggest ever. That's a good thing for the game.
"And so many of these games have been held in front of similar record crowds, record crowds All through the north of England, in France.
"It's easy for us sitting back here to say it's a waste of time but I'm telling you it is not a waste of time for the people of Fiji and everyone else who benefitted out of this.
"The United States. France. Italy. And that's what the World Cup is about, it is a bit bigger than the NRL, and we need to realise that.
"Whether it's cricket or rugby union or netball, they are all trying to make a thing of the World Cup in their different sports because it is the only way you are going to develop your sport.
"We keep taking this short-term view. It is not about the short-term here, it's long-term."And you're right, we know who the quality teams are now but it won't be long before someone is going to knock over one of these quality teams.
"And I talk to the players and the players have really bought into it this time and they want to represent their countries."In 2008 that wasn't as prevalent as it is now.
"I saw the other day Lachlan Coote, who is at the Cowboys now, says he wishes he had played for Scotland. There will be a lot more players that will take the offer next time.
"And people say it's not authentic. I know with Kade Snowden's case he had to get his grand father's birth certificate (to play for Italy).
"That is what they do for every other sport in the world, why do we always have to bag ourselves?"
By Chris Kennedy
NRL.com
11:47am Tue 19th November, 2013
1. The Kiwis aren't missing Benji
Forget about the fact Benji Marshall didn't have his best ever year at the Tigers in 2013 – his playmaking skills were an instrumental part of helping the Kiwis to World Cup glory in 2008 and a Four Nations triumph in 2010.
While undoubtedly brimming with talent, the younger and less tried halves combination of Kieran Foran and Shaun Johnson was no guarantee to bring immediate results.
But they've been arguably the most successful playmaker pairing of the World Cup: the Kiwis are the highest-scoring side after four weeks of the tournament with Foran and Johnson notching a combined 13 try assists.
By comparison, Jonathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Daly Cherry-Evans have combined for six.
2. Jarryd Hayne can play anywhere
OK, first of all a disclaimer – yes, we realise it was "only" the USA. But Hayne was both powerful and assured playing 80 minutes in the vexed right centre position.
He was our Man of the Match with four tries (and was instrumental in setting up two more), four line breaks, 153 metres and nine tackle breaks.
Crucially he also made 10 tackles – more than anyone else in the backline – missing just one.
If there had been a criticism of playing Hayne "out of position" in the centres it seemed to revolve around questioning how he'd handle the increased defensive workload.
But Hayne did absolutely everything asked of him and more, and with Billy Slater's injury having set a cat amongst the pigeons, Hayne's form and versatility seems to have guaranteed him a place somewhere in Tim Sheens' top 17.
3. A clear top two is emerging
We don't want to write off the Poms just yet because if they do topple the Kiwis this weekend we'll be left to remove a large quantity of egg from our faces – but they really do seem to lack that killer instinct in a way the Kiwis and Kangaroos do not.
Granted the Kiwis are yet to face top-line opposition, and the English started strongly in a tough game against the Aussie side.
But while the Kiwis wiped the floor with a disappointing French side 48-blot, the fact England eventually stretched their win out to 34-6 at full-time against a French side that spent most of that match with a two-man interchange bench due to injuries seemed more a measure of how bad France were rather than a measure of English dominance.
Perhaps a look at the current for-and-against tells a story – Australia: +152; New Zealand: +148; England: +84.
We expect New Zealand to be far too strong for England this weekend then to take the fight to the Aussies in the final. If England do somehow overcome the Kiwis, we can't see them getting close to a fired-up Kangaroos outfit in the decider.
4. Henry Perenara is a top line referee
He may not be the most experienced whistle blower in the NRL, but the former Warriors, Storm, Dragons, Eels and Sharks forward has barely set a foot wrong during the tournament so far, with a number of quality calls.
This entry may not especially please Cowboys fans still irate over Cronulla's 'seventh tackle try' that helped bundle them out of their 2013 elimination final, with Perenara having been one of the two on-field officials at fault in that one, but he looks to have moved on from that error admirably.
A case in point was his decision to have a look at a try to Daly Cherry-Evans late in the Kangaroos' win over the USA. While many would have let it go, an astute Perenara felt Cherry-Evans may have been in front of the play the ball – with his hunch proving correct.
5. Marika Koroibete will give Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter some welcome selection headaches
With Tim Simona and Chris Lawrence likely to form a first-choice star centre pairing with James Tedesco at fullback, boom youngsters David Nofoaluma and Marika Koroibete were set to form an exciting and explosive wing pairing for the Tigers in 2014.
When the Tigers invested in bringing 2005 premiership winner and Wigan's 2010 Man of Steel Pat Richards back to the club, injury-plagued Koroibete seemed the most likely to miss out.
But Koroibete played a starring role in Fiji's 22-6 win over Samoa, with match highs in metres (220), runs (19), line breaks (two) and tackle breaks (seven), and has shown he is made for the big time.
Perhaps even more significantly, Samoa deliberately set out to target Koroibete with bombs in that match but the young Fijian didn't miss a thing all night.
Aside from presenting Potter with a welcome conundrum, he's also shown former Kangaroo Akuila Uate will be far from the only threat Australia will face in this weekend's semi-final.
By James MacSmith
AAP
12:59pm Tue 19th November, 2013
Kangaroos star Jarryd Hayne has launched a passionate defence of the Rugby League World Cup against detractors who claim the tournament is a waste of time.
Rugby league's international showpiece has come under fire from some quarters due to its lopsided scorelines and small crowds but Hayne says the end-of-season showpiece is vital in helping to grow the game.
Australia's 62-0 win over USA in the quarter-finals before 5762 fans in Wrexham, Wales has been pointed to by critics as indicative of what is wrong with the tournament.
But Hayne said things needed to put put into perspective, and pointed to the Fijian Rugby League's new three-year $F4 million ($A2.35 million) sponsorship deal with Vodafone Fiji as evidence of that.
"5 years ago not many people new about rugby league in Fiji," Hayne wrote on his Instagram account.
"The World Cup kick started the interest for rugby league in fiji. The World Cup changed the culture of rugby league in Fiji. A sport that was played very little is now just received 4million in funding."
The crowd for Australia's quarter-final was a record, as was the 5021 who turned up for their 50-0 win over Ireland in their final group match at Thomond Park, Limerick.
And Hayne said the tournament, which hosts a semi-final doubleheader at Wembley Stadium this weekend with Fiji playing Australia and England meeting New Zealand, had done plenty to promote the game away from its heartlands in Australia and England.
"Waste of time some are saying!! What's the point some are saying," wrote Hayne who played four games for Fiji at the 2008 World Cup.
"To those knuckle heads. His a life lesson. You Gota take small steps be4 u take big 1's. Fiji did that in 08 with the help of some great people who worked there backsides of in seeing the game grow, have now be rewarded with much needed funding.
Congrats to Peni, #vodafone and all the Bati staff who got the deal dun. hopefully in 4-5 years time another country can celebrate a deal like this as well #RLWC2013 #MoreThanAGame."
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