2023 Internationals

Im not trying to put the mocker on him but with his constant upward trajectory if he stays on this path he could end up as one of our best front rowers ever.
A lot to do before he gets there but I can see it.
 
That's an amazing result. Biggest ever loss for Australia! :o

Kiwis haven't lost to Australia at home since 2012, unfortunately this is only the third game they've played in NZ in that 11 year period.

Shout out to Fa'amanu Brown too, for probably the Knights third or fourth string hooker he's done a great job.

I said it before the tournament started, but Australia need to start bringing through some new blood. It's a new World Cup cycle, some of this team is past its best.
 
The thought which went through my mind watching that, constantly: Tino makes about as much as Fisher-Harris and Leota combined.
 
jamesgould said:
I said it before the tournament started, but Australia need to start bringing through some new blood. It's a new World Cup cycle, some of this team is past its best.
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Mal did pick Edwards, Staggs, Hammer, and Hynes this game.
Edwards isn’t a winger. Both Staggs and the Hammer were found out defensively today. Hynes just isn’t a rep quality player. He plays well against bad teams.
 
Oliver said:
Mal did pick Edwards, Staggs, Hammer, and Hynes this game.
Edwards isn’t a winger. Both Staggs and the Hammer were found out defensively today. Hynes just isn’t a rep quality player. He plays well against bad teams.
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Yep when the teams are even & you have "coach" think Mal has been found wanting
 
I thought the game looked more like a club game than an international final.

Austrlia were flat, Kiwis went through the motions and got the job done.

Overall though, ordinary game, ordinary crowd.

Maybe by this time of year the players have their eyes on the off season.

Leo had a big game though. Good to see from him and he will take a lot of confidence from it.
 
I thought the Kiwis were great, one of their best performances in years ... they have looked good in areas over the las few years under Maguire, but finally put it all together today.

But I do agree this was a very low key tournament, and things are a far cry from the days of the Tri Nations and Four Nations which used to be pretty big events that got big crowds.

I think part of it is they blew up that successful format for some reason. We've been starved of international league in recent years and the support and interest has naturally died off.

We had mid-season Pacific tests which were getting some momentum and bigger and bigger crowds, but because they were taking the shine off Origin the NRL got rid of them.

The tests we do play have been in rather random locations. I don't think the Kangaroos have played in Sydney for over a decade? There have been some disappointing crowds in big centres before, but that means you work harder to grow those crowds, not take games to the middle of nowhere instead. And I don't think it's helped by these games always being organised at the last minute. The best grounds are already booked out (I believe that was part of the problem today) and fans can't organise trips to watch their country play.

And of course the Player's Association has shut down internationals because they are barely allowed to play any. Back in the day the Tri Nations would be two rounds, six weeks of round robin play and a final.

We have an amazing international sport with the Pacific teams getting so strong, but we are squandering it.
 
jamesgould said:
I thought the Kiwis were great, one of their best performances in years ... they have looked good in areas over the las few years under Maguire, but finally put it all together today.

But I do agree this was a very low key tournament, and things are a far cry from the days of the Tri Nations and Four Nations which used to be pretty big events that got big crowds.

I think part of it is they blew up that successful format for some reason. We've been starved of international league in recent years and the support and interest has naturally died off.

We had mid-season Pacific tests which were getting some momentum and bigger and bigger crowds, but because they were taking the shine off Origin the NRL got rid of them.

The tests we do play have been in rather random locations. I don't think the Kangaroos have played in Sydney for over a decade? There have been some disappointing crowds in big centres before, but that means you work harder to grow those crowds, not take games to the middle of nowhere instead. And I don't think it's helped by these games always being organised at the last minute. The best grounds are already booked out (I believe that was part of the problem today) and fans can't organise trips to watch their country play.

And of course the Player's Association has shut down internationals because they are barely allowed to play any. Back in the day the Tri Nations would be two rounds, six weeks of round robin play and a final.

We have an amazing international sport with the Pacific teams getting so strong, but we are squandering it.
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Couldn't have said it any better.

Removal of the mid-season tests was ridiculous, beginning of the rot initiated by V'landys and Abdo. We needed to go to 3 rep rounds mid-season, the big gripe of Origin flopping on the weekends was a pathetic excuse, you could've still played Origin on Wednesday and filled the other games that would've been depleted NRL sides with other rep content - Pacific Internationals, Junior Rep games, etc. Just needed to invest in these fixtures to develop consistent events.

Unfortunately I don't see it changing anytime soon, but it is a travesty the likes of the Kiwis don't get to play more games - the standard of that forward pack in particular is immense, I love Origin but that Kiwis pack is lightyears ahead of the standard displayed in Origin. Kiwis pack embarassed guys that have been long-revered from their Origin performances like Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui, Hunt, Grant, Martin, Cotter, Carrigan, Collins, etc. Yet we still pretend that it's some form of absolute pinnacle and the Kiwis are shelved til the end of the year in a tournament drawn up at the last minute. Disservice to the entire sport.
 
MullosLefttoRight said:
Couldn't have said it any better.

Removal of the mid-season tests was ridiculous, beginning of the rot initiated by V'landys and Abdo. We needed to go to 3 rep rounds mid-season, the big gripe of Origin flopping on the weekends was a pathetic excuse, you could've still played Origin on Wednesday and filled the other games that would've been depleted NRL sides with other rep content - Pacific Internationals, Junior Rep games, etc. Just needed to invest in these fixtures to develop consistent events.

Unfortunately I don't see it changing anytime soon, but it is a travesty the likes of the Kiwis don't get to play more games - the standard of that forward pack in particular is immense, I love Origin but that Kiwis pack is lightyears ahead of the standard displayed in Origin. Kiwis pack embarassed guys that have been long-revered from their Origin performances like Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui, Hunt, Grant, Martin, Cotter, Carrigan, Collins, etc. Yet we still pretend that it's some form of absolute pinnacle and the Kiwis are shelved til the end of the year in a tournament drawn up at the last minute. Disservice to the entire sport.
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Yeah it's really bad now, the Kiwis only get a max of three tests a year, and they're an afterthought at the end of the season, when the team isn't likely to be full-strength. Last year we had the mid-season test against Tonga which was sold out at Mt Smart (I flew up to Auckland for it!).

Australia is in the same boat, but there's Origin for them which is their own special thing and comparable.

I mean that's the reason for the poor crowd today if you really want to be honest about it. The team barely plays in NZ, there's major parts of the country which have barely seen them play for the last decade plus, and that connection is dead.

Like you I'd love to see a three week rep round mid-season. So a few players will opt out of Origin because of it - oh well! It's not like that will flop because of it, and we'll have a great unique three week event. And that will help boost the end of season tests as well.
 
Great win for the Kiwis!

Impressed with Leo and certainly took it to their pack. Hopefully we can keep him at the club long-term. Don't know if his brother will come to league though, reckon he will be an All Black either next year or the year after.

Surprised the Kangaroos picked Tedesco considering how average he was for most of the year and should have used the opportunity to pick Ponga or Walsh. Also Best instead of Staggs.
 
The NRL are too short sighted to see the benefits of growing the game through test matches. Origin is great, but it is hurting rugby league.

Can't play test mid season due to origin, can't play them later in the season as teams want their stars for the run to the finals, can't play them pre-season as players are underdone. Playing them at the end of the season is the best option but players are tired after a long season of NRL, many pull out due to niggles and respect to their clubs.

Honestly the best thing for the game,, and this is crazy, is to scrap origin completely, and replace it with mid season rep rounds.

Of course that will never happen.

Actually, probably the best thing for the game would be to shorten the season by some rounds, and play a decent end of year international tournament.
 
Roche scored a great solo try and had a hand in plenty others in a 60-0 win but once again the opposition (and most of her own teammates) look like they’d be out of their depth in Tarsha Gale Cup.

Didn’t see England v Tonga but the score line suggests it was another bad performance from Tonga. Extremely disappointing series overall.
 
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