Today's result questions the notion that the Aussies could field a number of different sides and still beat everyone.

They have lost 3 of the last 4 major finals they have played against the Kiwis - only the deluded would suggest that SOO is of the same standard of days gone by.

Is the NRL just breeding safe rather than brilliant players - the Aussies looked devoid of ideas and real skill today - I was surprised how impotent their attack was.

theres more kiwis & islanders in the NRL than there is overseas players in super league....

Is that an argument against Serge's post, spud? Sure looks like it. Just keep it civil, you two.

Polynesians are dominating the NRL these days, and most, if not all Polynesians are eligible for New Zealand.
Polynesians are men at 14/15 years old and the white lads are just getting pushed out because they only develop later. New Zealand are now RL's no.1 nation, and that is with only one professional club.

nope its just a observation that people should bare in mind....

Love the johnny comes...

It would be a worthy point if someone can come up with the nationalities lists for all the 30 Top flight clubs and see who represents who. Kiwis seem to be the major beneficiary, with the SL suffering with players not wanting to go and risk losing test jerseys.

The figures are around 30% for Polynesian and Melanesian players in the NRL.

But to counter that arguement that is an actual New Zealand team in the comp.

you've just gotta look at NSW in origin to see the effect it's having.....their talent pool is dwindling

IMO the whole under 20s thing has had a bit of a negative effect with such a tight salary cap.
Guys are being discarded at 21, a bit like this country and so you're ending up with a nucleus of mature players backed up by a squad of very young players. Players that cant be paid because of the salary restraints are finding their way to SL, other sports or just out of the game.
Its hard to explain but I know what I mean

Almost by definition, there is no lack of depth in the NRL in so far as Australian players are concerned.

Just lots in the Kiwis as well.

Still 13 on 13, with reserves, irrespective. Anything can happen on the day. England could do worse than remember this occasionally.

Let's not get too carried away. If Aus were to play NZ 10 times the Kiwis would probably win 2/3 at the most. Don't forget, the Aussies hammered the Kiwis last week with a weakened team. Also, if the Aussies hadn't lost Tate and Miles to injury, i don't think they'd have lost that game. Just my opinion...

Close thread...

NSW has copped it on the back of some amazing talent and a concerted effort by Queensland in the early 2000 to get their programmes right and some incredible input by the FOG's.

The tide will change again when lockyer retires and NSW have some developing halves. If anything, the kiwis rising in the big games comes from their NRL experience and only strengthens the argument for a second NZ team in the NRL

A lack of depth in playing talent. I assumed you were talking about SL!! No really!! NZ are a serious threat to world RL with the amount of young stars in their ranks. English super dooper league is a hundred miles behind this. English RL is crap. Nothing to gloat at or be proud of here as an English Rl supporter.

the ARL won't allow a 2nd NZ team..............



the roosters,melbourne and souths have 30+ kiwis between them.....technically they don't need a southern orcas

The quality is just not there in SL. Especially in the halves (and threequarters). The intensity today was a absolute fraction below State of Origin. Only a few SL boys are intensity wise at that level. Only one or two are there in regards to skill level.

I think we need to think of ways to 'save' the NRL and our Ocker friends. The recent mega-bucks signing of Michael Worrincy, a player who wouldn't get in England's 15th best 13 shows how bad things are over there. In Australia everyone wants to be George Gregan or Tim Cahill, they don't want to be associated with Rugby League. The playing stocks are whitling down to nothing and in 5 years I reckon Australia won't be able to field a side capable of remanining within 150 of the big nations like Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand.

I propose a radical new rule. In order for the few remaining Australian players with any talent to get a competitive outing every week, they should be divided up between the SL clubs. SL is clearly a lot high standard than the NRL, as shown by the total dominance of the WCC competition and also by how the players who play in SL (Mainly England) collapse because it's just too tough for anyone to handle.

It's easy to see why the ARL have been bribing match officials for the last 10 years. Archer and his cronies missed a few more obvious things tonight in an attempt to try and make the game competitive, but we could all see through it. That final with a neutral referee and it would have been a record for an international in league. 200 would have been in trouble.

Dont worry. You have 1 whole year to come up with a ton of excuses for the rubbish we serve out every year.

a ton of excuses??? i don't need em'


the fact is england/GB have a better record against NZ than NZ have against australia

that'll do me!

For real ???? Fella IMO we are worse than ever. Forget the club rubbish, loyalty blindness, rose tinted glass stuff when looking at the international scene. SL players do not have the intensity or skill of the final today. And i include Eastmond who needs to learn how to control a game, international style. Loads of lads can run around in SL with not a care in the world. That does not make a world class player.

1 world cup win and 2 tri/quad (what ever it is) nations final wins does not make NZ a better team than Eng????? The worrying part is NZ are getting far better than England. Watching the game this is obvious? Even to you?

using old darling scale of judging NZ against australia by using the last 10 games and working out a average score....england/GB come out ontop of NZ....

Averages and stats are crap when NZ have won, yes won 1 world cup and 2 multi nations. England struggle to beat the top 2 teams and are falling behind NZ and Oz at at a rate of knots mate. Excuses are worthless.

New Zealand wouldn't beat England in England though. Until games are played in Hong Kong we won't know who is the best team.