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.

Nz would beat us over here too now. The amount of young good uns in their ranks is worrying. We have nowt.

england don't struggle to beat NZ though...


you ask any NZ fan...they love playing australia but hate playing us...cos it's a 50/50 game...sure they can get up to play australia but struggle to get up against us...

would they?? like when they played our full strength team last year??



kiwis in NZ they win........against england in england they lose.....FACT!

We are struglling to beat NZ and it is becoming harder to do so Spud. They have beaten Oz 3 times in finals (games where it actually counts fella!!). We are getting worse (skills and intensity wise). I was actually optimistic at the start of the tour with all the amount of young blokes in. But it was below par again (our shining light Tompkins included). I wouldnt mind if we had some players with the correct skill set to succeed at the top level. But he have not.

In a final they win 'WHEN IT COUNTS'. FACT! WE ARE NOT AT THE LEVEL OF TODAY. fact.

so when they beat australia........THEY STRUGGLE TO BEAT US!!!

They win when it matters. In the final. 3 times. We look bad against PNG mate.

Don't tell me how to suck eggs.

As per, you'll be agreeing with me in a year or two when what I say again comes to fruition a la this 4N tournament.

roughed "Archer is gonna dick ya"

Out of interest here are Kiwi eligible players in NRL and SL

NRL
Broncos - 2
Alex Glenn
Josh Hoffman

Bulldogs - 4
Bryson Goodwin
Dene Halatau
Greg Eastwood
Frank Pritchard

Raiders - 3
Bronson Harrison
Sam Mataora
Drury Low

Cowboys - 7
Isaak Ah Mau
Leeson Ah Mau
Kalifi Fai Fai Loa
James Tamou
Ricky Thorby
Will Tupou
Antonio Winterstein

Titans - 3
Aaron Cannings
Bodene Thompson
Clinton Toopi

Manly - 4
Kieran Foran
Joe Galuvao
Steve Matai
Dean Whare

Storm - 7
Adam Blair
Jesse Bromwich
Matt Duffie
Elijah Niko
Sika Manu
Kevin Proctor
Chase Stanley

Knights - 5
Marvin Karawana
Zeb Taia
Junior Sau
Evarn Tuimavave
Siuatonga Likiliki

Parramatta - 4
Fui Fui Moi Moi Justin Horo
Lee Te Maari
Paki Afu

Penrith - 3
Sam McKendry
Arana Taumata
Nafe Seluini
Sandor Earl

Sharks - 1
Jeremy Smith

Souths - 4
Issac Luke
Roy Asotasi
Eddy Pettybourne
Fetuli Talanoa

Dragons - 3
Nathan Fien
Jason Nightingale
Daniel Penese

Roosters - 6
Anthony Cherrington
SKD
Mose Masoe
Nu'uausala
JWH
Sam Perrett

Tigers - 4
Benji Marshall
Ben Murdoch-Masila
Taniela Tuiaki
Tame Tupou

Warriors - 20
Lewis Brown
Aaron Heremaia
Lance Hohaia
Shaun Johnson
Isaac John
Kevin Locke
Simon Mannering
Alehana Mara
Ben Matulino
Russell Packer
Mataupu Poching
Sam Rapira
Steve Rapira
Jerome Ropati
Elijah Taylor
Bill Tupou
Manu Vatuvei
Krisnan Inu
Matthew Robinson
Ivan Penehe

Total - 78

SL
HKR -2
Jake Webster
Willie Mason

Wigan -4
George Carmont
Thomas Leuluai
Harrison Hansen
Iafeta Paleaaesina

Warrington - 2
Louis Anderson
David Solomona

St Helens - 3
Sia Soliola
Francis Meli
Tony Puletua

Leeds Rhinos - 3
Ali Lauitiiti
Kylie Leuluai
Brent Webb

Castleford - 1
Rangi Chase

HFC - 2
Epalahame Lauaki
Sam Moa

Salford - 3
Tevita Leo-Latu
Vinnie Anderson
Feka Palea'aesina

Quins - 1
Karl Temata

Les Cats - 1
Setaimata Sa

Hudds - 3
Jamahl Lolesi
David Fa'alogo
David Faiumu

Total - 25

most of them in SL are now samoan or tongan....karl tamata is a cook islander....and willie mason...lmao

as I said, NZ eligible. If they chose/ are picked is up to the individual and NZRL, they are still eligible though one way or another.

the reason they all jumped ship to tonga and samoa is cos the NZRL stopped picking them....so don't hold ya breath on the swapping back........and willie mason

An have for a while. Buggered if I know how that works. I suspect it's because more Kiwi players are familiar with individual Oz players games thru' playing against 'em in the NRL, but I'm not convinced that is the whole story...

i think it says more about the england mental block against australia than what the kiwis do...


we play to our potential against the world champion kiwis...but hit the wall against australia

Also, the Kiwis don't see you as a genuine threat, despite head to head results, so are never as intense as they are against us.