GARRY SCHOFIELD is sticking with the Kiwis as he looks ahead to this Sunday’s World Cup Final.

WE’RE back to the beginning, and as I predicted before Australia and New Zealand met in match one of the tournament, the final is a repeat of that clash.

The showdown in Sydney was sensational, and I really hope we’re in for a belter in the showpiece in Brisbane on Sunday.

I enjoyed the semi-finals, but neither Tonga nor Samoa had enough to really challenge the Kiwis or Kangaroos respectively.

Let’s not downplay their contribution to this World Cup though. They have been great to watch and will be stronger still by the next in 2030.

Australia look like they are starting to click, and that spine of Reece Walsh, Cameron Munster, Tom Dearden, Harry Grant and Isaah Yeo really chimed against Samoa.

As a whole, they have loads of quality and creativity, but so do New Zealand, especially with Kalyn Ponga back from his broken arm.

Try-scoring isn’t a problem for either of these two teams, so it could come down to goal-kicking, Munster versus Jamayne Isaako.

Australia have made every World Cup final except the first in 1954, are chasing a fourth successive title and in the opener, held off New Zealand while not being at full capacity.

But I still believe this is the best collection of Kiwis for a long time, and I’m tipping them to win 20-16.

I think we have a real treat in store.

The old boys who have been ignored

I’VE got a few questions for Ian Nolan, the new chief executive of the RFL who I believe is a football man, having worked for Manchester United as well as in sports marketing.

1. How much do you know about Rugby League?

2. Do you realise it existed before Super League?

3. Do you know about any of the great players who were around in the 1980s and early 1990s and still follow and care greatly about the game?

Mr Nolan has started his tenure by putting together a panel which, in the RFL’s words, will “help map out a future for the national game, including further analysis of the pyramid, from grass roots and pathways to the player pool for the international stage”.

From the men’s side of things he will have Paul Sculthorpe, Adrian Morley and Gareth Ellis.

They were all great players who had great careers, and I’ve no issue with them giving their view.

But where are those names from the 1980s and early 1990s, an era when we came as close as at any other point to winning the World Cup for the first time since 1972 and regaining the Ashes for the first time since 1970?

I’m still awaiting a phone call – and I’m certainly not holding my breath on that score – and to my knowledge, there has been no contact with the likes of Ellery Hanley, Andy Gregory, Lee Crooks or Joe Lydon, and that’s just a few names from a long list of blokes who could make a useful contribution to this debate.

With the exception of Daryl Powell, who has just masterminded Wakefield’s sensational Super League Grand Final win, and Denis Betts, we seem to be a forgotten Rugby League generation, yet there is so much experience, knowledge and passion between us.

Some folk call us dinosaurs, but Kevin Walters, who was in the Australia side when I captained Great Britain in the 1992 World Cup final, is in charge of Australia in the current tournament and will soon be the coach of St Helens.   

Leading players should head to the NRL

I WAS interested to see that Will Brough has been signed by Gold Coast Titans after leaving Leigh.

It’s an amazing opportunity for a 20-year-old and hopefully a move Down Under will be the making of him, and in future years, perhaps he’ll pull on an England shirt.

Will has a bit of versatility in that he can play any role in the backs, and he’ll be in a great environment with a club that has clearly seen something in him.

I wish him all the very best and my advice would be soak up as much as you can, work as hard as you can and make the most of any chance you are given, in whichever team it may be.      

It seems pretty unbelievable that just 13 years ago, his dad Danny helped Scotland beat Tonga 26-24 in a memorable World Cup match at Workington.

How times have changed, with Scotland sliding dramatically and Tonga rising to the degree that they featured in the semi-finals of the current tournament, having recorded a first-ever win over England on the way.

The deterioration of England is shown by our failure for the first time ever to make the World Cup semis, and there should be no papering over the cracks.

As I wrote last week, we can talk about the lack of adequate preparation, the onerous travel arrangements and the tournament format until we’re blue in the face.

They all had an impact, but let’s be honest and admit we just don’t have enough players who are good enough to compete against the best talent and teams from the southern hemisphere.

It’s so clear that Samoa and Tonga have got better on the back of their players experiencing the week-to-week intensity of the NRL.

Fiji, who were up always up against it due to being in the same group as Australia and New Zealand, could follow in their footsteps in future years.

And the entry of Papua New Guinea Chiefs into the NRL in 2028 will kick-start a process whereby more Kumuls will hone their game as a result of playing in that competition.

Our issues have been a long time in the making, and they are going to take a long time to sort out, but we have to have a considered plan, and one that we stick to.

It’s imperative that we get the pathways right, produce more and better players, and allow them to develop by playing first-team rugby.

As I keep saying, a major step is the cut the number of overseas players coming into our competition rather than raise the quota, as has happened.

On the other side of the coin, we need more of our players going to the NRL and mixing it with the best both out on the pitch and in training.

It might have an impact on our domestic game in the short term, but it’s for the long-term good, and while our top players are getting better Down Under, others will have more chances to mature through regular first-team rugby here.

Next year, there will be heritage players like AJ Brimson, Max King, Victor Radley, Hugo Savala and Ben Talty in the NRL.

And Herbie Farnworth, Morgan Knowles, Kai Pearce-Paul. Morgan Smithies and Dom Young will be joined out there by George Williams, Harry Newman, Mikolaj Oledzki, James McDonnell and Owen Trout as well as Will Brough, while Matty Lees will move to PNG Chiefs in 2028.

I think we need around twice that number Down Under, and Matty Ashton, Zach Eckersley, Jez Litten and Junior Nsemba are among the most obvious candidates.