Sat 4th Nov: Pacific Championship - Final: New Zealand v Australia KO 4am UK Time (Sky)

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

Only just seen the highlights and couldn't believe the score. Well done NZ and let's not hope it's just another Elland Rd in 2005, when it looked like there might be a changing of the guard....but wasn't. But regardless, always good to see the Kangaroos get their butt kicked. Always. 

Apart from NZ winning the World Cup 3 years later that is. Hopefully history repeats itself (obviously if England dont that is!).

[Pulga]

I got slammed for saying Tedesco was garbage.

He's completely cooked. Spends more time on the ground than on his feet.

[StandOffHalf]

12 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Looked to me like Australia were sent out with the instructions that if they got through their sets, defended well and won the initial arm wrestle then the Kiwis would fall away and the points would come.

When that didn't happen and the Kiwis started breaking tackles, making half breaks and breaks the Kangaroos just kept playing that same style and nothing happened for them while the Kiwis confidence grew and grew.

Yeah, I thought the same about the Aussie's conservative opening. Once the Kiwis scored though, they didn't have any spark or change-up. They just seemed passive and accepting - almost as if they didn't exert themselves to fire a shot.

Well off, in terms of test match mindset.

[The Masked Poster]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

Apart from NZ winning the World Cup 3 years later that is. Hopefully history repeats itself (obviously if England dont that is!).

Yes fair point. I suppose I was coming from the angle that hopefully England would win something too.

And it was only 12 months since *that* defeat in the 3N final, so I was probably projecting a lot onto that kiwi win. 

[StandOffHalf]

4 minutes ago, Pulga said:

I got slammed for saying Tedesco was garbage.

He's completely cooked. Spends more time on the ground than on his feet.

They were all outplayed by their opposite numbers.

[Pulga]

3 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

They were all outplayed by their opposite numbers.

Agreed. Tedesco was particularly bad but I think that's been a trend for two years.

[Damien]

8 minutes ago, Pulga said:

Agreed. Tedesco was particularly bad but I think that's been a trend for two years.

Yet you didn't say anything about him during or after the last 2 games.

[Dunbar]

16 minutes ago, Pulga said:

Agreed. Tedesco was particularly bad but I think that's been a trend for two years.

Funny how people see games differently.  I thought Tedesco was one of Australia's best players and was just about the only dangerous player with the ball in his hands.

Yeo was decent but the halves and the two hookers were ineffective.

[The Rocket]

20 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Yeah, I thought the same about the Aussie's conservative opening. Once the Kiwis scored though, they didn't have any spark or change-up. They just seemed passive and accepting - almost as if they didn't exert themselves to fire a shot.

Well off, in terms of test match mindset.

Makes you wonder whether the Mal was outfoxed by Maguire here and the Aussies played their final last week. Aussies ambushed in Hamilton.

[graveyard johnny]

2 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Funny how people see games differently.  I thought Tedesco was one of Australia's best players and was just about the only dangerous player with the ball in his hands.

Yeo was decent but the halves and the two hookers were ineffective.

both Hunt and Grant will be crying out for mega money deals in the NRL  though - this has to question their genuine value 

[graveyard johnny]

22 minutes ago, Pulga said:

Agreed. Tedesco was particularly bad but I think that's been a trend for two years.

Tedesco had a brilliant final run in for the roosters at the end of the season and is still a very good player but time to make way for someone younger now

[Dunbar]

8 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

both Hunt and Grant will be crying out for mega money deals in the NRL  though - this has to question their genuine value 

I'm not prepared to write them off after one bad game.  Hunt has been a quality rep player for a long time and Grant is the best 9 in the world. 

They played poorly today and I am happy to state that but I would rather praise the Kiwis for their performance.

[StandOffHalf]

7 hours ago, Pulga said:

Agreed. Tedesco was particularly bad but I think that's been a trend for two years.

I wouldn't single out Teddy for why they lost today. There was a wider malaise of a post-season slip in concentration/application.

Edited November 4, 2023 by StandOffHalf

[Archie Gordon]

3 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I'm not prepared to write them off after one bad game.  Hunt has been a quality rep player for a long time and Grant is the best 9 in the world. 

They played poorly today and I am happy to state that but I would rather praise the Kiwis for their performance.

I will start by saying that I'm a big admirer of Harry Grant but I found it interesting to see that his passing off the floor was so wayward today. 

[StandOffHalf]

20 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Makes you wonder whether the Mal was outfoxed by Maguire here and the Aussies played their final last week. Aussies ambushed in Hamilton.

Last week was just a curtain-raiser.

[graveyard johnny]

6 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Last week was just a curtain-raiser.

thought the state of origin series was the curtain raiser to that display by the best international rep side in the world - the mighty kiwis?

[Pulga]

40 minutes ago, Damien said:

Yet you didn't say anything about him during or after the last 2 games.

Pretty sure it was the Samoa game I was bagging him and now this game. 2/3.

I used to fear him as a Qlder but he's regressed so much I like him being picked for NSW. 

[Copa]

What a fantastic result for NZ. Well done to them.   

[StandOffHalf]

5 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

thought the state of origin series was the curtain raiser to that display by the best international rep side in the world - the mighty kiwis?

Today was the one that mattered, and the Kiwis ran right through the opposition. Last week didn't matter.

[bar red]

The Kiwis and the Ferns appear to have the formula to beat the Roos. Keep the score down as long as possible and the Aussies start to make mistakes, NZ capitalise and the Aussies crumble. Easy.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Yes it was the double header in '19 in Auckland, GB v NZ and Tonga v Aus.

Brilliant ....hope to make it to some down under RL action at some point in the next decade!

[londonrlfan]

Well done NZ. Always good to see the Aussies get a spanking! Shame England never beat them though...

[londonrlfan]

Nothing on the BBC at all, weird.

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, londonrlfan said:

Nothing on the BBC at all, weird.

It's an absolute disgrace.  No mention of the match or even the score.

I added a comment to last week's England Tonga game that both the men's and women's Australia New Zealand games (and the rest of the Pacific comp fixtures) were not being shown.

They removed my comment because it broke the rules but they haven't added any of these international games to the site.

[londonrlfan]

1 minute ago, Dunbar said:

It's an absolute disgrace.  No mention of the match or even the score.

I added a comment to last week's England Tonga game that both the men's and women's Australia New Zealand games (and the rest of the Pacific comp fixtures) were not being shown.

They removed my comment because it broke the rules but they haven't added any of these international games to the site.

Australia lose by a record score, you'd think that'd grant a story. But Ryan Brierley signing a new contract is the headline. If it was the All Blacks, there'd be 10 articles about it.