Perhaps the Aussies are not as good as we think

[The Future is League]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/inspired-kiwis-send-australia-crashing-to-their-heaviest-test-loss-20231104-p5ehla.html

[Damien]

One swallow doesn't make a summer. The Aussies will always be of a consistently high standard with huge strength in depth. Any team will always have to bring their A game to beat them.

[The Masked Poster]

11 minutes ago, Damien said:

One swallow doesn't make a summer. The Aussies will always be of a consistently high standard with huge strength in depth. Any team will always have to bring their A game to beat them.

I'm reminded of Elland Rd in 2005. I thought it was a new order coming.....our survey said "uhhh uhhh"

[Moomintroll]

.

Edited November 4, 2023 by Moomintroll
Found the answer in the article

[Pulga]

NZ are a very, very good team. They have been for 25 years. Easily the second best team in the world. They've always seemed to have a problem closing games out. 

Not this time though. Their halves were just phenomenal on the back of their forwards dominating. 

Wonderful to see.

[Damien]

4 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

I'm reminded of Elland Rd in 2005. I thought it was a new order coming.....our survey said "uhhh uhhh"

Yeah there's been plenty of false dawns. International teams simply don't play enough or often enough to get any kind of consistency to build on results like this.

Australia always has SOO to keep them bubbling along nicely regardless, then of course 16 Aussie NRL teams and a huge player pool to fall back on. As such they will always be consistently good while other teams have many more vagaries to deal with, hence the more up and down performances we see from them.

[Rioman]

The Aussies trotting out the excuses yet?

[Damien]

Their social media certainly needs work anyway. I remember this being pointed out last year too:

 

[theswanmcr]

41 minutes ago, Damien said:

Their social media certainly needs work anyway. I remember this being pointed out last year too:

 

Hopefully they'll take notice when sponsors pull out due to lack of social engagement and a poor on-field product that gets nilled when they actually bother to play 

Edited November 4, 2023 by theswanmcr

[Phil]

They’ll now disengage from international RL until their next generation come through 

Look out for the “origin is the pinnacle of the game” nonsense 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Phil

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

Their social media certainly needs work anyway. I remember this being pointed out last year too:

 

Last week, NZRL managed to put up the same number between half time in the women's game and the men's game kicking off - despite the Kiwi Ferns winning their match.

There is still no tweet (X?) on the official NZRL Kiwis account acknowledging the scoreline.

[Damien]

Just now, gingerjon said:

Last week, NZRL managed to put up the same number between half time in the women's game and the men's game kicking off - despite the Kiwi Ferns winning their match.

There is still no tweet (X?) on the official NZRL Kiwis account acknowledging the scoreline.

It's absolutely pathetic isn't it.

[EggFace]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

It's absolutely pathetic isn't it.

Like thed crowd as well.

[Hopie]

So no more home games for the Kiwis? or will they try and pick some Kiwis for origin to weaken them?

[phiggins]

On 04/11/2023 at 09:14, The Masked Poster said:

I'm reminded of Elland Rd in 2005. I thought it was a new order coming.....our survey said "uhhh uhhh"

I remember reading the paper whilst heading to Leeds, and there was a report about how Andy Farrell would throw a party if we won. Suspect he had to make a call to cancel the catering at half time.

[MattSantos]

An alternative question: Do we rate the Kiwi's high enough. That pack!

We're miles off both.

[Damien]

34 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

An alternative question: Do we rate the Kiwi's high enough. That pack!

We're miles off both.

I did anyway. Anyone that watched that World Cup semi final v Australia would have known they were right up there.

[Kirmonds pouch]

They never have been.

 

They made a leap forward in the 1980's and for a while we couldn't match them.

But that gap in method and professionalism had been closed by the early 90's.

Since then we've pretty much beaten ourselves on occasions, by being beaten before we even play. It's been our mindset for thirty years now.

That's not to say the Aussies aren't the best International team, because generally they are, but not unbeatable, not over a series or in a final.

They have one advantage, depth, but not as much as they once did. But when it comes to the very top echelon I think we match up pretty well, especially in the creative areas. We just don't believe in ourselves, and once behind tend to ape the Aussies and play them at their game, rather than trust ourselves and just go for them. 

Maybe this NZ win will help, but it needs to come from within, British can be best if we want it enough.

[Kirmonds pouch]

54 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

An alternative question: Do we rate the Kiwi's high enough. That pack!

We're miles off both.

So you didn't watch us against Tonga then?

[Wellsy4HullFC]

1 hour ago, phiggins said:

I remember reading the paper whilst heading to Leeds, and there was a report about how Andy Farrell would throw a party if we won. Suspect he had to make a call to cancel the catering at half time.

Think you're thinking of 2004.

This is referencing the Kiwi win in 2005, which appeared a false dawn 2 years later when they got battered 3-0 in the GB test series... but then they did win the World Cup the year after

[MattSantos]

6 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

So you didn't watch us against Tonga then?

You seriously think that we're close to Aus / NZ? 

And you're basing that on the Tonga test series?

Wow.

 

[Dunbar]

On 04/11/2023 at 09:19, Pulga said:

NZ are a very, very good team. They have been for 25 years. Easily the second best team in the world. They've always seemed to have a problem closing games out. 

Not this time though. Their halves were just phenomenal on the back of their forwards dominating. 

Wonderful to see.

I'm not sure I would agree that New Zealand have been easily the second best team in the world for the last 25 years.  I think this is what you mean by this post, apologies if I am wrong.

Since 2000 (so 23 years) England or Great Britain have played New Zealand 31 times with 15 wins apiece and one draw.  I would call these two sides very even.

If I had to say, I would have the current Kiwi side above the one England played against Tonga but at full strength I believe it would be a very good, close game.

 

[phiggins]

4 minutes ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Think you're thinking of 2004.

This is referencing the Kiwi win in 2005, which appeared a false dawn 2 years later when they got battered 3-0 in the GB test series... but then they did win the World Cup the year after

You’re right. My bad. I just remembered the false confidence we had after beating Australia at the JJB in a game that they didn’t care about

[Damien]

7 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I'm not sure I would agree that New Zealand have been easily the second best team in the world for the last 25 years.  I think this is what you mean by this post, apologies if I am wrong.

Since 2000 (so 23 years) England or Great Britain have played New Zealand 31 times with 15 wins apiece and one draw.  I would call these two sides very even.

If I had to say, I would have the current Kiwi side above the one England played against Tonga but at full strength I believe it would be a very good, close game.

 

Let's not forget England were far off full strength too.

The strength in depth that England now have in positions where we had none/little for a couple of decades, in almost all the backing really, is what is most pleasing now.

[sam4731]

On 04/11/2023 at 18:21, Hopie said:

So no more home games for the Kiwis? or will they try and pick some Kiwis for origin to weaken them?

Can't pick kiwis for origin under current rules.