England - v - Australia

[bocelli27]

Hopefully, this should be a decent game of rugby league provided the panel can actually agree on who the referee should be:

 

According to the BBC:

 

A row over the choice of referee is threatening to dominate the build-up to Saturday's Four Nations final between England and Australia at Elland Road.

 

The three men chosen to select the official have picked their own countryman, and only further negotiation will settle the matter.

 

Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens said: "I'm obviously in favour of the Australian.

 

"From what I hear [shayne] Hayne will be named the international referee of the year. It's become political."

 

St Helens referee Steve Ganson, who was in charge of the Kangaroos' opening matches against New Zealand and England, is the choice of the Rugby Football League's director of officials Stuart Cummings.

 

With Sheens picking Hayne, that left New Zealand representative Ian Mackintosh with the deciding vote. But he caused a stalemate by opting for the Kiwis' own referee, Leon Williamson, who was in charge of the England-France and France-Australia matches.

 

Cummings said an attempt to break the deadlock would now be made through telephone talks overnight and second-choice preferences may have to be taken into account.

 

Australia have previously objected to both neutral referees - Frenchman Thierry Alibert is the other member of the four-strong team of officials - and lost out to England in the choice of official for their game at Wigan.

 

"Since we've played England under an English referee, I don't see why England should whinge or worry about us playing under an Australian referee," added Sheens.

 

England assistant coach Steve McNamara said: "We are happy to abide by whichever decision is made. We've been asked our opinion and we've passed that on to the people who make those decisions.

 

Sheens is likely to leave out rising star Michael Jennings for the finale. The 21-year-old Penrith Panthers centre scored three tries on debut in the Kangaroos' 42-4 rout of France to put pressure on Brisbane's Justin Hodges.

 

But Australia, who made seven changes from the side which beat England 26-16 in Wigan, will go back to basics.

 

Sheen said: "There is a small tweaking of the side but it will be based around the one that played at Wigan.

 

"Some of the young fellas put their hands up but whether they are ready for the intensity of this game is yet to be seen. You've got to keep it in perspective.

 

"He [Jennings] picked up a loose ball and did a couple of nice things too but I thought the full-back [Kurt Gidley] was the best player on the day."

 

Sheens was not surprised by England's 20-12 win over New Zealand on Saturday, revealing that he had been in a minority in the Australia camp to tip the hosts to reach the final at the expense of the World Cup winners.

 

"Most people picked New Zealand but I thought they had the forward power to control them," he said.

 

"To beat New Zealand given their form - I think they were the form side out of the three of us - they have obviously done very well."

 

Like Australia, England will select from a fully-fit 24-man squad and McNamara hinted they are likely to stick with Kevin Sinfield at hooker following his man-of-the-match performance at Huddersfield - and also retain 20-year-old half-backs Sam Tomkins and Kyle Eastmond.

 

"We'll make changes if we think it's appropriate," McNamara said.

 

"But I certainly thought between six, seven and nine we had a good combination. I thought Kev Sinfield, in particular, playing a different position to his club position suited him at international level."

 

A bit rich or tongue in cheek from Mr Sheens given England getting 4 out of 4 SH referees last year down under; but it will be good to see a game with a focus on scoring tries rather than kicking goals.

[boxerdog]

Aussies by 16+ im afriad ! We are kidding ourselfs ! Will not beat them (apart from a 1 off game once in a while) until we get rid ov the second rate australian players and coaches from the english game ! starting with tony smith !!

[Bitch Controller]

The English ref that was in charge of the Australia v New Zealand game was pathetic. An Aussie or Kiwi ref is preferred.

 

The Aussies have enjoyed their holiday in the UK. They only need to play one decent game, the final. Australia by 30. Man of the match, Darren Lockyer.

 

Poms are lucky to be there.

[moza7]

Aussies by 16+ im afriad ! We are kidding ourselfs ! Will not beat them (apart from a 1 off game once in a while) until we get rid ov the second rate australian players and coaches from the english game ! starting with tony smith !!

A combined side of the "second rate Australian players" playing in the English super league would thump the poms.

[bocelli27]

I thought all the "second rate Australian players" were already playing in Super League, though the performance of the Celtic Crusaders last season hardly supports the argument for combination thumping. Sadly, apart from odd moments, the first rate Australian players have not lived up to their billing over the last year. Given they have only to roll over a young, experimental England team this Saturday, I am surprised Mr Sheens is so concerned about getting an Australian referee.

[bocelli27]

In the true art of compromise we have a New Zealand referee.

[Bitch Controller]

There are some decent players in the Super League. Matt King springs to mind, left Australia at his peak as a NSW Origin Centre and the Aussie Centre from memory. Grand finalist too.

 

Off topic, cant wait to see how Sam Burgess goes in the NRL.

[bocelli27]

Yet King and Monaghan at Warrington have generally disappointed - unlike some of their predecessors like Les Boyd, Les Davidson, Steve Roach, Bob Jackson and Phil Blake, all star performers a good few years back. While the general expectation here is that Australia will win (comfortably) in the end because of the quality of their backs, the Australian pack doesn't seem to convey the fear factor of yesteryear. It looks mobile and efficient rather than ferocious or dominating - it's been bullied by the Kiwis and personally I think there's a question mark there.

[Chuk Wa]

looking forward to seeing the aussies dominating as usual, just like the Rugby

[boxerdog]

i agree there are a dozen or so class australians in super league , but they are many dozens more very average australian players in super league and the lower leagues ! now these players are preventing young english players coming through ! take sam tomkins for example who would still be playing second team football at wigan was it not for the injury to tim smith (an average australian half back) ! now im not blaming the australians the blame lay with the clubs whose chairmen are brainwashed into employing rookie australian coaches and mediocre players !

[bocelli27]

The problem with Summer Rugby in England is that it runs parallel with NFL, so by and large our imports are cast-offs rather than class acts. Twenty years ago it was different when both were winter games, were not running in parallel and Aussie players came over in their off-season. We still got plenty of duck eggs, but percentage-wise we got more quality players. I have long been in the minority that supports a winter game in England, but that doesn't fit in with Sky's football-based itinery.

[Bitch Controller]

Bocelli the players you mentioned of 20 years ago played a game that was different on so many levels. It was an 80 minute game with no interchanges, it had a 5 metre rule early on and it was alot slower.

 

Unfortunately the players of today are alot more scientific in their approach so the brawn of yesterday has been replaced.

 

The Aussie pack is a boring pack if you ask me. With the exception of the workhorse Hindmarsh, it has no grunt.

 

I wouldnt say Tim Smith is an average half back. He had 2 years in the NRL before going bipolar, give the kid a couple more years and he will be a super star. Trust me Ive watched him come through, Im a tragic Parramatta supporter.

 

I hope the final is a good game but I dont think the Aussies will let the poms in like they did in the last game.

 

My boy Jarryd Hayne to show why he is the best player in the world.

[bocelli27]

Whatever the result I'm looking forward to a hard game watched in the local over a fair few pints (7.30pm KO over here) listening to the referee being called rotten whatever he does. Such is sport! I agree with much that you say about changes in the game over the past 20 years, but the downside seems to be fewer stand-outs in the pack and the number of inter-changes allowed is paradoxical as the guys are supposed to be fitter than their predecessors who had to last the 80 minutes. As for Tim Smith - well he didn't stand out at Wigan. The half-back I like the look of - though his defence is a liability - is Chris Sandow at South Sydney Rabbitohs, though he seems to divide opinion.

[boxerdog]

yeah in the winter game with the 5 yard defence i believe you had to play with a lot more skill and vision ! although i do like the open rugby the 10 metre and summer game has brought ! i hope we have a close game and if the english half backs continue to take the line on then we could have a chance ! bitch controller how old are you ? can you remember the 76 final against manly ?

[bocelli27]

The weather forecast for Leeds is heavy rain overnight and through Saturday morning, but clearing up Saturday afternoon with an evening temperature of c6 degrees centigrade and a wind strength of 30 to 35 kph. There could be a lot of handling mistakes.

[Bitch Controller]

Sandow?????? Mate, watch him week in and out. Hes a park player at best.

 

Should be a good game, early start for me to watch it.

[moza7]

Cream always risers to the top.

The poms were competitive for 65 mins, then the star factor took over.

The score line in the end just reminds England, they hae a long way to go to be in the same class as the Aussies.

[Bitch Controller]

England had a dig. Good to see, however I agree, the stars came out to play when they pulled their fingers out.

[bocelli27]

A good game for most of the time, but the Aussie half-backs ran the game, while the English halfbacks played like the kids they are. Again Aussie kicking was in a different league. When Shenton went off concussed, concussion seemed to spread to all his team-mates. Tony Smith stood down after the game - there's a good case for another Smith, Ian, the video ref, doing the same.