2017 RLWC FINAL - AUS 6-0 ENG @ Brisbane

[SBD82]

Is he going to play reserve grade next year?

Ouch. Rough.

 

[beave]

What's with Gagai? He spent a lot of time in the middle getting in the way of any attack by the Australian backs.
Cronk put up a number of kicks for him specifically and got nowhere near any of them.
Luckiest player in the NRL.

 

[ed-grimley]

At least this bloke earnt his money for the day.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Damn that is a a great trophy.

Rugby League has the best trophies in world sport.

Which is ironic when you consider it went missing just after the 1970 World Cup final and was found 20 years later in a rubbish tip by a guy out walking his dog. He t first thought it was an oversized waterbowl when he took it home, but when he noticed the quality of the craftsmanship of it, he started contacting local clubs and the police. It took a photo of the trophy being published in the local newspapers for a rugby league historian to realise what it was and notify the RLIF. The trophy came back in time for use at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Led the tackle count and the metres gained for all Australian running forwards.

Godner.

Add in he was reportedly the only forward to gain 100 metres with ball in hand during the first half.

 

[BrisbaneRhino]

I thought both defences were very good. For all the criticism of the England halfbacks, as an England fan it was nice to see Cronk, Smith, Morgan and Slater having absolutely no idea as well for most of the game, except putting in 'solid' kicks at the end of sets.

I've never seen an England team defend as well as that in a 'must win' game vs Australia. Sadly we just didn't have the attacking spark to really have a chance of getting the win.

If we don't dig up some better halfback options then 6-0 is probably as close as we'll ever get.

 

[dibviking]

Probably the most intense and hard thought game ive seen England play.

Just a few points to make
I thought our halfbacks were a problem attacking wise, absolutely no idea.
Defence wise they were great and Luke Gales kicking from out his own 40 in the 1st half was surprisingly good, but at the attacking end of the field he had no idea.
Burgess has no idea how to hold the ball tight, either knocks on or they carry it that loose that the slightest knock in a tackle forces it out and its 50/50 wether we get the penalty or its a knock on.

Ref was shite, so inconsistent with high shots. don't think he penalised for the amount of not standing square, doesn't know what a charge down is or 10 metres.

On the plus side the Aussies had the best players combined from the state of origin teams, a spine that has played together for years, home ground, home crowd (although you wouldn't have thought so) and still were almost as clueless in attack as us.
They where blowing after 60 minutes and didn't look as fit as us and were there for the taking but we were clueless and only when the ball went out wide did we threaten to score but the aussie scrambling defence saved them.

John Bateman is a quality 2nd row, hard as nails and top tackler but he is never a centre and shouldn't be playing there, the attack went dead when he got the ball, Ryan Hall may aswell have not played you could've put any winger outside bateman and it wouldn't have mattered, why not play Percival? a proper centre.

We missed our captain and a pivotal playmaker in Hodgson, Oloughlin would not make that much difference attack wise but would've put slammin sam into 2nd row and be more effective out wide.
Roby is a superb replacement for Hodgson but he hasn't got the attacking skills Hodgson has and we missed his kicking.

All in all I thought Australia were very lucky and it will be interesting to see how it pans out in the next few yrs with the spine retiring and who they will be replaced by.
With there being an increasing number of players in the next few years not being eligible for origin and a lot of the best players being foreign in the NRL ( I reckon about 8 possibly 10 of that England side would walk into an origin side along with a few players from the pacific island teams) providing the pacific teams play more tests it could be very exciting times ahead.

 

[JasonE]

I thought both defences were very good. For all the criticism of the England halfbacks, as an England fan it was nice to see Cronk, Smith, Morgan and Slater having absolutely no idea as well for most of the game, except putting in 'solid' kicks at the end of sets.

I've never seen an England team defend as well as that in a 'must win' game vs Australia. Sadly we just didn't have the attacking spark to really have a chance of getting the win.

If we don't dig up some better halfback options then 6-0 is probably as close as we'll ever get.

Unfortunately SL teams are still signing absolute rubbish halves like Jack Littlejohn.
Saints have a cocky, confident & talented 20yo halfback in Danny Richardson so hopefully they give him a fair crack because he is one of the better ones coming through.

 

[Vee]

Unfortunately SL teams are still signing absolute rubbish halves like Jack Littlejohn.
Saints have a cocky, confident & talented 20yo halfback in Danny Richardson so hopefully they give him a fair crack because he is one of the better ones coming through.

This. I went to England for the Cowboys WCC game and talked to a lot of Pommy fans about exactly this. When Scott Dureau is your gun half and highest paid player, you're barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Vee]

Probably the most intense and hard thought game ive seen England play.

Just a few points to make
I thought our halfbacks were a problem attacking wise, absolutely no idea.
Defence wise they were great and Luke Gales kicking from out his own 40 in the 1st half was surprisingly good, but at the attacking end of the field he had no idea.
Burgess has no idea how to hold the ball tight, either knocks on or they carry it that loose that the slightest knock in a tackle forces it out and its 50/50 wether we get the penalty or its a knock on.

Ref was shite, so inconsistent with high shots. don't think he penalised for the amount of not standing square, doesn't know what a charge down is or 10 metres.

On the plus side the Aussies had the best players combined from the state of origin teams, a spine that has played together for years, home ground, home crowd (although you wouldn't have thought so) and still were almost as clueless in attack as us.
They where blowing after 60 minutes and didn't look as fit as us and were there for the taking but we were clueless and only when the ball went out wide did we threaten to score but the aussie scrambling defence saved them.

John Bateman is a quality 2nd row, hard as nails and top tackler but he is never a centre and shouldn't be playing there, the attack went dead when he got the ball, Ryan Hall may aswell have not played you could've put any winger outside bateman and it wouldn't have mattered, why not play Percival? a proper centre.

We missed our captain and a pivotal playmaker in Hodgson, Oloughlin would not make that much difference attack wise but would've put slammin sam into 2nd row and be more effective out wide.
Roby is a superb replacement for Hodgson but he hasn't got the attacking skills Hodgson has and we missed his kicking.

All in all I thought Australia were very lucky and it will be interesting to see how it pans out in the next few yrs with the spine retiring and who they will be replaced by.
With there being an increasing number of players in the next few years not being eligible for origin and a lot of the best players being foreign in the NRL ( I reckon about 8 possibly 10 of that England side would walk into an origin side along with a few players from the pacific island teams) providing the pacific teams play more tests it could be very exciting times ahead.

A very fair assessment though I disagree 8-10 would walk into Origin.

Not sure why the Roos couldn't get over, Cronk's kicking was down on his standard (as it was in the GF) but mostly I put it down to a great effort in defence by England, they just kept turning up.