4N - ROUND ONE- ENG v NZ // Sun 30 Sep 12:30AM (AEDT) // 2:30 AM (NZDT) // Sat 2:30PM (BST)

[deal.with.it]

Can't really agree on the ref, thought he was pretty average. Ten metres was crap, and players constantly playing the ball off their knees. Think at one stage near the end he allowed England about three consecutive ptb like that, marching them up the field about 70m... should have been NZ penalty inside Englands 20 and closed out the game.

Agree that the PTB was very sloppy. Should have set the benchmark early, instead you let them all go so you can't penalise any.

 

[deal.with.it]

Englands 1,3,4 and 7 were shocking. World class pack, very avg set of backs.

Sarginson was poor. Watkins got no ball.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

That's a bit pedantic - you know what I mean. England dominated the game for the majority of it and if not for a very silly intercept they win.

Maybe I am...I did know what you meant.
But yeah, they dominated in field position and possession a lot of the time, yet it didn't translate into points because NZ's defence was greater than their attack at those times.

There are many moments of ifs, buts and maybes that make a game. A try against the play doesn't make it any less worthy, its just a part of the whole. England played on and evened up the scores. Nil all again

So really, when or how was the game won or lost?

 

[Jordan]

There is talk SJ's dropgoal might have actually missed. There's a video circulating about on social media at the moment. I tried to have a look on the official match highlights but it was pretty hard to tell. Need a different angle. It's pretty silly that the ball and the posts are the same colour come to think of it.

 

[Hawkins]

Why do the Brits let Widdop play? I think there Queen would be a better pick than him.

 

[taste2taste]

Fully agree. This Origin-obsessed twit should be kept well away from commentating on the international game. I'll never forget when Australia were playing the Poms in Melbourne one Sunday arvo and he said something along the lines of "get this rubbish off and put the cricket on".

Gus needs to go ASAP!! replace him with Sterlo or Joey who both have passion for the international game.

In fact Gus needs to be punted from calling any game ever, has anyone ever heard a caller spend so much time whinging, complaining and saying how sh%$t the game is?

They made a bad call in the world series on the weekend..guess what? the commentators said it was a bad call and moved on. In the NBA warriors v Pelicans the refs made some bad calls..guess what? the comms said it was a bad call and moved on. Unlike Gus who spends 20mins saying how bad the refs are, how badly run the games is, how unskilled the halves are, how bad the video refs are.... If a casual fan tunes in and listens to his crap they'd wonder why they bothered if even the callers hate the game !!

rant over!

 

[Perth Red]

Why do the Brits let Widdop play? I think there Queen would be a better pick than him.

Widdop was the only English player doing anything other than Hodgson. if they can get a decent 7 and 1 they would win more than they lose. Widdop is no star but he did ok considering the lack of creativity around him. Its been same story with England ever since union went professional and Welsh players stopped converting to RL. They need a half back elite national academy.

 

[Perth Red]

Gus needs to go ASAP!! replace him with Sterlo or Joey who both have passion for the international game.

In fact Gus needs to be punted from calling any game ever, has anyone ever heard a caller spend so much time whinging, complaining and saying how sh%$t the game is?

They made a bad call in the world series on the weekend..guess what? the commentators said it was a bad call and moved on. In the NBA warriors v Pelicans the refs made some bad calls..guess what? the comms said it was a bad call and moved on. Unlike Gus who spends 20mins saying how bad the refs are, how badly run the games is, how unskilled the halves are, how bad the video refs are.... If a casual fan tunes in and listens to his crap they'd wonder why they bothered if even the callers hate the game !!

rant over!

English commentators also just moved on from some iffy decisions for both teams. Cant remember any commentary blow up at the ref which was like a breath of fresh air compared to NRL coverage.
re Gus give the man some Prozac ffs!

HT England wont score a try, wtf? He was finding it hard to say one positive thing about wither side or the game. In reality it was a fast exciting hard fought game that came down to the wire again. Ditch the jerk from RL TV please!!

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

There is talk SJ's dropgoal might have actually missed. There's a video circulating about on social media at the moment. I tried to have a look on the official match highlights but it was pretty hard to tell. Need a different angle. It's pretty silly that the ball and the posts are the same colour come to think of it.

From front on a couple of frames look a little suspect, but it's all camera trickery/perspective. There's no doubt the ball went safely through the posts.

 

[Pommy]

There is talk SJ's dropgoal might have actually missed. There's a video circulating about on social media at the moment. I tried to have a look on the official match highlights but it was pretty hard to tell. Need a different angle. It's pretty silly that the ball and the posts are the same colour come to think of it.

I've seen the video and it does look like it missed. But there was no reaction from the England players on the pitch who were watching and to me that says it's just some kind of optical trick.

 

[kiwileaguefan]

There is talk SJ's dropgoal might have actually missed. There's a video circulating about on social media at the moment. I tried to have a look on the official match highlights but it was pretty hard to tell. Need a different angle. It's pretty silly that the ball and the posts are the same colour come to think of it.

Seriously having a good laugh about....can't believe the people crying about it....the referee who is a Brit awarded it....just the pathetic rugby league trying to get clicks

 

[roughyedspud]

It all seems to be alot of shit stiring by the aussies lol,my facebook wall is full of stories from triplem,wwos,various papers all pushing that he missed lol..


Just gonna watch walking dead then i'll put the game on again and get a proper 50inch HD look at it lol

 

[East Coast Tiger]

When I first saw it I thought it missed and even on the replay I thought it looked like it missed, but no one seemed to protest it or react as if it did. I'd bet it went through but maybe only just.

 

[Perth Red]

He was pretty close so would have been easy to see from where he was I would think. drop goals can look way out if viewed from different angles, end of day Englands inability to turn pressure into points cost them the game not a drop goal from SJ.

 

[roughyedspud]

Just finished the first half..

Worth noting all the kiwi points in the 1st half came off the back of english NRL players

One of twins knocked on,the other twin gave a penalty away then whitehead gave away another...kiwis kicked 2pts..

Widdop then kicked out on the full,kata nearly scored off the resulting handover,then after a couple of england drop outs & repeat kiwi sets rapana scores in the corner..


Bloody NRL players

 

[roughyedspud]

Then widdop chucks the interception..

 

[roughyedspud]

For what its worth..

Kicked it

 

[Last Week]

A different coloured ball would have made it easier to see.

White chalk, white posts, a different coloured ball would make sense.

He got the field goal for the record.

Of more contention, I'm pretty sure it was NZs last try where the last pass was forward. It was a short ball so bit hard to tell.

Either way, the referee didn't decide the game. England didn't capitalise on their possession. Their attack still looks very disjointed and I expect Australia to be able to put more than enough points past them in two weeks.

 

[roughyedspud]

Aside from letting the kiwis mess around at the play the ball...ive not got a problem with the ref

 

[deluded pom?]

When I first saw it I thought it missed and even on the replay I thought it looked like it missed, but no one seemed to protest it or react as if it did. I'd bet it went through but maybe only just.

Several England players watch the kick and none of them protest. No-one behind the posts watching the game seems to complain either.