Is Australia's dominance officially over?

[Bobby DIGital]

I think it is.

The Kangaroos have been kicking ass since the 70's (that Pom team of the 60s must have been amazing), but this current team doesn't have that Kangaroo aura about them at all. Even the Roos of the SL era were more formidable. I expect NZ and Aus to evenly battle it out for the rest of eternity. I also expect England to start beating Aus in tournaments.

We've all been waiting for this changing of the guard moment, and the Roos looked rudderless for most of that game. When I heard Mal say it was DCE's team, that was music to my ears. The halfback of one of the worst teams in the comp is running the national side. Obviously Keary being knocked out didn't help, but this is rep footy and you've got to expect those things to happen.

I'm not really even surprised cos i tipped the Kiwis to win, but it almost seemed too easy.

 

[Burns]

One game doesn’t mean much.

If we think about it, the same thing happened after Australia won the 2013 WC. They lost twice in a row to New Zealand, and lost the 2014 4 Nations.

They then were undefeated for essentially 3 years.

Let’s see how they go against Tonga (and whenever the next Test is because who knows when and where that will be)

 

[isaiah]

I thought Maguire could have played more minutes and woods less

 

[miguel de cervantes]

lose 5 and the trot and then let's reassess

 

[Fire]

Yes.

 

[Panther_Daz]

Australia will have to rely on Origin to be able to convince forwards to play for Australia.

That is where Australia is really going to struggle in 10 years time. Most of the dominant forwards in the game aren't Caucasian anymore.

The days of Webcke, Lazarus, Clyde, Harragon, Scott, Tallis, Kennedy etc appear to be over.

Even in the current Australian side, McLean (Maori), RCG (Fiji), Frizzell (Tonga), Kaufusi (Tonga) and McGuire (Samoa) aren't pure Caucasians.

The likes of Taumalolo, Fifita, Taupau, Kikau, Pangai Junior etc are the dominant forwards. There are some exceptions such as Klemmer who had a very good season.

Australia will always have a superior spine however.

 

[Mr Angry]

No.

Your best still play Kickby.

 

[Springs09]

We lost one game by 2 points....

Australia's dominance was officially over in 2008. We hadn't lost a series or tournament for 30 years before then. We've lost 3 in the last ten, while winning 5. The Australian team of the last few years weren't anything flash hot, especially with Thurston and Inglis out as much as they were, just NZ were shocking. They should have went on with it after gaining the no. 1 spot in 2015 but fell in a heap.

England have been like England have always been - intimidated by Australia. Worse English teams have beaten better Australian teams in the past. They've had the best forward pack now for a while, but if they don't stop looking intimidated on the big stage it won't matter how shit the Australian team is.

If we count Australia as 'dominant' in the last ten years then no, it's not over. If we continue to win at least every second tournament then it's business as usual.

 

[Mr Angry]

You can buy All Black nappies in Queenstown.

Until that changes, you may as well play Victorian Football.

You would beat them all the time.

 

[Mr Angry]

Obviously missed the Juniors scoreline too, hey Bobby.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

The Coyote caught the Road Runner once too.

 

[RL The greatest game]

No, but if we lose to Tonga this will rear its head again.
If the Kiwis lose the test series to the Poms this spring again questions will be asked, but i don't think the Kiwis will.

 

[IntRLEnthusiast]

I hope so, but doubt it! Firstly NZ had way more possession. Secondly Aussies scored heaps of long range tries where they looked unstoppable. Latrell Mitchell scared me how good he was! Thirdly it is still the case that the only side to have beaten Aus in recent history is NZ and they just lost 13 games strait against Aus before this. But in saying all that there is an opening for a few nations, if England can keep developing and Tonga can keep their team together we may well find that the next world cup isn't as strait forward as it has been. After NZ beat Aus i really lamented the fact that England don't get a crack this year. If Tonga can get a win that would be huge and set up an insane mid season game against NZ next year!

 

[Springs09]

I hope so, but doubt it! Firstly NZ had way more possession. Secondly Aussies scored heaps of long range tries where they looked unstoppable. Latrell Mitchell scared me how good he was! Thirdly it is still the case that the only side to have beaten Aus in recent history is NZ and they just lost 13 games strait against Aus before this. But in saying all that there is an opening for a few nations, if England can keep developing and Tonga can keep their team together we may well find that the next world cup isn't as strait forward as it has been. After NZ beat Aus i really lamented the fact that England don't get a crack this year. If Tonga can get a win that would be huge and set up an insane mid season game against NZ next year!

No Australia had won 13 straight all up. They had won 5 straight against NZ.

 

[King hit]

A side playing their first test without the best spine ever in history losing countless tests of experience in the process only got beaten by 2 with a fresh team and now Australia's dominance is dead?

Nah

 

[Last Week]

We lost one game by 2 points....

Australia's dominance was officially over in 2008. We hadn't lost a series or tournament for 30 years before then. We've lost 3 in the last ten, while winning 5. The Australian team of the last few years weren't anything flash hot, especially with Thurston and Inglis out as much as they were, just NZ were shocking. They should have went on with it after gaining the no. 1 spot in 2015 but fell in a heap.

England have been like England have always been - intimidated by Australia. Worse English teams have beaten better Australian teams in the past. They've had the best forward pack now for a while, but if they don't stop looking intimidated on the big stage it won't matter how shit the Australian team is.

If we count Australia as 'dominant' in the last ten years then no, it's not over. If we continue to win at least every second tournament then it's business as usual.

We lost the 2005 Tri nations also.

People seem to forget that series alot for some reason.

 

[gUt]

The score should have been 12-18 points further in NZ's favour. Too many NSW plods in this Aus team.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Well I dont think we've been as dominant as other years, but our defense has been pretty good over the years.

Take nothing away from the Kiwis who's completion rate seemed far better than ours. The Aussies have got a number of new players and will get better with the more tests they play (we hope)

 

[Fire]

Plodstralia Plodaroos.

 

[Walter sobchak]

The Australian National side is in a state of transition after losing their influential and legendary spine of slater, Thurston, Cronk and Smith but in 2-3 years time I’m absolutely convinced that they’ll be back to being almost unstoppable with the likes of ponga, cotric, tom trbojevic, Mitchell, Cleary and Fifita etc coming through and establishing themselves at rep level.