So who dropped off the bench from the named squad?
Nikorima and SST get game time?
I must say this game has flown well under the radar but I guess thats to be expected when your country wins the RWC final.
Is anyone else kind of underwhelmed by it all? I mean Radiosport didn't even cover it on the radio, just said to tune into iheartradio....not very good when your driving to work! (To their credit, they did give regular updates)
it is underwhelming if you let the Culture of the media get away with it.
I never have.
I take annual leave from work when League tests are on, I live in a rugby league bubble. I watch Origin and support the blues, but I never buy into the hype over international footy.
Results have been miserable up until recent times....but now it feels like its all been worth it. England winning today is no surprise, so its not like some shock outcome or even too disappointing.
Its just the way it is till Johnson and Foran are fit. Even with those two....England are still good enough to beat NZ......to my way of thinking.....like us a few years back.....they are building to be a power in the game again......they have some of the best forwards in the world.....they have some exciting backs.
In the tests they have lost.....they have partly played themselves out of the contest.
Today's test is good for the sport in the same fashion our victories over the Roos were healthy for an all too insular code.
What's needed now is a NZ win in the second test......a sell out in the third.....and an epic contest where probably....for the sake of the sport....England win.
There after an England victory over Australia would really change the course of the sport. This would be an unheralded era for the game in modern times..
I can deal with thinking this way because I have watched league going from a reasonably real sport.....to being turned into a selfish, self interested club based entity with the overriding power residing in Australia.....the advent of origin has exponentially boosted the decline...if things don't change......the game will continue to shrink into the shadows and be underwhelming on the media landscape.
Its an incredible game with amazing athletes, this series is vital to its future purely because of what it stands for.....NZ and England doing something separate to self interested Australia.
Worst thing that could happen if we lose the series.....our prides a little dented.
Best thing that could happen if we lose yet still retain our ranking ?
We get invited back to sold out Stadiums. Some won't give a stuff about the ESL and the English game.....they should....it affects us and the future of the sport.
The reason there is a lack of vision regarding the world game....is short term greed.
In my ideal world...Aussie come to the party to claim their share of a profitable international new world order....to make that a reality....the competition has to be even....to draw interest.
