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Timing 'wrong for Poms'
October 27, 2004
TIMING is everything and for Great Britain's rugby league team it couldn't be any worse.
That's the opinion of St Helens' Australian-born coach, Ian Millward, who today queried the match fitness of several Great Britain players heading into their opening Tri Nations Test with a match-hardened Australia at City of Manchester Stadium on Sunday (Australian time).
"It's the worst possible time for a Great Britain team to be playing Australia," he said.
"(Australia) has blokes who are coming off a grand final, you have some blokes who have played in Townsville (against PNG) and then you have two hard hitouts against New Zealand.
"I just think Great Britain is going to be underdone. Sean Long has hardly played a game in three months, Terry Newton is carrying an injury, Martin Gleeson hasn't played in four months.
"(Paul) Sculthorpe has been out for a lot of the last part of the season.
"Whatever they do this game they're going to get better."
Australia, coming off a draw and a win against New Zealand, will start the match as favourites despite the loss of captain Darren Lockyer (rib) and second rower Craig Fitzgibbon (shoulder).
But there's genuine optimism among British fans that their side is about to enjoy some long-awaited success against their bitter rivals.
It's an optimism Millward doesn't share.
"The big thing I reckon in this series, which is where I think Australia will win it – the halfback, the five-eighth and hooker," he said.
"You look at Australia and they have (Danny) Buderus, (Craig) Gower and (Darren) Lockyer. All of them have won premierships, played Origin."
Great Britain, on the other hand, are contemplating taking untested Leeds five-eighth Danny McGuire into the game.
Millward compares McGuire, who scored more than 30 tries in the Super League this season, with former Bulldogs great Terry Lamb but raises concerns over his lack of big match experience.
"He scores a lot of tries from backing up and people creating things," said Millward.
"He loves to run into holes. He's got that ability like Terry Lamb to sniff out a try. But in a Test match you need someone to guide you around the park... he still has a long way to go before he's up to that level."
Millward also questions Great Britain's schedule, which has Brian Noble's side facing Australia and New Zealand over the next four weeks leading into the Tri Nations final.
"I don't know if they have planned it the right way," he said.
"They're going to have to play four weeks in a row. They're going to have to go bang, bang, bang."
AAP
:roll:
October 27, 2004
TIMING is everything and for Great Britain's rugby league team it couldn't be any worse.
That's the opinion of St Helens' Australian-born coach, Ian Millward, who today queried the match fitness of several Great Britain players heading into their opening Tri Nations Test with a match-hardened Australia at City of Manchester Stadium on Sunday (Australian time).
"It's the worst possible time for a Great Britain team to be playing Australia," he said.
"(Australia) has blokes who are coming off a grand final, you have some blokes who have played in Townsville (against PNG) and then you have two hard hitouts against New Zealand.
"I just think Great Britain is going to be underdone. Sean Long has hardly played a game in three months, Terry Newton is carrying an injury, Martin Gleeson hasn't played in four months.
"(Paul) Sculthorpe has been out for a lot of the last part of the season.
"Whatever they do this game they're going to get better."
Australia, coming off a draw and a win against New Zealand, will start the match as favourites despite the loss of captain Darren Lockyer (rib) and second rower Craig Fitzgibbon (shoulder).
But there's genuine optimism among British fans that their side is about to enjoy some long-awaited success against their bitter rivals.
It's an optimism Millward doesn't share.
"The big thing I reckon in this series, which is where I think Australia will win it – the halfback, the five-eighth and hooker," he said.
"You look at Australia and they have (Danny) Buderus, (Craig) Gower and (Darren) Lockyer. All of them have won premierships, played Origin."
Great Britain, on the other hand, are contemplating taking untested Leeds five-eighth Danny McGuire into the game.
Millward compares McGuire, who scored more than 30 tries in the Super League this season, with former Bulldogs great Terry Lamb but raises concerns over his lack of big match experience.
"He scores a lot of tries from backing up and people creating things," said Millward.
"He loves to run into holes. He's got that ability like Terry Lamb to sniff out a try. But in a Test match you need someone to guide you around the park... he still has a long way to go before he's up to that level."
Millward also questions Great Britain's schedule, which has Brian Noble's side facing Australia and New Zealand over the next four weeks leading into the Tri Nations final.
"I don't know if they have planned it the right way," he said.
"They're going to have to play four weeks in a row. They're going to have to go bang, bang, bang."
AAP
:roll:
