Graham Lowe: I'm steaming

COMMENT

1) Debate has been raging in rugby about the danger of cheapening the All Black jersey by giving it to players who may not have properly earned it. As former players spoke out, an opportunity clearly appeared for the New Zealand Rugby League to reaffirm that the Kiwi jersey would never be denigrated, and truly represented the Holy Grail of the working-class game.

Well, that's how it always used to be. But I fear Sunday morning will confirm - if events of the past three weeks have not done so already - that these days, the pride in wearing the Kiwi jersey is a sorry myth.

Kiwis coach Daniel Anderson was reported as saying this week: "We haven't shirked any commitment or effort in the whole of the Tri-Nations".

Then what was the problem? We certainly played to nowhere near our potential.

Seems to me and many others that two consecutive second halves of shirked effort have consigned this Kiwis team to embarrassing also-rans, even before the end of the round-robin.

It was hardly surprising when you consider the amateurish way the whole campaign has been handled, starting with a continuation of the farce which surrounds the selection and naming of Kiwi sides these days.

It seems the simple logic of checking whether key players are available, hurt, on holiday - or just confused about their nationality - is still beyond the NZRL.

Again, hardly surprising when the same NZRL itself seems confused by its own heritage - why otherwise would it consider Colin Meads and Sean Fitzpatrick (great men of rugby as they both are) the most appropriate choices to be invited to inspire the Kiwis into giving all for the coveted black and white jersey.

What does this say to New Zealand league legends such as Ron Ackland, Roger Bailey and the many other greats who truly honoured the Kiwi jersey?

When you look at the pride and tradition that surrounds most sports in this country, you really have to wonder why the same reverence is not bestowed on league's great past.

I'd go so far as to say that only a handful of the current Kiwis would actually know who Ackland or Bailey were.

The time is now overdue for a thorough investigation of what is happening at the NZRL, and within the Kiwi camp from the management down, because quite frankly, the results of this series are not good enough.

2) Now, despite what Anderson has to say, Great Britain will play this Sunday's test with another agenda - the real test next week, against Australia in the final. New Zealand league officials can talk it up all they like, but in these circumstances, a Kiwi victory will be hollow indeed.

People say the Kiwis will be playing for pride this weekend. Of course they will - they're supposed to do that in every game.

But the match is now only a training run for Great Britain, who have more to lose than gain from the game.

They have planned their campaign with Churchillian cunning and will not be taking their eyes off their target at this stage.


3) What I find extremely disappointing about the Kiwis' campaign is the lack of improvement in their performances.

There were ominous signs for the Kiwis after the draw against Australia at Albany Stadium.

The celebrations on the sideline after the game were a worrying sight.

The players should have been herded straight into the dressing room and reminded that they didn't win and there was a lot of hard work to do.

The cold, hard facts needed to be spelled out to the Kiwis as they were to the Aussie team immediately after the game.