Rugby League: Kiwis ooze World Cup confidence

By Peter Jessup


The Kiwis broke camp at the weekend after the disappointing rugby league loss to Australia in the Tri-Series final on Friday night, satisfied that they have developed into the unit to take the World Cup in England next year.

"It's a young squad - we're really going to explode at the Cup," said Friday's man-of-the-match, Henry Paul.

His brother, Robbie, said: "This will make us stronger. We'll be good losers, keep the spirit in the side and come back stronger."

Referee Russell Smith rated the 80 minutes at Ericsson Stadium the toughest he had had to rule on. There were four critical decisions in try-awarding or try-denying situations, and all went against New Zealand in the 20-22 loss:

* Mat Rogers clearly knocked the ball on when tipping down Henry Paul's pass before he regathered and scored in the third minute.

* In the 13th minute, Robbie Paul was tackled centimetres short, his momentum carrying him to roll his chest over the ball to the chalk - he thought he had scored but the video ref said no.

* In the 27th minute, Henry Paul went to the line, was held by Craig Gower on top and Darren Lockyer beneath and the ball was stripped. He believed he could have rolled to force it for the try, Russell Smith considered the penalty try, but took advice from touch judges and the video ref and decided to sinbin Lockyer and award a penalty.

* In the last minute, Logan Swann dived over after collecting a loose ball from a bomb but was ruled to be held up on the line, correctly. Beside him, a Kiwi player was taken out of the attacking line and a penalty that would have enabled a draw was justified but not given.

Smith generally did a good job, rival coaches Frank Endacott and Chris Anderson accepting that they had had 50-50 on the dodgy calls.

But the video rulers, an Australian chairman with a New Zealander assisting, and the touch judges, one New Zealander and one Australian, let the side down.

The outcome is likely to be a call for a sole local video ref at future home tests. The Kiwi team and NZRL management are concerned that ultimately match officials are still driven by NRL-related concerns.

Neither the Pauls, who flew back to Bradford yesterday, the rest of the team or their coach were denying the Australians the win and all were taking plenty of strength from the fact there were eight points separating the team totals across three tests that went 2-1 to Australia.

"We have the squad to go on to better things. If we can win the World Cup next year, we'll forget this," Endacott said yesterday. "If we could line up again today we would. We're ready for another one now."

He will welcome England tour skipper Quentin Pongia and Anzac test skipper Jarrod McCracken back into the reckoning, and Richie Blackmore and Stacey Jones.

"I'd rather have that problem than the one of figuring out who the captain was going to be. It's a healthy situation for us - guys that thought they were a walk-up start have seen how well the young fellas have gone and it'll put pressure on them," he said. "The days of the big losses to Australia are gone."

The Australians looked as if they had won two grand finals and a couple of Origin series rolled into one after their last-gasp victory on Friday.

Captain Brad Fittler rated the test the most intense he had played in.

"Just a bit of pride got us through," he said. "The good thing about this side is we really believe in each other."

Even when the Kiwis took the lead with 12 minutes to go he believed they could score again, and some brilliance from Brett Kimmorley brought it off.

Anderson conceded that the Kiwis had physically dominated his side at times and rated the win as a display of pure guts.

"The young players played for World Cup jerseys," he said. "We're not an experienced enough side yet to win well. Two points over this Kiwi side will get them full of confidence."

He agreed it was only a matter of time before the Kiwis won a series - "but it could be a long time, we'll certainly be trying to make it that way."