Rugby League: Test debacle threatens World Cup

By PETER JESSUP

The Anzac test debacle has driven international rugby league into a crisis from which it may never recover.

The four-yearly World Cup in October-November, always of dubious value because only New Zealand, Australia and England were ever real contenders, looks like a one-horse race after Friday night's 52-0 result.

Kiwi coach Frank Endacott, the New Zealand Rugby League and its Australian counterparts continued to talk up the cup yesterday, but the reality is that no one will watch if there is no credibility.

The NZRL cannot sack Endacott or the players who performed so poorly at Stadium Australia because they have no options.

But some major rethinking of the cup build-up is clearly needed.

Too many players were out of position on Friday night, which is probably not surprising with the lack of depth available to Endacott and the wealth of it that his Kangaroo counterpart, Chris Anderson, could summon.

The most hurt was caused by the loss of centres Ruben Wiki and Willie Talau. But the individual most missed was Jarrod McCracken.

McCracken, Quentin Pongia and Steve Kearney are the only Kiwis to genuinely scare the Kangaroos, McCracken in particular providing onfield leadership by example.

The pack on Friday night had no starch at all. Only once was damage done, by Kearney on fellow Storm player Rodney Howe in a shoulder charge close to the Kiwi line midway through the second half.

They needed that tackle in the first minute.

The lack of a specialist kicker hurt badly. With the game played at the wrong end of the field, the Kiwis were too much on defence to be able to work their attack.

There was some talk that the game got away when two early rulings went against the Kiwis.

The video referee did not call for a front-on look at Joe Vagana's run at the line in the second minute, and Bill Harrigan was clearly wrong when he called back Matt Rua for a forward pass off Vagana in the eighth.

The Kiwis could have been 12-0 up, but the way they played in the remaining 70 minutes meant a 12-0 lead would have sparked the Australians to a century.

At halftime, Endacott told his men the Kangaroos had scored 22 points in 40 minutes, and so could they. But the Kiwis came out playing worse.

Why? Major post-mortems will be held this week, with a big toll bill to England, dissecting the performances of the team and the coach.

Certainly the preparation left a lot to be desired.

First, New Zealand lost the home advantage. NZRL chief executive Gary Allcock put that into perspective yesterday, saying the league had no choice but to shift the match across the Tasman because the Kangaroos would not have played it otherwise.

"We didn't give it away, it was forced upon us," said Allcock.

"We were put in a position where if we didn't play at this ground, at this time, on this day, there wouldn't be a game."

Next year's Anzac test would definitely be in New Zealand, probably at Wellington, though Dunedin had put up a smart bid.

Second, the Kiwis could not run their whole side until Wednesday morning, and the starting 17 had only three training runs together, thanks to the insistence of English clubs on the Paul brothers and Richie Blackmore playing last weekend before being released.

It is time the NZRL pushed the availability clauses, to court if necessary. And it is time the Australians backed them against the might of the clubs. The trouble is that many within National Rugby League circles in Australia are of similar mind, that club football comes first.

The Australian public could not be blamed for agreeing after Friday.

The fallout could bring further bad news. The gate of 26,023 was well down on what the NZRL was promised, while 90,000 attended the Royal Easter Show next door to the Homebush Bay stadium.

"There won't be any windfall," Allcock said.

He is anxious to see if the Australians will try to back out of the promised $A500,000 ($600,000) payout, despite a legally binding contract.

But take nothing away from the Australians. They, too, had limited preparation and injury-enforced changes, though the difference in depth gave them more options.

The Kangaroos were simply awesome. As the seriously embarrassed Kiwis seek ways to pick themselves off the deck, they need to look at the opposition and try to play their game.