TO: NZRL Staff, Districts and Affiliates and Board

FROM: Cushla Dawson

DATE: 10 November 2008

RE: Media Summary Tuesday 04 November to Monday 10 November 2008

Samoa want four-nations set up: Samoa coach John Ackland called upon 's governing body to get serious about growing the international game, proposing an annual tournament with , Papua New Guinea and an A side. Ackland said the Rugby League International Federation should not waste the potential the World Cup has delivered and increase the number of test matches with a tournament for the minnow nations. But he warned the southern hemisphere tournament would only work if an Australian A side was included.

Courier loses World Cup as Australia roll on: The Australian juggernaut rolls on, and the only thing that can stop the Kangaroos from lifting the World Cup trophy on November 22 appears to be ... a courier. Huh? Yes, on the night Australia pummelled the Kumuls, the World Cup trophy was missing, presumed to be in the hands of a courier who, also presumably, does not realise the significance of the precious cargo in their possession.

Tension builds for Kiwis and 'disrespectful' : A tense World Cup rugby league semifinal week in Brisbane looms after Kiwis captain labelled England disrespectful and coach took aim at referee Tony Archer. The Kiwis were far from happy despite storming back from 8-24 down in the first half with five unanswered tries to beat England 36-24 in Newcastle and ensure second place in pool one. Barring a monumental upset by Papua New Guinea against Australia late tonight, a mouth-watering semifinal rematch looms on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium.

Ground zero for under-fire league: A review into rugby league by the godfather of business and sports administration, Sir John Anderson, argues for a "put a broom through the place", an insider says. Anderson was called in by the government four months ago to fix the mess at the and a report insider said his review committee is tipped to recommend sweeping changes to the game. Anderson was due to deliver a preliminary report last Wednesday. It's yet to arrive, mainly because of the depth of his investigation and the wide-ranging changes he will recommend. It's thought the report won't be made public until February.

Haka boycott angers Kiwis: New Zealand's stand-in captain Benji Marshall accused England of being "disrespectful" by turning their backs on the haka. England's players huddled in a circle facing inwards while the Kiwis performed the traditional war dance before kick-off to the World Cup pool match at Newcastle today. New Zealand came from 24-8 down to win 36-24 - and Marshall, who led the side for the first time in the absence of , suggested that one of the reasons for their slow start was anger over their treatment by the opposition.

England blink first after a quick Luke: Livewire has sent a big `-to-not-pick-me-now' message to coaches Stephen Kearney and Wayne Bennett ahead of this week's World Cup semifinal. Luke and four-try were the catalysts for the Kiwis piling on 22 unanswered points in a stirring but ultimately worthless come-from-behind victory over England. While Vatuvei will take all the plaudits, Luke was instrumental in getting the Kiwis' beaks in front, milking a key penalty in front of the posts, kicking a couple of sideline conversions and generally harrying the English defence into error.

Stacey Jones to make NRL comeback for Warriors: New Zealand rugby league great will make a shock return to the next season. Jones, 32, announced today he had come out of retirement and signed a one-year deal with the club he represented for 11 seasons. An approach by Warriors coach and a recent taste of top level football with the All Golds invitation team against New Zealand Maori in last month had convinced the playmaking halfback to make a return. Marshall to captain Kiwis: Standoff Benji Marshall has been named to lead the Kiwis in their final pool match against England on Satruday night. With tournament captain Nathan Cayless being rested for this game, coach Stephen Kearney has handed the 23-year-old Marshall the responsibility in what will be the seventh international of his career.

Anzac Clash First Up In Defence League World Cup: The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Rugby League team start with an Anzac clash when they compete in the Defence Forces Rugby League World Cup in this November. The NZDF and Australian Defence Force teams face off on Sunday 9 November in a World Cup curtain raiser to the France v Samoa game at CUA Stadium, Penrith.

Young hooker seen as Kiwis' future: At yesterday's World Cup mayoral reception in Newcastle a bored Issac Luke took matters into his own hands, grabbing a platter of pastries and chocolate eclairs and serving them personally to the surprised suits. Not content with his work, Luke then produced some revealing photos on his iPhone of Kiwis hooking partner dressed as a woman in a skirt and lipstick during the team's bonding session for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup. "A lot of the boys did it [dress up]," Luke chuckles. "I think Nathan Fien looked more like a girl than anyone. It was a crack up."

Learning from his losses: A review of the Kiwis' record under new coach Stephen Kearney raises the question of what progress has been made since he took over the reins. The easy answer is "not much". They were walloped 28-12 in the Centenary test, out of the game early after allowing the Kangaroos some soft tries. They were beaten 30-6 in the World Cup opener. Victories have come over NZ Maori and Tonga in trial games and PNG in their second game of the 2008 Cup tournament - but so they should have.

Few Kiwis remain after coaching coup: The last time the Kiwis met England's finest their tour was in crisis and while the 28-22 loss last year saved some face the result was an embarrassing 3-0 test series whitewash. Only three Kiwis from the side that played Great Britain in on November 10 will line up against England on Saturday, an illustration of the tumultuous nature of New Zealand rugby league. , Jeremy Smith and are the only survivors, while coach reluctantly fell on his sword after and - on interchange bench on Saturday - led a dramatic player revolt.

Kidwell not ready to pack it in: Almost a year since he played a role in the Kiwis' rugby league coaching coup, David Kidwell will finally play a Test under the regime he risked his international career for. The veteran forward was recalled on Wednesday to the Kiwis bench for Saturday's final World Cup pool match against England in Newcastle, a dress rehearsal for a likely semi-final between the same sides a week later. Kidwell's 25th test appearance will be his first in two years, since the memorable 2006 Tri Nations final when the Kangaroos snuck home 16-12 in extra time.

Scots win, Fiji progress to rugby league WC playoff: Fiji secured a semi-final playoff spot despite going down 18-16 to spirited Scotland in a torrid rugby league World Cup clash here on Wednesday. The committed Scots scored the winning try four minutes from full-time through prop to claim their first-ever World Cup victory and in the process dislodged France from second place in Pool 2. The Fijians had the cushion of a thumping 42-6 opening victory over the French last Saturday and it proved beyond Scotland to come up with the 27-point win they needed to win their group and stay alive in the tournament.

Australian company helps Rugby League: An Australian based sports marketing company has offered to provide assistance to the newly formed Solomon Islands Rugby League in its development process. Dane Campbell, Managing Director of Global League Management that deals with commercial matters on developing rugby league nations revealed this. “I’m hopeful to be able to put into contact with the Solomon Islands rugby league to offer our assistance to them in their development process,” he said.Chairman of the Solomon Islands Rugby League Federation (SIRLF), William Tuhaika, revealed to star sports yesterday they are happy this organisation offered assistance.

Kiwis hand debut to Tuimavave: Prop Evarn Tuimavave will make his Test debut in the Kiwis' final World Cup pool match against England in Newcastle on Saturday night. The 24-year-old Warriors big man was named among a number of changes to the side that took a step up in form in a 48-6 defeat of Papua New Guinea after an opening 24-point hiding at the hands of Australia. Team want to prove their worth: England forwards and are urging coach Tony Smith to give his World Cup flops a chance to redeem themselves. The Rhinos duo say the incumbent players are keen to play against New Zealand on Saturday to make amends for their 52-4 humiliation by Australia. Smith will be forced to make at least two changes for his side's final group match in Newcastle, with St Helens forwards Maurie Fa'asavalu and ruled out through injury. He is also under pressure to make optional changes for a game that will carry little significance other than being a dress rehearsal for the first semi-final a week later in Brisbane.

Lockyer to be rested: Coach will rest Australian captain but says the decision has nothing to do with any empathy for Sunday’s World Cup underdogs Papua New Guinea in Townsville. “I haven’t told the players the team, but I will be giving Darren a spell,” Stuart told AAP from Townsville. “He’s got a cork on his bicep, but he’ll be fine.” The decision means Lockyer (43 Tests) will have to wait until next year to equal and break former champion Mel Meninga’s all-time record of 46 Tests.

Kiwis face weird week: It shapes as a weird week for the Kiwis and their coach, Stephen Kearney. Barring the Kangaroos throwing their final pool match against Papua New Guinea on Sunday, New Zealand will meet England in Newcastle on Saturday and a week later the same two teams will square off for a rematch in the first World Cup semifinal in Brisbane. It was an outcome that was always highly likely given the unusual tournament draw and Australia's dominance, which was underlined with a 52-4 embarrassment of England on Sunday night.

Islanders inject passion into World Cup: While the host nation is threatening to turn the 10-team tournament into a one-horse race after heavy beatings of the other leading contenders New Zealand and England, the Islanders have injected passion. The two Pool Three games involving Samoa, Tonga and Ireland were among the better spectacles and most competitive games so far.

PNG, Samoa props face bans: Papua New Guinea look set to lose prop Makali Aizue for Sunday's clash with Australia after he was charged by the Rugby League World Cup match committee today. Aizue was charged with making unnecessary contact with the head or neck following a grapple tackle on winger in the first minute of the Kumuls loss to New Zealand on the Gold Coast.

Samoa want four-nations set up Samoa coach John Ackland called upon rugby league's governing body to get serious about growing the international game, proposing an annual tournament with Tonga, Papua New Guinea and an Australia A side.

Ackland said the Rugby League International Federation should not waste the potential the World Cup has delivered and increase the number of test matches with a tournament for the minnow nations. But he warned the southern hemisphere tournament would only work if an Australian A side was included.

"If the international board is serious they have to get on board and start to organise something," said Ackland. "Create something that is sustainable as opposed to a flash in the pan. But it has to include Australia A to be honest."

Ackland even believes the concept could help crack the US market, citing a strong Polynesian population in the United States.

"If we have got people like Russell Crowe who might be keen to get involved then maybe we can get it to happen," he said. "America is really the holy grail for international development."

Samoa skipper Tony Puletua supported the concept, adding he felt a greater sense of pride playing for the islanders than in his 18 tests for New Zealand.

"It was a very different feeling compared to when I was playing for the Kiwis," said Puletua. "I had great pride representing New Zealand but this is something I've always wanted to do, to come back and play for Samoa."

Meanwhile, France coach John Monie believes the game needs to keep growing in that country, starting with a second team in the English , before they'll be able to compete on the international stage. Toulouse have entered England's division one competition in 2009.

France's 42-10 loss to Samoa yesterday left them last in the 10-nation World Cup and could seriously threaten their bid for entry into a four nations tournament with Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain next year. "For the game to improve we need another team in Super League," said Monie. "(France) need the rest of rugby league to help them make the pool of players to select from a much bigger pool."

(Source: New Zealand Herald, 10 November 2008)

Courier loses World Cup as Australia roll on The Australian juggernaut rolls on, and the only thing that can stop the Kangaroos from lifting the World Cup trophy on November 22 appears to be ... a Brisbane courier.

Huh? Yes, on the night Australia pummelled the Kumuls, the World Cup trophy was missing, presumed to be in the hands of a courier who, also presumably, does not realise the significance of the precious cargo in their possession.

A computer meltdown, the Sydney Morning Herald has been told, has meant the exact whereabouts of the trophy, which has gone missing before (although on that occasion, when it turned up in a rubbish tip near , it was AWL for almost 20 years), is unknown.

What is known is that the Australians' hot form continued in hot country. Debutant David Williams scored a hat- trick amongst seven tries and the chances of them failing to win the World Cup are slim. But the Kumuls took it to the Australians, and ultimately, it took the Kangaroos until well into the contest before it could be described as over.

The Kumuls hit and drove and scrambled and generally showered themselves in a lot of glory even if the points were showering against them from their opposite numbers.

At least they got a try, the second-last one of the contest, and it attracted the most rousing cheer of the night; centre Menzie Yere doing extremely well to pick up 's grubber under significant pressure. Better late than never, and the players swamped Yere, a late addition to the side, after the try was given the green light.

It wasn't the only time they pressured the Australian line, but as you would expect, much of the game was spent in their half. Early on, the ball seemed to follow winger David Moore, the Gold Coast youngster, and for the most part, both luck and pluck followed him, too.

After four minutes, he leapt high above grand-final winger Williams to save a try from five-eighth Terry Campese's bomb. Another bomb five minutes later produced the reverse result; Williams took the ball and gave the Australians their first try and Williams his first international try.

The Australians in the crowd no doubt wanted more, but they got Moore; after busted through the PNG defensive line, sending try-bound, he was ankle tapped by the winger and lost the ball. About the same time, Campese made his way up the tunnel after a typically aggressive hit by his former teammate, , split the five-eighth's head open and left him dazed.

But the Australians weren't confused. After 22 minutes, they put together an attractive piece of play before centre twisted and turned to force the ball as Australia started to force the issue.

"Ruthless boys," one Australian player was heard to say.

And from then on, they were. They spent the rest of the half in the Kumuls' end, with Monaghan (26th minute) and Williams (35th) scoring again.

The second half began horribly for the Kumuls, when ageless - literally - 's kick deep in his own quarter found only , a replacement for Campese who was taken to hospital for some precautionary X-rays.

The Kumuls were brave and, as the penalty count reflected, a little cheeky as well. But ultimately, they were outplayed. Gene was chaired off the park by teammates after the final whistle, which has now sounded on their campaign as well, but as he has proved time and time again, they will be back a little older, and wiser.

Who knows? The trophy may be in their custody one day, rather than in a Brisbane courier's.

(Source: www..co.nz 10 November 2008)

Tension builds for Kiwis and 'disrespectful' England A tense World Cup rugby league semifinal week in Brisbane looms after Kiwis captain Benji Marshall labelled England disrespectful and coach Stephen Kearney took aim at referee Tony Archer.

The Kiwis were far from happy despite storming back from 8-24 down in the first half with five unanswered tries to beat England 36-24 in Newcastle and ensure second place in pool one.

Barring a monumental upset by Papua New Guinea against Australia late tonight, a mouth-watering semifinal rematch looms on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium.

The Kiwis flew to Brisbane today, buoyed by the news their centre will probably be available after x-rays and scans cleared him of a serious neck injury.

Several issues gnawed away at the Kiwis, not least a woeful first half when they waved England through for four tries and earned a searing halftime rev-up from Kearney.

Marshall, bursting with pride as he captained the Kiwis for the first time, said that slow start could have been anger at England huddling in a circle rather than standing to face the haka.

"I thought it was a little bit disrespectful. A few of the boys said that as well. But if that's how they want to approach the game, well that's their choice," he said.

England coach Tony Smith shot back: "Where we come from, we get in huddles. That's what we do. In some cultures some people may find getting a tongue poked out at them quite offensive as well."

Smith, an Australian whose brother Brian Smith coaches the , was angry with his team's second half capitulation as giant Kiwis wing Manu Vatuvei stormed in for four tries. Vatuvei equalled the World Cup record held by Australians Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor and Briton Keith Fielding.

The result at least exorcised last year's disastrous 0-3 series defeat in England, which the hosts won by a combined 92-36.

But the "dead rubber" match before an English-dominated crowd of 15,145 at EnergyAustralia Stadium shouldn't carry huge weight from a semifinal perspective.

England will welcome back rested frontliners , , Danny Maguire, James Graham and Abe Gardner.

Kearney was unhappy with Archer's rulings at the tackle when big England forwards were allowed to hold down the Kiwis and slow down their play-the-ball. Assuming Australia's top referee is reappointed for Brisbane, Kearney will seek a meeting.

"England got penalised nine times and I'm not too sure how many of those were for holding down, but there were a number of them and I'm pretty sure you could have got a lot more (penalties) out of him," Kearney said.

"I'm a bit mystified to find out why. We try to slow the play the ball down too but I thought the game could have been a lot better and next week will be a lot better if there is a bit more flow."

Kearney, too, has tricks up his sleeve with regular captain Nathan Cayless, , Setaimata Sa and Sam Perrett set to return, and a selection headache on the bench after 's impressive comeback.

Bench hooker Issac Luke again made an impact and deserves a starting spot, while Nathan Fien could take over from at halfback after that combination played most of the second half.

Said Fien, who scored his first test try and also copped a badly broken nose: "Our forwards really stood up in the second half and it just identifies what we can do when we play to the script and play the way the coaches want us to.

"But it's going to be another step up next week. They rested a few players tonight and they'll be confident they can get us with the way they started. We've got to get our attitude right at the start and match that intensity." (Source: NZPA, 09 November 2008)

Ground zero for under-fire league A review into rugby league by the godfather of New Zealand business and sports administration, Sir John Anderson, argues for a "put a broom through the place", an insider says.

Anderson was called in by the government four months ago to fix the mess at the New Zealand Rugby League and a report insider said his review committee is tipped to recommend sweeping changes to the game.

Anderson was due to deliver a preliminary report last Wednesday. It's yet to arrive, mainly because of the depth of his investigation and the wide-ranging changes he will recommend. It's thought the report won't be made public until February.

The Sunday Star-Times has obtained the official "Project Plan" for the report, which indicates the depth of concern for the sport's health at Sparc, the government sports body who are paying for Anderson.

In the six-page plan, Anderson is tasked with asking a long series of questions about the sport's governance and management, its development plans and high-performance strategy. It's thought around 30 people have been interviewed and many more made submissions.

The Sunday Star-Times understands Anderson has found evidence of past mismanagement and will suggest major structural changes to head office and in the regions.

Another source said Anderson had gone back through years of the league's financial records and found more work to do than he had originally anticipated.

Some league people, impressed at Anderson's efforts, have even petitioned him to consider becoming the sport's next chairman.

Among those Anderson has interviewed for the report is league chairman Stephen Franks (who stood for parliament yesterday for National).

He said: "I thought that it was just great to have a kaumatua like him who can come in and just instil a sense among people that someone is going to have the power to do what they would like to see done. It is amazing, people are much more constructive when they have someone like that doing something.

"There are some pretty hard things being asked, but he has such a good reputation and such experience that people might accept from him things that they might not accept elsewhere."

Anderson was chief executive of both the ANZ and National banks, chaired TVNZ and New Zealand Cricket and this year was appointed chairman of the Capital and Coast District Health Board. The government also used him as a troubleshooter to sort out problems at the Hawkes' Bay DHB.

Anderson's involvement in league marks a power shift in the sport away from league's old-school, colourful, grassroots administrators and towards big business and government, typified by the presence of former New Zealand chairman Murray McCaw as league's interim chief executive.

Sparc is certainly deeply concerned about league. Their plan says the sport "lacks a formalised strategic plan", yet hopes to add 10% more players, 10% more spectators each year and to win 75% of all test matches played by the Kiwis.

It also underlines the NZRL's awful finances, noting they have budgeted to receive only $300,000 in poker machine grants in 2008. Last year, they budgeted for $2.4m in grants, and collected only $1.2m, contributing to a $1.7m loss.

The plan says the "immediate financial position has been further impacted through the lack of international tests in 2008". it's made worse by the fact Kiwis won't receive any World Cup profits, their only income from the tournament being prize money. The bulk of the revenue from the world cup has been targetted at the game's development world wide so the major nations are the ones to miss out.

The plan's schedule is for Anderson's report to be adopted by the NZRL board next month and presented to league stakeholders at a special general meeting in February. While he will only offer recommendations, rejecting them would come at a price. With Sparc funding his work and the gaming trusts backing the move, there could be a huge financial penalty if the sport baulks at a few home truths.

(Source: Steve Kilgallon, Sunday Star-Times, 09 November 2008)

Haka boycott angers Kiwis New Zealand's stand-in captain Benji Marshall accused England of being "disrespectful" by turning their backs on the haka.

England's players huddled in a circle facing inwards while the Kiwis performed the traditional war dance before kick-off to the World Cup pool match at Newcastle today.

New Zealand came from 24-8 down to win 36-24 - and Marshall, who led the side for the first time in the absence of Nathan Cayless, suggested that one of the reasons for their slow start was anger over their treatment by the opposition.

"To be honest, I thought it was a little bit disrespectful - and a few of the boys said that," said Marshall.

"If that's how they want to approach the game, that's their choice.

"It might upset a few of the boys, and maybe we could have started a bit better and worried about ourselves instead of worrying about them."

England coach Tony Smith defended his players' actions, insisting they did nothing out of the ordinary.

"Where we come from, we get in huddles," he said.

"That's what we do - whether people do hakas at us or not. When our players in England want to pump each other up, that's what they do.

"I'm not sure you should sit there and take it as a victim. Some people in some cultures would find the tongue pointed at them as offensive as well.

"If our boys want to go off and do their thing while they're doing their thing, I think it should be equal for both sides."

New Zealand were heading for defeat after conceding four converted tries in the first 30 minutes, and coach Stephen Kearney admitted he was forced to deliver a tongue-lashing at half-time.

"It's not one you like giving, but I thought it warranted an animated one," he said.

"I think the players recognised that themselves. The second-half performance showed what we are capable of.

"The pleasing thing for me was the defence.

"Basically my half-time talk was about how poor our defence was. I thought we fixed it up really well in the second half."

Trailing 24-14, the Kiwis scored 22 points without reply in the second half - with left winger Manu Vatuvei taking his try tally to four to set a new World Cup record for New Zealand, bettering the hat-tricks scored by Robbie Paul and .

The blockbusting Vatuvei had been identified by England as a major threat, yet Kearney denied he had a specific ploy to target the left side of England's brittle defence.

"He's a damaging guy with the ball, but we didn't have a specific plan," said Kearney.

"It just worked that way."

Today's victory is expected to give the Kiwis a psychological advantage for next Saturday's first semi-final between the two sides in Brisbane, but Marshall insisted they will not be getting carried away with the result. "They had players out in key positions, and we had some out as well," he said.

"If we can take anything out of the game, it's a valuable lesson that - if we don't turn up to play in the first half with the right attitude - then things can go wrong for us.

"England are a great side. They're not going to muck around, and we're not either. We're going to have to be on our game next week and start the first half the way we started the second half."

(Source: Ian Laybourn, www.sportinglife.com 09 November 2008)

England blink first after a quick Luke Livewire hooker Issac Luke has sent a big `try-to-not-pick-me-now' message to coaches Stephen Kearney and Wayne Bennett ahead of this week's World Cup semifinal.

Luke and four-try Manu Vatuvei were the catalysts for the Kiwis piling on 22 unanswered points in a stirring but ultimately worthless come-from-behind victory over England.

While Vatuvei will take all the plaudits, Luke was instrumental in getting the Kiwis' beaks in front, milking a key penalty in front of the posts, kicking a couple of sideline conversions and generally harrying the English defence into error.

As for Vatuvei, dubbed `The Beast' by friend and foe alike, he became the first Kiwi to score four tries in a World Cup match, beating Robbie Paul and Lesley Vainikolo's three apiece at the 2000 tournament.

"We've got to work on the little things from the first half," a relieved Vatuvei said after the final whistle. "We didn't start well."

Despite the underwhelming circumstances of the match, Kearney would have at least gained some valuable insights:

Luke is the key to unlocking England's defence.

Benji Marshall and Thomas Leuluai are still a tenuous halves combination.

The Poms do not like trying to tackle Vatuvei.

The Kiwis' poor starts have become endemic.

In the end, though, the match counted for nothing more than bragging rights.

Tragic then, in a match of such insignificance, that Steve Matai's World Cup, and in a worst-case scenario his immediate playing future, should be placed in peril following what appeared to be a serious neck injury.

Matai left Newcastle's Energy Australia Stadium on a stretcher with a neck brace.

He was seen wiggling his fingers and apparently told an official he wanted to stay and watch the game rather than be taken to hospital.

That would indicate he might have suffered a pinched nerve rather than any spinal damage.

Certainly Kearney will be hoping Matai has a part to play next week when the Kiwis meet the same opposition in the semifinal at Brisbane.

That impending encounter was always the problem with this match.

There is too much at stake next week to leave everything on the Newcastle turf.

Key players were missing from both sides _ Nathan Cayless and Leon Pryce to name just two _ and only the most foolish of coaches would have revealed all their cards.

While nobody wants to lose a test, it didn't matter enough to boil the blood _ except for the pre-match rituals, that is. The Kiwis came out breathing fire and brimstone but as yet there have never been points awarded for hakas.

Energy expended, they proceeded to wave England's attackers through their lines like a skilled patrolman at rush-hour.

Dummy half Mickey Higham scored after Simon Mannering and Lance Hohaia fell asleep at marker.

Rob Burrow quickly doubled the lead after big, lumbering swatted aside and Leuluai.

Manu Vatuvei pulled a try back after first and then Nathan Fien exposed some equally porous England defence.

Marshall and Hohaia were embarrassed by before

Hohaia made up for his miss with a jinking run for a try.

So, with less than a quarter of the match gone, five tries had been scored.

Anyone for touch footy?

Well, yes, actually. for starters, though his woeful attempt at stopping Burrow scoring his second wouldn't have prevented a try in touch either.

Give the Kiwis credit, though _ they pulled one back before the break and were a near-irresistible force in the second half as Luke drove his team forward, allowing Marshall and Fien the space they crave.

Indeed, Fien's contribution, broken nose and all, should not be underestimated.

It won't go down in the annals as a great test _ the farcical circumstances around the format that was always likely to throw these two opponents together twice in eight days won't allow it _ but at least it was entertaining.

New Zealand 36 (M. Vatuvei 4, L. Hohaia, J. Nightingale, N. Fien tries; I. Luke 3, J. Smith gls) England 24 (M. Higham, R. Burrow 2, M. Gleeson tries; R. Purdham 4 gls). Halftime: 14-24.

(Source: Dylan Cleaver, Herald on Sunday, 09 November 2008)

Stacey Jones to make NRL comeback for Warriors New Zealand rugby league great Stacey Jones will make a shock return to the New Zealand Warriors next season.

Jones, 32, announced today he had come out of retirement and signed a one-year deal with the National Rugby League club he represented for 11 seasons.

An approach by Warriors coach Ivan Cleary and a recent taste of top level football with the All Golds invitation team against New Zealand Maori in New Plymouth last month had convinced the playmaking halfback to make a return.

"It's a huge decision but I'm so excited about what's ahead," Jones said.

"After training with All Golds and playing in that game I realised how much I missed being out there.”

"I really enjoyed the time I had back at the Warriors this year."

Jones was employed as the Warriors' kicking coach in 2008.

Nicknamed The Little General, Jones has played 46 tests for New Zealand along with 238 NRL games for the Warriors from 1995 - their foundation season - to 2005.

He played for French club from 2006-07 and officially retired in October last year with his last game for the All Golds against the Northern Union in Warrington.

Jones currently has a mentoring role with the Kiwis at the World Cup in Australia. (Source: TV3 Sport, 07 November 2008)

Marshall to captain Kiwis Standoff Benji Marshall has been named to lead the Kiwis in their final Rugby League World Cup pool match against England on Satruday night.

With tournament captain Nathan Cayless being rested for this game, coach Stephen Kearney has handed the 23-year-old Marshall the responsibility in what will be the seventh international of his career.

When Cayless missed the October 18 test against Tonga in , Kearney had Melbourne back rower Jeremy Smith as captain for the day.

"It's a tremendous honour leading your country and it's a great chance for Benji to take on the task," said Kearney.

"He's in our senior leadership group for this campaign and deserves this chance. He has taken on a lot of responsibility ever since we've been in camp."

Marshall will be the fourth captain used at test level since long-serving leader retired from international football in 2006. Roy Asotasi was his successor while Cayless, Smith and now Marshall have followed.

Kiwis squad is lance Hohaia (Vodafone Warriors)2 Jason Nightingale (St George Illawarra)3 Steve Matai (Manly)4 Jerome Ropati (Vodafone Warriors)5 Manu Vatuvei (Vodafone Warriors) 6 Benji Marshall (C) ()7 Thomas Leuluai (Wigan)8 Adam Blair (Melbourne)9 Nathan Fien (Vodafone Warriors)Evarn Tuimavave (Vodafone Warriors)11 Simon Mannering (Vodafone Warriors)12 David Fa'alogo (South Sydney)13 Jeremy Smith (Melbourne)

Interchange:14 Issac Luke (South Sydney)15 (Brisbane)16 Bronson Harrison (Wests Tigers)17David Kidwell (South Sydney)

Coach: Stephen Kearney

(Source: One Sport, TVNZ, 07 November 2008)

Anzac Clash First Up In Defence League World Cup The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Rugby League team start with an Anzac clash when they compete in the Defence Forces Rugby League World Cup in Sydney this November.

The NZDF and Australian Defence Force teams face off on Sunday 9 November in a World Cup curtain raiser to the France v Samoa game at CUA Stadium, Penrith.

The NZDF team, made up of Navy, Army and Air Force personnel, is one of five military rugby league teams competing in the Defence Forces World Cup over 03-17 November.

The NZDF team play their final pool match against the Cook Islands at the same location on Tuesday, Armistice Day.

Teams from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Great Britain and the Cook Islands are competing in the Defence Force competition.

The Defence Force World Cup is sanctioned by the Rugby League International Federation as part of the Festival of World Cups.

New Zealand currently has 876 Defence Force personnel in 14 missions and deployments around the world

(Source: www.voxy.co.nz 07 November 2008)

Young hooker seen as Kiwis' future At yesterday's World Cup mayoral reception in Newcastle a bored Issac Luke took matters into his own hands, grabbing a platter of pastries and chocolate eclairs and serving them personally to the surprised suits.

Not content with his work, Luke then produced some revealing photos on his iPhone of Kiwis hooking partner Nathan Fien dressed as a woman in a skirt and lipstick during the team's bonding session for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.

"A lot of the boys did it [dress up]," Luke chuckles.

"I think Nathan Fien looked more like a girl than anyone. It was a crack up."

Souths star Luke was controversially omitted from the side thumped by Australia but was a standout against Papua New Guinea, scooting for a sharp try and sitting several Kumuls on their backsides with jolting hits belying his 1.74m and 80kg.

Luke missed the Kangaroos game because Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney felt he needed to talk more both at training and during games, direct his forwards and communicate plays.

Kearney was happy with the improvement against PNG and Luke's X-factor now looms as crucial to the Kiwis' 50-50 chances of progressing past England and into the World Cup final.

At just 21-years-old, the Hawera product has packed a lot in.

After a short schooling stint in Wellington, Luke moved to Sydney as a teenager and has two sons with unusual names, the first, Adaquix Jeremiah, who lives with his partner in Brisbane, and the second, Cruze Zinzan, who lives with former partner Kendra in Penrith.

"My son [Adaquix] and my missus are following me around a bit," Luke says.

"They're in Brisbane, they'll be waiting for me next week [for the semi-final] and Cruze will be watching in Penrith."

During his eyecatching display against the Kumuls, television commentator and former premiership winning coach Phil Gould talked up Luke as the next Kiwis captain because of his 'follow me' on-field attitude.

With injured incumbent Roy Asotasi waiting in the wings, it's a big call, and the first a laughing Luke had heard of it.

"Crazy," he says, shaking his head.

"I haven't heard that eh.

"I don't see myself as one [future Kiwis captain] and I don't know if other members of the team see me as one.

"I've got a real problem with talking, that's been my real problem lately that I don't talk enough so I'm happy to just work on that.

"I'm more of a follower.

"I'd like to lead but at the moment I'm more of a follower.

"Maybe one day."

One area where Luke, whose nickname is 'Uncle Bully', definitely doesn't follow is during the haka.

Tongue flickering, eyes bulging, he strode through the middle of the Kiwis throng to the front against PNG and plans to challenge England in the same manner.

"I've grown up around a lot of them [haka]," Luke says.

"I know a few and I'm really into Maori culture, I like to learn them and do them properly and represent." Luke, has who played against England's James Graham, and Jamie Jones-Buchanan for the , said tomorrow night's game at Energy Australia Stadium was definitely not a dead rubber.

"We're out to prove a point.

"We've got this week and next week and we're just out to try and prove to Aussie that we are contenders as well."

And finally, what about those spectacular shoulder charges he put on against the hapless Kumuls?

"That was a fluke," he argues.

"I don't normally tackle with that shoulder, it's normally the other one.

"It was a winger, so he was pretty light.

"I just thought I'd have a go.

"Represent Sonny [Bill Williams]."

Luke bursts out laughing.

If he does become captain, Lukes team's are going to have some fun.

(Source: Sam Worthington, Fairfax Media, 07 November 2008)

Learning from his losses A review of the Kiwis' record under new coach Stephen Kearney raises the question of what progress has been made since he took over the reins.

The easy answer is "not much". They were walloped 28-12 in the Centenary test, out of the game early after allowing the Kangaroos some soft tries. They were beaten 30-6 in the World Cup opener.

Victories have come over NZ Maori and Tonga in trial games and PNG in their second game of the 2008 Cup tournament - but so they should have.

The first real test comes tomorrow when the Kiwis face an England side that was beaten by more than the Kiwis were by Australia. England should recover, and the game promises to be an even contest.

In fairness to this coach and others before him, he has yet to have the best possible New Zealand side on the paddock, due to club commitments and injury.

If this team included the usual captain Roy Asotasi, along with , , and , the Aussies would be worried.

Crucially, there is improvement in the areas where improvement was most needed, both in terms of personnel and performance, and Kearney's approach to the tournament has been to look longer-term and use it as a chance to blood new talent.

It's not so long ago the Kiwis routinely struggled to find a and regularly played someone out of position. dominated there, likewise with Stacey Jones at halfback. When they retired, there was no replacement, let alone others also pushing the obvious heir to make sure he stayed on form.

Now there is , Sam Perrett and this weekend's fullback Lance Hohaia all capable of holding down the number one jersey.

At hooker there is Isaac Luke who is being brought in gradually - Kearney may have been tempted to rush him up to starter after the loss to the Kangaroos but instead he comes off the bench.

The coach is sticking with his halves combination of Thomas Leuluai and Benji Marshall, both just 23, because he believes he will get better out of them than they have delivered so far.

Much of the problem for the halves has been that the forwards have not created go-forward for them. The playmaker role, though, remains open, with no one as yet standing up to grab it.

"I'm not set firmly on who I'm going to have in what position there. It gives us an opportunity this weekend to have a good look at it," Kearney said.

Likewise he has shuffled the forward pack and switched wings so he can both see what others have to offer, keep them interested and involved and so build depth and commitment to the cause.

Kearney was the Kiwis' youngest-ever captain and his total of 45 tests from 1993-2004 is bettered only by Ruben Wiki who leads with 55 and halfbacks Jones and Gary Freeman, both on 46.

As a player, he was known for thorough preparation and he has tried to transfer that facet to his coaching career.

So far, the preparation has been good but it has not changed results.

"People have been questioning us since we played Australia. You have to remember the circumstances," he said, referring to the injury withdrawals.

In the Centenary test, the Kiwis recovered in the second half to out-score Australia 12-6, giving Kearney and mentor Wayne Bennett hope they could put themselves in a position to press for victory in the next meeting provided they started well.

They didn't start well.

They had prepared well. Kearney has not been able to pinpoint why they did not carry that through.

Both England and the Kiwis are sure to make the semifinals next weekend regardless of who wins this game. Winning has not been emphasised.

"I'm of the school that says there is no 'must win'. The important thing for me now is that we prepare well and play well. If we do that, we give ourselves a chance."

Many people rank the NRL ahead of Super League in terms of speed and skill. Not Kearney, who played in both.

"They have plenty of danger men. They get good gain from and [Adrian] Morley of course, and James Graham does a lot of work for them even though he's a young kid. , [Leon] Pryce and [Danny] McGuire are all strong out of dummy-half and they have seasoned players like [Paul] Wellens and [Keith] Senior at the back - oh yeah, they're much stronger than people give them credit for. I know a lot of their players well, they have strikepower in key positions."

If there is an area where the Kiwis might have the advantage it is in defence, where the NRL is undoubtedly tougher due to the effort put into that area. "I think [England] will adopt an NRL-style defence," Kearney said.

That means a slower game and that may favour the Kiwis.

The coach has studied and analysed tapes of the Leeds-St Helens encounters this year since those two clubs provide the bulk of the England squad, and he's watched the England-France and England-Wales games, in which his opposite Tony Smith plotted their tournament build-up.

"There's enough there," he said, after picking out areas to press in attack as well as warning his players about the opposition strengths.

He is concerned about a backlash from England after their trouncing by Australia. "I know they'll be hurting, I'm expecting them to come out with their very best performance."

He doesn't want anything less. He wants his team tested, pushed. He wants the players to learn.

Kearney doesn't want to lose tomorrow but acknowledges that sometimes you learn more that way - as a coach or player. What he doesn't want, Kearney says, is to keep on losing.

The Kiwis have a long way to go to match Australia, he knows, but that is about depth rather than ability. And he's working on that. The Australians have rested captain Darren Lockyer who has a bruised bicep, fullback and prop who are also carrying niggling injuries ahead of their final pool game against Papua New Guinea this weekend.

Replacements are Terry Campese at five-eighth for Lockyer, Anthony Watmough in the pack and from the bench to fullback for Slater, with wing David Williams brought into the squad.

PNG have lost Hull winger Makali Aizue, suspended for one game for a grapple tackle on Kiwi Sam Perrett.

(Source: Peter Jessup, New Zealand Herald, 07 November 2008)

Few Kiwis remain after coaching coup The last time the Kiwis met England's finest their tour was in crisis and while the 28-22 loss last year saved some face the result was an embarrassing 3-0 test series whitewash.

Only three Kiwis from the side that played Great Britain in Wigan on November 10 will line up against England on Saturday, an illustration of the tumultuous nature of New Zealand rugby league.

Simon Mannering, Jeremy Smith and Lance Hohaia are the only survivors, while coach Gary Kemble reluctantly fell on his sword after Roy Asotasi and David Kidwell - on interchange bench on Saturday - led a dramatic player revolt.

In contrast England boast a far more settled line-up, with an established coach in Tony Smith, though they have lost forwards Maurie Fa'asavalu and Jon Wilkin to injury and are scarred from their heavy defeat against Australia.

New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney, who also had to regather his troops from a Kangaroos beating, knows a bit about the English game, having played for Hull in 2005 and winning a .

The Storm assistant is also renowned for his painstaking approach to preparation and says he has left no stone unturned as the Kiwis prepare for their final World Cup pool match at Newcastle's EnergyAustralia Stadium.

Asked how much homework he had done on the Poms, Kearney replied simply: "a lot."

"That's the way I operate in terms of how I prepare a side," he said.

"I was lucky enough to get some information and some vision from a couple of games overseas, the Challenge Cup semifinal, the Super League semifinal, their game against France and obviously the Australian and Papua New Guinea games."

Kearney was expecting England, whose odds of winning the tournament have drifted to $11 at the New Zealand TAB, to rebound from lacklustre performances against Australia and the Kumuls.

"That's how we're preparing the side and that's how I always prepare the side, it doesn't matter who we're playing, I'll prepare them for the opposition's best performance," he said.

"I'm well aware of the personnel that the English side have and I know that they're very proud individuals and a very proud team so they'll be hurting after last weekend's result and I'm certainly expecting their best performance."

With match-ups between northern and southern hemisphere sides few and far between, Kearney said the less experienced Kiwis would need to adapt to the English style.

England aim for quick play of the balls and rely on dummy half running and the skill of halves Rob Burrow and Leon Pryce.

Coach Smith yesterday named a 19-man squad, resting key prop James Graham and hooker James Roby.

"They're different players playing in a different competition and of course it's going to be different but we come across good, different dummy half-runners in this competition [NRL] too so I think it's just making them aware of certain individuals. "Our lads won't be surprised, put it that way," Kearney said.

Kiwis: Lance Hohaia, Jason Nightingale, Steve Matai, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, Benji Marshall, Thomas Leuluai, Adam Blair, Nathan Fien, Evarn Tuimavave, Simon Mannering, David Fa'alogo, Jeremy Smith (c). Interchange: Issac Luke, Greg Eastwood, Bronson Harrison, David Kidwell.

England (from): Rob Burrow, Mark Calderwood, Gareth Ellis, Martin Gleeson, Mickey Higham, , Jamie Jones-Buchanan, , Danny McGuire, , Jamie Peacock (c), Leon Pryce, Rob Purdham, Keith Senior, Kevin Sinfield, Lee Smith, Paul Sykes, , .

(Source: Sam Worthington, Fairfax Media, 06 November 2008)

Kidwell not ready to pack it in Almost a year since he played a role in the Kiwis' rugby league coaching coup, David Kidwell will finally play a Test under the regime he risked his international career for.

The veteran forward was recalled on Wednesday to the Kiwis bench for Saturday's final World Cup pool match against England in Newcastle, a dress rehearsal for a likely semi-final between the same sides a week later.

Kidwell's 25th test appearance will be his first in two years, since the memorable 2006 Tri Nations final when the Kangaroos snuck home 16-12 in extra time.

Back in January, Kidwell followed captain Roy Asotasi into the trenches as they issued a stunning public vote of no-confidence in then-coach Gary Kemble and demanded Wayne Bennett's appointment.

They got their wish, with Bennett joining new boss Stephen Kearney, Kidwell's former coach at the .

"All the boys love having a professional environment with (Kearney and Bennett). I've been very impressed by them," Kidwell said.

"From the NRL it's just upped another level in Kiwi camp and I think that's what all the guys were hungry for."

Still, little has gone right for the senior Kiwis pair since then.

Asotasi was knocked senseless early in the Centenary test in May, then suffered a season-ending pectoral muscle tear which ruled him out of the World Cup.

Kidwell, 31, was in the Centenary test squad but not picked for the 17, and wasn't required for the Kiwis' past three tests against Tonga, Australia and last Saturday's 48-6 win over Papua New Guinea.

It was also a frustrating NRL season at South Sydney where Kidwell was dropped from the top side by coach Jason Taylor then slogged it out in the gym to earn a recall. He'd played just five NRL matches in 2007 thanks to a knee injury suffered when he tripped over his young daughter at a family barbecue.

"You never give up hope, you always try and do your best and I love playing in the black and white," Kidwell said.

"I put my heart and soul in there. I've got a lot of ties back in New Zealand so there's a lot of pride there for me."

Example: the 2006 Tri-Nations when he flattened Kangaroos prop with a front-on tackle after Mason mocked Brent Webb during the haka.

Now Kidwell hopes to prove himself worthy of a semifinal spot, no easy task with the injured Sika Manu and the rested Setaimata Sa ahead of him in the second-rowers' queue.

"I'm very excited. We've been training hard and we've got to try and put some pressure on the boys that have got spots and get into that semifinal team.

"I think everyone has got a chance. That's the feeling in the camp, we all work together and we all push each other hard. Stephen's always said that from day one." Kidwell has only played one serious match since the Rabbitohs missed the NRL playoffs, for the All Golds against New Zealand Maori.

The star of that day, longtime Kiwis teammate Ruben Wiki, has ensured Kidwell's fitness hasn't slipped in his role as team trainer. Even if Wiki may not be as popular as before.

"I had a game about three weeks ago so that just made me more motivated to come into this game," Kidwell said.

"The last three weeks we've been getting hammered by Rubes and the trainers but it's been good fun, the boys have stuck together and (selection) is a bit of a reward for the hard work we've been putting in."

(Source: One Sport, TVNZ, 06 November 2008)

Scots win, Fiji progress to rugby league WC playoff Fiji secured a semi-final playoff spot despite going down 18-16 to spirited Scotland in a torrid rugby league World Cup clash here on Wednesday.

The committed Scots scored the winning try four minutes from full-time through prop Oliver Wilkes to claim their first-ever World Cup victory and in the process dislodged France from second place in Pool 2.

The Fijians had the cushion of a thumping 42-6 opening victory over the French last Saturday and it proved beyond Scotland to come up with the 27-point win they needed to win their group and stay alive in the tournament.

Instead Fiji will play Ireland in next Monday's playoff on the Gold Coast for a semi-final berth against probable last-four opponents Australia.

Fijian skipper Wes Naiqama said he was disappointed with the defeat but was impressed with the way his men had played only four days after their France clash.

"I'm definitely disappointed with the outcome of tonight's match," Naiqama said.

"But saying that, our short term goal was to finish top of the pool and we were successful in that."

The Irish caused the boilover of the tournament with a 34-16 win over fancied Samoa at earlier Wednesday to win Pool 3 on a superior points differential.

The Scots resisted stubbornly with whole-hearted defence to lead for 73 minutes before the Fijians hit the front for the first and only time after winger Semi Tadulala's second try.

But Scotland refused to buckle. They regained possession from the kickoff and were rewarded when Wakefield Wildcats prop Wilkes plunged over the tryline under two tacklers in the 76th minute.

Skipper 's conversion gave Scotland their first victory in five World Cup games.

The Scots will now have a meaningless playoff match against Tonga in Rockhampton on Saturday, while France take on Samoa in another playoff in Penrith on Sunday.

Scotland led 12-4 at halftime after tries by winger Jonathan Steel and Manly Sea Eagles winger-cum-fullback Michael Robertson.

In the second half the Fijians drew within two points of the Scots when centre Jason Bukuya was carried over the tryline by three defenders but managed to ground the ball for a try.

Naiqama converted from the sideline and then levelled the scores with a 51st-minute penalty.

The Pacific islanders looked to have chiselled out a hard-earned victory seven minutes from time when Tadulala scored in the left corner to grab a four-point advantage.

But undaunted, the Scots launched another attack upfield and pinched victory through Wilkes's try. The Scots worked tirelessly to keep the dangerous Fijians in check and made a total of 265 tackles to Fiji's 229 during the match.

The fierce exchanges saw Ian Henderson coming to blows with Bukuya late in the first half.

(Source: www.afp.com.au 06 November 2008)

Ireland shocks Samoa at World Cup scored 22 points as Ireland sent fancied Samoa crashing out of the Rugby League World Cup 34-16 at Parramatta Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Wigan winger scored three tries and landed five goals to deliver the Irish their first win of the tournament and pitch them into a semi-final play-off next Monday on the back of a superior points differential.

Richards, who returned to the ground where he played in the National Rugby League with Parramatta, could do little wrong against the bumbling Samoans and was named man-of-the-match.

His barnstorming performance means he now holds the record for the most points in a World Cup game for Ireland, trumping Steve Prescott's 14 points in his team's 30-16 win over Samoa in their other previous World Cup encounter in Belfast eight years ago.

The Irish held a 16-12 half-time lead after unsettling the Samoans with an early 14-0 advantage.

But it was all Ireland in the second half to finish with six tries as the Samoans lost skipper and playmaker with a knee injury six minutes after half-time.

Samoa was its own worst enemy and gifted the Irish easy points through slipshod handling and ill-discipline.

Bradford Bulls back rower was put on a report by French referee Thierry Alibert for using an elbow in a tackle.

Samoa winger fumbled away a try when centre Sean Gleeson pounced to score in the first half.

Opposite winger Misi Taulapapa virtually condemned Samoa to defeat when he spilled a high kick, allowing Irish half-back to ground the ball for a cheap try nine minutes from full-time for an unassailable 30- 12 lead.

Samoa went into the final match of the group leading Tonga by 34 on points differential, but frittered away its chance by conceding six tries in a dire performance, enabling Ireland to skate into the semi-final play-off at its expense.

(Source: www.abc.net.nz 05 November 2008)

Australian company helps Rugby League An Australian based sports marketing company has offered to provide assistance to the newly formed Solomon Islands Rugby League in its development process.

Dane Campbell, Managing Director of Global League Management that deals with commercial matters on developing rugby league nations revealed this.

“I’m hopeful to be able to put into contact with the Solomon Islands rugby league to offer our assistance to them in their development process,” he said.

Chairman of the Solomon Islands Rugby League Federation (SIRLF), William Tuhaika, revealed to star sports yesterday they are happy this organisation offered assistance.

“Technical assistance like referees and coaching of coaches are some of the areas which need to be improved,” he said.

“Australia is the founder of Rugby League and to have them assist in our development process will certainly boost the moral of players in the country.

“Our aim now is to have direct link with the Global League management to give us support and advice to kick start rugby league here,” he said.

Tuhaika added the SIRLF intends to register with the Rugby League International Board (RLIB) and see this assistance an opportunity to push forward in achieving their goals.

PNG Rugby League has approved to pass the registration of the 1999 launching but was disrupted by the ethnic tension.

The SIRLF are now looking to reestablishing the league.

Republic of China (ROC), Kossol car rental and BP Investments were major sponsors of the past league and they are still open to SIRF for sponsors when the new league starts.

A joint meeting between the Honiara Rugby League Association (HRLA) and SIRLF is set for Monday 10th November at 12pm at the Environmental Conference room.

Tuhaika said interested individuals are encouraged to attend to support the revival of rugby league in the country.

“The agenda of the meeting is to discuss the development of the rugby league and individuals who need further inquires can contact me on 75787,” he said.

Tuhaika is inviting members of the Honiara Rugby League namely Golden Kiloko, Joseph Nelson, Derick Kama, Martin (PNG), Sika (Tonga) and Ronanzki (Australia) to attend.

(Source: Solomon Star News, 05 November 2008)

Kiwis hand debut to Tuimavave Prop Evarn Tuimavave will make his Test debut in the Kiwis' final World Cup pool match against England in Newcastle on Saturday night. The 24-year-old Warriors big man was named among a number of changes to the side that took a step up in form in a 48-6 defeat of Papua New Guinea after an opening 24-point hiding at the hands of Australia. Tuimavave replaces captain Nathan Cayless in the starting XIII as Cayless is rested ahead of a likely rematch with England in the semi-finals the following weekend. Unless Papua New Guinea can spring the shock of a lifetime and overcome Australia, the controversial system of the World Cup will see the Kiwis and England play for a place in the final. Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney has opted for an All Blacks-esque rotation system in his forward pack as along with Cayless, David Fa'alogo is promoted to start in the second row, prop is rested and back-up players David Kidwell and Bronson Harrison are included on the interchange bench. There are two changes to the backline as well as Jason Nightingale comes in for his first World Cup appearance on the wing in place of Sam Perrett and centre Steve Matai returns from suspension to oust Krisnan Inu. With Cayless on the sidelines, back-rower Jeremy Smith captains the Kiwis for the second time after an impressive first-up effort against Tonga in a World Cup warm-up. The only player not considered because of injury was second-rower Sika Manu, who is still nursing an eye injury. However, the Kiwis are boosted by the news that Manu is recovering well and is a good chance to return for the semi-finals. Although Saturday's match is unlikely to have any bearing on semis qualification, Kearney is viewing it as a vital step towards hitting top form. "We showed some improvement against Papua New Guinea, especially with our defence, but this match against England is critical to us as we strive to show further improvements in all areas of our performance," Kearney said. "We're not thinking about what happened to England against Australia. All that counts for us is how we prepare and how we play in this match against England. We have to get it right." Kiwis: 1- Lance Hohaia, 2- Jason Nightingale, 3- Steve Matai, 4- Jerome Ropati, 5- Manu Vatuvei, 6- Benji Marshall, 7- Thomas Leuluai, 8- Adam Blair, 9- Nathan Fien, 10- Evarn Tuimavave, 11- Simon Mannering, 12- David Fa'alogo, 13- Jeremy Smith (captain) Interchange: 14- Issac Luke, 15- Greg Eastwood, 16- Bronson Harrison, 17- David Kidwell (Source: www.sportal.com.au 5 November 2008)

Team want to prove their worth England forwards Gareth Ellis and Kevin Sinfield are urging coach Tony Smith to give his World Cup flops a chance to redeem themselves.

The duo say the incumbent players are keen to play against New Zealand on Saturday to make amends for their 52-4 humiliation by Australia.

Smith will be forced to make at least two changes for his side's final group match in Newcastle, with St Helens forwards Maurie Fa'asavalu and Jon Wilkin ruled out through injury.

He is also under pressure to make optional changes for a game that will carry little significance other than being a dress rehearsal for the first semi-final a week later in Brisbane.

Smith was tonight weighing up his options and, as fringe players like Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Rob Purdham, Ben Westwood and Paul Sykes waited anxiously for the verdict, Sinfield urged him to give the Melbourne mob a second chance.

"I think the whole squad want to play," said the Leeds captain. "There is a lot of hunger and determination to go out and perform. We'll have to see what happens.

"We'll get better and better as the tournament goes on. Hopefully we can fix some more things up for this weekend and put in a great performance and look to build on that."

Ellis admits Saturday's "dead rubber" presents an opportunity for Smith to rest some players but says he is he keen to get back out on the pitch as soon as possible.

"Without a doubt," he said. "If we had won comfortably over the last couple of weeks, maybe so but the most important thing now is to get a win and get a good performance and build some momentum."

Smith is expected to announce his team tomorrow after consultation with his assistant Steve McNamara.

"In all honesty, we haven't decided entirely yet," he said. "We're watching them in training and we're watching their reactions.

"We have to consider whether to add some fresh people in there to freshen things up. If somebody is looking tired, we'll give him a break. We're not being cagey."

Three players who will not be rested are Jamie Peacock, Adrian Morley and James Graham, who became England's only specialist props once Fa'asavalu was ruled out with a hand injury.

While Wilkin is expected to recover from a facial contusion in time to be available for the semi-final, Fa'asavalu is in danger of being ruled out of the tournament.

"His scans have been sent to a specialist in the UK and the doctor is waiting for his reply as to what action needs to be taken but we do feel there is a fracture in one of his fingers," said coach Smith.

"Sometimes if those fractures are not dislodged or displaced, they can play on. If there is some displacement, it may mean something further." Smith, who says he will operate with just three props on Saturday, is set to recall winger Lee Smith, who scored a hat-trick of tries in England's opening 32-22 win over Papua New Guinea but missed the Kangaroos mauling with a foot injury.

Ellis, who is staying on in Australia to play for Wests Tigers in 2009, is confident England can quickly recover from their record defeat in Melbourne.

"We're pretty disappointed," he said. "We went into the game quite confident and in the first half I felt we were dominating in certain areas.

"They were clinical and got the points on the board. Those early 12 points probably cost us. Then obviously in the second half we came out and went a little bit soft, to be honest.

"I know they've got some great players out there but I thought we had the players to deal with it.

"Now it's not a question of whether we can bounce back, we've got to. The beauty of it is that we're still in the tournament.

"New Zealand are going to be tough but we've got to pick ourselves up. We can't dwell on this for too long."

Ellis is confident England can see off the Kiwis and insists they would not fear a re-match with Australia in the Brisbane final on November 22.

"We know we're not 50 points worse off than them," he said. "We would look forward to it, to be honest.

"That scoreline was hard to take because we know the players are much better than that.

"They were on fire. They were very clinical and finished every chance they got. But, if we got them again, I wouldn't fear them."

Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Nathan Cayless sat out training yesterday in order to rest his knee amid suggestions that coach Stephen Kearney will take the opportunity to rest some of his players.

Kearney gave his players a day off from training today, with their attentions focused on the Melbourne Cup and a fancy dress party

(Source: www.sportinglife.com 05 November 2008)

Lockyer to be rested Coach Ricky Stuart will rest Australian captain Darren Lockyer but says the decision has nothing to do with any empathy for Sunday’s World Cup underdogs Papua New Guinea in Townsville.

“I haven’t told the players the team, but I will be giving Darren a spell,” Stuart told AAP from Townsville.

“He’s got a cork on his bicep, but he’ll be fine.”

The decision means Lockyer (43 Tests) will have to wait until next year to equal and break former champion Mel Meninga’s all-time record of 46 Tests.

The beneficiary will be Raiders five-eighth Terry Campese, one of several “Emus” handed their Test debuts against the Kumuls who will lose rugged prop Mikali Aizue.

Aizue will plead guilty to unnecessary contact with the head or neck of Kiwi Sam Perrett in the first minute of their clash and miss one game.

Lockyer suffered a corked bicep in Australia’s demolition of England last weekend.

But Stuart said the arm injury was only a minor and not tournament threatening.

Stuart is keen for his Kangaroo reserves, or Emus as they are nicknamed, to be rewarded with Test jumpers, a move which worked well for him during the 2006 Tri Nations.

The Emus are the other members of Australia’s 24-man squad who train and help prepare the Kangaroos. “There’s not a player who hasn’t got the ability to play a Test or has prepared accordingly,” said Stuart.

Campese, Darius Boyd, Anthony Watmough and David Williams are in line for their Test debuts when Stuart announces his Test 17 tomorrow while veteran Rooster will earn a 16th international .

Stuart was adamant today he was not showing PNG, belted by New Zealand last weekend, any sympathy and insisted the players he picked would be worthy of wearing the green and gold.

He warned the Kumuls could expect nothing less than 110 per cent from Australia.

“I’m all about promoting the game but once the contest starts there’s no place for anything except getting the job done,” said a ruthless Stuart who had the Kangaroos primed for the challenge against England.

Australia have the day off tomorrow while PNG have two training sessions scheduled but that may change depending on coach ’s preparation plans.

(Source: www.theroar.com.au 05 November 2008)

Kiwis face weird week It shapes as a weird week for the Kiwis and their coach, Stephen Kearney.

Barring the Kangaroos throwing their final pool match against Papua New Guinea on Sunday, New Zealand will meet England in Newcastle on Saturday and a week later the same two teams will square off for a rematch in the first World Cup semifinal in Brisbane.

It was an outcome that was always highly likely given the unusual tournament draw and Australia's dominance, which was underlined with a 52-4 embarrassment of England on Sunday night.

Under different circumstances Kearney and his England counterpart, Tony Smith, may have played cat and mouse this week, naming understrength teams and holding back gameplans.

But given how far off the cracking pace set by Australia the tournament's second and third favourites are, building confidence and combinations will be paramount in an otherwise meaningless fixture.

Also swirling around in Kearney's thought process this week is the vacant Parramatta coaching job, for which he has been shortlisted.

The favourite to fill Michael Hagan's shoes is former Warriors coach Daniel Anderson, who will be interviewed by Eels officials today.

But should negotiations with Anderson fail, Kearney is viewed as a good fallback option and Parramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald would not rule out approaching Kearney this week despite the coach not wanting to be distracted till after the World Cup.

"I think it's reasonable to say that we've got some interest in Steve," Fitzgerald said.

"But our main thought at this stage is Daniel Anderson, he gets back [today] from England."

The Kiwis trained yesterday in Newcastle and will name their team tomorrow, with everyone, bar injured forward Sika Manu, available for selection.

Steve Matai is expected to return from his one-match suspension, meaning either Krisnan Inu or Jerome Ropati will be squeezed out. Inu, who also kicks goals, appeals as having more potential to trouble top-class opposition, though in Ropati's favour is his combination with Manu Vatuvei.

Issac Luke's eyecatching cameo against the Kumuls has put serious heat on Nathan Fien as starting hooker, though the coaching staff may judge the Hawera product more effective as an impact player.

With Benji Marshall off the field with a tight hamstring in the second half, Fien and Luke both spent time at first receiver, with Thomas Leuluai proving more effective at hooker than he has at halfback.

England also have selection dilemmas on their plate after being blown away by Australia. Danny McGuire, who came off the bench against Australia, may partner halfback Rob Burrow against the Kiwis, with gifted athlete Leon Pryce shifting to the centres.

Either Keith Senior or Martin Gleeson, who were badly exposed by Kangaroo guns and , would have to make way.

The Telegraph's David Burke said the mismatch between England and Australia was like "Lewis Hamilton's McLaren lining up against Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".

Despite being desperate observers of what is looking like a one-horse race, New Zealand and England still have plenty to play for. The winner of the expected Brisbane semifinal will net at least A$525,000 (NZ$603,000) as losing finalists, while losing semifinalists walk away with A$300,000

(Source: Sam Worthington, The Dominion Post, 04 November 2008)

Islanders inject passion into World Cup While the host nation is threatening to turn the 10-team tournament into a one-horse race after heavy beatings of the other leading contenders New Zealand and England, the Islanders have injected passion.

The two Pool Three games involving Samoa, Tonga and Ireland were among the better spectacles and most competitive games so far.

Tonga squeezed out Ireland 22-20 at Parramatta, while Samoa beat Tonga 20-12 at Penrith in matches that drew widespread praise.

"Obviously our game against Tonga last week had a lot of Pacific flavour in it and the Irish and the Scottish and the French have also brought together their unique styles," Vagana said.

"People are starting to appreciate there are a lot more different styles in rugby league and it would be great if we can see it more often."

Samoa and Fiji are poised to serve up another potential Island classic in a likely semi-final qualifier.

They lead their respective pools, from which only the winner will advance.

A victory by any margin over Ireland at Parramatta on Wednesday will put Samoa through to the semi-final qualifier where they should meet Fiji, who only have to defeat minnows Scotland in their last pool game to advance.

"Rugby league has struggled in the Pacific for the last few years," Vagana said.

"If we make it through to the qualifiers it will be a big boost for rugby league in our country and in the Pacific.

"With the Tongan boys putting together a strong team and the Fijians as well, there's a lot of potential to go through the Pacific and for rugby league to put its stamp on."

Samoa coach John Ackland today made just one enforced change to his starting side for Wednesday's game.

Kylie Leula'i was charged by the World Cup match review committee with a careless high tackle on Tonga's Fetuli Talanoa.

Samoa has until 5pm tomorrow to accept the penalty or proceed to a hearing, but officials today indicated they would accept the recommended one-match penalty rather than risk doubling the suspension.

Ireland coach Andy Kelly made two changes to his starting side and brought in frontrower Wayne Kerr to the bench. Halfback Liam Finn and prop go into the run on side, with and dropping to the bench.

"It's just shaking things up a little bit, two different players coming into the team, without altering the structure too much," Kelly said.

"Liam Finn will provide us with another dimension of kicking and Gareth Haggerty is quite explosive and has good feet and good hands."

(Source: www.nzherald.co.nz 03 November 2008)

PNG, Samoa props face bans Papua New Guinea look set to lose prop Makali Aizue for Sunday's clash with Australia after he was charged by the Rugby League World Cup match committee today.

Aizue was charged with making unnecessary contact with the head or neck following a grapple tackle on winger Sam Perrett in the first minute of the Kumuls loss to New Zealand on the Gold Coast.

The tournament's match review commissioner, Greg McCallum, today recommended a one-match penalty which would rub him out of the final pool A game against the Kangaroos in Townsville.

PNG has until tomorrow evening to accept the penalty or challenge it at a Wednesday night hearing.

Kumuls winger David Moore was more fortunate, escaping with a caution after he was charged with leading with the leg into Simon Mannering's body in the first half.

Samoan prop Kylie Leulai also faces a one-match ban for a careless high tackle on Tonga's Fetuli Talanoa in the first half of Samoa's Friday night victory in Penrith.

Tongan centre Tevita Leo Latu received a caution for contrary conduct after being found to have made unnecessary contact with the head or neck of Matt Utai.

(Source: Herald Sun, 03 November 2008)