TO: NZRL Staff, Districts and Affiliates and Board

FROM: Cushla Dawson

DATE: 9 November 2009

RE: Media Summary Monday 2 November to Monday 9 November

Kiwis tip Kangaroos to win Four Nations: England may have toppled world champions New Zealand but will be "too good" for the host nation in this weekend's Four Nations final, according to Kiwis halfback .

Kiwis have no excuses for lack of ball control: You can line up all the excuses you like for the Kiwis, but in the end their defeat by England came down to pretty much one thing: they dropped too much ball…

Ground a graveyard for Kiwis: Huddersfield may be the birthplace of rugby league, but it has proved near fatal to New Zealand ambitions on each of their last three visits to the town…

Kiwis crash out of Four Nations Cup: The Kiwis offered no excuses and no complaints after being knocked out of the Four Nations a week early 20-12 by an English side who produced their best performance on the international stage for years…

Old boys fight to keep Pirates afloat: In one game it was 76-10; 70-10 in another. It was a dreadful season by anyone's standards… …but a couple of high-profile old boys hope to turn it all around. Awen Guttenbeil and will coach the Pirates next season…

Benji’s Brother in Arms: Clad in green and gold, stood at North Harbour Stadium before kickoff of the first test between the Australian Schoolboys and the and, as the haka began, he made his decision…

Mannering to lead Warriors from the front : Expect new Warriors captain to be more than Steve Price in his leadership style. A surprise choice to replace Price, the 23-year-old is definitely cut from the lead-by-example mould…

Kieran Foran picked ahead of : New Zealand have ignored the much-more experienced Parramatta Grand Final centre Krisnan Inu and instead handed a debut to , a 19-year-old centre from Manly who has played just nine first-grade games…

League bosses tighten eligibility rules: Rugby league bosses have tightened international qualification regulations in the face of mounting criticism over players switching countries too often…

Inu on the outer with Kiwis: Parramatta star Krisnan Inu is no guarantee to be called up for Sunday's Four Nations rugby league test against England, despite the unavailability of centre with an eye injury, New Zealand coach has admitted…

Kangaroos finding NRL rules don't apply in Four Nations: English referee Steve Ganson has kept the Kangaroos guessing. The team has learned an important rule at the Four Nations tournament and that is normal rules do not apply. The rules to which they are accustomed, anyway…

Moimoi eyes Burgess re-match: MANCHESTER - New Zealand prop has warned of his rematch with England youngster this Sunday (NZT): "If he's there ... it'll be on"…

Kearney wants more from Kiwis: TOULOUSE - New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney called for a complete performance in this week's Four Nations clash with England after a storming second half saw off France 62-12 in Toulouse yesterday…

PNG seal 2010 Four Nations place: Papua New Guinea qualified for the 2010 Four Nations series with a 42- 14 win over the Cook Islands in the Pacific Cup final in Port Moresby… Kiwis tip Kangaroos to win Four Nations

England may have toppled world champions New Zealand but Australia will be "too good" for the host nation in this weekend's Four Nations rugby league final, according to Kiwis halfback Nathan Fien.

As the Kiwis prepared for the long journey home, members of the touring party were still picking over the bones of Saturday night's surprise 20-12 loss to the English at Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium.

"They're going pretty well. I don't know how they'll go against the Aussies though," St George Illawarra's Fien said of Tony Smith's England side.

"I think the Aussies will be a bit too good.

"(England) have got a young side too. They showed a lot of enthusiasm but they still had the likes of (Adrian) Morley and those big guys leading them forward all night."

Fien said the Kiwis died at their own hand, with a fumble from the restart after their 44th minute try indicative of their misfiring evening.

"We've been together for about five weeks now and that was probably our worst performance - it was really disappointing," he said.

"We were too far off the pace. They just got us around the rucks and their field position built up. I thought, when we scored that try in the second half, we could turn it around but I guess it's a credit to their defence. They held really strong.

"We just couldn't get anything going."

He said the mood in the dressing sheds at fulltime on Saturday was "a little bit emotional".

"A lot of hard work goes into all the preparations (by) the coaches behind the scenes, the medical staff. It was really just thanking everyone.

"We had a number of debutants throughout the tournament. It was just thanking those guys for putting their hands up and everyone did New Zealand proud.

"But with Papua New Guinea and Wales winning southern and northern hemisphere competitions held concurrently with the Four Nations and the World Cup holders failing to make the final, Fien said international league had never been in such a strong position.

"It's good that international rugby league's getting stronger," he said.

"France put a number of good performances together, as well. They showed a lot of spirit and I've heard they had seven or eight players out as well.

"It's only good for rugby league."

(Source: Steve Kilgallon www..co.nz , Monday 9 November)

Kiwis have no excuses for lack of ball control

You can line up all the excuses you like for the Kiwis, but in the end their defeat by England came down to pretty much one thing: they dropped too much ball.

Failing to control possession in league is just plain suicide. The Kiwis players wrote their own ticket home a week early from the Four Nations tournament. Coach Stephen Kearney might well hear a bit of rustling and pecking outside his hotel door this morning because a few chickens came home to roost yesterday.

It has more to do with the difficulties of weekly newspaper deadlines than poor judgment, but it was still an interesting exercise to open a Sunday newspaper and read a nice cuddly story about Kearney's coaching ability shortly after his side had capitulated in Huddersfield.

There was nothing wrong with the piece. Kearney is a good coach. But the timing was well off - serendipitous, really, given the way the Kiwis' backline functioned. Or rather didn't.

Rotation has a bad rap in this country, but one philosophy seldom questioned is that in tournament play it's prudent to rest some key players against the minnows. Doing so takes those players out of harm's way, provides a chance for fringe players to push their case and provides welcome rest for weary legs.

That said, playing the same side each week takes the possibility of an embarrassing upset out of play and helps build continuity and cohesion.

A Kiwis side already light on experience could ill afford losing Steve Matai to the eye injury he suffered in Toulouse, while the selection of Kieran Foran ahead of Krisnan Inu as his replacement was a gamble that failed.

The Kiwis have enjoyed some success blooding young players before they are really ready. Loose international eligibility rules and the desire to get players into the fold who might otherwise end up in green-and-gold is a driving factor in NZRL's pro-active selection policy.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Junior Sa'u were this year's two big success stories, but Foran turned out to be pushing the boat out too far. The promising Manly half floundered at centre, where he was carved up by for the decisive English try.

Inu should have played. End of story.

The other returning chook was , who pretty much ran around like one under a succession of testing bombs. Hohaia is the best bench player in the game, from where he can slot seamlessly into the halves or provide an explosive shift at dummy half. But he's not a .

That said, Hohaia has turned in some wonderful displays in the No 1 shirt. But most of them - the World Cup final and the man-of-match effort in the recent draw with the Roos included - have been a case of the little man triumphing over adversity.

He makes blunders that scream "I am not a fullback" but recovers with a grace that adds "but I am still a damned good player".

The Kiwis have no shortage of specialist options at fullback. It's time to use one.

Ideally, the first choice would be , the star of the '05 and '06 Tri-Nations campaigns. Webb was a genius and it would be a shame if we'd seen the last of the Islander in a Kiwis jersey.

Sadly, that is likely to be the case. A career-threatening back injury suffered two years ago could well mean his eyes are now set on squeezing club pay cheques out of what years remain.

But that still leaves , or Kevin Locke as decent candidates.

Despite yesterday's loss the Kiwis probably deserve a tentative pass mark for their efforts on tour. They muscled up against the Aussies, whupped the French but were ultimately shorn of too many resources to subdue a defiant England side on their home turf.

Chalk 2009 down as a development year. Certainly there was enough reason for optimism. But better will be expected next year when the Four Nations comes Downunder.

(Source: Steve Deane, NZ Herald 9 November 2009)

Ground a graveyard for Kiwis

Huddersfield may be the birthplace of rugby league, but it has proved near fatal to New Zealand ambitions on each of their last three visits to the West Yorkshire town.

In 2005, Brian McClennan thumped railings in exasperation as they lost to England and put their Tri Nations final place in jeopardy (they sneaked through to the final anyway); in 2007, a first test defeat heralded a woeful 3-0 test series defeat to their hosts, and on Saturday, the world champions exited the Four Nations at the group stage.

Wet weather, an eccentric French referee and a painfully slow ruck were the ingredients of this shock 20-12 reverse.

Whistler Thierry Alibert's lax approach to the ruck enabled both teams to delay at the play-the-ball, but the English did it better, and still somehow managed to win the battle on the ground to get some crucial quick plays.

"Their groundwork was top notch, we couldn't get a fast play-the-ball all night, yet they seemed to get two or three each set which made it easier for them to get down to our end," said Kiwi fullback Lance Hohaia.

That established forward momentum for England's hardworking pack, led forward by Sam Burgess, and time for their kickers to pepper the Kiwi back three with some spiralling bombs - always a difficult proposition with what Hohaia called "harsh conditions for the back three".

"They played the conditions perfectly, they got quick play the balls and they came out of dummy half fast," said Kiwi halfback Nathan Fien.

Left trailing 18-6 at the break as a result, the Kiwis talked at halftime about trying to make the rucks even slower, backrow Jared Waerea-Hargreaves revealed.

But with the Kiwis unable to fight off the ground quickly, they were instead left struggling to make impact in the forwards during a second-half stalemate. "No matter if it is fast or slow, we have to get our boys on the front foot and that didn't happen," admitted .

Kiwi skipper Benji Marshall said he struggled to understand French referee Thierry Alibert, who allowed such painfully slow play, but also hit the whistle with regularity.

"The interpretations from the ref didn't help, they adapted to it a lot quicker than we did," conceded Fien. "It's not what we were used to but this is test match rugby league and you get tested in all aspects of the game and the mental side of it, we were probably a little bit off."

Kiwi vice-captain said the Kiwis had shown a "massive drop-off in our standards" since the first game of the tournament, while Marshall and Hohaia both said senior players should bear the responsibility for missing the final.

"We should've taken more of a leadership role," said Hohaia.

(Source: Steve Kilgallon www.stuff.co.nz , Monday 9 November)

Kiwis crash out of Four Nations Cup

The Kiwis offered no excuses and no complaints after being knocked out of the Four Nations a week early 20- 12 by an English side who produced their best performance on the international stage for years.

The Kiwis beat England twice at last year's World Cup, but the home side were a changed team and in front of a patriotic crowd of nearly 20,000, matched the Kiwis in a thunderous forward contest and proved more creative upfront. New Zealand leaked a try to English wing Peter Fox a minute before halftime to trail 18-6 at the interval, and never looked likely to pull back three scores despite scoring from almost their first real attack of the second half.

In a war of attrition, a penalty by England's with ten minutes to go secured the result.

"We can't complain really,'' said Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney.

"I just didn't think we took our opportunities well enough when we were in attacking positions. But I thought the English side didn't allow us to, they played well, which didn't allow us to play the way we wanted to.

"I thought the English side were very good tonight, which I expected given the last 50 minutes they played against Australia. [But] we probably didn't put our best foot forward tonight.

"We had high expectations and we don't get to contest the final so we are disappointed.''

Stony-faced Kiwi skipper Benji Marshall said the defeat didn't mean the Kiwis' World Cup success last November had been a fluke.

"From the start, no one gave us a chance anyway,'' he declared. "We were third favourites, a pack of nobodies, and came out first game and drew with Australia, which I thought we should have won. If we can take something out of this, we brought a lot of young players into the squad and none of them have disappointed - the senior players have disappointed more than the younger players. We still know it wasn't a fluke, and we still knew we could win, and that's all that matters.''

Preferring to admit their poor handling and struggle to create space for halfbacks Nathan Fien and Benji Marshall were costly, the Kiwis refused to blame French referee Thierry Alibert, but his painfully slow ruck speed cost New Zealand any hope of gaining any momentum up the middle.

Marshall said: "It was pretty hard. I just couldn't get the interpretation right, with what he was saying. I was talking to him on the field about it gojng both ways, but to tell you the truth I couldn't get a couple of words in here and there ... it was hard to make out his interpretation.

"But I am not going to make any excuses and blame the referee. It's a simple matter: they were good, and we were bad.''

England coach Tony Smith's late reshuffle, pushing lock Kevin Sinfield into the unfamiliar hooking role to accomodate boom youngster Sam Burgess at 13 was inspired.

Sinfield was a clear man of the match with an industrious, pivotal performance and Burgess had a major impact in the early stages.

"Sometimes you get it right and get the plaudits, sometimes you get it wrong and get kicked to death, so i will take it tonight,'' said a satisfied Smith.

He was complimentary about the Kiwis, saying they had been under-rated before the tournament began and adding: "It is a real shot in the arm for the game in the northern hemisphere, a real shot in the arm for : the southern hemisphere are always favourites in our sport and to beat them to the final is a feat in itself. But we are not quite satisfied yet.''

But England are aware of the size of the task that now awaits them and their skipper was sanguine. "There's nothing to celebrate,'' he said. "There's no champagne in the dressing room."

England meet Australia, who defeated France in Paris earlier in the day to go through the pool stage undefeated, in Saturday's final at the football stadium in Leeds.

ENGLAND 20 (P Fox 2, K Eastmond tries, K Sinfield 3 convs, pen) KIWIS 12 (B Goodwin, B Matulino tries, B Goodwin conv, pen) (Source: Steve Kilgallon www.stuff.co.nz , Sunday 8 November)

Old boys fight to keep Pirates afloat

In one game it was 76-10; 70-10 in another. It was a dreadful season by anyone's standards.

Point Chevalier won just one of their 22 games, conceded a mammoth 838 points at nearly 40 points a game and finished a distant last in the Phelan Shield, 's third division.

The club is also in bad shape financially and has been for a number of years.

The clubrooms are looking a little decrepit and there are now only five teams from under-14s to the first team.

Sometimes fielding them was a struggle and the seniors had to forfeit one game because of a lack of players.

But a couple of high-profile old boys hope to turn it all around. Awen Guttenbeil and Stacey Jones will coach the Pirates next season.

They might not get them back to where they were in the 1950s, when they won the 1953 Fox Memorial and a number of Auckland premiership trophies but they hope at least to get them moving in the right direction.

Neither has any real expectations of what they can achieve but, as Jones says: "They finished last in the third division so there's only one way to go."

It's a club for which both Jones and Guttenbeil have a lot of affection

Jones played most of his junior rugby league at Point Chevalier, joining as a 9-year-old until the time he was picked up by the Warriors at 17.

Guttenbeil originated from Whangarei but joined Jones at the Pirates at 14 until he moved to to sign with Manly at 18.

Both have limited coaching experience. Jones has his level two coaching badge, held a few clinics when playing for Catalans in the UK Super League and was Warriors kicking coach in 2008.

Guttenbeil was both player and assistant coach at Castleford in 2008, the year he helped the Yorkshire club gain promotion back to the Super League.

"I don't think you really need to know a lot at this level, anyway," Guttenbeil says of their coaching experience.

"We're not trying to coach them too much and make them see what it takes to be a professional because they have to play for fun.

"It's a challenge for them, because they don't get paid to play and are flogged each week. Hopefully we can win a few games and breed a hunger to play again.

"They have been struggling on and off the pitch for a while, which is part of the reason we wanted to be involved.

"We wanted to give something back. It also gives us a good reason to go to the club for a beer."

They hope a few of their friends might join them. They have already approached former Warriors Monty Betham and about playing again and are also trying to tempt Point Chevalier resident and former All Black Andrew Blowers into trying his hand at the 13-man code. Both Guttenbeil and Jones will also play the occasional game. "I'm there to have some fun but also to help the club get back on its feet because they aren't in the best shape," Jones says.

"I would play. I don't want to play but if it helps the cause, then definitely.

"I remember when I was a young kid playing for Point Chev, my heroes weren't playing Winfield Cup. My heroes were playing for Point Chev. I want to instil that again.

"There are a lot of guys all talking about [playing] but when it comes to the crunch ... We'll see."

Guttenbeil and Jones will hold three 'training' sessions this month, starting next Sunday at Walker Park, when they hope players turn up for a game of touch and a barbecue.

The real training will begin in the New Year. They have committed to coaching for one season, after which time they will re-evaluate.

"I'm not doing this because I want to be a professional coach," Guttenbeil says.

"It's very much motivated by wanting to help the club out. But I enjoy coaching, so who knows where it might take me?"

Anyone interested in playing should meet at Walker Park at noon next Sunday or contact the club.

(Source: Michael Brown, Herald on Sunday, Sunday 8 November)

Benji’s Brother in Arms

Clad in green and gold, Benji Marshall stood at North Harbour Stadium before kickoff of the first test between the Australian Schoolboys and the Junior Kiwis and, as the haka began, he made his decision.

"It was a life-changing experience," he reflects. "That's when I realised I wanted to be a Kiwi, I had no doubt that I wanted to play for New Zealand. It was an eye- opening experience that made me realise I wanted to be standing on the other side."

At the time, Marshall was playing for the Australians because he was at school on the Gold Coast and because he figured New Zealand had no idea who he was.

Four of Marshall's team-mates that day, , , Frank-Paul Nuuausala and Adam Blair, are in this year's New Zealand Four Nations squad. More intriguingly, alongside Marshall in the Australian team were Sam Perrett and Ben Roberts, both since capped by New Zealand, and Shane Eastwood, the brother of Kiwi lock .

It's as neat an illustration of the scramble for talent across the Tasman. "Look at the under-20s," argues Nathan Fien, who knows a bit about national allegiance.

"There are so many Polynesian boys coming through that are eligible for New Zealand, and they are the stars of that competition, so there could be a time in the next few years that the ascendancy could start to turn." But those rising Polynesian stars have a complex heritage.

There is a substantial New Zealand diaspora in the league heartland of west Sydney – which has already spawned Krisnan Inu and – producing young footballers who find they have a three-way split of loyalties: to Australia, the land where they have learned their football, to New Zealand, the land their families have left, and often, to Samoa, or the Cook Islands, the land of their families' cultural heritage.

Marshall and Fien both believe that Australia are quick to exploit that uncertainty, moving quickly on young players and feeding them into their representative system. That's why Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney would like to see the introduction of a national under-20 team, the rebirth of the New Zealand `A' team, and development camps for the best New Zealand players on the books of Sydney NRL clubs. "If you're an up and coming talent in Australia, and they think they have harnessed that talent, there is a bit of pressure on you to play for Australia," says Marshall. "There is a temptation to play State of Origin, and I think some people, Karmichael [Hunt] for example, have maybe been talked into changing their mind to play State of Origin, instead of for their country."

(Source: Steve Kilgallon www.stuff.co.nz Sunday 8 November)

Mannering to lead Warriors from the front

Expect new Warriors captain Simon Mannering to be more Ruben Wiki than Steve Price in his leadership style.

A surprise choice to replace Price, the 23-year-old is definitely cut from the lead-by-example mould. There won't be much exhorting from the sidelines. He'll be found down in the trenches, getting dirty with the boys.

As far as laid-back customers go, Mannering is damn near horizontal. At a hastily-arranged press call on Wednesday afternoon he rocked up in a club polo shirt with a pair of shorts over the top of some compression tights, his beard making him look like a DOC possum trapper who had somehow got lost in Penrose.

The look that might not have screamed club figurehead, but it did invoke memories of Wiki, the former Kiwis colossus who was always at his most comfortable in his training kit.

Having never captained a side before, Mannering admits his leadership style will be a work in progress. But he does see more parallels with Wiki's strong, silent approach than Price's cultivated but heavily exposed media profile.

"[Wiki] was a pretty laid-back guy who didn't say a lot and I'm sort of along the same lines as that," Mannering said.

"I've spoken to [coach ] about just being myself. He said he had put me this position because of what I had been doing so just stick along those lines. Obviously I'm not the biggest talker but there are guys in the team who will say something if it needs to be said, and so will I."

As a rookie captain Mannering will have an extensive support team around him. Somewhat ironically, it will almost certainly be led by Price.

Being made captain of a team that still contained a leader of Price's calibre was a "weird" feeling, but Mannering was confident he had the full backing of his predecessor.

"It's hard to follow Steve but I guess I'll come round," Mannering said.

"He just said 'mate I'm fully behind you'. Obviously he'll be a little bit disappointed not to have the job again but he said 'I am behind you 100 per cent and if you need anything just come and ask'."

Price has largely kept his own counsel but he did tell an Australian tabloid he had been shocked by his removal and hadn't seen it coming.

He probably should have. A string of injuries and State of Origin commitments meant Price, who turns 35 in March next year, played just 14 games this season.

Cleary rejected the notion that Price's frequent unavailability was a factor in his removal but there is no doubt that in Mannering, a player known for his durability, he has plumped for a replacement who is unlikely to be affected by the same issues.

"That is probably a bonus but it wasn't a huge factor," Cleary said.

(Source: Steve Deane, NZ Herald Friday 6 November)

Kieran Foran picked ahead of Krisnan Inu

New Zealand have ignored the much-more experienced Parramatta Grand Final centre Krisnan Inu and instead handed a debut to Kieran Foran, a 19-year-old centre from Manly who has played just nine first-grade games.

Foran replaces the injured Steve Matai in just one of two changes to the Kiwi team to play England at Huddersfield tomorrow in their Four Nations eliminator match.

Inu, who won the first of four caps in 2007, hasn't figured at all on this tour, and was ignored again after both he and Foran trained at centre on Wednesday.

Kiwi coach Steve Kearney, who also considered shifting Iosia Soliola into the centres from the pack, said Foran was best suited to facing the English, adding: "He's a confident young player who has been working really hard ever since we came into camp and he certainly deserves this chance. He'll certainly bring a lot of energy and ability into the side for Saturday night's game."

Kearney agonised until lunchtime Thursday (early today NZ time) before selecting Foran, but the rest of his side was predictable.

The only other change was expected, with on the bench for the injured Greg Eastwood, although it's possible he could start the game with Frank-Paul Nuuauasala taking the impact role.

But while New Zealand are almost unchanged, England have put their trust in two 20-year-old halfbacks who've played less than 60 first grade games between them.

England coach Tony Smith has paired St Helens' utility with Wigan's , who only made his senior debut this season - and ditched his regular standoff, Leeds' Danny McGuire, who was substituted to boos in the 73rd minute of last week's defeat by Australia.

Smith has also culled three-quarters and after Kangaroo centre caused havoc down their flank, with Warrington's Chris Bridge earning just his second at centre.

"There have been some tough decisions to leave players out," said Smith, unveiling his team yesterday afternoon (early today NZ time).

The choice of Eastmond and Tomkins, which will be a popular selection with British fans, is the clearest sign yet that England intend to play open, passing football and not simply take on the Kiwis in the forwards - although with players such as , a 6ft6in giant whose uncle was a professional wrestler, they have little size disadvantage to New Zealand.

Eastmond and Tomkins' limited first grade time means the Kiwis will know little about them - but it's clear New Zealand have been focusing on their own game this week. Having missed the live broadcast of England v Australia, the players haven't caught up on the footage.

"I've seen about five minutes of it, if that,'' confessed vice-captain Adam Blair.

The Kiwis have had another relaxed week of preparation, with players again granted Thursday off while some management staff took a day trip to Blackburn Rovers football club for a tour and a meeting with manager Sam Allardyce.

(Source: Steve Kilgallon, www.Stuff.co.nz Friday 6 November)

League bosses tighten eligibility rules

Rugby league bosses have tightened international qualification regulations in the face of mounting criticism over players switching countries too often. As New Zealand prepare to take on England on Saturday for a spot in the Four Nations final, developments in Paris at a meeting of the Rugby League International Federation executive could mean the Kiwis will not be able to call up many players from the Pacific nations in future.

"We have tightened it up a little - once you play in a World Cup qualifier for one country, you cannot switch to another for the World Cup," said RLIF executive chairman Colin Love.

"There won't be the provision to apply to change. It just won't be permitted."

Had the rule applied for the 2008 World Cup, New Zealand would not have been able to take Fuifui Moimoi and Taniela Tuiaki on tour to Europe in 2007, while Tonga's Feleti Mateo would have been disqualified from Australian selection for three years.

Moimoi and Tuiaki applied to change their eligibility a second time and, when denied, took legal action and were cleared by the courts to return to the Tongan side - but only if they made the semifinals, which they did not.

Love said the rule did not affect players who represented a country in Test series or tournaments with no World Cup bearing, nor would it stop the likes of and playing State of Origin and going on to represent another nation.

"But all players who play Origin must, in the first instance, be available for Australia," he said.

Players who want to change to another country after representing one in a non-World Cup game must still apply to the RLIF.

Jarryd Hayne and Michael Jennings playing for Fiji and Tonga respectively just 12 months ago and then appearing in the Four Nations for Australia has confused some commentators. The RLIF considers the period between World Cups as a "cycle" with all players allowed to change their election at the end of that cycle.

Australia, New Zealand, England, France and Papua New Guinea do not need to play qualifiers - meaning the younger nations can still call up players from those nations who miss section for a World Cup.

The makeup and format of the next World Cup will be discussed in Paris next week.

In other news, out-of-favour Kiwis centre Krisnan Inu has admitted he is getting "itchy feet" for some game time after missing selection so far in the tournament.

Despite an eye injury to Steve Matai, coach Stephen Kearney said Parramatta's Inu is far from being an automatic replacement for the final pool match at Galpharm Stadium.

The Kiwis will again name a team at the last moment allowed under tournament rules - exactly 48 hours before kick-off which is Thursday evening local time.

"At first I was having trouble with my hamstring and I wasn't 100 per cent," Inu said. "It was still a problem after the grand final.

"But as the tour has gone on, I'm getting a bit of itchy feet and I'd love to get out there. People get niggles and injuries and you've just got to prepare as if you are going to play and an opportunity might come up."

Asked if Kearney had told him what he would need to do to get into the side, Inu said: "No, I've heard nothing at all, actually."

Prevented from training on the Galpharm by stadium officials, the Kiwis visited for a walk around yesterday. Kearney remains hopeful of considering Bronson Harrison and Jeff Lima (both calf injuries) for selection while Manly's Matai is officially out.

(Source: Steve Mascord, Times, Wednesday 4 November)

Inu on the outer with Kiwis

MANCHESTER - Parramatta star Krisnan Inu is no guarantee to be called up for Sunday's (NZT) Four Nations rugby league test against England, despite the unavailability of centre Steve Matai with an eye injury, New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney has admitted.

Inu, a test regular for three years who played 21 times for the Eels this year, has been on the outer for the entire Kiwis campaign after being rested from the warm-up test against Tonga, with Newcastle's Junior Sau stealing the march on him for matches against Australia and France.

But he was seen as the obvious choice to replace Matai who will undergo further tests on his injured left eye in Manchester today.

"I know Krisnan would do a good job but I have to look at the opposition and what is best for the team," Kearney said.

"I thought Sia Soliola did a good job when he moved into that position for Steve on Saturday night (against France) so there are a few options there. We haven't really made up our minds."

Kearney conceded that Inu's continuing exclusion would raise eyebrows and disappoint the player but he said he had been clear from the beginning that reputations would count for little during the tournament.

"I've said all along that teams will be picked on form and we will go with the people we think are best for the job at hand," he said.

Asked if form at training was an important factor in such selections, he said: "Well, what you are looking for is the full package."

Kearney was delighted yesterday to see injured forwards Bronson Harrison and Jeff Lima (both calf) stretch out on a treadmill to make strong plays for selection - which will come on Wednesday or Thursday.

"We hope they pick up the intensity in the next few days."

He responded to the looming excitement about prop Fuifui Moimoi's clash with Englishman Sam Burgess by saying: "Fui is a completely different person to the one who came here two years ago.

"The training staff who were here in 2007 say that he has changed enormously. Perhaps in 2007, he didn't really grasp what he had to do to be successful. His form throughout the season in the NRL this year shows his preparation and application are right up there now.

"There are going to be collisions. You've only got to look at the way Fui plays. It may be Sam, it may be Adrian (Morley), it may be Jamie (Peacock) but it is going to happen.

"You saw him on Saturday - Fui likes to run at bodies. I won't be saying anything to him about it."

And the coach disputed claims by Australian rival Tim Sheens that the Kiwis and English had resorted to violent "garbage" in tackles so far in the tournament.

"Us?" he said. "It's not something that I've really noticed much."

The Kiwis train again in Leeds today. England had no organised media opportunity yesterday but are expected to open up their camp earlier in the week.

(Source: Steve Mascord, NZ Herald Tuesday 3 November)

Kangaroos finding NRL rules don't apply in Four Nations

WHISTLEBLOWER . . . English referee Steve Ganson has kept the Kangaroos guessing. THE Australian rugby league team has learned an important rule at the Four Nations tournament and that is normal rules do not apply. The rules to which they are accustomed, anyway.

It's easy to look at English referee Steve Ganson's performance to date and point out inconsistencies in ruling how long a defender can hold down in the ruck. Or his 10 metres. Or his eight metres. Or his 12 metres. Or his seven metres.

But what Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens is starting to ram home to his players is they have no choice but to roll with the punches.

If they don't, they won't win this tournament, which they were considered certainties to win from the moment they stepped off the plane at Heathrow Airport a fortnight ago.

Should they beat the French as expected they will meet either England or New Zealand in the final at Ellland Road in Leeds on November 14.

Those two, particularly the Kiwis, have worked out the best way to beat Australia and nullify their shimmering backline and that is to hijack them around the ruck.

"The Kiwis have picked up on it straight away," Sheens said.

Ganson runs an eye over the tackle like any Pommy referee. Markers are allowed to float about loosely in ways that would attract an immediate penalty in Australia.

The "garbage" that the coach has spoken about today is just another factor to adapt to.

When second-rower Paul Gallen was dumped on his head in the first half, his teammates stopped and expected a mandatory penalty. None was given.

But the Australians aren't complaining. Not too loudly, anyway.

After the 20-all draw against the Kiwis, Sheens complained about Ganson warning Benji Marshall's players for repeated infringements but failing to sin-bin them. was warned in the first half against England and then dispatched late in the game.

Clearly, Ganson has a long memory.

If Australia is to win the Four Nations, they will have to also win the dogfight.

Immortal Arthur Beetson, who is leading a supporters tour, made pointed it out to Sheens here on Sunday.

"Artie has already picked up on it," Sheens remarked. "There's no doubt that people are up in your face, and there's a little bit extra - but it's not a bad thing. There's a bit of footy that has to be played. You have to be a bit smarter, you have to play a bit tougher. It's more than a Test match than a game of touch. It's not just a matter of throwing the ball around."

They may be preparing for the worst, but you can bet they will be hoping Australian referee Shayne Hayne has a blinder when he controls the match between England and New Zealand this weekend.

Hayne is tipped to be named the international referee of the year this month, which is intriguing and explains much about the vagaries of the international game because most would contend Tony Archer has him comfortably covered as the NRL's best whistleblower.

(Source: Andrew Webster - The Courier-Mail, Tuesday 3 November)

Moimoi eyes Burgess re-match MANCHESTER - New Zealand prop FuiFui Moimoi has warned of his rematch with England youngster Sam Burgess this Sunday (NZT): "If he's there ... it'll be on".

South Sydney-bound Burgess's 2007 bell-ringer hit on Moimoi at the venue for this week's Four Nations final qualifier, Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium, has become an online blockbuster, attracting 214,293 Youtube viewers at the time of writing.

And although they will face up in the NRL next season, Burgess and Moimoi have not opposed each other since.

"I'm not going to go after him next week, I'm going to do what's best for the team," Parramatta's Moimoi said. "And if he's there, I'll let you know. It'll be on.

"He's a good player, a big young player but I'm ready to play."

Bradford's Burgess said he would be keeping a lookout for retribution - from the whole Kiwis side.

"I think every team is looking to get that big hit on... I'll be aware of it, I'll be watching myself," Burgess said.

"My cousin phoned me up and said `have you seen this on Youtube?' I've watched it the first time and I've watched it a few other times with my mates.

"I look back and go `geez, how did I do it?' It's just one of those freak moments that happen. Don't be expecting it every time! It's on Youtube so it's gone down in a bit of history for myself."

Former Tongan international Moimoi admitted he was disappointed with his first-up Four Nations effort against Australia and had attempted to make his presence felt yesterday against France.

That certainly happened when French lock Jamal Fakir was left in a heap after trying to tackle Moimoi but Les Chanticleers lifted during the keenly contested first half and Moimoi was the victim of some full-bodied shots as well.

"Last week I was a bit disappointed at my game," Moimoi said. "I tried to lift this week and I'll probably try to lift further next week because it's going to be hard."

New Zealand have to name a side by Thursday with centre Steve Matai (eye) and forwards Bronson Harrison and Jeff Lima (both calf injuries) in doubt. They eschewed a recovery session in Toulouse, preferring to have a light swim the morning after their arrival in Leeds.

Burgess, meanwhile, said he had held preliminary talks with coach John Lang over what role he would play at the Rabbitohs next season. Souths have signed two other props, Ben Ross and Dave Taylor, and already boast injured former Kiwis captain in the front row.

"I spoke to John Lang the other day and I said `there's so many great front rowers there, I'm happy to play anywhere'," Burgess said.

(Source: Steve Mascord, NZ Herald, Monday 2 November)

Kearney wants more from Kiwis

TOULOUSE - New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney called for a complete performance in this week's Four Nations clash with England after a storming second half saw off France 62-12 in Toulouse yesterday.

Despite first half tries from Benji Marshall, Sam Perrett and Lance Hohaia, the world champions struggled to shake-off a resilient French side who hit back through Sebastien Martins and Australian-born James Wynne. But Perrett, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Frank-Paul Nuuausala led a succession of second half tries to eventually put the underdogs to the sword.

But Kearney said his side would need to turn it on for the full 80 minutes if they were to make the Four Nations final by avoiding defeat against England.

"We knew after our draw with Australia that the England game would probably be key to our progression," said Kearney.

"We couldn't afford to take France lightly and they showed us that in the first half.

"We stepped it up though in the second half and demonstrated what we are capable of and we need to do that for the full game against England if we want to win this.

"There are no easy games when you are playing at international level and France were proof of that but I was pleased with our second half performance."

Kearney added: "Perhaps first half we were a little too easy to relax after the early scores but we cleared that up at the break.

"It was a professional second 40 and we will take that into what is a huge game for us."

The Kiwis raced into a ten point lead through skipper Marshall and Perrett before the hosts hit back thanks to Martins' first France try.

World Cup hero Hohaia and Wynne exchanged scores either side of the break as France kept their hopes alive.

But Perrett, Waerea-Hargreaves and Nuuausala all went over without response to take the game away from the hosts.

Hohaia sprinted the full length of the field to score on the hour before Perrett - who was in for his hat-trick - flicked the ball unselfishly out the back of his hand for Junior Sa'u to extend the lead.

However, 24-year-old winger Perrett did grab his third try before and Waerea-Hargreaves rounded off the scoring.

After watching his side track New Zealand all the way to the break, France coach Bobbie Goulding praised his battling team.

"We've been slapped about a bit this week with swine flu and injuries and other bits and pieces so I was pleased with the performance," said Goulding.

"We weren't dominated for the entire game and we've shown we can compete at that level," the Englishman added.

"It's not going to get any easier next week and we have to learn from what we have done well and what we haven't done well.

"I'm immensely proud of my players though and the way they played."

Looking ahead, Goulding said: "I think it is quite clear we need to get another French team into the Super League if we're to build on what we've got.

"But we played well. We played with a lot of passion and desire and we also played good football at times.

"We've got Australia next and that isn't going to be any easier so we have to keep going and keep showing what we can do."

(Source: NZ Hearld, Monday 2 November 2009)

PNG seal 2010 Four Nations place

Papua New Guinea qualified for the 2010 Four Nations series with a 42-14 win over the Cook Islands in the Pacific Cup final in Port Moresby. The hosts dominated from the start to establish a 20-10 half-time lead. They raced away after the interval thanks to a hat-trick of tries from youngster David Mead. Sheffield Eagles centre Menzie Yere also capped a tremendous tournament with two tries as a young Cook Islands team were outclassed by the Kumuls. PNG will take the place of France in the Four Nations for 2010, lining up alongside Australia, New Zealand and England. Kumuls captain John Wilshere, the Salford full-back or winger, said: "This means so much to all our boys and everyone here in this country. "Rugby league is our national sport, we love it, and next year we're going to be playing in the Four Nations and that's a massive boost for Papua New Guinea." PNG coach said: "I don't think it's really sunk in yet that we're in the Four Nations but we're excited about it and we'll get our heads around it soon enough."

(Source: BBC Sport, Monday 2 November 2009)