TO: NZRL Staff, Districts and Affiliates and Board FROM: Peter Cordtz DATE: 17 November 2009 RE: Media Summary Tuesday 10 November to Tuesday 16 November Inglis wins coveted Golden Boot: Superstar centre Greg Inglis has created history by being named the 2009 Golden Boot winner… Smith resigns as England league coach: England rugby league coach Tony Smith quit his post just hours after claiming the national side had taken some positive steps towards the future with their impressive Four Nations campaign… Spare a few tears for those embattled England devotees: Poor old Eddie Hemmings, the long-suffering English league commentator. Yesterday's Four Nations final defeat by Australia was almost more than he could take… Kangaroos win Four Nations after try deluge: Australia restored themselves to the pinnacle of world rugby league with a 46-16 result that was entirely predictable, but yet was in doubt for 54 minutes of this Four Nations final… NZRL boss predicts exciting future: Buoyed by an on-budget Four Nations that means a handsome profit will return with him to New Zealand this week, NZRL chairman Scott Carter is promising a "veritable banquet" of test match league on these shores next season… Stokes coaching 'universal language' of league: Ged Stokes doesn't yet know the Serbian for 'sliding defence', but as he says: ''The language of rugby league is pretty universal”. Two years ago, the former New Zealand 'A' coach was almost penniless, fighting a unlawful dismissal case against former club Workington Town and living on handouts… Kick-boxing ref tough enough for final: Leon Williamson used to strike his own legs with a two-litre Coke bottle filled with steel pins to strengthen his shin bones for the rigours of kickboxing. So the Harley-riding 40- year-old Auckland plumber is certainly tough enough to shrug off the claims of Australian coach Tim Sheens that he ''jagged'' the appointment to referee Saturday's Four Nations final… Sheens slams international politics: Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens has hit out at the international rugby league politics which could prevent Australian referee Shayne Hayne being appointed to control Sunday's Four Nations final against England at Elland Road… Captain Benji predicting victory in 2010: Kiwi skipper Benji Marshall is already confidently predicting the Kiwis can win next year's Four Nations, saying this year's tournament was neither a setback nor a failure for the world champions… Moimoi gets breakthrough despite Kiwis' failure: Fuifui Moimoi was this week named the rugby league world's best frontrower - then declared that he can still get better… Kearney has NZRL backing: New Zealand league boss Scott Carter has staunchly backed Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney despite his side's early exit from the Four Nations… Two-referee system vital, says Tamati: International rugby league needs to move quickly to introduce two referees to test matches, according to the convenor of the national selectors, Howie Tamati. Early Kiwis exit boosts NZRL coffers: New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is set benefit financially from losing to England and missing out on this weekends' Four Nations final… Inglis wins coveted Golden Boot (AAP, NZ Herald 16 November 2009) Superstar centre Greg Inglis has created history by being named the 2009 Golden Boot winner - the third successive year a Melbourne Storm player has received the coveted international league award. Inglis received the award, given to the world's best player, after being named Player of the Tournament in the Four Nations series won by Australia early Sunday morning. The 22-year-old was lauded ahead of five of the best players in the world - including fellow Storm stars and previous winners, skipper Cameron Smith (2007) and fullback Billy Slater (2008). No team has ever before had three Golden Boot recipients on its playing list. The Golden Boot is the long-running international player of the year award presented by Rugby League World magazine, and was first presented in 1985. It is voted on by some of the best players to have ever laced a boot, including Wally Lewis, England's Garry Schofield and New Zealand's Hugh McGahan Smith resigns as England league coach (By Steve Jancetic, AAP 16 November 2009) England rugby league coach Tony Smith quit his post just hours after claiming the national side had taken some positive steps towards the future with their impressive Four Nations campaign. Smith spoke encouragingly about a future involving young halves Kyle Eastmond and Sam Tomkins and rampaging forward Sam Burgess after the hosts pushed Australia for 60 minutes before eventually going down 46-16 in the Four Nations final in Leeds on Saturday night. Burgess was particularly impressive, his two tries showing an intriguing blend of size, footwork and speed to keep the hosts in the match. But Smith won't be there to see his saplings bear fruit, instead preferring to concentrate on his new job at Warrington and spend more time with his family after three years in the role. "After talking to (my family) it is clear that it is very difficult for me to cover the demands of both the club and international game," Smith said in a statement released by the RFL on Sunday. "Next year the Four Nations is in the southern hemisphere and, after a long domestic season with Warrington, it would mean at least six weeks away from home with England. "I must consider my family's needs as well as my own and therefore believe now is the right time to stand down. "I will continue to support the national team in any way I can and wish my successor the very best of luck." Late Saturday night Smith had said he would assess his options before deciding whether to re-apply for the position, but it seems his mind was already made up before the 30-point loss. Smith claimed he was leaving the national side in a healthy position, after a disastrous World Cup in Australia last year. "They're building a belief that they can (beat Australia)," Smith said. "I think the Kiwis went through it not so long ago where they found a belief that they could beat the Australians. "It's not far off for us - we're not there yet but it's not far off." Smith admitted the final scoreline didn't do his men any justice with the game in the balance until Billy Slater's flick back for Cameron Smith to score to give the Australians a 28-16 lead to begin a try-scoring frenzy late in the game. "It probably reflects some of the special individuals that Australia have," Smith said. "They have got the ability to come up with a couple of special tries and they did that at the end and it blew the scoreline out. "For 60 minutes of that game it looked like it could have gone either way. "In that respect it's probably an advancement for us from what we've done in the past against Australia. "Better, but not good enough." Spare a few tears for those embattled England devotees (By Steve Deane, NZ Herald 16 November 2009) Poor old Eddie Hemmings, the long-suffering English league commentator. Yesterday's Four Nations final defeat by Australia was almost more than he could take. As the Kangaroos finally subdued the brave but overmatched English to extend Britain's barren streak to 37 years, you sensed Hemmings was close to unplugging his mike, kicking over his chair and heading off in search of a nice quiet corner in which to have a nervous breakdown. Former GB and Wigan winger Brian Carney's cheerful suggestion that there was little to be done in the last 15 minutes other that sit back and "enjoy" the Kangaroos' brilliance was just too much for Hemmings. "I'm just sick of it," said Hemmings as he endured a serious Groundhog Day/2-year-old's tantrum moment. "This happens year after year and I'm sick of it," he blubbed. Although understandable, Hemmings' tanty lacked a bit of perspective. Australia's pre-eminence is not what it once was. This year was essentially a development year for both the English and the Kiwis, and both did some serious developing. Exciting young English and Kiwi players came of age in the Four Nations, while many of the Australians simply aged. One of the all-time greats, Darren Lockyer, is either nearing the end or has already reached it. The same is probably true of old stagers Nathan Hindmarsh and Petero Civoniceva, who held together a decidedly average pack. Australia's brilliant outside back division and appalling overabundance of superstar fullbacks remains a source of great strength, but elsewhere there are growing pains to come. By blooding promising young halfbacks Kyle Eastmond and Sam Tomkins, England have taken a major step forward. And in Souths-bound forward Sam Burgess - who was likely to have pipped Greg Inglis for player of the tournament had England won yesterday - they have a world-class pack leader who should be around for the next decade. So chin up, Eddie. It's not all that bad. As for the Kiwis, many of the same positives apply. It is hard, though, not to think the game in this country missed a trick or two following last year's World Cup victory and a so-far encouraging NZRL restructure after the Sparc review. It is a shame, although perhaps an unavoidable one, that the Kiwis played just once on home soil in a year when their world champion status should have been a highly marketable commodity.