kimi said:
Stfu. You make it seem like you're the only one who knows its called a World Club Challenge and that Bradford Bulls won Super league. Just because you think you're logically superior than everyone cos you post in more than one sports forum,etc doesnt mean you have the right to make out as if everyone else is stupid in here or doesnt know what theyre talking about. The tone in that post just gave me the shits. Got it.
Thanks, Kim.
No, I'm quite clearly not intellectually above everyone here, but I'll still take a punt and say that I've got a higher IQ than most. Unless the special test I did (and not the fake Internet ones, but a real life one) isn't to be trusted when I was found to be in the top two or three percent, whatever the figure was.
This is not what we should talk about, however. My gripe is that Glenn198718, in taking an interest in his team, should at least know who they are playing against and what the competition is called. And for your information, Glenn, the players who were shafted (O'Neill is probably the one you're most concerned about) are not allowed to play in this.
But anyway, feel free to block my comments on BOS so you can't see them.
bJ_Bhoy 87 said:
does anyone else think that Wayne Bennett should be sacked as Test coach? The overall performance from the Kangaroos tour was shithouse, there were a few shifty player selections, and losing a Tri Nations series should not happen. Is it fair to say he should be sacked?
Yes. In 2004 they were hopeless. In 2005 they were hopeless.
Wayne Bennett, if he had sense about him, would resign before he suffers the humiliation of being sacked.
Look at the team they just lost to. Twice in three matches. This was a New Zealand team minus Benji Marshall, Sonny Bill Williams, Matt Utai, Lesley Vainikolo, and Dene Halatau. And we lost to this team in AUSTRALIA, and then lost to them 24-0 in the final?
Not only does Wayne Bennett have to go, though. The players who were chosen on reputation more than anything else must also be thrown out. Steve Price, Petero Civoniceva, Danny Buderus spring to mind. Craig Fitzgibbon showed nothing in the last ten weeks of the regular season which warranted his selection. The jury's out on O'Donnell, but he's new and deserves another shot.
Get a new coach. Blood new players. Players should play in their BEST positions:
Darren Lockyer MUST be fullback. He is the best in the world.
Anthony Minichiello MUST be on the wing. He is the best in the world.
It is time for Ben Creagh, Dean Young, and Anthony Tupou to be put in the Australian team. Especially the first two. Ben Creagh for Craig Fitzgibbon, and Dean Young for Danny Buderus. Tupou onto the bench for Waterhouse, who has not fulfilled the potential he showcased in Penrith's stellar season of 2003.
Penrith must find a new coach. John Lang should become the Australian one, free from club responsibility (and bias). If Wayne Bennett didn't blatantly showcase bias in the first game of the series when he shoved Waterhouse into the centres and left Lockyer at five-eighth, I'll be damned.
It was also quite interesting to see in the aftermath of Brisbane's lame duck exit from the Telstra Premiership this year, Bennett said that perhaps the time was ripe for him to leave. However, only days later, the whole assistant coaching staff was sacked, and Bennett remained, clearly refusing to take blame for Brisbane's fall from mid-season grace.
Give Wayne Bennett South Sydney to coach instead of the whole of Queensland to choose from, and see how he goes then.
Nevertheless, the result was good for international rugby league. With France's Les Catalans now joining the Super League, thus increasing exposure of rugby league in a union-dominated country, a step is being taken in the right direction. I'd particularly like to see more funding from Australia for Papua New Guinea, as they love rugby league and are rapidly improving. Just before Tri-Nations started, from memory, the Kumuls beat a Junior Kangaroos side featuring Leon Bott, Mickey Paea, Jarrod Mullen, Todd Carney, Beau Champion Buddy Gordon, and Steve Michaels (all have played in first grade) 24-16. Russia and USA are also on the rise, and there remain Greece, Malta and Lebanon etc. Only with improvement in international rugby league can we see a better standard for the game.
As it has stood for many years, the World Cup only ends up being a competition between Britain, Australia and New Zealand, after they all defeat the rest by 70 or 80 points. This is not a competition, it's a mistake.
More funding and development for the lesser countries is the way to go. The top three countries (but more particularly Australia and Britain) have to get heavily involved here.
Anyway, that ends my rant for now on the sad state of affairs that is international rugby league.
