Sheens shot
Tim Sheens’ time as Australia coach is in serious jeopardy after the Kangaroos’ shocking 26-12 loss once the rain clouds disappeared and the rearranged Anzac Test against New Zealand was given the green light to take place on Sunday. It was Australia’s third straight defeat to the Kiwis – the first time New Zealand had achieved such a feat since 1953.
While the result was tremendous for international rugby league, the tall and the short of it is Australia, while they may be the current holders of the World Cup, lost last year’s Four Nations and have now lost the last three to the Kiwis. For the first time since the early 1970s, there is a legitimate case to be made that Australia are not the best team in the world.
Australia coaches are held to high account. Ricky Stuart was sacked after losing the 2008 World Cup. Wayne Bennett suffered the same fate after the 2005 Tri-Nations. It is a heavy standard but one that is not unreasonable. And Sheens has presided over two Four Nations defeats and Australia’s worst streak against a major rival in six decades.
Sheens has made a push for a rejuvenation of the team but has looked in the wrong areas. While the still-capable Justin Hodges was left out, Sam Thaiday and Luke Lewis were extraordinary inclusions. With a World Cup two years away, the time may be right for a new coach and a re-evaluation of team tactics.
Shutdown debacle
While inclement weather has traditionally put a halt to more genteel sports like cricket, tennis and baseball, it has rarely stopped rugby league from going ahead. At least that was the case until Friday night, when the NRL set a significant precedent by postponing the Anzac Test for over 40 hours. Brisbane was lashed by wild weather on Friday, leaving the Suncorp Stadium field under water and roads closed at 6pm. But by 8pm the ground was free of water, the skies were clear and conditions were fine for a game of league.
It appeared to be a premature decision that seemed to be based as much on cosmetic reasons as those of player and crowd safety. By the time the game was due to be played the rains had stopped and the surface was cleared of excess water. Regardless, rugby league is not a game that needs to be played in good weather. In fact some of the code’s most famous matches have been played in torrential rain, deep snow and crazy winds. Unless vicious electrical storms are lashing the ground, the game should always go ahead, even if it is in an empty stadium.
The NRL has set a dangerous precedent that could have long-lasting impacts on the game. Will some inclement weather now bring the possibility of State of Origin being delayed? Will some rain potentially delay a grand final? It was another major error by those in charge who seem to have little feel for what the public want or what the game needs.
Punters burned
Punters who bet on the Test on Friday night were left in a pickle of a position with bookmakers declaring that bets for the match placed in anticipation of a rain-sodden night match would stand for a dry, day-time encounter. It would have been a joke if it wasn’t so real.
Those who really were left in the lurch were those who bet the under in total points markets, which opened at 38.5 but fell to as low as 30 by the time the game was cancelled. As soon as the match was re-set for 4pm on Sunday the line rose to 38.5 yet bookies did not automatically refund bets. Those who took under 30 were left with no hope come Sunday. Governing bodies need to step in to stop such blatantly unfair situations if they persist in taking the betting dollar from bookmakers.
Pacific Tests a major win
The scheduling of the two Pacific Tests has been a major boon for the island nations and the international game. Ensuring a significant Test for Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Samoa should guarantee players eligible for those nations will find representing them a major honour.
The Melanesian Cup featuring the Bati of Fiji and the Kumuls of PNG was super but the clash between Tonga and Samoa may have been the match of 2015 thus far with Samoa hanging on for a gripping two-point win.
The highlight of the encounter was certainly Sam Kasiano’s desperation cover tackle – helped by Bulldogs team-mate Frank Pritchard – that saved the game for Samoa. It has been labelled the ‘tackle of the century’ and that is not an exaggeration.
Reynolds ruins Blues chance
Canterbury five-eighth Josh Reynolds was hanging onto the Blues No6 jersey by the slimmest of margins. He has now likely lost it after an ill-disciplined display for Country that saw him put on report twice.
Reynolds faces his third suspension in less than a year for a trip on Tariq Sims while a late shoulder charge could also come into question.
Reynolds has likely not only cost himself an Origin jersey but has also damaged the chance of team-mate Trent Hodkinson with Roosters duo James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce now the favourites to represent the Blues.
