World Cup Final

[uji]

It's pretty simple guy. WB loves the game, he loves a challenge and he was castrated publicly be the RL fraternity when Australia lost the tri-series in 2005, and he was stripped of coaching Australia. Thus he makes his triumphant return in the 2008 WC with a successful NZ team.

 

[Astroboy]

It's pretty simple guy. WB loves the game, he loves a challenge and he was castrated publicly be the RL fraternity when Australia lost the tri-series in 2005, and he was stripped of coaching Australia. Thus he makes his triumphant return in the 2008 WC with a successful NZ team.

He's committed treason against his own country. Plain and simple. Despite the admiration I have for what he has done at the Broncos, the guy isn't perfect. I'll call it as I see it. On this occasion, he has done wrong.

 

[Astroboy]

DAMN WE HAD BETTER WIN THE CRICKET TOMORROW.

 

[uji]

How can you say that? Greg Chappell is Australian and coached India. Among other examples too numerous to name. The man was cast aside by his own country unjustly, I say he has every rite to take his passion elsewhere.

 

[guppy]

Locky really has had a shit year hasn't he? Injury troubles, missed origin and the Anzac test, then the semi against the Storm, and now this. 12 months to wipe from the memory I would think. He has had a great series though, can't wait to see him again next year.

You know what? For selfish reasons I see this as a good thing now that the crappy year is finally over.

I get the feeling that he will be more hungry than he has ever been next year.

I'm predicting an amazing 2009 from the man.

 

[uji]

Lets hope that body stays good. As I stare up at my NRL legends poster of Lockyer, I can't get over my admiration of the man.

 

[Fozz]

He's committed treason against his own country. Plain and simple. Despite the admiration I have for what he has done at the Broncos, the guy isn't perfect. I'll call it as I see it. On this occasion, he has done wrong.

He may have done Australia wrong but he did the right thing for Rugby League in general.

 

[Astroboy]

How can you say that? Greg Chappell is Australian and coached India. Among other examples too numerous to name. The man was cast aside by his own country unjustly, I say he has every rite to take his passion elsewhere.

Yeah, him and Troy Cooley, Geoff Lawson, Steve Rixon etc - all turncoats! Good thing some of them have had the good sense to come back. Will Wayne?

 

[gUt]

I for one really enjoyed the game and I think the better team won. Grats NZ you bastards, I won't feel so bad when the Aussies trounce your arses 50-nil for the next 4 years.

 

[schmix]

Locky really has had a shit year hasn't he? Injury troubles, missed origin and the Anzac test, then the semi against the Storm, and now this. 12 months to wipe from the memory I would think. He has had a great series though, can't wait to see him again next year.

You know what? For selfish reasons I see this as a good thing now that the crappy year is finally over.

I get the feeling that he will be more hungry than he has ever been next year.

I'm predicting an amazing 2009 from the man.

I agree. Nothing more exciting than a determined Darren Lockyer icon_thumbs_u

 

[dukey]

Devestated for Locky, but after the critics have been panning the comp as a farce this is the best result we could've hoped for as fans of RL.
NZ played out of their skins. Enthusiastic and savage in defence, bold in attack, and relentless. Deserving winners of the game.

 

[Jeba]

Best team won, however, IMO there is no way the penalty try should've been awarded. Yes, you can say that Hohaia PROBABLY would've got to the ball and grounded it, but you cannot say he DEFINATELY would have. For a penalty try you have to be 100% certain that the attacking player would've scored but with Slater there to either grab the ball or just bat it over the dead ball line, there was too much doubt IMO to award a penalty try. I think the correct ruling would've been penalty to NZ, and Monaghan given 10 minutes.

Anyway, best result that Rugby League could've hoped for. The work that Wayne Bennett has done for the International game is enormous. Not just a great coach, but one of the most influencial figures in the history of the game.

Disappointed tonight with all the back 3 obviously, but also Thurston, Smith and every other forward other than Civoniceva. FFS Ricky, what the hell were Fitzgibbon and Gallen in the team for???

 

[pennywisealfie]

sucks for locky :( happy for beastwood and bennett tho.

and congrats to the BHQ's resident kiwi, Sabu.

 

[Je$ter]

I am shattered.

On the biggest stage of the world cup we choke. We played super average and although Lockyer and a coupel other blokes player super games, a few ordinary performances amongst them.

Williams proved he is nothing but a 1st grade winger with some elmentary mistkaes. He probalby shoudl have held that ball Folau popped to him. Monohagn - I odn't want to knock the bloke he is probalby feeling bad enough as it is but **** **** **** **** ****!

Billy Slater. For all the good he has done that was one of the worst displays of football I have even seen. To back yourslef with 3m in a world cup final you aren't winning by 20 is a joke. My grandma could have covered those 3m to push Billy out, what a brain explosion. He proved the biggest difference between him and Hunt. Now overall Billy is porbably a better player, but the composure he lacks compared to Karmichael Hunt is ridiculous. He has done soem great things, but that was the biggest **** up of all time IMO. He threw away the world cup

 

[Benno]

Can anyone tell me why Hunt only got 10 mins of play? That's what you get when you put Ricky Stuart who can't win origin in charge of the Aussie team. Blooody NSW loser

 

[Coxy]

Did K even get on the field? I didn't see him. Stuart should've hooked Slater in the first half. Every time the play went his way it broke down, with the exception of the break (and even then he nearly botched the draw and pass, it was only luck that it went back to Lockyer).

But, instead of bagging the Australians for choking, let's applaud the Kiwis for a brilliant, composed, committed display that has once again reignited international league. To beat Australia in Australia in a World Cup final has revived the game.

I hope the NRL and IRLF now realise how valuable the international game is as a product and start making it the focus of the season programme, not an afterthought.

Anyone who wants to tell me international footy doesn't mean anything to anyone, well, tell that to the big maori bloke next to me last night who was in tears in the final minutes, and all those Kiwi fans that stayed until the end of the lap of honour with their team doing a haka just for them. Spine tingling!

 

[ethos]

Credit to NZ but seriously the majority of their tries were pretty lucky.

1. The one in the first half when the ball travelled forwards would be called a knock on 99% of the time in the NRL.
2. Vatuvei's try in the corner. It was sort of hard to tell on the big screen at the game but he was mighty close to the sideline.
3. Slater's gift to Marshall.
4. The penalty try to Hohaia, as Jeb said, I don't think it was a certainty that Hohaia would have got there.
5. Even their last four pointer with a million ricochets.

But NZ did deserve to win. The Australians were way too complacent - they just spread the ball wide without doing the hard yards up the middle first. Price was a massive loss and Cameron Smith was invisible, I can't remember him running from dummy half at all.

 

[Hamm.0]

Anyone who wants to tell me international footy doesn't mean anything to anyone, well, tell that to the big maori bloke next to me last night who was in tears in the final minutes, and all those Kiwi fans that stayed until the end of the lap of honour with their team doing a haka just for them. Spine tingling!

The haka after all the tv was gone and the crowd had left, was brilliant. For the crowd, for the fans. Broncos should have taken some notes.