Secondly, why put the Kiwis-Kangaroos match on a random Thursday night? The 10pm kick-off in New Zealand meant a lot of people missed it here, and even in Australia it wouldn’t have got the captive audience it deserved. The desire to start the tournament with a blockbuster match is understandable but the clash between league’s greatest rivals deserved a weekend timeslot.
Casey McLean scores his spectacular opening try in the opening match of the World Cup. Photo / James Gourley, Photosport
International game needs space to breathe
This is not a new plea but … can we have some more test footy please? There is something special and captivating about international contests. Most sports get that but league struggles for the right balance, as the NRL season constantly gets longer and more demanding
Who doesn’t want to see a round of mid-year internationals? The players certainly do. Although the NRL is skyrocketing on all metrics and hard to criticise, there is a ceiling on how many people really want to tune in for the Dragons against the Titans or the Sharks grinding to a win over the hapless Eels.
England heading for early exit
For those with long memories, it’s been sad to witness the slow demise of England in recent years. They produced brilliant players in the 1980s and 1990s – Joe Lydon, Garry Schofield, Ellery Hanley, Shaun Edwards – many of whom seemed ahead of their time.
Of course, there was no shame in being well beaten by this current Tonga outfit, who have a special squad. But the wider sport needs a strong England team to thrive, otherwise the World Cup will morph into a de facto Pacific Championships. England or (Great Britain) have reached the semi-final stage of every previous tournament but are now at long odds to do so in 2026.
England couldn’t handle Tonga’s physicality.
Photo/ Anita Reca, SWpix.com
Is the 10 team format right?
It was understandable that there was a push for a reduction after the 2022 edition (16 teams), as the hammerings endured by Greece (200 points conceded in three matches) and Jamaica (190 points shipped) didn’t help anyone.
But it is a shame that, as the tournament feels more competitive than ever, there is no way to fit in a quarter-final stage to give the chance for the likes of Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Lebanon to get beyond the group stages, let alone England. It would also be good to see another European team down under, like Wales or Ireland.
Samoa is the real deal
This is not a new observation but Samoa’s destruction of France was another reminder of their new status. Of course, they reached the 2022 final – which was a wonderful moment – but they have got significantly better since then, evidenced by the two tight clashes with the Kiwis last season. It’s been an amazing evolution, ever since the 2014 Four Nations, when they first really emerged, pushing England and then the Kiwis to the limit.
Samoa scored 14 tries against France.
Photo / Photosport
France flounders
Here’s a trivia question which will surprise most people and even the keenest league buffs: Who was the last team to beat the Kangaroos in a test series?
It’s France – believe it or not. As improbable as it seems now, they beat the Kangaroos in consecutive tests in 1978, 13-10 in Carcassonne and then 11-10 in Toulouse. They were still competitive at times in the 1980s and 1990s – shown by a 16-14 loss to the Kiwis in 1989, a 16-16 draw with New Zealand in 1995 and a 25-18 win over Great Britain in 1990 – so it must be hard to reconcile with their current plight, after the 78-4 thrashing by Samoa last Saturday.
France were the founding hosts of the World Cup back in 1954 and finished runners up that year and again in 1968 before third placings in 1970 and 1972 (ahead of New Zealand).
Tonga’s weak point becomes a strength
When Tonga exploded on to the scene at the 2017 World Cup, their game was built on power and physicality, with an intimidating forward pack and equally big units in the backline. That remains their modus operandi but the development of playmaker Isaiya Katoa has changed the dimension of their game.
Katoa is one of the best halfbacks in the sport and the way he controlled the match in Perth – and tormented England with his short kicking game – was a joy to watch. Back in 2017, Tonga’s halves were often seen as an Achilles heel, with the solid but unspectacular Ata Hingano at No 7 and Tui Lolohea at five eighth but it’s now an area of strength.
Kalyn Ponga was forced from the field during the Kiwis’ defeat to the Kangaroos. Photo / Photosport
Fortune favours the Kangaroos
If the Kiwis do meet the Kangaroos again in this tournament – and they are seeded to meet in the final – then the New Zealand team will hope for better luck. They will have regrets about last Thursday’s 24-22 defeat and will still be wondering how they ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard after a dominant first half.
There are things to tidy up – particularly their aerial defensive strategy – and coach Stacey Jones will reconsider his forward rotation. But unquestionably, the Kangaroos enjoyed the rub of the green. Three of the biggest 50-50 calls went Australia’s way, with the scrubbing of the Ronaldo Mulitalo try for a debatable penalty against Isaiah Papalili, the potential penalty try for Kodi Nikorima and the knock-on against Jamayne Isaako, which saw the Kiwis lose their captain’s challenge with 30 minutes to play.
Worse of all, the Kiwis lost Kalyn Ponga, who was enjoying one of the games of his life, to a freakish injury which soured the night.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.