I must say in regards to Cameron Smith. The accuracy and sweetness of his passes are unreal. Every pass delivered exactly at the right height and pace for the player to run onto. But for me it's his timing of when to hold or when to pass that makes him the player he is. Just a real smart cookie at dummy half. He's certainly the best passer of a ball I've seen for a long time. He never looks flustered or under pressure either. Comes across as a real nonchalant character to me.

As for NZ I thought the two starting props McKendry and Matulino were superb.

Matulino and Mckendery are two very good props. Add Blair and packer to thst pack with like Hargreaves, smith, luke, mannering, sika Manu and lulu and moi moi and it's a very tough pack.

It does help having options around the ruck for him which is something we don't do over here. There was a huge difference in the way the Aussies and Kiwis hung around the ruck area and supported the play. Often the Kiwis would be like Saints with just on guy running up whilst the others did nothing. The Aussies though would support the player by having four to five players who were mingling around the runner. I'm not talking about running at full speed with him in the same way that Allan Hunte used to try and do that "You should have passed it to me" showboating stuff. I mean, just jogging with the ball carrier and having a general greater awareness of what was going on. You can't buy that sort of intelligence, it has to be coached in because it's game culture.

It's just having the ability to follow the ball and gambling there is going to be a break then getting yourself set up for the next play once the man is tackled, unlike our men who are setting their positions for tackle 2 before tackle one has been completed.

Yes!

Didn't take long to bite did it?

If you listen to his interview Sheens was moaning about the slow PTB but in his arrogance failed to see that Aus were more guilty of slowing play down than NZ.

Personally I thought the ruck area was a complete mess and a big tern off for spectators. The ruck was congested and it was not helped by Bentham letting both teams (although IMO the australians were the worst offenders) get away with not clearing the ruck and not getting back onside on the apparent basis that "they were not interfering with the play" (reminds me of what a certain Brain Clough said about the subject in a different sport ).

Aren't players supposed to release and get out of the way?
Aren't player supposed to not blatantly move off the mark? (e.g. C Smith)

Its just so alien to the way the game is played in this country and I don't think its an improvement.

I think the NZ ref today played it a bit more like we are used to and would certainly not have let either team last night get away with their deliberate slow play tactics. Perhaps Bentham was a bit in thrall of them.

well on the osn channel they cut the it off just after the game usually so didn't get to listen... but yeah i couldn't resist a quick go haha

i will get a full report to you tomorrow, sorry that my auto correction on this laptop doesn't work but i am guessing your's does?

Should be a warning when joining this website do not make grammer mistakes or will occur haha

was at the game on Friday so i've edited the post correctly I would certainly ask Ben Westwood to put his early bird hit on Cameron Smith.

when I saw the title I expected it to be about the most boring unadventurous brand of Rugby known to man. The Aussies simply do not pass the ball in their own half Sam Thaiday offloaded once on the 40 mtr line and and Big keith Galloway did it once on the 45mtrs other than that its a drive one out from Cameron smith or if they get giddy and the markers chase the drive may come two out off lockyer. other than that absolutely no Rugby League played in their own half.

I was extremely dissapointed this is a far cry from the Tim Sheens coached West Tigers who play a great brand of rugby League..

I'd half come along just to watch Darren Lockyer yet he just put a couple of last tackle downtowns in and nothing else....

Could the very slow PTB be in part because a SL ref was asked to try to apply the more lenient NRL version of the rules and probably went a bit too far due to lack of experience? Perhaps he'll find the sweet mid-range point next time? Or should he just say 'sod this, I'm reffing SL-style'?