Has anyone ever been banned for a trip? I've seen plenty worse than that and it is a penalty at best.

Never a trip. Smith just fell over an outstretched leg.

If he's banned I'm through with international rugby league. There was a cracking trip by Tim Brasher years back (was it the 92 final? Can't quite remember). That's a trip, today's was not.

Liam Farrell is a chance of being banned.

It was quite common when a trip was an automatic red card, but that all changed in the mid-nineties (oddly enough, around the time SL started).

If Eng win by 9 is it Eng or NZ?

In that scenario it should be England I presume. Both have scored 44 points so an England win would mean we have a better points for total as well as obviously winning the head to head if decided on that.

This.

We are capableE of beating nz and samoa are capable of keeping Australia to within 12

It's not over yet!

I think all 3 on report incidents in the first half are penalty sufficient tbh. Farrell has the biggest chance of getting a game but there seemed very little intent and it was more down to an awkward tackling position than anything else. The game really is going soft if people are picking bans up for that in a test match.

Whats the point of making the final?

Another 80 minutes of wrestling, late hits on the kicker, constant late flops and interference at the PTB

Better to just let them play themselves and the rest of us continue playing real RL

We tried to copy the Aussies, which is the only way if the ref is a wrestling fan, and he penalised us.
I'd say we are up against it but should hold our heads up proudly and give it a real go.

England need to make some changes. Burgess for Charnley, possibly even Smith out and Tomkins to 7 with Hardaker at full back if Smith refuses to run the ball. Backrow were all poor - Whitehead and Cooper to come in.

If England beats NZ by one point, then Australia has to beat Samoa by 18 points to out qualify England for the final. Australia may not be able to do it, because Samoa is a strong team and highly motivated.