Amazed Kidwell is still in a job.

Bulls here he comes.

A lot of talk at the moment of the big three becoming a big 5 or something, think it is more like becoming a big 1 with australia and best of the rest if the new zealanders have an off day. I dont think anyone is beating the aussies for a long time now.

As we Castleford supporters know, form can completely go out of the window in an one-off game.
Australia might look far and away the best team in the games before the final, but if they have an off-day anything can happen.
I’d say it would be the biggest shock since Sheffield won the Challenge Cup, but I’d never write any team off in a winner-takes-all game.

Who replaces Cronk, Slater and Smith for Australia - that has to be the worry for them, when they retire from rep footy

And if they had played tomorrow, you would be whining that they got an extra day to recover (after playing in the Darwin heat and humidity).
Let's face it, whatever happens you'll blame the Aussies.

Would have been too cruel to make your blokes play in the Top End though. 30 degrees C and 80% humidity; heat strokes left, right and centre.

Exceptional effort by Holmes.
Yes he was on the end of a pretty good backline, but there have been plenty of bigger name players in teams as good or better who have not done as well.
6 in a game is pretty special at any level, and 11 in 2 games is phenomenal.

Agree with this.

Could have been a draw if the clown on Fiji's right wing didn't go on the pitch. Has there ever been such a poor display by an individual in a test?

Moses looked quality for Lebanon. No idea what he's like at club level but it wouldn't surprise me to see him as half back in the future.

Absolutely. They are the huge difference between the Aussies being a good team and an almost unbeatable one with them in it.

I don't think its any coincidence that Queensland have won almost every SOO and we have not beaten the Aussies over the last decade.

I know they have always coped replacing great players in the past but there is a pretty big gulf between the quality of those 3/4 if we are including thurston as well and their next in line, particularly in the halves and at hooker.

He definitely made Australia's job easier.

Never ceases to amaze me seeing top level wingers (and centres) flying out the defensive line. It almost never works and inevitably leaves a channel for the attackers to develop and usually score.

Australia were good but not amazing. Fiji went away from what worked previously and turned into the stereotypical island team - big, strong and passionate, but indisciplined, prone to error and defensively fragmented, handing Australia far too much territory and possession.

All in all - even though a Fiji win was always unlikely - that was a hugely disappointing game.