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The Rugby League World Cup managed to capture Sydney’s attention last night, but only for about an hour. That’s how long it took before the 34,157 fans resorted to the old Mexican wave in a bid to keep themselves entertained.
Australia’s 30-6 win over New Zealand was an exercise akin to pulling teeth as plastic cups rained down on the crowd.
Somehow a game featuring the likes of Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau and Billy Slater – all on the same side – turned out to be a turn-off.
Sure the Kangaroos did what they needed to do in order to get their campaign off on the right foot, but so inept were the Kiwis that it was a painful experience counting down the minutes to fulltime.
And this was the showpiece game of the preliminary rounds, but with 15 minutes to go, some fans had seen enough.
The 30,000-plus crowd would have delighted tournament officials, but the sight of a bumbling Kiwi side on the back of England’s less-than-convincing win over Papua New Guinea last night didn’t auger well for hopes of some healthy competition for the Kangaroos.
The great hope for the Kiwis coming into the tournament was the return to national colours of Benji Marshall, and the signs were good with the injury-prone pivot leading a fired up rendition of the haka.
If only he showed as much venom and creativity in his football, Marshall’s game indicative of New Zealand’s performance as a whole with passes, kicks and runs all failing to find their mark.
Marshall wasn’t helped by a stunningly quiet game from halfback Thomas Leuluai, the Kiwis in desperate need of a spark in the halves if they are to make any impact on the remainder of the tournament.
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