By Steve Kaless
November 13th 2009 @ 7:32am
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It’s time for Hayne to finally fire for Kangaroos
Australian rugby league players Jarryd Hayne (left) and Nathan Hindmarsh take part in a team training session in Sydney on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009. The Kangaroos will compete in the four nations tournament with their first match against world champions New Zealand in London on October 24. AAP Image/Paul Miller
Tim Sheens is hoping he can finally unlock the mystery to the game which has been sweeping the Four Nations this month: “Where in the world is Jarryd Hayne?”
Hayne looks set to start Saturday’s final against England on the left wing, which is outside Greg Inglis, and the popular side for most attacking plays.
You don’t need to be Einstein to work out which side is going to see plenty of traffic at Elland Rd.
So far this tournament, Hayne has failed to find any of the form which he displayed at the back end of the NRL tournament.
His lack of involvement hasn’t been through a lack of trying, with the winger standing on the other side of the scrum as an alternate five eighth to Darren Lockyer.
But it looks like Sheens has simply reverted to the side which Hayne works best and will relegate Brett Morris to his unfavoured right side.
The game certainly shapes up as a battle between the English forwards and the Aussie backs, but it might also offer a question which hangs over the last game: did the Aussies takes their foot of the pedal or have England awoken from their slumber?
England certainly have a level of team unity and harmony which has been missing for a number of years, but how they react to any early points by the Australians is going to be the real test.
While the English pack has plenty of grunt, how the young and relatively diminutive halves of Sam Tomkins and Kyle Eastmond stand up to the extra attention will also be a key indicator.
I must admit I admire Sam Tomkins.
The word ‘ballsy’ best sums up this bloke who would battle to find anyone within cooee of his weight division. Yet he never shirks from the challenge.
Eastmond is another tremendously gifted player and many of the English fans believe he has similar skills to Greg Inglis.
Unfortunately he is about two feet shorter.
Will Saturday be a memorable night for English rugby league or another 80 minutes for the Greg Inglis highlights reel?
I’m looking forward to finding out.
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Kurt said | November 13th 2009 @ 6:01am | Report comment
He’ll certainly need to lift his game when playing off the half-back flank for WS in the AFL.
MyGeneration said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:21am | Report comment
Anyway, back to the game. Although, the Kangaroos should win this with a leg in the air, I have at least been encouraged by the fact that the Poms have unearthed a few new faces, not just the usual suspects (except guys like Morley, Peacock and Ellis in the forwards). If they can stay with the Aussies in the final, they might be building some foundations for the future. Whilst I am not expecting a barnburner of a game, I am hopeful that England still might have some improvement in them. Against that, we know the Kangaroos have a lot of improvement in them on what they have shown so far.
Paul J said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:26am | Report comment
Jus
Do you actually follow a sport? As far as i’m aware hating RL is not a sport in itself.
Hayne is a fullback and that is where he is so dangerous. We should see a big improvement from him there.
English forwards will do well. Should be a great game.
MyGeneration said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:46am | Report comment
Yes, and rugby union is “The Game They Play in Heaven”, right. You’re not neutral, you are a viral hater. There are plenty of threads devoted to discussion of the relative merits of the two games, but you keep dropping in on League threads to deny not only the game’s right to exist, but our right to discuss it. You are a guerilla troll.
MyGeneration said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Note, this comment was in reply to a comment from jus that appears to have been removed, which I don’t necessarily agree with (the removal, that is), but i’ts certainly no loss to intelligent debate.
Paul J said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:51am | Report comment
Jus
Those on the books from every code will tell you their sport is the greatest – or they are not doing their job.
I just find it strange that you feel the need to continually put venomous comments on RL articles if it’s not a sport you follow.
The Link said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Surely the Aussies can’t keep on being so one dimensional that unless they pile on the points in the first 20, then all their matches turn into bun fights.
Outcome of the match will depend on how much the Aussies are switched on. If both teams show up mentally then more times than often the Aussies will win.
Chop said | November 13th 2009 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Hayne is wasted on the wing, unfortunately there’s two very good fullbacks in the team so one of them plays out of position. He obviously can’t get as involved as he does at club level because if he did he would be way out of position. I feel sorry for being criticised for being dumped onto the wing.
With the Poms paying $4.50 and about $2.90 with 14.5 start I’ll be jumping on the start because I think it will be a close game, the poms at home with an unknown referee and the Aussies haven’t really fired properly yet…..
Scott Woodward said | November 13th 2009 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
International Rugby League is alive and well.
No longer are Australia feared by the Kiwis or England, the gap is closing and as far as forward skill and power is concerned, it has closed. NZ have arguably the best forward 5 pack in the world and don’t forget they went into the 4 Nations without Roy Asotasi and Sika Manu.
England have it all with A Morley (Warrington), K Sinfield (Leeds), J Graham (St Helens), J Peacock (Leeds), G Ellis (Wests Tigers), S Burgess (Bradford), E Crabtree (Huddersfield), B Westwood (Warrington) and J Wilkin (St Helens).
Australia is a clear third in the muscle department and relies heavily on their all star back line. Based on current form, only Anthony Watmough would have claims of making a world forward pack. Surprisingly giant forward David Taylor was left out of the Australian 4 Nations squad.
The Answer said | November 13th 2009 @ 6:38pm | Report comment
Good point Scott, where the hell is Dave Taylor? he was close to the form forward of the NRL at the back end of last year.
I’ve come in a bit late, who is this Jus? I take it the comment has been removed, which should tell him something of the way the editors view his worth. Nice work boys.
I’m looking forward to this game immensely. Maybe I’m a romantic but a Four Nations in Aus next year with a full strength Kiwis team and the Poms aas defending champions would be brillant.
Bring it on.
ScottWoodward.me said | November 13th 2009 @ 6:46pm | Report comment
Jus? Not sure
Heavy rain is tipped for the game.
Paley said | November 13th 2009 @ 7:03pm | Report comment
Heavy rain is good
The Answer said | November 13th 2009 @ 9:22pm | Report comment
Another factor in England’s favour. They’ll do well to get a better chance to knock off the Aussies (or even cover the handicap) in the next while so should really be up for this.
I hope the ref goes alright.
Mick from Giralang said | November 14th 2009 @ 6:49am | Report comment
Tim Sheens has a lot at stake here. If the Kangaroos lose his coaching career could suffer a fatal blow. Aside from winning the 2005 premeirshsip, he has not coached a team to the NRL finals series in 12 years.
ScottWoodward.me said | November 14th 2009 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Strong mail that Sheens will retire regardless and Ricky Stuart will get another crack in a deal done 6 months ago so Ricky continues to get rails runs in his coaching career.
I did this Video Preview on RacenetTV I hope you like:
http://www.racenettv.com.au/PlayVid.asp?Id=440
jus de couchon said | November 15th 2009 @ 5:58am | Report comment
If Aus wins tonight what does it Prove? I would prefer to watch NSW v QULD rather than 4 nations . I would seriously question why N.Z lost to England last week. The marketing and audience driven fantasists would have balked at the idea of an oz/kiwi finnal. I hope the Kiwis were recompensed for throwing a game by Sky and others who beleive contrived results mean anything .
ScottWoodward.me said | November 15th 2009 @ 6:27am | Report comment
jus you have had one too many.
England beat NZ fair and square with better forward play. It was no fluke.
GaryGnu said | November 15th 2009 @ 6:32am | Report comment
Well I am posting this from my hotel room in London. It is half time in the Four Nations final. I have sat through one of the most turgid games of International Rugby Union I have ever seen as a clueless England somehow outlasted an Argentinian team including 4 amatuers.
The contrast with the Four Nations final could not be more stark. A great contest between two evenly matched teams giving their all. Jared Hayne even came out of temporary retirement to put on a controversial try for Inglis (at least according to Eddie Hemmings)
This match reminds me of my youth from which I can recall the names of the Great British players like Hannley, Courier, Offiah, Betts. I can’t wait to see how Sam Burgess handles the NRL and would love to see some of those tough physical English forwards in Aus as well.
International Rugby League is alive and well. Long may it last.
MyGeneration said | November 15th 2009 @ 7:44am | Report comment
England competed well physically for 55 minutes and genuinely put Australia under some pressure, but Australia always looked to have them out wide. The last 20 minutes blew out the score a bit, but it showed the Kangaroos’ class advantage across the field. Funny thing was Australia’s kicking in general play was ordinary, but so many tries came from precision kicking close to the line. Inglis awesome, Man of the Match in my opinion, as he was Australia’s most dangerous when the game was in the balance.