Kiwis put hope in ‘bring back Benji’ campaign
Roar Pro By Andrew Marmont, 10 Oct 2012 Andrew Marmont is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Australian Kangaroos, Benji Marshall, international rugby league, New Zealand kiwis, Rugby League
Benji Marshall in actions for the tigers against Souths (AAP Image/Action Photographic, Renee McKay)
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Former Kiwis coach Brian McClennan used a theme before each Test match in the successful 2005 Tri-Nations campaign. When they played Australia in Sydney, a place they hadn’t won since 1954, it was ‘bully the bully’.
Upon reaching the final and looking to achieve a first series win over the old foe for 52 years, ‘slay the dragon’ was chosen.
If Stephen Kearney was looking for an inspirational theme for their test on Saturday against the Kangaroos, perhaps ‘bring back Benji’ might suffice.
Named after the infamous ‘bring back Buck’ slogan, in reference to axed former All Black captain Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford, Kiwi fans are encouraged to bring along these signs to the game. Captain Benji Marshall knows he holds the key to his side’s fortunes. His teammates know it. I talked to a taxi driver today and he confirmed it too.
If it wasn’t for Marshall’s 79th minute heroics in the 2010 Four Nations final or his poise in 2009′s drawn Four Nations match in London, New Zealand might not have much to draw upon for inspiration against their vaunted Australian rivals.
The Kiwis’ successes in recent years have come off the back of good ball control and low error rates, then calm execution through Marshall and the inside backs.
Coach Stephen Kearney understands the team’s strength lies in the forward pack, with debutants Sam Kasiano and Kevin Proctor to join veterans Simon Mannering, Frank Pritchard and Greg Eastwood to lay a platform for hooker Isaac Luke to shine.
Kieran Foran is a reliable halves partner and may allow Marshall freedom to play a more creative game. There is attacking potential in the outside backs, with fullback Josh Hoffman, a recalled Sam Perrett and newcomer Dean Whare forming a speedy backline. It is unproven but unseen, too.
Elijah Taylor’s utility role is a slight head-scratcher on paper; yet expect him to play a similar role to Shontayne Hape in the 2005 Tri-Nations final by adding defensive and dummy-half value to combat Australia’s Greg Inglis, Josh Morris and Billy Slater.
This Kiwi team has a World Cup pool play look about it, with the exception of players like Jeremy Smith, Shaun Kenny-Dowall and perhaps Kevin Locke. Expect Marshall to start strongly and channel the Bulldogs’ trio of Eastwood, Kasiano and Pritchard straight away. Otherwise it will be tough to come back.
Australia will play their usual structured play and look to expand as the game hits the 60 minute mark. Coach Tim Sheens enables his players to stick to a simple plan of error-free football, strong kick and chase and employing his speed-men as extra dummy-half runners.
Skipper Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater play so well as a combination, coupled with a hard-working forward pack, and it won’t be easy to combat their momentum as the match wears on.
But if the Kiwis can withhold a sustained Australian attack, plus Marshall can play with full confidence, New Zealand has a chance to end a three game losing streak. But only if his teammates can reinforce the mantra: ‘bring back Benji’.
Andrew Marmont is Radio Sport National’s rugby league analyst.
October 10th 2012 @ 5:11am
peeeko said | October 10th 2012 @ 5:11am | Report comment
if they were to pick a combnined side, how many kiwis would make the side?
October 11th 2012 @ 5:20am
Daniel said | October 11th 2012 @ 5:20am | Report comment
On form (excluding the grand final) I’d have kasiano and Pritchard over shillington (how he keeps making rep teams is beyond me) and t-Rex. T-Rex has been going well, but the kasiano Pritchard combination is too valuable. I’d also have Eastwood as 18th man over true blue Aussie Ben te’o :p. Also taking form into account, I’d place inu, Beale and perrett ahead of Boyd (especially in the wing position). Certainly if Jason nightingale wasn’t injured I’d pick him over Boyd. I’d also have benji in for farah simply because smith can play the 80 min. Bring benji on with 15 to go to partner thurston in the halves and move Cronk to lock (he’s played more origins at lock than halfback cause of Lockyer). Benji’s simply too dangerous a player to leave out of a team.
October 10th 2012 @ 8:09am
Dogs Of War said | October 10th 2012 @ 8:09am | Report comment
The Bulldogs trio of Kiwis forwards will be hard to contain with a good halfback able to take advantage of the space they create. It will be interesting to see how Kearney uses them.
October 10th 2012 @ 8:45am
Go warriors said | October 10th 2012 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Well said DOW. The Kiwis have a quality side with a good inform forward pack. If Kearney can get the best out of them like Bellamy and Hasler did then they will be very competitive.
October 10th 2012 @ 2:30pm
Jake Savage said | October 10th 2012 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
I think it will be a one sided affair and this would have been the best time for an all star weekend and match.
Field goal and penalty kicking comp, target passing comp, 100 metre sprint and then the all star game to cap it off would be an awesome spectacle.
October 10th 2012 @ 3:12pm
CJW72 said | October 10th 2012 @ 3:12pm | Report comment
@Jake Savage, Perhaps you’d like to add All star Tiddly winks into the mix as well. Give me an International Rugby League Test ANY day of the week. We already have an ALLSTARS game its called SOO (it has many Nations best talent represented within it and has done so for years) .
Be even better if there was a thought given about growing the game into the future from the ARL administration beyond dealing out the same formula adnauseum forever into the future..It will get stale and the coffers will decline in comparison to other codes. Don’t know what Internationals you’ve been watching in the past either, many have been far closer and intense than you appear to be ready to give credit for. Of course these Tests would be far better and attract more interest played over a series and with more balanced representation of talent. I am no fan of one offs, however I’ll gladly take the one off over nothing at all. I for one think the ARLC is missing a golden opportunity to create some real presence and add value against its domestic competition by not affording IRLs more time within the calender year.
Drop a couple of weeks of NRL (Rugby Union has only 18 regular season matches for Super 15 vs 26 for the NRL and has 11+ international fixtures for the All Blacks during the course of the year, The AB’s play right up until first week of december, what do we have to offer, Cricket? ) and replace with an international or rep series. Make up the difference in games (e.g) revenue for advertisers by offering up All internationals in place of Club games. Seniors, Juniors, Pacific Nations etc etc.. U20′s etc etc.. Growing Internationals is the way to take ground away from Rugby Union directly and to stick it to AFL who at this stage have only international aspirations (but are at least active in creating this into the future) . Our administrations attitude and yours (Jake Savage) is backward and without an eye to growing RL’s future. I remember SOO as a fixture was about to be dumped in the late 80′s as no one thought much of it as a spectacle (as they were also one sided events) , until they changed the eligibilty rules, balanced the playing field, that changed the game completely. And we all know what happend then. Now they clear the decks and push everything aside to maintain the same event. Unfortunately SOO is exclusionary (unless the rules can be bent beyond their intent). Regretably with attitudes such as yours we’ll always be considered a second fiddle domestic sport.. Without some foresight and coordination Internationally and domestically you’d have to day we are at our peak, something must change ..
October 10th 2012 @ 3:30pm
Dogs Of War said | October 10th 2012 @ 3:30pm | Report comment
Paragraphs are your friend.
October 10th 2012 @ 3:50pm
CJW72 said | October 10th 2012 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
Hahahah point taken ..just got my flow on..
October 10th 2012 @ 3:30pm
Andrew Marmont said | October 10th 2012 @ 3:30pm | Report comment
Thanks for the comments so far guys. Well send CJ – nothing better than Test match rugby league, not matter which side of the fence you sit on!
October 10th 2012 @ 3:37pm
Zippa said | October 10th 2012 @ 3:37pm | Report comment
I agree CJW72. I get sick of people bagging international RL. Each time there is a test match or a RL world cup it gets nothing but critisim and negativity by the media and certain other people. It seems that it is only RL that gets this negativity. I never see soccer, cricket or rugby tests get slagged off regardless of how one sided the game was.
Playing for your country is the highest honour in any sport and RL is no different. Rather than bagging the international game we should be promoting it to the hilt. For people that dont know about anything outside Australia RL has grown a lot in the last few years and if you bother to look there are test matched being played all over the world.
October 12th 2012 @ 12:11pm
Jake Savage said | October 12th 2012 @ 12:11pm | Report comment
I dont think i bagged Test Match RL zippa. I just said it would be the best time for an all stars weekend. Test matches have their place and evryone loves them.
We need to start introducing PNG into it though and have a tri series.
One off tests dont cut the mustard these days.
October 11th 2012 @ 12:46pm
Andrew Marmont said | October 11th 2012 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
Thanks for your thoughts too, Zippa. I for one am determined to promote the international game at every opportunity – look out for more here and in other publications (NZ League and so on).
October 12th 2012 @ 11:57am
Jake Savage said | October 12th 2012 @ 11:57am | Report comment
I agree with test footy guys but a one off test straight after the season is not a spectacle.
Players have been on the booze for a few weeks now and are in holiday mode.
It would be a better idea to bring england and france out here as well as PNG. Have an international comp and all star weekend with players from all countries.
CJ must be a kiwi as he seemed to refer to the ALL Blacks quite a bit.
The most interesting thing to see this weekend will be how sheens uses his adopted son farah off the bench.
Got to feel for Cherry Evans if Farah plays at least 1 minute.
Considering Manly made the finals and Tigers didnt.
October 12th 2012 @ 12:49pm
CJW72 said | October 12th 2012 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
@Jake Savage. The problem is in RL we nuture nothing for our future, we shoot any effort down (like the WC) and shun change. Things almost have to happen by accident (SOO rule changes in 80′s for example was not a popular move or expected to make any difference) .. It sh*ts me to tears the way our game is heading.. There is zero consideration given to growing the profile of RL within Australia (thereby increasing revenue) and considerably less effort outside of it..The day that the ARLC realises that the IRL is the only vehicle to actually increase revenue into the future will not be a day too soon..Instead we’ll get more effort ifrom the ARLC into breaking down IRL further in support of the SOO formula.. Its astounding .. SOO only needs one rule change 9removing tethering to kangaroos) the rest will almost take care of itself..