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RLWC 2013: Rest of the world should get even, not mad

1st December, 2013
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The Rugby League World Cup is headed to Channel Seven. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
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1st December, 2013
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With about twenty minutes to go of the Kangaroos master class yesterday morning, I found my rapture at Australia’s silky skills beginning to give way to a rising sense of irritation.

Maybe it was watching the talented Kiwi side play well within itself, maybe the cheap cider mixed with red cordial from a mate’s farewell from a few hours earlier, or maybe the dread of impending seasonal unemployment.

However, I’ve got a feeling that my foul-er was from knowing I’d get woken up by the next door neighbour’s sausage dog just a few hours later and the media from the Cup’s other nations moaning that “Australia are just too good!”

Now, the song will tell you that “there ain’t no ugly people after 2am”, and I’m of the belief that rugby league also becomes more attractive in the wee hours when your brain has slowed to the pace of the late night infomercial 1900 numbers.

But even accounting for this, the Kangaroos were looking might fine.

So yes, Australia were very, very good.

But ‘too’ good?

That’s like saying there is a stadium toilet that is too clean, or an in-goal too safe.

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And, worst of all, it’s a cop out that doesn’t help rugby league one little bit.

Just imagine, the RLIF holding a snap meeting while the Australians were out on the ran-tan celebrating and hurriedly pushing through a motion named the ‘Stevo Amendment’ to ban the Kangaroos from Test football on the basis of their too-goodness.

Or, at a pinch, only allowing the green and gold to be represented by amateur and collegiate players and coached by Kurt Russell.

It is of course a ludicrous situation that even the bloke who designed the Super League referee kits would label “A bit nutty,” but one that you’d think is an outside shot of getting a run reading some of the comments flying around after the final.

For a long, long time now Australia has been the atomic wedgie specialist schoolyard bully of International rugby league. This is well known.

But sitting around hiding under the monkey bars and getting angry about the Kangaroos playing good isn’t going to do anything.

The only thing that is going to earn the rest of the world respect in the eyes of Australia is to march up and kick them square in the cods.

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There’s no doubt this is very tough, with the registered number of players Australia has as well as the strength of the domestic competitions.

But with the success of the World Cup itself, and spirited performances from the smaller nations in the pool stages, the game really deserves to see the other big guns stick it to Australia on a more regular basis in the build up to Johannesburg 2017.

Fortunately, the signs are good.

The New Zealand squad is a young side, and England should still have their Burgii and Tomkins going around in four years.

The Pacific nations are also just scratching the surface of what they can become with a bit more time and money.

It’s just that everyone shouldn’t expect Australia to slow down while they catch up.

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