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There was high drama last night, with the naming of sides for the mid-year Trans Tasman rugby league Test match, and New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney picking the most interesting Kiwi side in recent memory.
Perhaps looking to distance themselves as far as possible from the Australian’s dull, steady-as-she-goes approach, the black ‘n whites have gone with a team that could be described as ‘different’ even by their usual wacky standards.
Six new faces will debut on Friday night – Warriors’ three-game veteran Siliva Havili, the Olsen Filipainia for a new generation in Penrith reserve grader Isaac John, as well as Peta Hiku, utility Ben Henry and props Martin Taupau and Kenny Bromwich
While an injury list second only to the combined series of Grey’s Anatomy and some last-minute withdrawals (does Sonny Bill Williams know Tohu Harris got picked yet?) ensured there would be a few shocks, it appears as though Kearney has gone for the full M. Night Shyamalan reaction.
Where the selection of Havili and the talented John can be put down to the cupboards being barer than Luke Bailey’s bonce, and Hiku and Taupau are very much in-form players, Ben Henry has struggled for game time over the last couple of, well, years and Kenny Bromwich has been quiet in a sucky Storm team.
Look elsewhere though, and it’s the omission of big-name players that has got the crazy meter cranked up to 11.
And by big names, I literally mean big names. Hyphenated heroes Frank-Paul Nu’uausala, Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves all failed to make the list, raising suspicions of a letters-on-jerseys price hike, as did Jason Taumalolo and the returning Sam Kasiano.
Of all these players it’s the absence of angriest man alive Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, a man who would waltz into a NSW Origin jersey, in favour of Junior Bromwich and his fellow Roosters bookend Sam Moa that smells a bit on the suss side. The rumour doing the rounds is that coach Kearney was unhappy with how JWH behaved in the lead-up to the latter stages of the World Cup, and that his exclusion is part of a punishment plan for the big marn.
If this is indeed the case it’s a sad state of affairs, but perhaps the NZRL should look at other people to remove from the match.
Namely, Stephen Kearney.
Yes, as likeable and stylish a chap as Kearney comes across as being, I’m afraid that the goodwill from his triumphant win in the 2008 World Cup has just about hit ‘E’ following his sorry stint at the Eels and 2013 Cup final capitulation.
While the blooding of young players for the future and choosing of blokes from reggies is all well and good, the exclusion of a star player for reasons undisclosed is pretty poor.
It has been a long, long time since New Zealand has won a mid-season Test, and throwing an inexperienced team to the ravenous Roos without one of the game’s form players seems like setting them up to fail.
If Kearney and Waerea-Hargreaves haven’t been able to sort out their differences since last November, it reflects poorly on the whole New Zealand administration, and one must question the head coach’s man management.
The one good thing New Zealand has going for them is the relative youth of their squad, and at 25 years old, Waerea-Hargreaves should be one of the blokes enjoying leading the side around come the next World Cup in 2017.
As for Kearney? Hopefully sitting back in a nice comfy chair somewhere, enjoying his limited edition 2008 Cup DVD.
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