Life after Lockyer begins on Friday night for the Kangaroos when they take on a fired up Kiwi side.
Most of the publicity around this year’s ANZAC Test has regarded the Australian selection of young Cowboys prop James Tamou, taking the focus off the fact that the Kangaroos will be without Lockyer for the first time since his debut in 1997.
The Kiwis are crying poor that the influence of Origin is stopping born and bred New Zealanders representing their country of birth. However, this has not been entirely a one-way street, with Origin not stopping Broncos Josh Hoffman and Gerard Beale from jumping ship across the Tasman.
All this controversy, if you can call it that, is adding spice to what should be a great game on Friday night. It is the third time New Zealand will host Australia at Eden Park.
The first time the two sides met at the famous ground was in cold and wet conditions for the 1988 World Cup final. In front of 47,363 fans, Australia was too strong, defeating New Zealand 25-12.
Over two decades later rugby league returned to Eden Park in front of another healthy crowd of 44,324, with a double-header in the 2010 Four Nations. Australia once again defeated New Zealand 34-20 in a highly entertaining game.
So it is the third instalment and this one is set to be a beauty. The Kiwis are promising to dish it out to Tamou. They may have to wait 20 minutes or so before he sees any game time though.
The battle of the packs will be awesome. Jeremy Smith, Frank Pritchard, Simon Mannering and Alex Glenn have all been in good form at club level, while the Kangaroos have Paul Gallen. On his recent form, that’s all the Kangaroos need.
The battle in the halves will also be interesting when we see the master (Benji Marshall) team up with the apprentice (Shaun Johnson) for the first time. Both players found their touch last weekend in the NRL and it could spell danger for the Kangaroos who also have a new halves combination.
Cooper Cronk linking with Jonathon Thurston is the key for the Kangaroos. If the pair does not gel under pressure on Friday night it could lead to the Kiwis’ first victory over the Kangaroos since November 2010.
Over the years, if Australia was in trouble, it was Darren Lockyer to inspire the Kangaroos. This time he is not there and his calming influence will be missed. Cameron Smith takes over the role as Kangaroos skipper and will do a great job.
But the Lockyer factor could be bigger than we think come Friday night.
At the beginning of the week, I was without a doubt in favour of another Kangaroos victory, but the drama surrounding debutant Tamou, no Lockyer, a strong Kiwi forward pack and the combination of Marshall and Johnson, has me leaning towards New Zealand’s first win over Australia at Eden Park.
Kiwis by six.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
What to look out for in week two of the Pacific Championships
Brad Fittler claims widening State of Origin eligibility rules to include Australian-raised New Zealand and England players will benefit both the domestic and international game.
If you followed the recent Rugby League World Cup, you’ll probably have noted that the tournament has both passionate supporters and vocal detractors.
Since the Super League War, Rugby League has failed to cement an international calendar. The historical tours disappeared – in part due to the war but also since the English game transferred to a summer season.
With many spruiking that the pinnacle of our beloved sport is State of Origin, surely it’s time to make yet another amendment to the playbook and finally let New Zealand and English players in on the fun?
With the World Cup final just days away, I thought I’d reflect on some of the key moments and memories of the past ten…
