- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Skipper Cameron Smith has warned his Australian team not to breathe life into New Zealand rugby league – for fear of having Queensland’s State of Origin domination replicated on the international stage.
Smith believes the confidence of a few wins could turn the Kiwis into an international powerhouse – which is why he will implore his teammates not to take the foot off the throat in Friday night’s Test in Canberra.
The Kangaroos have not lost to the Kiwis in five outings since going down in the 2010 Four Nations final, while they have won the past 13 mid-year Tests between the two nations.
They go into Friday’s Test paying the Black Caviar-like odds of $1.14, only adding fuel to the argument that international rugby league lacks genuine competitors for the Kangaroos.
But pointing to the way some questioned whether State of Origin was dead as NSW headed for four straight series wins in 2006, Smith said it didn’t make much for the tide to turn.
Smith was part of that Queensland side that won the 2006 series decider – the same side which hasn’t lost a series since.
“You give them a victory here and who knows what could happen over the next couple of years?” Smith said.
“Particularly being a World Cup year, you don’t want to give the Kiwis a lot of confidence coming off this match.
“If they win, they’re knocking off a pretty impressive Australian side, so they’ll go away from that game with their confidence sky high.
“We were disappointed with the way the last World Cup finished – we don’t want a repeat of that.”
Which is exactly why the issue of complacency was one of the first items on coach Tim Sheens’ agenda when the squad gathered in Sydney on Monday.
The absence of injured superstars Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams from the New Zealand side only heightened the apprehension among the Australian hierarchy.
“Sometimes there’s a little bloke sitting on your shoulder saying ‘this bloke’s out; this bloke’s not playing; he’s injured; it’s not going to be as hard as it usually is’,” Smith said.
“But if that happens, you find yourself on your tryline watching a bloke kick a goal fairly early.
“It’s something that we have raised. We spoke about it early to make sure everyone was aware.
“I was certainly aware of it because it happens every week in club land.”
While mid-year Tests have not been to the Kiwis’ liking, Sheens is only too aware of their ability to come up big in one-off games.
In 2005, the two countries split their preliminary games before the Kiwis won the Tri Nations final while, at the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations, Australia won every game before losing the final to their close neighbours.
“You just can’t go to sleep on it,” Sheens said.
“… a minute to go in 2010 in the final, Marshall instead of kicking it runs it and they beat us.
“That always reminds us that it can happen.
“A lot of these guys were involved in it.”
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.