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Without a doubt in my mind, I predict Australia, England, New Zealand and Tonga will be the final four teams standing after 14 nations give their all in the Rugby League World Cup, which kicks off in Cardiff this weekend.
There may be some hiccups in the coming month, but these are the most powerful and best skilled line-ups on show and The Wizard cannot see them bowing out before the semis.
Whether you are an ardent rugby league follower or casual observer, this tournament is going to be big, probably bigger than many suspect.
Hosted by the United Kingdom, organisers are confidently predicting great crowds and non-stop action as league showcases its stars from both hemispheres.
The cynics will undoubtedly scoff at the legitimacy of teams fielded by the likes of Italy, USA and the Cook Islands, but the players representing these nations are as proud as any of their opponents and will be eager to press their claims on the big stage.
OK, there might be some blowout scores along the way but so what? Soccer and rugby union have their own World Cups and the powerhouses often hand out football lessons to the so-called minnows.
I am pumped at the prospect of what we’ll be seeing from the code’s big guns and just as excited over what we might see from the emerging nations.
Last week’s friendlies tossed up amazing wins by Italy and the USA over England and France respectively.
I realise they were ‘trials’ and there wasn’t anything on the line, but no nation welcomes embarrassment going into a major sports event.
England’s loss to the Italians was puzzling, as coach Steve McNamara had the bulk of his team on the park.
OK, the conditions were pretty ordinary but the Poms play in this stuff week in, week out, and I was very surprised they managed only 14 points.
I guess they had their eyes on this week’s opener against the Aussies and didn’t want to pick up any major injuries.
Anyway, good luck to Anthony Minichiello and his Italians. They wanted that game more than the opposition and performed accordingly.
Australia v England shapes as a tremendous contest. This should be a memorable forwards battle and I am eagerly awaiting to see the Burgess boys combining for England.
They were sensational in the NRL this year and it will be fascinating to see if they can transfer that momentum and experience to the international level.
There won’t be much in this but I’m leaning towards a Kangaroos win. They look to have more points in their backline.
Naturally, I am picking the Kiwis to open their World Cup campaign with a convincing win over Samoa at Warrington on Sunday.
This game will be an 80-minute bruiser but I like the New Zealand squad a lot and their strength and class will see them cut a swathe through all of their Group B opponents.
Sonny Bill Williams will definitely provide Steve Kearney’s team with an X-factor like no other.
The big guy wants to do what he can to help the Kiwis defend their World Cup title and I honestly think they will do it with SBW the spearhead.
Tonga appeals to me as one of the likely stars of the World Cup.
Not only are they highly physical, there is a high degree of skill from the likes of Epalahame Lauaki that will take plenty of stopping.
I fancy them to bowl over Scotland and Italy and ultimately shape up to New Zealand in the semis.
Only one referee will be on duty in these World Cup games. This could present some problems for the Australian whistle-blowers, who have grown used to the two-ref system in the NRL.
I suspect they will have their hands full concentrating on policing the 10 metres. That means all manner of strife could happen at the ruck area – some players might get away with more than they ever dreamed.
Anyway, let’s hope the World Cup chatter and news is about the football, the athletes and not the officials.
I am really looking forward to a wonderful month of rugby league.
Sadly, The Wiz is stuck here in Australia but I swear I will not miss a single game.
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