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Tops and tails ahead of the World Cup semis

Papua New Guinea players at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup (NRLPhotos/Dave Buller)
Roar Guru
20th November, 2017
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And then there were four. Australia, Fiji, England and Tonga will fight for the right to contest the final of what has been a thrilling World Cup campaign, even if it is dragging on a bit.

Australia have been good without being great throughout their undefeated campaign thus far, with Mal Meninga tinkering with his side on a weekly basis – something I’m not a huge fan of, but they’ve rarely been challenged.

Their opponents on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium, Fiji, are all emotion and raw power. How good is it to see them playing so well – the tears on Kevin Naiqama’s face after their amazing 4-2 win over New Zealand was something special.

If the Bati can stay in the contest with Australia, they will fancy themselves late in the match.

England beat Papua New Guinea but again looked fairly ordinary in doing so. The 36-6 scoreline might suggest a comfortable win, but the Poms completed just 57 per cent of their sets and scored a flurry of late tries to blow the game open.

On current form, I’m backing Tonga to get the job done in Auckland on Saturday night in what would be a watershed moment for international rugby league. Led by Jason Taumololo, the Tongans have been sensational and thoroughly deserved their famous victory over Lebanon on the weekend.

Jason Taumalolo Tonga Rugby League World Cup 2017

NRLPhotos/Scott Davis

Of the teams that were eliminated, Lebanon and Papua New Guinea can at least hold their heads high after impressive performances, and it’s vital they play more Test matches before the next World Cup in 2021.

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Samoa were simply terrible, lacking in any kind of cohesion despite a wealth of NRL talent, and having them qualify for the next stage of the tournament, despite failing to win a game, was an embarrassment. You know you’re in trouble when Ben Roberts is your starting five-eighth.

Onto New Zealand and what can we say about them?

For a team lacking in leadership of any kind, you would think veteran winger Jason Nightingale would be one of the first players picked, but he featured just once as the Kiwis imploded. David Kidwell needs to go, he refused to pick Nightingale, opting instead for the error-prone and inconsistent Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, and even a rejuvenated Benji Marshall couldn’t get a look in.

Do they get relegated to tier two status now? Certainly the likes of Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji and Lebanon are doing more for international rugby league at the moment.

Speaking of PNG, they were fantastic, and the crowds they got in Port Moresby were enough to convince me we need a Papua New Guinea-based side in the NRL sooner rather than later. Forget about a second Brisbane side or one in Perth, rugby league is the national sport in Papua New Guinea and we need them represented in the NRL.

They hit hard, run hard, and when they get whacked themselves, they get up and run even harder next time. I admit I don’t know too many of their players, outside of the likes of David Mead, James Segeyaro and Nene Macdonald, but they play an attractive brand of football and it would be great to see them grow as a rugby league nation.

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