Is the Australian rugby league team just announced good enough to beat Kiwis? Who missed out and should be in?
363643
Of course we'll beat em, its not the players, its the jerseys. they're magic.
325138
sonny bill will help them win games but not the premiership.. on the other hand.. joey johns and the knight can go all the way.. the are the form team.. and with joey anything can happen.. i mean anything. look @ state of orgin last year and when joey didnt play 4 the knights....\nthe knights also have excellant service from dunny half, a red hot fullback. a decent forward pack lead by the ever green craig smith, simpson and josh perry. \njust look a the dragons.. they filled with internationals but the still cant win.. its all in the heart.. and the knights have that this year...\nlet 2006 be the year of the knights.. yet again
808931
It should be Australia no problem.\n\nEngland's batting is missing Vaughn, and has no form, nothing here to scare the aussie bowlers - Mcgrath, Brackan, Lee, Watson, Warne, Mcgrath \n\nIf possible, Englands bowling is worse. Simon Jones is a killer blow, England would be better off to have Jones and lose pieterson and strauss. You heard it hear first, that is how good this guy is.\n\nHoggard is only good on green wickets which are scarce in aussie, Harminson has not had 1 good spell in 12 months, panasear is untested, who knows who else will be thrown out...\n\nPonting, Hayden, Langer, Martyn, Hussey, Gilly, and Watson will be fighting for the most centuries, in this series, the winner will need at least 3.\n\nAustralia have the better form, better players, and play in more favoured conditions.\n\nIts impossible to think England have a hope (and before you say it, I did give them a chance to win at home last time)
931019
You can pick anyone for the home series. Tell me a squad for an overseas tour - or the upcoming test series in SA.
1148172
Australia to beat Italy, then who knows.\nI think they are playing so well, their defence against Brazil was outstanding.
497223
Andrew Johns is, in my view, the greatest player of the modern era and of the best halfbacks of all time. Possibly only Peter Sterling would be at the same level. You only have to look on the impact on Newcastle when he is absent.\n\nPlayers in the same league as Johns would be the immortals such as Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, Bob Fulton, Clive Churchill, Wally Lewis, Graeme Langlands and Arthur Beetson from the Post World War II era in Australia. People more knowledgeable in English rugby league could add nominations. From the pre-war Australian competition, I would add Dave Brown and Dally Messenger. I consider that Andrew Johns will become an Immortal in the fullness of time but it is difficult to compare players between eras.
656007
Yes they have, plus the rest of the world has caught up. The European game is fast paced and open, the Kiwis and Ausralians play a physical style with crisp passing. You must change with the times or get left behind.
370789
But if you're after Rugby League then the game of the year is on Easter Sunday where the Newcastle Knights (Ranked 2nd) take on the North Queensland Cowboys (Ranked 1st) up at Newcastle. Kick off is at 3pm - the game is basically already sold out! As for ANZAC Day, there will be an Australia vs New Zealand match and but it won't be on until 5th of May. Gotta love your rugby league! Cheers :)
360952
The All Blacks and Wallabies have got absolutely no chance!\nThe Springboks will destroy them!!!\n\nAnd Ruan Pienaar of the Sharks must play for the Boks.
799768
i think that they are better matched than south africa would have been.it's going to be a very interesting game to watch!i'll lay my odds with the aussies though cricket is unpredictable!
682387
NSW IS ALWAYS A THREAT BECAUSE I AM A MAD MAROON FROM HEAD TO TOES. NOT ONLY THAT I WANT THE MAROON TO WIN BUT I THINK THAT THEY HAVE A BETTER OR BIGGER CHANCE THIS YEAR .GO THE MAROOOOOONS!!
696551
It depends on the players. If they come out like the overpaid primadonnas that they have been doing then no, they wont win. If they come out, proud to be wearing the GB shirt with real passion then yes, they may just have a chance. Richie HORNE (not Home!!) has pressure on his shoulders but there are enough "class acts" around him to carry him until he finds his feet.\nMy prediction is unfortunately the Aussies will win and then for me it's Go KIWIS!\nAnd the Rugby League Aussie Team are the Kangaroos not the Wallabies
598547
Australia.\nGuus Hiddink has taken two teams to the last two semi-finals (Holland & Sth Korea).\nAlso most of the Australian players play in the Premiership, a very tough competition, or other tough European leagues such as Serie A, and some have big game experience in the form of Champions League final (Kewell - although he did break down), UEFA CUP (Schwarzer & Viduka) and FA Cup (Cahill & Kewell).\nI think Australia will be underestimated, but the last time they played Brazil (2001) they won 1-0!\nSquad is Schwarzer & Viduka (M'boro), Kalac (AC Milan), Neil & Emerton (Blackburn), Moor (Newcastle), Popovic (C' Palace), Chipperfield & Sterjovski (FC Basil), Cahill (Everton), Culina & Thompson (Eindhoven), Skoko (Wigan), Lazaridis (B'Ham City), Grella & Bresciano (Parma), Wilkshire (Bristol City), Kewell (Liverpool), Aloisi (Alaves) + a couple of youngsters from the A-League.\nI think they will come second, where they will meet Italy in the second round, and give them a run for it, but not quite be good enough for the Azzurri.....
737306
France 11   New Zealand 23\n\nFrance: (5) 11\nTries: Heymans\nPens: Yachvili (2)\n\nNew Zealand: (16) 23\nTries: Rokocoko, Nonu\nCon: Carter (2)\nPens: Carter (3)\n\nNew Zealand beat France for the second time in seven days to further enhance their status as overwhelming favourites for next year's World Cup.\n\nDespite an early shock when a Cedric Heymans try put France 5-3 ahead, an upset never looked likely in Paris.\nDaniel Carter's kicking and tries either side of the break from Joe Rokocoko and Ma'a Nonu had the All Blacks 23-5 ahead after 50 minutes.\nFrance battled but could only respond with two Dmitry Yachvili penalties.\nNew Zealand demolished France 47-3 in Lyon last week and were quickly ahead again when Carter slotted an early penalty\nBut the 80,000 crowd in the Stade de France was ignited when Kiwi full-back Leon MacDonald dropped a high ball, allowing Heymans to scamper over in the corner.\n\nIf there were any nerves on the All Blacks side, the peerless Carter soon banished them with two penalties.\n\nAnd with half-time approaching the New Zealanders landed a killer blow, combining superbly following a midfield break from MacDonald to send Rokocoko in at the corner.\n\nCarter converted to give the All Blacks a useful 16-5 lead at the break and when centre Nonu powered over from close range early in the second half, the result was beyond doubt.\nFrance did not capitulate, however, and dominated possession in the closing stages without ever really threatening the New Zealand line.\nYachvili did land his second penalty with two minutes to play but the Parisian crowd greeted the decision to kick for goal with derisory whistles.\nFrance coach Bernard Laporte said: "The All Blacks are a very good side, we know that, but if we hadn't had conceded that try at the end of the first half, it would not have been the same match."\n\nFrance: Elhorga; Rougerie, Fritz, Jauzion, Heymans; Traille, Elissalde; Miloud, Ibanez (capt), de Villiers, Nallet, Pape, Bonnaire, Martin, Vermeulen.\nReplacements: Szarzewski, Marconnet, Jacquet, Betsen, Yachvili, Marty, Dominici.\n\nNew Zealand: MacDonald; Rokocoko, Muliaina, Nonu, Sivivatu; Carter, Kelleher; Woodcock, Mealamu, Hayman, Jack, Williams, Collins, McCaw, So'oialo.\nReplacements: Hore, Tialata, Eaton, Masoe, Ellis, Evans, McAlister.\n\nHope this helps\nPHIL
579865
Yes, that would be great.\nBut we all know what the result would be-the Super 14 team will beat the hell out of the Heineken Cup winner.\nEven the Western Force could take the best European teams!
687441
they  have every chance of coming second in the group behind Brazil - they have Kewell, Cahill and Viduka who would get in any squad. The Croatians are an aging side and the Japanese don't travel well, i hope Australia make it to the knockout stages
926938
Mate, you sound like me in my position, albeit a Kiwi living in Australia. Setanta is the only way we get to watch the ABs play England cause Fox here in Australia, for what ever reason, refuse to pick up the rights to England v All Blacks, as per the Grand Slam last year and the game last weekend.\nNot sure if they will do a streaming feed, but you can get live updates as bulletin points on www.allblacks.com. Have a look on www.rugbyheaven.com.au  as well and see what they have on offer. Am having a look also at another site and will let you know the outcome. Though, a live, streaming feed for zero dollars down may be tough to find. Will let you know.