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globalrugbyleague - Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:21:00 GMTPoor statistics in defence could be the key to an Australian victory over New Zealand at the Sydney Football Stadium tonight.
According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph, the New Zealand halves pairing of Benji Marshall and Thomas Leuluai could prove to be the undoing of an upset occurring.
Together Marshall and Leuluai have strung together a combined total of 105 missed tackles in the last 12 months.
Leuluai failed to make a tackle 44 times in 27 English Super League games while Marshall missed 61 from 18 NRL clashes.
Just as disturbing for Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney in his World Cup debut are the number of tries being leaked by fullback Lance Hohaia (33), winger Sam Perrett (34) and centre Jerome Ropati (28)
Yet some former Kangaroos stars remain concerned that supercoach Wayne Bennett may be able to fix those statistics and see Australia lose an opening game in a World Cup for the first time since 1995.
“I hope they really give it to each other the way they should in a World Cup”, said former Test halfback Tommy Raudonikis.
“First up,the Kiwis could sneak an upset.”
Many punters have also put their faith in the Kiwis taking up the TAB’s offer of a $5 quote. Australia remain $1.15 favourites to win comfortably on home soil.
Kiwis captain Nathan Cayless admitted his team is looking to go one better than the performance the trans-tasman arch –rivals put in during the Centenary Test at the SCG.
Should they go one worse, it could be a long night. Don’t forget to take your pillows and sleeping bags just in case.
AUSTRALIA V NZ
Sunday October 26,
Sydney Football Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Australia:
1. Billy Slater (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
2. Joel Monaghan (Canberra Canberra Raiders">Canberra Raiders)
3. Greg Inglis (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
4. Israel Folau (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm/Brisbane Brisbane Broncos">Brisbane Broncos)
5. Brent Tate (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
6. Darren Lockyer (c) (Brisbane Brisbane Broncos">Brisbane Broncos)
7. Jonathan Thurston (North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys">North Queensland Cowboys)
8. Petero Civoniceva (Penrith Penrith Panthers">Penrith Panthers)
9. Cameron Smith (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
10. Steve Price (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
11. Glenn Stewart (Manly-Warringah Manly Warringah Sea Eagles">Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
12. Anthony Laffranchi (Gold Coast Gold Coast Titans">Gold Coast Titans)
13. Paul Gallen (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks" title="Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
14. Brent Kite (Manly Warringah Seas Eagles)
15. Josh Perry (Manly Warringah Seas Eagles)
16. Anthony Tupou (Sydney City Sydney Roosters">Sydney Roosters)
17. Kurt Gidley (Newcastle Newcastle Knights">Newcastle Knights)
Coach: Ricky Stuart (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks" title="Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
New Zealand:
1. Lance Hohaia (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
2. Sam Perrett (Sydney Sydney Roosters">Sydney Roosters)
3. Steve Matai (Manly Warringah Manly Warringah Sea Eagles">Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
4. Jerome Ropati (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
5. Manu Vatuvei (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
6. Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers)
7. Thomas Leuluai (Wigan New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
8. Nathan Cayless (c) (Parramatta Parramatta Eels">Parramatta Eels)
9. Nathan Fien (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
10. Adam Blair (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
11. Simon Mannering (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
12. Sika Manu (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
13. Jeremy Smith (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
14. Dene Halatau (Wests Tigers)
15. Greg Eastwood (Brisbane Brisbane Broncos">Brisbane Broncos/Leeds Rhinos)
16. Setimata Sa (Sydney Sydney Roosters">Sydney Roosters)
17. Sam Rapira (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
Coach: Stephen Kearney (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm) - Read More, Here
According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph, the New Zealand halves pairing of Benji Marshall and Thomas Leuluai could prove to be the undoing of an upset occurring.
Together Marshall and Leuluai have strung together a combined total of 105 missed tackles in the last 12 months.
Leuluai failed to make a tackle 44 times in 27 English Super League games while Marshall missed 61 from 18 NRL clashes.
Just as disturbing for Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney in his World Cup debut are the number of tries being leaked by fullback Lance Hohaia (33), winger Sam Perrett (34) and centre Jerome Ropati (28)
Yet some former Kangaroos stars remain concerned that supercoach Wayne Bennett may be able to fix those statistics and see Australia lose an opening game in a World Cup for the first time since 1995.
“I hope they really give it to each other the way they should in a World Cup”, said former Test halfback Tommy Raudonikis.
“First up,the Kiwis could sneak an upset.”
Many punters have also put their faith in the Kiwis taking up the TAB’s offer of a $5 quote. Australia remain $1.15 favourites to win comfortably on home soil.
Kiwis captain Nathan Cayless admitted his team is looking to go one better than the performance the trans-tasman arch –rivals put in during the Centenary Test at the SCG.
Should they go one worse, it could be a long night. Don’t forget to take your pillows and sleeping bags just in case.
AUSTRALIA V NZ
Sunday October 26,
Sydney Football Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Australia:
1. Billy Slater (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
2. Joel Monaghan (Canberra Canberra Raiders">Canberra Raiders)
3. Greg Inglis (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
4. Israel Folau (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm/Brisbane Brisbane Broncos">Brisbane Broncos)
5. Brent Tate (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
6. Darren Lockyer (c) (Brisbane Brisbane Broncos">Brisbane Broncos)
7. Jonathan Thurston (North Queensland North Queensland Cowboys">North Queensland Cowboys)
8. Petero Civoniceva (Penrith Penrith Panthers">Penrith Panthers)
9. Cameron Smith (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
10. Steve Price (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
11. Glenn Stewart (Manly-Warringah Manly Warringah Sea Eagles">Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
12. Anthony Laffranchi (Gold Coast Gold Coast Titans">Gold Coast Titans)
13. Paul Gallen (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks" title="Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
14. Brent Kite (Manly Warringah Seas Eagles)
15. Josh Perry (Manly Warringah Seas Eagles)
16. Anthony Tupou (Sydney City Sydney Roosters">Sydney Roosters)
17. Kurt Gidley (Newcastle Newcastle Knights">Newcastle Knights)
Coach: Ricky Stuart (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks" title="Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks">Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
New Zealand:
1. Lance Hohaia (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
2. Sam Perrett (Sydney Sydney Roosters">Sydney Roosters)
3. Steve Matai (Manly Warringah Manly Warringah Sea Eagles">Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
4. Jerome Ropati (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
5. Manu Vatuvei (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
6. Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers)
7. Thomas Leuluai (Wigan New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
8. Nathan Cayless (c) (Parramatta Parramatta Eels">Parramatta Eels)
9. Nathan Fien (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
10. Adam Blair (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
11. Simon Mannering (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
12. Sika Manu (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
13. Jeremy Smith (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm)
14. Dene Halatau (Wests Tigers)
15. Greg Eastwood (Brisbane Brisbane Broncos">Brisbane Broncos/Leeds Rhinos)
16. Setimata Sa (Sydney Sydney Roosters">Sydney Roosters)
17. Sam Rapira (NZ New Zealand Warriors">New Zealand Warriors)
Coach: Stephen Kearney (Melbourne Melbourne Storm">Melbourne Storm) - Read More, Here