Smith breaks down after Kiwis’ victory

Smith was reduced to tears when he hugged family after the game — his wrist spelling out RAMS, which was a tribute to his boyhood club. “The RAMS is my life really and I started playing for them when I was three,” Smith explained.“To look at it on my wrist when I am out there playing, I just try to be an inspiration to the little kids to let them know it is possible. “I just try to inspire them everyday and that is why I play rugby league really for my family and all the kids that I grew up with.” Smith was given a chance by Kiwis’ coach Michael Maguire and he more than warranted the faith shown in him to fill in for the injured Issac Luke. “New Zealand is where I’m from and that’s my culture and my family,” Smith said.

“I could never not put on the black and white. It means everything to me and to put on a show for my family and friends that’s what dreams are made of, so I’m very grateful.” Smith is expected to spend one more season behind Cameron Smith at club level, but with performances like this he has a long career as a starter for both club and country ahead of him. “I still can’t believe it. I think it’s a dream,” Smith said. “Madge is really pointing us in the right direction. We always knew we had the skill, but Madge has given us the belief that we can do it.“It’s been an unreal experience and I just can’t wait to play the next game.”

DWZ sizzles as Kangaroos fizzle in Kiwis’ boilover

KIWIS fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak produced a brilliant debut as New Zealand skipper to lead his side to a thrilling 26-24 victory over the Kangaroos. The New Zealand captain was everywhere for the hosts, matching Kangaroos’ fullback James Tedesco in a brilliant battle between the two. Latrell Mitchell and clubmate Joseph Manu produced a mesmerising
match up, with the Kiwis debutant getting the better of a fascinating duel. Set up first try with a through the legs miracle ball. Was denied a brilliant try near halftime. Ran for 139 metres and looked dangerous all night.

Kiwis out to restore New Zealand's faith

Eighteen months after Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor's illicit substance scandal threatened to kill off their Kiwis careers, Michael Maguire has highlighted them as representative of the side's rebuild. At a time when New Zealand were being pegged as vulnerable and in danger of being usurped by Tonga, they produced a rousing 26-24 rugby league Test victory over Australia on Saturday. After a raft of representative retirements and missing the likes of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Issac Luke, the lightly-fancied Kiwis rolled the world champions for the first time in three years.

The Kiwis brand copped a black eye after Bromwich was stripped of the captaincy and he and Proctor were banished from the World Cup after being caught on CCTV snorting a substance off a drug dealer's phone after last year's Anzac Test. Saturday's game was their first back in Kiwis colours and coach Maguire said their ability to come back from a low point in their careers was representative of the character he wanted in his team. "People like Kevin Proctor and Jesse Bromwich, they've faced adversity and what we saw, to come back in form the way they did," Maguire said. "A lot of young kids, unfortunately, at some stage make a mistake and those two boys have definitely put their hands up and turned a bit of adversity into strength and where we want to be. "Both of those boys performed very well." Next Saturday's Test between Tonga and Australia at Mount Smart is already sold out, prompting fears the Mate Ma'a were winning the battles for the hearts and minds of the public in New Zealand.

Kangaroos' new era marred by shock NZ loss

A Joey Manu-inspired New Zealand brought Australia crashing back to earth as the Kangaroos' new era began with a 26-24 upset loss. The Kangaroos had their 13-game winning streak broken on Saturday at Mt Smart Stadium and tasted their first rugby league Test loss under coach Mal Meninga. After the retirement of a golden generation of players
including Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith, the Aussies have shown they are beatable.Manu upstaged his Sydney Roosters teammate, superstar Latrell Mitchell, scoring one try and setting up another in a rampaging performance, while Shaun Johnson was named man of the match.Meninga said he would resist the temptation to ring in changes, saying their 11 errors and completion rate cost them and there wasn't much wrong with the side.

Joseph Manu shines on debut for NZ Kiwis

JOSEPH Manu has continued his stellar NRL form into the international arena, starring for New Zealand on debut in his team’s shock win over Australia. The Sydney Roosters centre was electric for the Kiwis on the right edge, with his last-ditch offload for Jordan Rapana’s try in the 69th minute proving the matchwinner for the home side at Mt Smart Stadium.

To go with his try assist, Manu bagged a four-pointer of his own, with his match-up against Tricolours teammate Latrell Mitchell one of the best positional battles in the game. Man of the match Shaun Johnson was left in awe. “Honestly, I didn’t know how deadly he was,” Johnson said. “If you give him the ball in a half opportunity, he’ll make something of it. “The try he set up for ‘Raps’ in the corner was freakish. He carried Latrell Mitchell over the line. “He’s only so young, he’s so young and it was an awesome experience playing with him tonight.”

The Kiwis win a thriller over the Kangaroos

A JOEY Manu-inspired New Zealand have brought Australia crashing back to earth with a 26-24 upset in their rugby league Test at Mt Smart Stadium. The Kangaroos had their 13-game winning streak broken on Saturday and tasted their first Test loss under coach Mal Meninga. After the retirement of a golden generation of players including Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith, the Aussies are facing a rebuild. Manu upstaged his Sydney Roosters teammate, superstar Latrell Mitchell, scoring one try and setting up another in a rampaging performance, while Shaun Johnson was named man of the match.

The Kiwi forwards, led by Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jesse Bromwich and Martin Taupau, dominated while David Klemmer was the only Aussie forward to make more than 100 metres. The Australians scored two late tries through Felise Kaufusi and James Tedesco for a tense final two minutes however the scoreline belied the Kiwis’ dominance. The result will go a long way to restoring the New Zealand public’s faith in the Kiwis after a slew of poor results and off-field issues. It was the New Zealanders’ first win over Australia since the 2015 Anzac Test. After the Kangaroos took a 12-8 lead into halftime despite the Kiwis controlling possession and territory, the home side hit the front when hooker Brandon Smith burrowed over in the 54th minute.

Holmes declares Mitchell the new Inglis for Kangaroos

WHO needs Greg Inglis when you have Latrell Mitchell? Mitchell’s Australian backline partner Valentine Holmes has paid the Sydney Roosters’ NRL sensation the ultimate compliment, comparing him to the Queensland skipper. Inglis was set to captain the national side for the first time in Tests against New Zealand and Tonga, however was stood down after being charged with drink- driving.

Inglis’ absence compounds the experience drain being felt by Mal Meninga’s side after the representative retirements of Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith. But Holmes said Mitchell shared the same superstar qualities as Inglis, having achieved almost everything in the game this year with a Roosters premiership, a NSW Origin win and his Test debut. “He’s upbeat and I love that about him,” Holmes said. “He’s very confident. That’s why he’s been the best centre in the game, I think. “I’m very happy for him to make his debut at such a young age. I’m sure he’ll do well. Playing outside him, I feel like I’m playing outside Inglis again.”Mitchell and Holmes will form a formidable left-side combination which oozes size, class, speed and power.

Kiwis treat Aussies to trio of fiery hakas

THE three Australian teams in Saturday’s tripleheader against New Zealand at Mt Smart Stadium have been treated to a trio of fierce, spine-tingling hakas.
 
It started with the Junior Kiwis pouring plenty of emotion into their haka, before the Kiwi Ferns took centre stage, then the Kiwi men.

It’s a new era for this classic Test

THE Kangaroos may be favourites for a 14th consecutive victory under Mal Meninga, but the Kiwis have an advantage in experience that could sway the Test in their favour. The clash at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday marks a changing of the guard for Australia, with Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston retiring from rep footy since last year’s World Cup. A look at the Test matches played for both teams reveals the Kiwis have nearly one hundred more games of Test match experience.

New Zealand has a total of 202 Tests among their 19 man squad, while Australia has only 111 Tests of experience. Adam Blair will be the most experienced man on the field if he runs on for his 46th Test match, while the next most is Shaun Johnson with 25. The six most experienced Test players in the two squads are all Kiwis, with Jesse Bromwich and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves both (24), Marty Taupau (21) and Kevin Proctor 17 rounding out the top six.

Tonga Test set to smash poor ticket sales for Kiwis and Kangaroos clash

AN embarrassing outcome at the turnstiles looms for New Zealand, prompting coach Michael Maguire to urge Kiwi rugby league fans to support their home team.Two days out from the trans-Tasman Test in Auckland, the New Zealand Rugby League is anticipating a crowd of about 15,000 at Mt Smart Stadium.The hastily arranged Test between the Kangaroos and Tonga a week later is expected to be sold out at the same venue, which can hold just under 26,000 fans.Venue officials haven’t responded to AAP’s request for official sale figures but
NZRL chief executive Greg Peters admitted the Kiwis Test was likely to attract a considerably smaller crowd, despite it being part of a trans-Tasman triple- header involving women’s and junior internationals.“We’re hoping to get a crowd of around 15,000 at the end of the day but if we get three wins on the weekend people will say ‘I wish I was there watching that,” Peters told Radio Sport.“I don’t think it has quite sold out the following week.”Boosted by New Zealand and Australian NRL stars, Mate Ma’a Tonga provided the fairytale story of last year’s World Cup, attracting massive crowds on their way to a semi-final loss to England.

Head to Head Australia vs New Zealand

— Played 135, Australia 100, New Zealand 32, Drawn 3.

— Australia has won its past five and 13 of its past 16 matches against New Zealand with the only losses coming in three consecutive matches, with the Kiwis winning the two Four Nations matches in 2014 (including the final) and the 2015 mid-year Test.

— In 12 of their past 13 wins against the Kiwis, the Kangaroos have conceded 12 points or

less, the only exception coming in their 30-18 win in the 2014 mid-year Test.

— In their current five match winning streak the Kangaroos have outscored the Kiwis 120-34.

— With these two teams not meeting at the World Cup last year, their last match against each other came in May 2017. This is the longest period of time the Kangaroos and Kiwis haven’t played in a Test match since they didn’t play each other in both the 1996 and 1997 seasons due to the Super League battle.

Coach Mal Meninga has named several rookies, such as Luke Keary, to take on the Kiwis

— Australia has won 46 of its 52 Test matches since the beginning of 2007, with all six non-wins coming against the Kiwis (five losses and one draw). The most recent of which came in the mid-year Test in 2015, with New Zealand winning 26-12 at Suncorp.

— The Kangaroos are currently on a 13-match winning streak, their longest winning streak since winning 16 in a row from 2011-2014.

— In this 13-match winning streak they have outscored opponents 420-80.

— Since losing the 2005 Four Nations final to New Zealand in England, the Kangaroos have lost just one of 23 Tests (with one draw) played outside of Australia. Their only loss coming in Wellington in 2014 against the Kiwis, with the draw also coming against the Kiwis at Twickenham in 2009 Four Nations tournament.

Did Mal get his backline make-up right?

After Greg Inglis was suspended for two games due to drink driving and speeding offences, many assumed his squad replacement in Dane Gagai would slot straight into the centres. But Meninga sprung a selection surprise, naming Gagai on the wing with Manly’s Tom Trbojevic in the centres.

Gagai has shone on the flank at representative level and in 2017 created history for Queensland after becoming the first winger to win the Wally Lewis Medal for the Maroons’ best. Trbojevic has also produced impressive performances on the wing, especially for the Blues in this year’s Origin series. The Sea Eagles superstar would no doubt shine wherever you play him and he’s probably a better defensive option at centre.

Can the Kiwis still match it with the best?

It’s been a rough recent period for New Zealand with the team coming into this game off the back of three straight losses stretching back to their horror 2017 World Cup campaign when they were beaten by Tonga and Fiji.
They did show some promising signs against England in the one-off Denver Test in June this year, but still went down 36-18. Even though they’ll be without the likes of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Nelson Asofa-Solomona for this game, it’ll still be an indicator as to where they’re at against Australia who have beaten them in their past five clashes.

Who will run the Kiwis’ show?

It should be interesting to see how the Kiwis’ attack looks with Shaun Johnson at five-eighth and Kodi Nikorima at halfback. Both aren’t necessarily known for their organisational skills, but it appears Nikorima will be taking on those responsibilities.

The Brisbane star credited Kiwis coach Michael Maguire for helping him become a leader and instilling confidence to speak up in games. Consequently, the shackles would then be off Johnson, and we all know how well he can play off the cuff.

What more does he have to do to get a shot in the Green and Gold?

The Rabbitohs’ Cody Walker led ALL five-eighths in the NRL for tries, line-breaks, line-break assists and tackle-busts in 2018. He also had more touches, offloads and run metres than Keary,
while missing less tackles.What more does he have to do to get a shot in the Green and Gold?

Bromwich part of Kiwis leadership team

New Zealand coach Michael Maguire has revealed former captain Jesse Bromwich is a part of the Test nation's leadership group to face Australia. Bromwich and Kevin Proctor will make their anticipated return to the Kiwis fold on Saturday, almost 18 months after being axed for their role in a cocaine bust. The pair were caught allegedly snorting cocaine hours after a mid-year Test against the Kangaroos, resulting in their dumping from the World Cup last year. The scandal cost Bromwich the Kiwis' captaincy, however Maguire this week confirmed
the Melbourne prop has been reinstated as a leader in the team. "He's a part of the leadership group," Maguire told reporters. "But at the moment he's very much about making sure he does what he needs to to get in the team and perform for the team." With 41 Tests between them, Bromwich and Proctor will add some sorely needed experience to a youthful line-up at Mt Smart Stadium.Joseph Manu and Brandon Smith are making their international debuts, while Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been crowned captain at the tender age of 23. It comes off the back of the unavailability of stars Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Issac Luke, as well as the international retirements of a number of veteran players.Maguire was reluctant to comment further on Bromwich and Proctor's return, but conceded the duo have been presented with a shot at redemption.

Australia’s secret weapon to combat inexperience

THE ability of the Kangaroos’ new look spine to click will go a long way to deciding Australia’s Test against New Zealand on Saturday night.The retirement of long time stars Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston has forced Mal Meninga to blood three debutants in the key positions of No.1, No.6 and No.9. Daly Cherry-Evans has received a first Test start since 2014 and Luke Keary got the nod at five-eighth, after Cameron Munster withdrew for personal reasons.

However, despite their inexperience at Test level, the Kangaroos spine is in-form and ready to usher in a new generation for Australia against New Zealand.“I think that is part of the game these days that you’ve got to be confident in your own ability,” Tedesco said. “Us younger guys were playing good footy at state level and that’s some of the best footy that has been played, so we take that confidence down to club level and now to these jerseys in the Australian side.” Tedesco will have the advantage of club combinations, with fellow premiership winners Luke Keary, Latrell Mitchell and Boyd Cordner in the starting side.  With only eight survivors from last year’s World Cup final, club combinations will be key to producing a cohesive first-up performance.“With Kez (Keary), Latrell (Mitchell) and Boydo (Cordner) we have that combination, so that is going to come naturally,” Tedesco said.

DWZ a long-term Kiwis leader: Maguire

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been anointed a long-term New Zealand rugby league captain by coach Michael Maguire, although another classy fullback with a double-barrel name may have a say about that. Maguire stamped his mark on the Kiwis by unveiling 23-year-old Penrith fullback Watene-Zelezniak as the Kiwis' leader for Saturday's Test against Australia - followed by the three-Test series away to England. A number of more experienced candidates were available but the coach deliberately turned to youth in his biggest call since taking charge after last year's World Cup disaster. It begged the question: What happens when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck returns? Warriors skipper and Dally M medallist Tuivasa-Sheck is out for the rest of this year with injury but will surely return to the Test arena in 2019.

"We'll assess that as we move forward," Maguire said."At the moment we're in camp and we've got Dallin as our fullback."I think the future is in a lot of the younger guys."Dallin will be a big leader of our team leading forward for a long period of time."One solution could be to shift Watene-Zelezniak to the wing, where he has primarily played for the Panthers and played five of his seven Tests.It was during the build-up to the June loss to England in Denver that Maguire spotted the attributes he wanted in a skipper.The former Souths premiership-winning mentor deliberately "annoyed" Watene-Zelezniak with phone calls, sounding him out about what he envisaged for the Kiwis, before surprising him two weeks ago by offering him the captaincy."There was a little bit of silence there. I'm not quite sure he believed what I was saying at the time," Maguire said."When it sunk in, he was very honoured and you could hear that in his voice."I've worked with a lot of great players in my career and a lot of things Dallin was talking about were the reasons why a lot of people have had success in the game."Maguire said senior players, including former skippers Adam Blair and Jesse Bromwich, all supported Watene-Zelezniak and had accepted change was necessary for a team desperately seeking success."You could probably say it is a fresh start," he said. "Ultimately, we want to make sure we do all the things right and set up a good base for where we're going."

Watene-Zelezniak to captain Kiwis in Test

Coach Michael Maguire has made the surprise choice of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to captain New Zealand in Saturday's rugby league Test against Australia. The 23-year-old Penrith fullback has just eight Tests to his name and his promotion comes amid a host of injury absences and retirements and ahead of several more experienced options . Maguire had no doubt about Watene-Zeleniak's ability to steer the Kiwis into a new era.

"Dallin lives the values we're looking for and embodies the new direction we're heading in with the Kiwis," Maguire said. Watene-Zelezniak takes the captaincy duties from veteran forward Adam Blair, who led the Kiwis in last year's failed World Cup campaign under former coach David Kidwell. Blair has been selected on the bench to take on the Kangaroos at Mt Smart on Saturday, ahead of the Kiwis' four-game tour of Great Britain over the next month. Dally M Medallist Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and hooker Issac Luke were both unavailable through injury, while fellow veterans Simon Mannering, Ben Matulino and Russell Packer have retired from international football. However Watene-Zeleniak was picked as skipper ahead of the more experienced Shaun Johnson, Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor, who are in the team.