Weakened Kangaroos face Four Nations test of supremacy

24 October 2014 03:31

New Zealand and England have their best chance to end injury-hit Australia's international dominance in the Four Nations tournament kicking off on Saturday.

The Kangaroos, the World Cup and Four Nations holders, have been weakened by the loss of National Rugby League superstars and mainstays Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater and Brett Morris among others, while Jarryd Hayne has withdrawn to have a crack at the National Football League in the United States.

That has left coach Tim Sheens with a largely experimental team to take on the Kiwis and England in the month-long series, which also includes newcomers Samoa, who overcame Fiji in a regional qualifier.

Sheens can still call on team regulars Greg Inglis, Cooper Cronk and skipper Cameron Smith, but he has supplemented them with 11 international debutants to face up to the challenge of New Zealand and England.

"We have a really good blend of experience and youth," Sheens said.

"The positive for me is the experience that even the debutants have. We have a high proportion of State of Origin representatives and premiership winners and they all deserve to wear the jumper."

The Kangaroos lost the 2010 Four Nations to New Zealand in a boilover, while the Kiwis also dethroned them in the 2008 World Cup final, but Australia have long monopolised the silverware in international rugby league.

- The challenge ahead -

The Australians will get an early taste of what they are in for in this year's Four Nations with their opening match against New Zealand at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Saturday in a double-header with England taking on Samoa.

Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney has more of his top players available for the tournament and has reunited Manly's Kieran Foran and Shaun Johnson of the Warriors as scrum-halves, with veteran utility Thomas Leuluai starting at hooker.

Kearney can also call on the NRL experience of Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Jesse Bromwich, Adam Blair, skipper Simon Mannering and Kevin Proctor.

"I feel like this group has a good balance about it and we've certainly trained very well leading into the tournament, so you can feel the combinations starting to come together," Kearney said.

England may be without rugby union-bound NRL grand final hero Sam Burgess, but will have the services of NRL stars James Graham, George and Tom Burgess and Gareth Widdop.

South Sydney's George Burgess believes England's NRL spine will give them the edge as they look to overcome their devastating last-gasp 20-18 World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand last year.

"In the past we've not always had a great deal of knowledge on who we're coming up against," George Burgess said.

"But a few of us have come up against them every week back in the NRL so it's been good for that experience.

"So hopefully we'll be one step ahead of where we've been in the past few years."

Coach Steve McNamara also has gleaned some insights into the Australian and New Zealand players through his role as an assistant coach in the NRL at the Sydney Roosters.

"It's the toughest challenge in sport coming to the southern hemisphere and beating Australia, New Zealand and Samoa on their home soil as such," McNamara said.

"None of these games will be easy. But if we play to our potential we are a great chance in every one of those games."

The teams will play each other once in a group phase at Australian and New Zealand venues before the two leading teams face off in the final in Wellington on November 15.

Source: AFP