Armchair Expert - Round 9

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Performance of the Week
It's hard to go past the Country boys' performance in the City v Country clash on Sunday afternoon. Every year the same debate rages, with people saying that CvC is an outdated concept. A Mickey Mouse game. A waste of time.

Those people are wrong.

Well, more accurately, those people are most likely city slickers with no concept of the game on the other side of the Blue Mountains. For rugby league fans west of the divide, the CvC clash is an important fixture on the calendar, giving country fans a team to unite behind, and a chance to cheer for players who have perhaps come through the ranks at their own local clubs. The sell out crowd at Wagga Wagga illustrates that.

The Country team came out full of passion, full of desire to win, and full of pride, both in their selection, and in their status as a "boy from the country". Although they let the City side out to an early 10 point lead, from there they never looked back. James Maloney was particularly impressive, and in an interview after the match expressed how good it was to get the win for everyone in the country.

Stop looking at CvC as purely a trial for the State of Origin team. It's an opportunity to recognise players who are on the cusp of higher representative selection, to unite players, and to provide a spectacle for people across the state. And for that, it does a great job.

Paul Carige Award for the Worst Performance of the Week
The well of excuses has just about dried up for the Kangaroos, after they were comprehensively defeated by the Kiwis in last weekend's ANZAC Test. The Roos came out full of confidence, talking about how they had chosen a side with an effective mix of youth and experience, based on form, and every other buzzword you can think of. But it wasn't enough. The Kangaroos conceded 26 points in the first half alone, and simply couldn't do enough to reign in the deficit. With an aging spine and several players on the wrong side of 30, several Australian stars may have played their last games in the green and gold.

To add insult to injury, the Kiwis traditionally struggle in one-off tests, and were pretty much shut down in the media as no chance of winning. It seems no-one told that to the New Zealand boys. Their defence was amazing, particularly in their own danger zone. The Kangaroos spent almost triple the time in the opposition twenty than the Kiwis did, and yet most of the time they left unrewarded. Some special goal line tackles from the New Zealand outside back buoyed their team, and set them up for the win - but the Kangaroos' attack simply lacked the polish that it usually boasts. Was it due to the lack of Billy Slater? Or due to the debutants and out of position players in the backline? Bottom line, the Kangaroos did not perform, and there'll need to be changes.

Nate Myles will be lucky to get another game for Australia after providing very little impact from the bench, and the Roos' aging spine is also a major concern. With the world cup not far away, decisions will have to be made for a succession plan. Or are we heading into a golden age of the Kiwis being the dominant force in International Rugby League?

Surprise Packet
They may not have experience or glitzy first grade contracts, but the PNG side certainly has heart, and certainly has courage.

Fiji entered Saturday's Pacific Test with all the expectation and the favourites' tag to boot. Boasting a list of stars, including Kevin Naiqama, Marika Koroibete, Eto Nabuli, Ryan and Daryl Millard, Korbin Sims, Api Koroisau and Jayson Bukuya, the Fiji Bati were expected to win, and win comfortably.

Fiji started strongly, getting out to an early lead, but the PNG side never gave up. Late tries to Matt Trnka and Stanton Albert provided a glimmer of hope of a win - but even getting within 12 points was a fantastic effort. The inclusion of the PNG Hunters into the Intrust Super Cup has proved to be a godsend, as it's allowed PNG players to get big match experience that they otherwise would not have been exposed to. Onwards and upwards.

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