Rugby League World Cup 2013 - Part Two

RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013 09

BIG INTERVIEW

COLLISION COURSE?

England forward garEth hock says hE’s hoping to lock horns with kiwi hEavywEight sonny Bill williams furthEr down thE

rlwc2013 linE But has australia on his mind this aftErnoon

words By MATT MORRIS

England’s Gareth Hock going toe-to-toe with New Zealand’s heavyweight performer Sonny Bill

Williams - it’s the kind of box office sporting confrontation that might be best measured on the Richter scale.

It’s a collision course that looked increasingly unlikely as the 2013 campaign unfolded. Hock’s proposed move to the NRL for 2014 was abandoned whilst Williams almost missed the plane to Rugby League World Cup 2013 due to some dramatic indecision.

There’s still a long way and several prospective routes to go before Hock versus Williams becomes a Rugby League World

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKSHock tHougHt His cHancE of tackling somE of

tHE biggEst namEs in tHE nRl Had gonE aftER HE tuRnEd down a movE to PaRRamatta EEls. HowEvER,

HE gEts tHat oPPoRtunity tHis aftERnoon and acRoss England’s otHER gRouP a fixtuREs. Hock was all sEt foR tHE switcH but dEclinEd aftER

His PaRtnER fEll PREgnant. tHE wiganER Has signEd foR suPER lEaguE outfit salfoRd foR 2014

Cup reality, but for the Englishman, it’s a battle which is one of many that he is looking forward to in this tournament.

“I was going over there to play against the best, the likes of Sonny Bill and players like that but I can still play against these guys in the World Cup,” Hock said, as he picked the positives over his decision to swap Parramatta Eels for Salford Red Devils.

“I think we have got a good chance of winning RLWC2013 with the players that we have got. Everyone’s fit, the players we have got in Australia and the players we have got in England, I don’t see why we can’t win the World Cup.”

It’s the kind of bullish talk that you might expect from a player who has formed a fearsome reputation in Super League for his no-nonsense performances on the field. Hock’s role with the England team will be as part of a formidable forward line, one which the 30-year-old hopes will be big and bold enough to blow away the Kangaroos at Cardiff for the RLWC2013 curtain-raiser.

“Some people are saying that it is the best pack in the World Cup,” the former Wigan Warrior said.

“You’ve got your Burgess brothers, James Graham, a really good front row, some great back rowers such as Sean O’Loughlin, and then hooker James Roby steering them round the park.

“It’s going to be a massive game at the Millennium Stadium, it would be good to win that first game against Australia. This is the World Cup; it is the biggest thing in the world. I am going to perform to the best of my ability because I am going to be playing against the best around.”

‘Gareth Hock takes on the world’ - knockout stuff from a player who seems determined to stand up to the best that Rugby League can put in front of him this autumn.

22 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013

ENGLAND Q&A

TACKLE

SIXEngland full-back Zac hardakEr is onE of thE livEliEr charactErs in thE drEssing room so thE lEEds rhinos man is thE pErfEct candidatE to facE thE taxing quEstions of our tacklE six fEaturE

how do you like to relax?Feet up, TV, maybe a nice cup of tea shortly before so that I can put my belly out and take a rest. It’s either that or I have to go out with my mates and have a good time. I like a bit of comedy on the TV, a few films, a bit of sport. In terms of what I would like to eat, it could be a host of things, a kebab if I am chilling out!

What song would you like to be played at your funeral?Oooh, that’s a bit dark isn’t it? I’m not sure about the actual song but I’d like it to be something that I am remembered by. I’m a lively character, I’m outgoing so I don’t think I would like it to be dark and dingy and everyone sat there crying, I think I would like everyone to celebrate what I have done and achieved in life.

What would your superpower be?I think it would have to be having the ability to fly. When it’s snowing and a bit rubbish weather in England I would fly to Spain, if it gets a bit cold there I would fly to Australia, fly to Hawaii, fly to America and then back to the UK to see my mum.

When are you happiest?Receiving man of the match awards or being with my girlfriend and friends, I like to be socially active.

Who did you model your game on as a youngster?Growing up I used to watch Kris Radlinski. I was fascinated by him. He had electric pace, no-one could touch him. Now I try to take a bit from everyone and try to do my own thing as well.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?I’m from Pontefract so I am a bit broad Yorkshire, so ‘how you doing, old cock?’ is one I use a lot.

perfect startHardaker made His

england debut in last year’s autumn

internationals, scoring two tries

against wales

q&aZac Hardaker

24 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013 25

When Sam Tomkins steps out onto the Millennium Stadium turf for the opening

game of Rugby League World Cup 2013, he knows he will be facing the ultimate challenge in the game – trying to defeat the Aussies.

Five times the Wigan Warrior has gone head-to-head with the Kangaroos in his senior career and on each occasion he has been on the losing side. It’s a cruel statistic, one which is further illustrated by the fact that only Warrington Wolves and St Helens have inflicted more defeats on his personal tally.

But with the Wigan star, who is NRL-bound at the end of the year, is determined to put the record straight on home soil and do it in style by defeating Australia and lifting the Rugby League World Cup trophy this autumn.

“It’s definitely winnable,” Tomkins said as he looked forward to England’s first game of the tournament. “It’s good that we have got that challenging first game, there is no case of dipping your toe in and trying to build a bit of form - we are full on against the best team in the world for the first game.

“We are up against it, it’s a challenge, we will be big underdogs, but we are going into this game to win it, we’re not here to make up the numbers.”

Tomkins will get plenty of opportunity to inflict defeats onto Australian teams when he joins up with the New Zealand Warriors in 2014, it’s an experience which several England players have already encountered in the NRL this year, most notably the trio of Burgess brothers.

“The Burgess lads are

NOW ISTHE TIME

England full-back Sam TomkinS hEadS inTo ThiS RlWc2013 opEnER knoWing hE’S noT bEaTEn

ThE auSTRalianS in fivE aTTEmpTS. hE TEllS uS Why hE’S REady To bREak ThaT hoodoo

WoRdS by MATT MORRIS

Watkins hasbeen in top

form for LeedsrecentLy

outstanding talents, they are absolutely massive and they are going to be an asset to us.

“They will be huge for us, certainly against the Aussies, they can maybe give us an insight into players that they have played against or with that we would probably miss out on. We can watch them on TV and see the clips but they will know a little bit more about them.

“Beating Australia would be a nice way to stand up and be counted. The lads that are over there are doing well, they aren’t just getting by in the NRL, they are being the best players in their teams and they are flying the England flag well.”

Tomkins has enjoyed a rewarding final season in Super League, a year punctuated with spells on the sidelines for Wigan, but one which sees him fresh and raring to go at the business end of the campaign.

Tomkins said: “It’s good to be fully fit at this end of the year. Usually players can be a little bit tired, but I’ve never felt this fresh at the back end of a year. It’s never nice getting injured but I have been very lucky in the last five seasons in that I have only missed a handful of games.

“I am completely over the old injuries now, I am not wearing any strapping, I’ve no physio and that makes your days a lot shorter at the training ground. This is the time of year when you want everyone fit and I am buzzing to be full strength.”

The 24-year-old has hardly had time to put his feet up since the domestic season finished on October 5. The Super League Grand Final was quickly followed by the trip to South Africa and then to the training camp at Loughborough, ensuring ‘Team England’ are a tightly-knit unit raring to be unleashed.

“We’re in the same boat as the Aussies and the Kiwis in terms of preparation time and I think that makes it a fair ball game, I am sure everyone is doing similar training to get themselves fresh.

“The facilities in South Africa, the running tracks, the gyms, everything is world class and there is no better preparation. The Spanish football team stopped there the year they won the World Cup.

“Loughborough is our base and it’s good not being right in the Rugby League heartland. We have trained there for a while now and we see it as a home and you know what to expect when you go.”

The focus of all that preparation for Steve McNamara’s men will have been all about coming together as one and putting on a show of strength against the best teams in the world, it’s a challenge which the gifted Englishman is definitely up for: “I’m feeling good, I’m ready to get involved in the World Cup. All of the squad is going to be fired up for this, there is no bigger occasion than a World Cup and the thought of being able to lift that trophy on November 30 is what everyone is focused on.”

tomkins Lifts thetetLey’s chaLLengecup at WembLey

RLWC2013 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

We are up against it, it’s a challenge, We Will be big underdogs, but We are going into this game to Win it”

money well spentEngland star sam tomkins Will bEcomE

thE most ExpEnsivE playEr in thE history of thE gamE WhEn hE joins nEW

ZEaland Warriors at thE End of rlWc2013. thE WiganEr has signEd a thrEE-yEar dEal With thE option

of ExtEnding for anothEr yEar


AMBASSADOR INTERVIEW

OFFIAHPOWERRLWC2013 AmbAssAdoR mARtin offiAh is tipping WigAn WARRioRs And supeR LeAgue’s tRy-sCoRing sensAtion

Josh ChARnLey to Continue his bRiLLiAnt foRm At RLWC2013

WoRds by MATT MORRIS

TRY MACHINE“Charnley represented

england Knights in 2011 and in 2012 he was

Called into the england elite squad for the exiles games

and the end of season internationals. the

winger grabbed four tries on his england debut in the 80-12 win

over wales in oCtober 2012, at the raCeCourse

ground, wrexham”

Over the last few seasOns JOsh has scOred sOme amazing tries, he’s a player that i really enJOy watching”

martin Offiah, a veteran of two Rugby League World Cup Finals and widely regarded as one

of the greatest wingers ever, believes that current Wigan Warriors flyer Josh Charnley may well be the man to take England to glory at RLWC2013.

Charnley emulated ‘Chariots’ this year when he became the first player since Offiah to score more than 40 tries in a campaign, a stunning achievement made even more special by the fact that both players did it in the colours of Wigan Warriors.

“Over the last few seasons Josh has scored some amazing tries, he’s a player that I really enjoy watching.

I don’t know who the last player to score 40 tries in a season was, I think I might have to look it up,” Offiah joked as he considered the comparisons between himself and England’s current flyer.

“When you have scored that amount of tries in a year you can open yourself up to a bit of criticism, like I got, for your defensive abilities; but it’s hard to ignore the fact of how many tries he has scored.

“I don’t think the Australians can target him, a lot of what he does will be feeding off the back of Sam Tomkins. We’ll also have Ryan Hall on the other wing a really experienced back three. If Kallum Watkins can get his hand in we are going to have some really strong runners in the backs.

“In years gone by, it’s an area where we might have struggled, we have consistently had big packs of forwards but I feel that the backs are starting to live up to the billing of the forwards at the moment.”

The task of combining the pace of that exciting backline with the explosive power of the pack might just be the ultimate conundrum for England coach Steve McNamara. It’s an enthralling prospect, one that Offiah believes may

finally see England lift that elusive World Cup trophy.

“I think that England have got an incredible chance of lifting the trophy. We just have to go and play without fear,” said the former Widnes, Wigan, London Broncos and Salford Red Devils man.

“I worked on the last Rugby League World Cup for Sky and there was a lot of talk in 2008 of it being the best Australian team ever, better than The Invincibles, but then they didn’t win the World Cup, so there’s a lot of pressure on the Aussies this time around.”

MartinOffiah OnrLWC2013duty

JOshCharnLey

piCks up the super

LeaguetOp try-

sCOrers’gOng

Offiah dOing What he didbest fOr LOndOn brOnCOs


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

This time last year, Leeds Rhinos centre, Kallum Watkins, was making his full international debut for Steve McNamara’s England. Four tries in the three matches of that Autumn International Series have

given the 22-year-old an opportunity to be lining up for the opening game of the Rugby League World Cup 12 months on.

Watkins will be one of a group of England players hopeful that their form for club and country in recent months has been enough to secure them a starting berth in what is sure to be a real firecracker of an opener against Australia at the Millennium Stadium.

“It doesn’t come bigger, or much better than this. It’s a massive game, especially at the Millennium Stadium,” Watkins said, looking forward to the tournament’s opening showdown against the Kangaroos.

“Hopefully we can get a bumper crowd and they can show their support for this tournament. It’s a huge game for us, a key game in the group, we want to start as best as possible and perform as best as possible, hopefully leading us on to the knockout stages.

“It would be good to lay a marker down and come up with a great performance and a win, that would give us a big confidence boost. It’ll be a long way to go in the tournament, we know it’s going to be tough, but hopefully we can start with a great win.”

The prospect of grappling with an Australian representative side is one of the ultimate challenges for a Rugby League professional. England have been beaten

five times by the Aussies since they suffered a humiliating 52-4 defeat in the last Rugby League World Cup, but with English players making headlines in the NRL and the introduction of the International Origin concept, Steve McNamara’s side look primed for a real battle with Tim Sheens’s boys this afternoon.

Watkins has been an interested observer of the growing English influence in the Australian domestic game. The Burgess brothers, James Graham and Gareth Widdop are all battle-hardened to the intensity of NRL, and England will be better for it according to the Rhinos youngster: “It’s absolutely massive, every single one of them is doing a fantastic job there. I reckon it is daunting going there, you have got to earn the respect there and pretty much all of them have actually done that.

“It’s positive for us because they have that experience, they have played against those players that are going to come over week-in-week-out, they know their stuff. They can give us that insight

and hopefully help us along the way.“The Burgess lads are a great example of how

well English players are doing in the NRL, they seem to be really enjoying it there. You can tell by their faces when they are playing, they are really doing well for themselves and that is massive now that they are going to get the chance to play for their country.

That determination and attitude that they show on the field can help us build a fantastic team.”

WHATWATKINS WANTS

Kallum WatKins says noW is the time for him and england to taKe centre stage and finally deliver

the success that the country so sorely craves

Words by MATT MORRIS

It doesn’t come bIgger, or much better than thIs, It’s a massIve game, especIally at the mIllennIum stadIum”

OPPORTUNITYManchesTer-born WaTkins

Was chosen by sTeve McnaMara for lasT year’s

auTuMn inTernaTionals, a selecTion coMinG on The

back of a super leaGue caMpaiGn Which saW hiM cross The WhiTeWash 17

TiMes and play a key role in The rhinos’ Grand final vicTory aT old Trafford

olyMpic inspiraTionWhilsT British sport basks in the halcyon era of Tour de France victories, Olympic golds and Wimbledon champions, one man who is certainly burning bright in the afterglow is England centre Kallum Watkins.

Watkins will be one of Steve McNamara’s key strike weapons in the forthcoming Rugby League World Cup and is keen to wear the England colours with pride and write another footnote in what has been a golden

time for sport in this country.“As a kid everyone wants to

play for their country, especially as a Rugby League player, but in any other sport as well,” Watkins said.

“We’ve seen the Olympics over the last year and the example of how well we did there as a nation, we’ve also seen Andy Murray win Wimbledon in the tennis, he’s doing fantastically well, it’s a massive boost for British sport.

“It was disappointing to

see how England got on in the last World Cup,” Watkins says, looking back to 2008.

“But we have built on that in terms of developing these camps and groups, like the Knights squad and the Elite Training Squad.

“These squads obviously helped last year with the Autumn Series, that was a big help, a big boost for us all to get together and prepare for the World Cup. Now it’s here we are really looking forward to getting going.”

Sir Bradley WigginS

WatkinS haSBeen in top

form for leedS


MEMORY LANE

REMEMBER THIS?

Thrills, spills, heroes, villains - 2008 rugby league World Cup had iT all.

Join us as We reminisCe abouT ThaT inCredible TournamenT doWn under

Words by BY IAN ChEvEAU AND MAtt MORRIs

AustrAliA, FrAnce And new ZeAlAnd Are the

only teAms to hAve plAyed in All

tournAments, with GreAt BritAin BeinG split into enGlAnd,

irelAnd, scotlAnd And wAles since 1995

new Zealand claimed their first Rugby League World Cup crown in 2008, against all odds and at the 13th attempt.

Few could have expected stephen Kearney’s side to come up with the goods when they were

defeated 30-6 by hosts Australia in their opening group game. But fired up by Australia challenging the haka, the Kiwis got their revenege and won a dramatic Final 34-20 in front of 50,000 fans at Brisbane’s suncorp stadium.

the 2008 tournament was regarded as a great success. Not only did the exciting Final cap off a superbly-run tournament, but it also saw the emergence of some of the ‘minor nations’ including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, tonga and samoa.

similarly Ireland and scotland, teams that were written off before the tournament, performed admirably and with spirit that gained them big support in Australia.

It was that spirit and passion that nearly sent Ireland through to a semi-final berth. the Irish eventually succumbed to Fiji,

going down 14-30 in their semi-final qualifier.

tournament favourites Australia then demolished Fiji to cruise through to the Final, with a routine 52-0 victory.

England and France were the teams who disappointed the most. John Monie’s French side finished at the bottom of the pile in 10th place while England, coached by tony smith, were brushed aside and knocked out of the competition at the semi-final stage by New Zealand.

England’s other Group performances were equally poor, as they opened up with a narrow victory over PNG. A real beating by Australia and then New Zealand soon followed, before eventually being dumped out by the eventual champions.

NEW ORDERAustrAliA, FrAnce

And new ZeAlAnd Are the only teAms to hAve plAyed in All

tournAments, with GreAt BritAin BeinG split into enGlAnd, irelAnd, scotlAnd

And wAles since 1995

Keith Senior bowed outof the international SCene after 2008 rugby league world Cup

KiwiS Captain nathanCayleSS with the famouS rugby league world Cup

ireland’S

Stuartlittler

2008 rugby league world Cup’S Competing nationS

tony Smith leadS theinqueSt into england’S2008 failingS


I t’s the kind of story that you tell your mates in the pub and your grandchildren for years to come. ‘I scored

the first ever Rugby League try at the Millennium Stadium’. Except the man who achieved that feat, former Cooks Islands and Whitehaven scrum-half, Leroy Joe, never knew he had such a claim to fame.

Joe was the first player to cross the whitewash as the Cook Islands and Lebanon fought out a keenly contested 22-22 draw at Cardiff’s famous stadium during the Rugby League World Cup of 2000. Rugby League was making its debut at Wales’s awe-inspiring national venue, which had been officially opened one year earlier, and the supposed minnows of the world game put on a fitting tribute.

The game was part of double-

Leroy Joe (Left) in action for Whitehaven

header, which also saw Wales tackle New Zealand, but it was the Cooks and the Cedars who made history in what was the first ever Rugby League international played under a roof.

“People have asked me about the World Cup and how I played in it but I never realised the historic significance of my try there, there’s a first for everything I suppose,” Joe said as we asked him about his place in history.

“I remember it was wet! Obviously I had never played under the roof before, it was

MILLENNIUM MOMENT

MEMORY LANE

former Cook Islands sCrum-half leroy Joe never realIsed the sIgnIfICanCe of hIs rlWC2000

try at the mIllennIum stadIum - untIl noWWords by MATT MORRIS

raining and there were a few drops of water still coming through. It was weird looking up and not seeing the sky above.

“We were disappointed that we threw away the game but one big thing I remember is the long walk back to the changing rooms, it was about two miles - the stadium is massive.”

That long walk would have been given extra emphasis by the manner of the Cooks capitulation. Leading 22-10 with five minutes to go, Lebanon grabbed a last gasp draw thanks to some mercurial play from ‘El Magic’ – Hazem El Mazri - the NRL star, who levelled the game with a try and a conversion.

Early inspiration for Millennium Magic? Perhaps, but certainly a wonderful pre-cursor for some of the stunning Rugby League witnessed in Cardiff ever since.

VETERANCook Islander leroy Joe left WhItehaven

at the end of the 2010 season after 13 years

at the reCreatIon Ground and has sInCe

been playInG for loCal CumbrIan outfIt

WathbroW hornets

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

INTERNATIONALAUDITION

Which match official has that crucial x-factor on the big stage? We asked rlWc2013’s head of referees, stuart cummings, about the task of playing

simon coWell to the game’s star officials at this year’s tournament

SpecSaverSrefereeS

Thierry alberT,Tim roby,

phil benThamand ben Thaler

E ight referees go into Rugby League World Cup 2013, but only one can referee the Final at Old Trafford on Saturday 30th November.

Stuart Cummings, Rugby League World Cup’s Head of Referees, says it’s up to the men in the middle to stake a claim for the top position and title of referee at the RLWC2013 Final.

“For the players, there are 17 positions in their team, but to referee the Rugby League World Cup Final, there is only one person that can do it,” Cummings said, as he looked forward to the tournament.

“There will be eight starting out with the chance of refereeing in the Final and as we go through they will be whittled down to two in the semis and one for the Final.

“It’s a competition, and that’s how it should be, we want the best referees refereeing the top games. They know what is expected of them and they need to do their best.”

Cummings has already played talent spotter to the world’s best officials, in 2008 he plucked French referee Thierry Alibert from relative obscurity following his impressive displays in that tournament, offering him a full-time role in Super League. And the hunt is on to find similar talent further afield: “We’ve got three

referees from England, three from Australia, one from New Zealand and one from France, the touch judges are coming from all four of those countries as well.

“It is very much a case of developing international refereeing, it will be good in four years’ time that we have other countries participating as well.

“We have had referees from Papua New Guinea in the past but we have not seen anyone for quite a number of years, so it is an area we need to try and develop, the international development of all the countries, rather than the main four.”

One of the hardest tasks for the current crop of referees will be adapting the international standard set of rules, which have a few differences to those in the Super League and NRL competitions. But Cummings does not envisage too many problems in that area.

He said: “I’ve been working with the NRL Referees Elite Performance Manager, Daniel Anderson, and his advisor, Russell Smith, for three or four months now, looking at the differences in interpretations. The laws are pretty much the same. I’m fairly confident that there won’t be much change in what they do or what people are used to seeing, so that part of the tournament will go pretty well.”

BEnTHAM’S FInAL

AMBITIOnS“It’ll be the first opportunity I’ve had to referee in a Rugby League World Cup, as I missed out in 2008, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Your ultimate ambition when you become a referee is to try to officiate the Finals at Wembley and Old Trafford.

If you get the opportunity to referee a World Cup Final then great, but a lot of that depends on which teams get through.

The referees in Rugby League are brought up with a respect the ref attitude, and that’s expected in our sport.

Players know that if they come out with something inappropriate to the referee then they’re more than likely to be sitting down.

What I’ve learned during my years refereeing is that you’ve got to have some tolerance, and you have to turn a blind ear at times. What you’ve got to appreciate is what the players are going through while on the pitch.

Generally you find in Rugby League that they’re all good blokes.

We’re all trying to improve the game, and if we can get on with the players then it makes a big difference.”

phil benTham



REMARKABLE RLWC2013 STORIES

DREAMS TO REALITY

Sam Gardel didn’t know if italy even had a ruGby leaGue team a few monthS aGo. now, thankS to

Social media and an enthuSiaStic couSin, he could complete hiS roy of the roverS tale by runninG out at the millennium Stadium thiS afternoon

wordS by MATT MORRIS

It’s a real boy’s own story. Part-time Rugby League player jumps on social media to discover that the country of his forefathers has a

national team, and not just that, they’ve also qualified for the forthcoming Rugby League World Cup.

What happens next might be stretching the realms of the imagination a little, even in comparison to some of the wild and wonderful stories we read on Facebook and Twitter. But the story of Queensland Cup player, Sam Gardel, is true, and one which will be appreciated by all those who have harboured dreams of playing for their country, in the sport that they love.

The facts of the matter are that Italian forward, Gardel, never knew that Italy even had a Rugby League team, so when he discovered that they had qualified for RLWC2013, a place in the team might have been something of a long-shot.

But the Souths Logan Magpies man has made it on the plane to the UK and now has bigger ambitions of a career in Super League.

“It was midway through 2012, Italy had just beaten Serbia to qualify for RLWC2013 and I saw some stuff on social media about Italy being in the Rugby League World Cup, I’d never made myself eligible for them because I didn’t even know that Italy had a Rugby League team,” the 25-year-old said when we tracked him down in Brisbane upon the announcement of the Italian squad.

“I made some phone calls, my cousin helped me, he’s just getting into sports management and he did it for a bit of fun for himself and he ended up getting hold of the coach of the Italian side [Carlo Napolitano], he sent him an email with my résumé. They watched me play a bit and then I went on a

four-day training camp in regional New South Wales. We played a trial game, I played really well, and they were really happy with me.

“I went back and played another trial game against Fiji at the end of last year and they have been watching me since then. I have been sending them the videos and we had another couple of training sessions a couple of weeks ago and they have picked me from there.”

Gardel’s selection by Napolitano is one based on fairly authentic Italian ancestry. He hails from the North Queensland town of Proserpine, a Rugby League-mad community which has a large neighbourhood of first, second and third-generation Italians right at the heart of it, as Gardel explains: “My grandparents and a lot of other people’s grandparents in that area migrated here in the late 1940s. They all went into the sugar industry,

chiefly working as labourers on the sugar cane plantations.

“They had no money when they came to Australia, they caned by hand, which is a labour-intensive job, it was mainly the Italians who did it, they worked hard and now most of them own all the land around Proserpine, they own all the successful sugar cane farms.

“My grandfather cut cane by hand and then he bought a harvester and became a contract harvester; then my uncle and my dad both became carpenters.

“My family is very Australianised, everyone lives and breathes Rugby League in Northern Queensland. My father played first grade Rugby League in the local league from the age of 17 to 39, 22 years of first grade Rugby League, he was a hardened old fella.”

Gardel currently works 12-hour shifts installing solar power panels whilst running his own electrical business in Australia, and he’ll continue the administrative side of his full-time job whilst on tour with the Italians. But the ambitious forward is keen to be a shining light in Super League, rather than in the energy-sapping installation of energy saving equipment game.

“The Super League might be an option for me, I’ve got to get on the field for Italy first, then I’ll be alright.

“I have been looking at the Italian team, there are 12 NRL players in the squad and then there are eight players who are not signed to any NRL or Super League clubs, so they could definitely be looking out.

“If I was good enough and the right thing came up then something could be arranged. I’ll be 26 in January so I am not getting any younger but I’d really love to have a professional footy career.”

Super League clubs be warned, at least one Italian gladiator has signalled his intent to stay on British shores.

life in the light

Gardel currently works

12-hour shIfts InstallInG

solar power panels

whIlst runnInG hIs own

electrIcal busIness

In australIa, and

he’ll contInue the

admInIstratIve sIde of hIs

full-tIme job whIlst on

tour wIth the ItalIans

I saw some stuff on socIal medIa, about Italy beIng In the Rugby league woRld cup, I’d neveR made myself elIgIble foR them because I dIdn’t even know that Italy had a Rugby league team

Sam Gardel in action for italy aGainSt fiji


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

LONG-TERM GOALSwales head coach Iestyn harrIs says the

future of welsh rugby league In the prIncIpalIty Is a brIght one. we ask hIm why

words by MATT MORRIS

Wales Head Coach Iestyn Harris is no stranger to Rugby League

World Cup drama. As a player in 1995 and 2000, he was part of a Welsh side that went to within 80 minutes of reaching the Final, that Semi-Final game against Australia in 2000 is regarded as one of the classics of tournament history.

But for Harris, 2013 will be different, not because the Wales Head Coach is making bold predictions of success, but different in that the make-up of the national team has an authentic Rugby League flavour about it.

“Each World Cup is different in its own right,” Harris said, deftly side-stepping the prospect of a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

“The 1995 and 2000 World Cups were very successful but you have to remember that it was top-heavy, there was an unbelievable amount of talented players who had converted from rugby union, players like Jonathan Davies, Scott Quinnell, Scott Gibbs - the list is endless.

“It’s important for Wales Rugby League at the moment that the message is ‘consistency and improvement’, the fact that we are seeing all of these players coming through our system to represent Wales on the international scene shows that we are getting stronger year on year.

“Our priority is to have a successful 2013 World Cup, but, the aim is come 2017, come 2021, that we are stronger and stronger and actually taking on some giants along the way.”

Whereas many nations at

fluency and consistency within the nation is hugely important for me and everybody involved in Wales Rugby League.

“Going down the line of looking across the NRL and aggressively looking for players was never an option for us; you do get people that approach you, you look at every person in detail, you look at what they can bring to the squad both on and off the field, and if they do tick all of the boxes then they will be part of the squad.

“Part of that is that we don’t want people to commit to Wales just for the World Cup years, we want consistency of selection in those years in between the World Cups.”

One man who epitomises that

consistency of selection is 33-year-old veteran Jordan James. The former Crusaders and Scorpions player is set to take up a coaching role in the Wales Rugby League development set-up, but not before he aims to become the most-capped Welsh player in history at RLWC2013.

It’s a moment that Harris is ready to embrace: “There have been some great players in the Welsh jersey, people that have converted from rugby union to Rugby League, great names like Jonathan Davies.

“There have been some great names who have been stalwarts of Rugby League, Ian Watson has played a hell of a lot of games and he retired a couple of years ago.

It’s Important for Wales rugby league at the moment that the message Is consIstency and Improvement”

Harris in Hisdays as a player for Wales

THe Wales Head coacH meeTs david cameron aT number 10

Wales greaTs of THe pasT: JonaTHan davies (above) and scoTT Quinnell (rigHT)

RLWC2013 will have a mix of homegrown and heritage talent making up their playing squads, Wales have been keen to promote from within their existing development structures. Harris has recruited a sprinkling of ‘heritage’ talent from the NRL, but the philosophy has always been about the long-term future of Rugby League in Wales.

“I think that’s a priority for Wales,” said Harris, who has overseen the development of Gil Dudson and Ben Flower at first hand with Wigan Warriors.

“The fortunate thing for Wales is that there is a structure underneath the international team, there’s a youth structure and there’s lots and lots of work going on behind the scenes in Wales and to keep that, sort of,

“For Jordan to have the opportunity to do this in his last international year, if he does get the opportunity to break that record, I will be the first person to shake his hand.

“He has been unbelievably fantastic for the nation of Wales and certainly for me, as the coach of Wales Rugby League, he has never ever given anything but 100 per cent of his ability and his effort.”


EXCLUSIVE OPENING CEREMONY INTERVIEW

‘mini’NRL GRaNd FiNaL 2013-wiNNiNG skippeR aNthoNy

MiNichieLLo says that itaLy aReN’t heRe to Make up the NuMbeRs, theiR siGht is FiRMLy set oN the kNockout staGes

woRds by MATT MORRIS photos by RLPIX.COM

back to his bestMinichiello enjoyed a fine first season as

sydney roosters captain and won a host of adMirers for the way he fought a serious

back injury that threatened to end his career. he finished the australian season as a grand final winner and is looking to

bring that forM and Mentality to rlwc2013

i talian captain Anthony Minichiello might need reminding which dressing room he’s supposed be going

into at the Millennium Stadium when he arrives for the Rugby League World Cup opener against Wales. Minichiello wore the green and gold of Australia with distinction on no less than 18 occasions, but it’s the Azzurri blue of Italy that will be proudly adorned by the 33-year-old in Cardiff.

Minichiello is keen to give something back to the nation that gave him his international debut as a 19-year-old in 1999 before he emerged as one of the great names of the NRL.

“It’ll be a bit weird seeing the Australia team at the same ground but I am proud of my heritage and I’m at the back end of my career. I really want to help out the Italian Rugby League cause, help it grow, hopefully develop footy in Italy and obviously help Italian Rugby League get a little bit stronger than what it is,” the NRL Grand

Final-winning Sydney City Roosters skipper said as he looked forward to the trip to the UK.

“We’ve got a pretty good squad, 15 of our players are playing first grade in the NRL or Super League, we are not just here to make up the numbers, we want to have a really good crack at topping our group and going through to the next stage.”

The Italy team are one of two nations which had to go through a series of qualification games to reach RLWC2013, it was a process which gave ‘Mini’ an opportunity to break from his duties with the Roosters and gain some glory playing in peculiar foreign outposts in the international Rugby League community: “It was a great experience. We did the World Cup qualification two years ago, we travelled to Italy and Serbia and we had a lot of younger guys who came into the squad and we had a really good tour and got the spot.

“Once we got the World Cup spot there was a lot more interest around Italian Rugby

League and that’s a good thing, I suppose. Hopefully we can do well in this World Cup.

“Half of the squad we have now played in the qualification two years ago, we formed a pretty good friendship and strong bond there. There are some guys that played well two years ago and have been rewarded for their loyalty to the Italian jersey.”

Minichiello will be joined in the Italy squad by his brother Mark, who is of proud Italian parentage, and the duo will be aiming to bring some traditional Italian passion and flair to the team.

He said: “My parents are from a small town called Melito, which is just outside the Naples area. My dad was born there and came out to Australia when he was 13, my mum was born in Australia but her parents and her older sister lived in Italy as well.

“There was a lot of Italians back in the day who migrated out to Australia and there is a huge population of Italians there. Hopefully we can keep unearthing some Italian Rugby

League players, there are some good juniors coming through so it is pretty exciting.

“The management team is almost the same from when I played, there have been some great guys in the management that have been there for 15/16 years trying to make this happen. Our Head Coach, Carlo Napolitano, played on that tour in ’99, so he’s been along for the ride as well - there’s a lot of passion here behind the scenes.”

A one-club man, with 13 consecutive seasons at Sydney under his belt, Minichiello was linked with a move to Super League earlier this year and admits that had circumstances been different he might have made the move. But whilst that’s on the back burner, he believes that there are several members of the Italy squad who could secure a move to the UK on the back of their performances in RLWC2013.

“I spoke to Wigan Warriors not long ago, it was pretty exciting for me, the only thing was that my wife fell pregnant and I agreed to stay on another year at the Roosters. It would be hard to leave the Roosters because I love them so much, but Wigan are a champion club so that’s maybe something for the future.

“All eyes will be on teams like Italy. Good performances can go a long way to securing players contracts over in the UK, it’s pretty exciting for the second tier guys who are on the verge of playing first grade here or playing second grade, they could come over and earn themselves a spot somewhere overseas.”

Minichiello shrugs off a tackle during italy’s pre-tournaMent victory over england

HOminG in On GROUP Win

Mini in action during his australia days against great britain proudly leading

the azzurri out



“Sam was always headed for greatness, when we were 17/18 playing youth rugby, he was playing senior rugby in the Welsh principality league for a feeder team for the Cardiff Blues. He was getting man of the match and player of the month awards, he was always going to be a great player and I am so happy for him seeing where he has got to at the moment.

“Hopefully he can have a great career and carry on what he has done so far, it has been great to play alongside him.”

Whilst Bale and Warburton’s sporting futures seemed secure from an early age, Kear’s route to the international stage was less certain and it took a fan of Rugby League to point the Cardiff youngster in the right direction.

“I played union with Sam until I was 18, I was in a pretty good school team,” Kear said. “But we had a teacher who had played Rugby League as a student, he came up to me and said that there was an open Rugby League trial and I think a handful of us went and I really enjoyed it.

“There were a couple of other lads who I had played with and against from around Cardiff, people like Lloyd White. I just took to it quite well, it’s quite a fast game and I am quite small, it was more my type of game than union. It was the same time that the Crusaders were growing, they were getting promoted from the National

MADE IN CARDIFF

Wales Winger elliot Kear says his old schoolmate gareth Bale may Well have made it professionally in

rugBy league Were it not for his love of footBall

Words By MATT MORRIS

League, it was a good time to get involved.

“I got a bit lucky with those ten players getting deported and that was just my chance and I haven’t looked back since.”

Firmly in the international fold, the focus is now on Kear’s and Wales’s Rugby League World Cup ambitions,

starting with winning performances against Italy, USA and the Cook Islands.

“It’s getting ever nearer, it has been in the back of my mind for quite a while now, we’ve had a couple of details of our itinerary and I am getting pretty excited,” the 24-year-old full-back said.

“There will be nothing better than to run out on to the pitch at the Millennium Stadium in front of your home fans.

“I was always a big gutted when I missed the Millennium Magics when they were down in Cardiff, I was just coming through the ranks and I thought I would never get the chance to play there again, but if I get my chance this year it will be an awesome experience, there will

be nothing better.”The Welsh side have

reached the semi-final stages on their last two Rugby League World Cup campaigns, in 1995

and 2000, but Kear will be taking nothing for granted in their games at

Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, Wrexham’s Racecourse Stadium and Neath’s The Gnoll.

He said: “The worst thing you can do is underestimate the teams that we are playing. When it comes to the World Cup everyone wants to play, there will be a lot of recruiting from the NRL for those less-recognised teams, people who have got connecting grandparents and whatever else.

“The USA could be something of a surprise package, but I think every team we play could be a surprise package.

“Having the quarter final at Wrexham is the goal, you would hope that we could win our group and get to the quarters.”

CARDIFF’S GOT TALENTCardiff’s WhitChurCh high sChool has produCed lions Captain, sam Warburton, the most expensive footballer in the World gareth bale, olympiC CyCling gold medallist geraint thomas, CriCketer tom maynard and Wales international rugby league star elliot kear

gareth Bale’s multi-million pound move to Real Madrid this summer might never have

happened had the quirks of sporting fate worked differently.

Bale was a student at Cardiff’s Whitchurch High School, an educational establishment noted for producing Olympic medal-winning cyclist Geraint Thomas, British Lions winning captain Sam Warburton and Bradford Bulls’s Welsh international Elliot Kear.

Bale and Warburton have commanded many thousands of column inches over a busy summer of sport and speculation, but it is Kear who has the opportunity to grab the final headlines of 2013 with his performances for Iestyn Harris’s Welsh Dragons in Rugby League World Cup 2013.

“He’s all over the papers at the moment, every one I open his face is in it. It’s a bit bizarre, isn’t it?” Kear said of the headline-grabbing Bale.

The trio of sporting stars were in the same year as each other at Whitchurch, and whilst it was Warburton who went on to achieve rugby greatness, Kear hints that Bale too might have chosen a different shaped ball if football had not come calling: “He tried his hand at rugby for a while and he was decent actually, at sixth-form level, but he was that good at football that he was always going to choose football over Rugby League, especially at a professional level. He was like a wiry winger or a full-back.

“I always knew that Sam and Gareth were destined to do well in their sporting careers.

Gareth Bale tried his hand at ruGBy for a while and he was decent actually - he was like a wiry winGer or a full-Back”

Gareth Bale in action forSouthamptonBefore he SiGned fortottenham hotSpur

elliot KearrememBerSGareth Baleand SamWarBurtonfrom hiSSchoolS dayS

VictoriouSlionS SKipperSam WarBurton

BIG INTERVIEW


Tony SmiTh TakeS england forward againST The wolfhoundS

PREVIOUS MEETINGSToday’s maTch will be The Third official meeTing beTween england

and ireland in inTernaTional rugby league. we Take a look aT The shorT hisTory of maTches beTween The Two counTries


ENGLAND-IRELAND MATCH-UPS

An England side coached by Karl Harrison claimed the European Nations Championship trophy in the first ever international fixture at Warrington’s newly-built stadium.

The tournament was used by England to blood several up-and-coming names from Super League with current England stars Ben Westwood and Rob Burrow joined by the likes of Kirk Yeaman, Luke Robinson and Eorl Crabtree.

Ireland too had some recognisable names,

captained by former Widnes stalwart Phil Cantillon and led in the pack by Barrie McDermott. The Wolfhounds also included Munster and Ireland rugby union winger Ian Dowling in their line-up

But Harrison’s men proved to be too strong for the Irish, two tries from Huddersfield’s Paul Reilly contributing to a convincing victory for England in front of 3,582 fans at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

England 36 IrEland 12Sunday novEmbEr 7 2004, HallIwEll JonES StadIum, EuropEan natIonS CHampIonSHIp

Steve O’Neill’s Irish Wolfhounds gave John Kear’s England an almighty scare at Headingley in a match many feel that Ireland could easily have won.

The Irish came into the match in a confident mood on the back of three impressive group victories over Samoa, Scotland and New Zealand Maoris.

Ireland led 10-4 midway through the first half and were only 12-10 down at the break in what was a bruising affair for both sides. Ultimately, it was England’s Stuart Fielden

who proved to be the difference between the two sides. Battering the Irish line and resolute in defence, the Bradford man made a match-winning tackle on Ireland’s Kevin Campion after chasing the Australian star down from a 60-metre break.

A try at that point would have brought the Irish to within four points of England, but moments later Chev Walker closed the game with a clinching try on home soil to send England through to the Semi-Finals and Ireland home proud in defeat.

England 26 IrEland 16Saturday novEmbEr 11 2000, HEadInglEy, rugby lEaguE world Cup QuartEr-FInal

STuarT fielden leadS The

charge for england


BIG IRELAND INTERVIEW

Mark aston says his irish players face a siMilar challenge to the one he did when he was a sheffield

eagles player in the 1998 challenge cup final

words by MATT MORRIs

UPsET ON THE CARDS?

BIG UPSETSheffield pulled off

one of the great Challenge Cup final

ShoCkS to beat favouriteS Wigan 17-8

at Wembley in 1998

believes he has seen enough in England’s defeats to Italy and Australia to ask questions of steve McNamara’s side.

He said: “We know what we have got to do, we’ve spoken about it, we know how we are going to play, how we’re going to challenge them, ask the question of them and get into them.

“We’ve seen things in both of their games, areas where we think we can get at them.

“They come into this game on the back of two defeats in their last two performances so the pressure is certainly going to be on them and not us.

“We can be better, I thought we were a bit rusty the other day, you could see that we hadn’t played together but that is going to be the big difference, we are going to be a little bit more prepared. We have got a short turnaround, we are a little bit battered and bruised, but that’s the World Cup, that’s just international Rugby League.

“The pressure is on them, that’s what I say, we can go out there and relax, put a smile on our faces and challenge ourselves against one of the favourites for the competition.”

The Wolfhounds fronted up to

the physical Fijian force of the sims brothers on Monday night and with the Burgess brotherhood one short for this afternoon’s clash, Aston is confident his side will be up for the battle. Especially since one of Ireland’s pack leaders, Brett White, has made an immediate impact in the green shirt.

“I have watched a number of games at RLWC2013 and he has got to be one of the stand-out

performers of the tournament so far,” Aston said of the Canberra Raiders star.

“He epitomises what you want in a team, he’s a tough, hard, rough Rugby League player, he’s had a career in the NRL where he has played in four Grand Finals.

“He’s somebody who is regarded highly, he’s certainly been a breath of fresh air for us in Ireland, he’s going about his business very professionally, he instils a discipline into himself and into the group and he leads.

“We are now extremely hungry to deliver some success and there would be nothing better to round off our time in England than to come away with a top-class performance and the right result against the English.”

No-oNe out there expects us to get aNywhere Near eNglaNd, except for ourselves”

mark Aston’s Irish Wolfhounds may come into today’s game against

England as underdogs, but that won’t faze a character who was man of the match when sheffield Eagles pulled off one of the unlikeliest Cup-Final wins in Rugby League history.

Aston and his Eagles teammates produced one of the shocks of all time, when they defeated the all-conquering Wigan Warriors side in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley in 1998. Fifteen years on and the Ireland Head Coach will be hoping for more ‘David and Goliath’ mythology when his side tackles an England team regarded as one of the favourites for the tournament.

“We achieved something against massive odds that day,” Aston said as he prepared to take the Wolfhounds into battle at a sold-out John smith’s stadium.

“Even when I think about it today it brings a smile to my face, it was a massive achievement and one which no-one can ever take away from you.

“It’s all about dreams, isn’t it? You dream about being involved in big games and certainly once you get into your coaching career

Ireland boss

Mark aston

kurt Haggerty on tHe cHarge

for Ireland agaInst fIjI on Monday

you dream about coaching at the highest level. This will certainly rank up against any of the successes I had as a player and that I have had as a coach now.”

Rated as 20/1 outsiders to win this afternoon’s fixture, Ireland’s chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament depend on them getting a result against either England today or Australia next weekend. It’s a mountain to climb, but Aston is undaunted by the prospect: “Nobody out there expects us to get anywhere near England, except for ourselves.

“There will be a full stadium, plenty of Irish people in there supporting Ireland, so it will be a big day, one which we are looking forward to and one which we are excited for.

“We played with a lot of emotion against Fiji and we will certainly have more against England. How good would it be for Irish Rugby League to put one over on England?

“The pressure is on them, they haven’t had the great start that they wanted, I’m sure steve McNamara will be patching things up,

but we will be going out hard and physical, we’ll go in there challenging believing that we can break them down.”

Ireland opened their RLWC2013 account with a brutal defeat to Fiji on Monday night, but Aston

(PICTURE BY RLPIX.COM)


EXCLUSIVE RLWC2013 INTERVIEW

LOCAL RIVALSIreland captaIn lIam FInn Is excIted about the prospect oF goIng up agaInst england’s rangI chase thIs aFternoon, a player who, at club level, Is a sworn enemy to the wolFhound


One of the more interesting battles on the pitch in today’s game will be the

potential match-ups between half-backs, where Ireland’s Liam Finn will pit his wits against England’s Rangi Chase. The duo are regarded as worst of enemies at club level for Featherstone and Castleford respectively and that rivalry looks set to continue at The John Smith’s Stadium this afternoon.

“Oh yes. He’s definitely a Cas lad, isn’t he! I’ve heard him speak!” Ireland skipper Finn said, as he looked forward to locking horns with England’s playmaker.

“I’ve played against Rangi for Featherstone and I don’t think there is any love lost towards Rangi from the Featherstone fans but I don’t think he cares about that too much.

“Some of the stuff he can do with a rugby ball is phenomenal, it’s unbelievable, but you’ve got to respect that. It’s a challenge coming up against him, one that I think we are looking forward to.

“We are playing against the best that British Rugby League has to offer with a sprinkling of some of the best NRL players around, the challenge is as big as it gets on these shores and for these Ireland players.

“We are excited by it, we are a little bit wounded on the back of a loss so we have got to bounce

Ireland skIpper lIam FInn

FInn says rangI chase

Is a dangerman thIs aFternoon

For england

back and we have got to be positive and find ourselves a way to get in the game and do our country proud.”

Whilst Finn’s Ireland will be smarting from their brutal 32-14 loss to Fiji on Monday night, he is also aware that England have not enjoyed the best of times on or off the field of late, and he is wary of a backlash.

Finn said: “I think they probably took the Italy match too lightly, it was a friendly game and they were probably thinking about the bigger picture, playing Australia the week after, that definitely affects you.

“The Australia game? Well they are playing against probably the best team in the world, they’ve had a dig and I think if they had

Finn was partnered by warrington’s James mendeika in the halves against FiJi. the pair are likely to be reunited at Featherstone next season”

a couple more of their X-Factor players playing they probably could have turned them over.

“They are going to be dangerous, they are a little bit wounded from recent results and they will want someone to take it out on. Hopefully we can keep ourselves in the game as long as possible and take them to a place that they have been for the last few weeks and get them doubting themselves. If you can do that in Rugby League then anything can happen.”

With the majority of the capacity crowd at Huddersfield expected to be backing Steve McNamara’s England on Saturday afternoon, Finn and his fellow Wolfhounds are entering the proverbial lions’ den for this Group A fixture, and he’s keen to make sure that his team play their part in what is sure to be a fascinating affair.

“It’s certainly exciting to sell out The John Smith’s Stadium and get a big crowd there, I’m not sure if they have sold it out that often,” says the man who will be hoping to celebrate his 30th birthday in style today with a win over England.

“Lots of people are coming to see England versus Ireland and we have to make sure that we are a part of that contest and give the people of the Kirklees District, who have paid good money, value for money.

2000 experience The WOlfhOunds reached The quarTer-

finals Of rlWc 13 years agO Where They defeaTed samOa, scOTland and

neW Zealand maOri befOre evenTually falling TO england aT headingley

“We’ve got to keep the tournament going as strong as it has been, it has been exciting so far, it has been well managed, it has been well marketed and they are getting the crowds in. We’ll just try and deliver on the field, so if we can make it a good game against England then we have done our job.”

Finn experienced the 2008 Rugby League World Cup with Ireland and has already recognised that something special may be unfolding at RLWC2013. The unique atmosphere at Rochdale’s Fiji stronghold certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

“You probably wouldn’t have expected a full house at Spotland for the Ireland versus Fiji game, but somebody has gone out there and told people about it and it has generated some interest, just like the England game and hopefully the Australia game in Limerick.

“The crowds have been great and probably what is alien to the British-based players is going around and thanking the fans, right up to the terraces, high-fiving them, but I think that’s what they deserve for coming out on a Monday night in cold autumn weather and supporting the game of Rugby League. Hopefully they are passing the word on and we are getting some new spectators coming through the gates.”


EXCLUSIVE GROUP A INTERVIEW

Barrie McDerMott was one of the first high-profile super league players to pleDge his allegiance to irelanD. the forMer great Britain international recalls his experiences wearing the eMeralD green shirt

worDs By MATT MORRIS

THE YEAR 2000Barrie McDerMott was naMeD

in irelanD’s 2000 rugBy league worlD Cup squaD alongsiDe nrl

stars Kevin CaMpion, luKe riCKetson anD Danny williaMs. the forMer

leeDs rhinos anD wigan warriors prop forwarD pulleD on the

irelanD shirt no less than 15 tiMes

while the history books may suggest that Rugby League in Ireland was born

in the late 1980s with the development of the Dublin Blues club, in truth, it wasn’t until the Rugby League World Cup of 2000 that the sport finally came of age on the Emerald Isle.

The devolution of the Great Britain team at tournaments

such as the Rugby League World Cup had allowed teams such as Scotland, Ireland and Wales to develop their own programmes on a major stage and, in the process, bring some home nation glory to the countries involved.

Barrie McDermott was one of the first big names from the English game to switch allegiances to the home of his ancestors; he was soon to be joined by a growing exodus of players from both the Super League and the NRL to make a proud leap across the Irish Sea.

“1997 was the first professional game that Ireland played,” McDermott said as he looked back on the formative years of the international game in Ireland.

“We drew that first game away in France and it was a bit of a showpiece really for anybody who had that connection to show that this was a realistic international set-up and something which could be developed and made into something we could be proud of.

“In 1998, I played in a game which had Shaun Edwards involved in it, a game at Tolka Park, it was also the first game that Brian Carney played in. Not only had we got some established international Super League and almost England international players coming

across, we started to see players like Brian Carney, who were more than capable of cutting it at that level.

“In 1999, I went away and did the Tri-Nations and then in 2000 I was honoured to be named in Ireland’s RLWC squad along with NRL stars such as Kevin Campion, Luke Ricketson and Danny Williams, a Grand Final winner with Melbourne Storm that year. They were joined by a wealth of Super League players that had the right, wanted to play, and wanted to do Ireland proud.”

Led by Steve O’Neill and Andy Kelly, Irish eyes were certainly smiling at a tournament which will be memorable for an all-conquering Australian team, but perhaps more notably for the performances of Wales and Ireland.

Ireland strolled through their

group games in Belfast and Dublin, to set-up a tantalising Quarter-Final against an England team who, although competitive, had clearly been weakened by players departing to their near neighbours.

BARRIE’SIRISH HONOUR

mcdermott played 15times for ireland

Barrie mcdermott inaction for ireland


In 1998 I played In a game whIch had Shaun edwardS Involved In It, a game at tolka park, It waS alSo the fIrSt game that BrIan carney played In”

“We talked about it in La Manga when we set goals for the tournament,” McDermott said, looking back to what is only one of two competitive Rugby League fixtures between England and the Irish to date.

“If we did what we were capable of doing then we were due to meet England at Headingley, my home ground. I knew that I would get a good reception, even though I was wearing the enemy’s colours.

“The game itself was a tight, tough contest, all the World Cup games were, and with so much at stake, each player gave absolutely everything and that was definitely the case when England played Ireland.

“Were it not for Stuart Fielden’s chase back on a Kevin Campion break, Ireland could well have won that game. Stuart had a fantastic game, one of the stand-out performances of his career. But we knew we were capable of winning that game, we went into it with the attitude that we would win it if we did one or two things well. It was a fabulous game, a tremendous atmosphere and England were

just better than us on the day. On another day, with a different bounce of the ball, it might have been a different story.”

McDermott has been enjoying a well-earned rest from his television punditry and work with Leeds Rhinos this week, but he has still managed to take in what has been a magnificent start to RLWC2013 and he is excited about today’s game.

He said: “The Coach Mark Aston has got a good team at his disposal. I was really impressed with the way that they played against Fiji, they made a couple of crucial mistakes at pivotal times but certainly the players who have been involved in that team for a long time will know what it is about.

“They have got it all to do. England should have won their game against Australia, they were good enough to win it, a bit of indiscipline probably let them down at crucial times.

“Let’s hope that it is a tough, tight contest again and we look forward to that mythological grandstand finish that we all hope for and want to see.”

mcdermott says ireland mademistakes against fiji at

crucial times which provedto Be their downfall



STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Mark aston’s rLWC2013 squad May not have a pLayer froM the IrIsh doMestIC Leagues WIthIn

It yet, but WIth the LoCaL rugby League CoMpetItIon In good shape, It Won’t be too Long. We fInd out What’s been goIng on WIth IrIsh ChaMpIons treaty CIty tItans

Words by MATT MORRiS

RUGBY LEAGUE iN iRELAND

Let there be no doubt Rugby League is thriving in ireland. The domestic game in the Emerald

isle may not have gained the recognition it truly deserves with a player being called up to Mark Aston’s Wolfhounds squad, but there was certainly no shortage of contenders from the irish Elite League.

And when the Rugby League World Cup stops off on irish shores for next weekend’s Group A fixture between ireland and Australia, it will be doing so at an established hotbed of Rugby League.

Limerick’s Treaty City Titans are ireland’s current champions, and having won the irish Elite League seven times in the last nine years, they are building a long-lasting legacy in a part of the world that is more famous for Munster rugby union.

“i’m the only player in the country with seven winners’ medals,” boasts Titans’ veteran forward Mackie O’Neill who has been at the club since its inception.

“Rugby in this part of the world is as important to the people of Limerick as football is to the people of Manchester and Liverpool, it’s like a religion.

“The standard of rugby union in this country is exceptionally high, five of the last eight European Cups have been won by Munster or Leinster, so a fella who might not make it in union could make it in Rugby League.

“We see that Rugby League is getting more and more popular in Limerick every year, at the Titans we could probably field two teams every week.”

Since being founded in 2004, the Titans have gone from strength to strength and not only are they winning the All-ireland Championship on a regular basis, they have seen many of their players represent the Wolfhounds in international fixtures, players who have also caught the eye of Super League clubs.

Cathal O’Reilly is one of those players who has worn the famous green of ireland, and as a coach of the Titans, he has overseen the growing number of players gaining recognition on the international stage.

He said: “Brendan Guilfoyle [Treaty City Titans Coach] went to the Rugby League World Cup in 2008 and a year or so back we saw Aaron McCloskey

and ian Cross go over to St Helens in Super League.

“They have brought back some great and valuable experience playing against France, England Knights, Wales and Scotland in the Four Nations.”

Aaron McCloskey is quite possibly Treaty City Titans’ greatest success story so far. The 6 ft 7 in man-mountain has been nicknamed ivan Drago, and though he’s back skippering the Titans now, he took full advantage of a Talent identification Academy set up by Rugby League ireland to earn himself a contract with St Helens in 2011.

“i’d played a few games for the Titans as a favour because i’m good friends with the coaches there and i got invited out to a camp where they told me i would get fed and get some gear and that’s always a winner!” McCloskey said.

“it was a win-win for me. if i did well then i could have been selected for ireland, if not then it would have been a great experience. We had a game on the second day and at the end of it Mike Rush from St Helens came across and said that he would like to take me across the water.”

“i had a two-week trial and after that they offered me a contract for 18 months. it all happened so quickly, after signing for them they sent me out on loan to Montpellier Red Devils, a really serious place, playing with and against former

Australian internationals.“To play the sport at

that level, it was a real eye-opener and it made me realise what a great sport Rugby League is.”

McCloskey is hopefully the first of many from the irish Elite League to cross the irish Sea and make a name for themselves in Super League. With more exposure to the game, Cathal O’Reilly believes that Rugby League is really starting to get a foothold in the heart of ireland: “People are getting to understand the game more and respect it. it’s very tough in ireland with it being predominantly rugby union, but the lads have really taken to it and we are seeing the numbers growing year in, year out.

“After the Student World Cup we have a couple of the guys going on trial next season and you could easily see some of these lads making the step up.”

people are getting to understand and respect the game more in ireland” cathal o’reillytreaty City titans took

to the field with the rugby league world Cup at Munster’s thoMond park

treaty Cityplayers piCk

up the grandfinal shield

aCtion froM the grand finalbetween treatyCity and dublinCity exiles


EXCLUSIVE IRELAND INTERVIEW

FROM BULLDOG TOWOLFHOUND

Mick cassidy was one of the first generation of high-profile players to switch allegiance

froM great Britain to ireland in the 1990s, he looks Back on his career in eMerald green


FINAL DEFEATCassidy started his

international Career with a win for Great

Britain aGainst australia and also

played in the 1995 world Cup final

aGainst the KanGaroos.

he rememBers the 16-8 defeat well...

“it was just one of them Games where when the pressure

was on we just Couldn’t Come up with the riGht play or the riGht pass and when we did Get it, thinGs

went aGainst us, it was just one of those days.

it does happen, the australians are really Good at

performinG under pressure, the pressure is always on in a final.

you don’t Get too many ChanCes aGainst

australia to sCore and you have to

taKe those ChanCes”

Mick played his last ever gaMe of rugby league in ireland colours versus tonga at the rlWc in 2008”

there are few players who get to choose the perfects circumstances to end their playing days,

but for Wigan, Widnes, England and Ireland stalwart, Mick Cassidy, the Rugby League World Cup of 2008 was a fitting finale.

Cassidy had already ended his club career with a brief flicker for Barrow, but he arrived in Australia in the twilight of his career determined to help spark Ireland to World Cup glory.

“I was playing with Barrow and I knew that I was going to retire at the end of that season, so to get the opportunity to finish my career with Ireland at a World Cup was fantastic,” Cassidy said.

“We had a really big following

out there, we stayed in Parramatta and there were lots of Irish fans in Parramatta and the crowd was full of people wearing green. It just shows the amount of support Ireland have at tournaments like this.

“It was Tonga and Samoa we played against, two South Sea Island teams. They were similar - big, strong and physical and we knew we were up against it. The highlight for me was that when we came to getting a flight to the Gold Coast to play in the Quarter-Finals, Tonga had been booked onto the flight and booked us onto transfers, but they had to swap everything around because they didn’t expect us to get there. It was good to prove people wrong.” would have made it a hat-trick of

RLWC appearances but for injury in 2000, when he was pencilled in to play for a star-studded Ireland team.

It was a team packed full of talented Super League stars and one which took England close in a memorable Quarter-Final clash at Headingley.

“There was a change with the way things were going with the nations changing to England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, rather than having one Great Britain team,” Cassidy recalls as he looks back to his change of allegiances.

“I knew that I had Irish grandparents, there was a number of players within the Wigan team, the big name being Terry O’Connor, who were very vocal and passionate about Ireland.

“It split up the England team because you had players who wanted to play for Wales, or who wanted to play for Ireland and that took numbers away from England and in the past they had been able to pick who they wanted.

“I remember watching the game against England on the TV. It was at Headingley and I was wishing

that I could have been fit to play.“It was a very good opportunity

for Ireland to win, and you never know, if they had had a fully-fit Ireland team, with all players available, they might just have come away with a shock.”

Whilst the balance of power may have shifted a little more towards Steve McNamara’s England 13 years later, Cassidy is keen to see the development of Irish Rugby League continue with more high-profile, sell- out games on the big stage.

“I was certainly keen to continue with Ireland and I enjoyed it immensely and it was good to see the sport growing in Ireland.

“It is fantastic to see them getting stronger and stronger. They ran England so close that day, and they have got another strong team this year, so who knows? They just need to keep adding to that strength.

“This game against England might possibly be the pinnacle for Ireland. They absolutely have to win it, it’s as simple as that. They’ve got a good squad to pick from and with this being

Mark Aston’s first World Cup he will want to finish as high as he can with some quality wins.”

The Australian experience was Cassidy’s second Rugby League World Cup, but his first for the Wolfhounds after previously playing for England in 1995. The Widnes Assistant Coach

Mick cassidy reMeMbers theday when 2008 rugby LeagueworLd cup officiaLs booked

tonga onto the fLight to thegoLd coast, not expectingireLand to turn theM over

Mick cassidytackLes his oLd

irish buddybrian carney


RLWC2013 COMMUNITY

KirKlees CounCil and the people of huddersfield have really embraCed rlWC2013. as We approaCh the big KiCK off this afternoon, We looK baCK at some of the initiatives that have Created rlWC2013 fever

KIRKLEES DO RLWC2013

PROUD

A mAss-pArticipAtion dAnce with Around 1000 pArticipAnts with cheerleAders, street-dAncers And people performing the hAkA took plAce”

With the game between England and Ireland sold out weeks in advance,

much credit must go to the sterling work of Kirklees Council who have put on an amazing schedule of RLWC2013 community initiatives.

Here is just a sample of the many things that have taken place in the build-up to RLWC2013:

Mission: Active Kirklees. A physical activity circuit on a Rugby League theme was set up designed to inspire school children to become more active and to signpost them into various activities including Rugby League community clubs.

The council has commissioned Rugby League development through schools using Huddersfield Giants and Batley Bulldogs to give young people a chance to learn the skills of the game and encourage them to join Rugby League community clubs.

Kirklees Active Leisure. A Primary Rugby League Tournament, which saw 150 children aged seven, eight and nine take part in the pilot primary Rugby League game.

Big Dance Kirklees. A mass-participation dance with around 1000 participants with cheerleaders, street-dancers and people performing the haka. All have taken part in training sessions leading up to a performance on the pitch before RLWC2013.

Match Officials course. 24 officials have qualified

on RFL course to support the grassroots game.

The Festival of World Cups in July. Kirklees hosted games in the police, women’s and student’s world cups at Batley and Dewsbury.

TRY Reading events in Kirklees Libraries. Including author visits, quizzes and competitions.

Huddersfield Rugby League Exhibition at Tolson Museum from 23 October to Easter 2014.

RLWC2013 Celebration Day. On 1 November at The John Smith’s Stadium there were exhibitions of memorabilia from Super League clubs and speakers debating past, present and future. Rugby League World Cups.

Launch of the RLWC2013 Trophy Tour at the George Hotel in Huddersfield the birthplace of Rugby League.

A choir from nine schools will perform at the RLWC2013 game in Huddersfield.

RL Reminiscence boxes have been developed to help people with dementia.

KAL Rugby Challenge – a gym-based challenge focused around developing skills, strength and stamina for the game of Rugby League started on 30 September.

Rugby League Community clubs have been given tickets for each team to raffle and raise funds for their clubs.

Young people took part in rugbY

league sessions across the borough

harold Wagstaff’s challenge cup jerseY Was among the souvenirs at the huddersfield rugbY league exhibition

cheerleaders and Youngsters Were among those Who participated in a mass group dance


IRELAND Q&A

TACKLE

SIXQ&AEamon o’Carroll

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?Probably a dinosaur and swap it with my missus! She’ll be reading this, that’s why I said it!

If you could go back in time, where would you go?It wasn’t that long ago, but I’d like to go back to the time when my son was born. It was only a year ago, but it was a pretty special moment in my life.

Cat or dog?Dog, because I’ve got a dog and I’ve been brought up with dogs. I’ve got a Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Freddie. He’s good with the little one and he’s a nice family dog.

When are you happiest?Either after a win, having a beer with the boys or when I’m sat at home with my missus, the little one and the dog. I’m a bit of a family man now so I like my time away from the rugby with my family.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?Probably have family closer to me. I’ve got family scattered about all over the country so I’d like having them all around me. There are members of my family in Oldham, Wigan, Manchester and Jersey so I reckon having them closer would improve my lifestyle.

What is your greatest fear?Probably getting injured. I’ve had a few injuries but I’m going OK right now. That’s probably something always in the back of my mind.

EAmon o’CArroll stArtEd In thE front roW durIng IrElAnd’s 32-14 dEfEAt to fIjI EArlIEr thIs WEEk, But hoW WIll thE Wolfhound fArE WhEn fACIng our sIX QuEstIons?


BIG INTERVIEW

A s a veteran of the last Rugby League World Cup, England captain Kevin Sinfield was

actually on the bench the last time that they met Fiji in competitive action. But he knows only too well that the Bati will offer an entirely different proposition to the side that was easily defeated in 2000.

On the back of last weekend’s convincing 42-0 victory over Ireland, Sinfield is looking forward to a game which could secure England’s place in the last eight of RLWC2013.

“There’s one thing for sure, it’s certainly going to be a physical game,” the England captain said.

“They got stuck into the Australians and we sat and watched the Ireland-Fiji game and it was very interesting.

“They have got some fantastic players and Petero Civoniceva is obviously a bit of a legend. They have got some exciting talent, but we probably won’t know as much as we do about them as we did about Ireland. We will certainly do our homework and make sure that we are prepared for a really tough game.”

Fiji Rugby League is currently enjoying a real boom in popularity off the back of their 2008 World Cup run to the Semi-

Final, and the current group of players features a total of 15 players with NRL experience.

Having seen shocks and surprises elsewhere in the competition, Sinfield and his England teammates will be taking nothing for granted against one of the real danger sides of the tournament.

“Having been burnt against Italy, we know the threat that the NRL players pose,” he said.

“They play a very simple game but it is very effective and I think there are some stand-out players in that Fiji squad. In many ways, they were the surprise package of the last World Cup so we will certainly be on our guard. It will be a huge contest and a great challenge for us.

“There are some great nations and we knew that there would be some shocks and we have seen that. That’s what a World Cup is about, some surprises and some teams and players really wearing their hearts on their sleeves and doing everything they can for their team to get the win.”

‘Doing everything for the win’ was certainly a mantra which rang true for the England squad last weekend. After showing some encouraging moments against Australia, they knew that it was the result that mattered above everything else against a dogged Irish side.

Sinfield said: “There were some pleasing signs from the Australian game, but it’s not about the performance it’s about the result and we didn’t get that. We knew that we needed to win against Ireland on Saturday, we knew we needed to play well and it was great to come away knowing that

we had all contributed to our first two points of the tournament.

“To nil any side at any level at times can be very difficult to do, but certainly at international level and in a World Cup and knowing what the game would mean to Ireland in front of a full house at Huddersfield - and playing against the big enemy in England - we knew how fired up they were going to be.

“I’m delighted with the majority of our defence, but I am sure this week there will be some stuff that we need to fix up, especially looking at some of the threats that Fiji will pose. I’m delighted

to get the zero, it shows that we are all working really hard for each other and that is what you need to be successful at this level.”

One of the more pleasing aspects of England’s victory over Ireland for Sinfield will have been seeing his current and future Leeds Rhinos teammates, Ryan Hall and Tom Briscoe, grabbing the bulk of the points with five tries between them. Hall’s hat-trick made him England’s top try-scorer of all time, an accolade Sinfield feels is truly deserved.

“He’s one of the best finishers in the world,” Sinfield said of his Rhinos colleague. “Hally will

certainly try and pass on the plaudits but ultimately some of the tries he has scored over the past few years, I don’t think there are many of players in the world who could have finished them.

“Tom [Briscoe] had a fantastic game. We seem to be really well blessed out there on the wing spots, Hally has been in great form for a couple of years now and when you add Josh [Charnley] to that, who is vying for one of those spots as well, I think the three of them fighting for two spots is great. They’re all in great form, they’re all scoring tries and they’ve all had good seasons as well.”

England skippEr kEvin sinfiEld is anticipating a bruising EncountEr with group a rivals fiji this aftErnoon as both sidEs look to qualify for thE knockout stagE


They play a very simple game buT iT is very effecTive and i Think There are some sTand-ouT players in ThaT fiji squad”

PHYSICALBATTLEAHEAD

MATCH STATS FROM RLWC2000England 66 Fiji 10ENGLANDTry: Jamie peacock (3)Paul wellens (2)Darren rogers (2)Scott naylorAndy hayKris radlinskiTony smith,Andrew farrellCon: farrell (9/12)

FIJITry: Lote tuqiriEparama navaleCon: Atunaisa vunivalu (1/2)

KEvin SinFiEldwaS prEtty

SatiSFiEd withEngland’S diSplay

at huddErSFiEldlaSt wEEKEnd

aShton SimSKnowS how tobang and iS onEoF Fiji’S moStphySical playErS


BIG INTERVIEW

SCHOFIELD STILL

HAUNTED BY ‘92

Hall of fame inductee Garry ScHofield rememberS tHe day wHen HiS ruGby leaGue world cup dreamS were SHattered by auStralia in 1992


Whilst Garry Schofield is a player who always divides opinion amongst the support of the Hull FC faithful, there can never be any argument as to the sheer talent of a player who began his career

as a rookie teenager in the black and white at the Boulevard.Schofield is one of a select band of Englishmen to have

captained his country in a Rugby League World Cup Final, when in 1992 England came to within a whisker of defeating Mal Meninga’s Australia at Wembley Stadium. His achievements in the game were rightly recognised last week when he joined the game’s elite by being inaugurated into the Rugby League Hall of Fame.

“It can’t get any better,” Schofield said, with a great deal of pride, as he looked back to the Rugby League World Cup Celebration Dinner where he was formally inducted.

“My mum and dad bought me my first pair of Bukta boots all of 40 years ago, when I was eight years of age. If anybody would have said to me then that at the age of 48 I would be one of that exclusive list of the greatest players to have ever played the game since 1895, I guess I would have had a bit of a laugh.

“It’s the highest accolade that anyone can have in the game and I am so proud. When I received the award I felt at least 20 ft tall and to be thought of in the same terms of these great players, it means the absolute world to me.”

Though Schofield never won too many medals during a club career that took in spells with Hull, Leeds Rhinos, Balmain Tigers, Western Suburbs and Huddersfield Giants, his efforts for Great Britain, particularly in a titanic test series against the Australians in 1992, will forever hold him at the pantheon of the game’s greats.

After defeat in Sydney in the first game of the series, Schofield led Mal Reilly’s Great Britain side to a famous 33-10 victory over a star-studded Australia in Melbourne. The Lions then narrowly lost a thrilling decider at Brisbane’s Lang Park 16-10, but were regarded by many as favourites to win the World Cup Final later that year

when Bob Fulton’s Kangaroos arrived in London.Schofield said: “Test matches were usually every two

weeks but that year they put the third test match on just one week after the win in Melbourne. I strongly believe that if we had had another week off to prepare in 1992, I think that we would have taken the Aussies in Brisbane.

“As far as beating the Aussies on home soil by a record score and taking them close in the Rugby League World Cup Final, that was the pinnacle of my international career.

“It was an honour to lead my country out in a World Cup Final, but we still lost. It was a situation where Steve Renouf got outside of John Devereux, it was a schoolboy error to let somebody of that quality get on the outside of you. There was only 12 minutes to go and they never looked like scoring against us that day, and there was only that instance, but that’s all they needed. Give a team like Australia one chance and they will close up shop.

“It was a great feeling to captain the side, in front of a belting crowd and the anticipation was that we could win, but unfortunately a lack of concentration meant that Australia won the World Cup Final 10-6. As far as being honoured and proud to lead my country in a World Cup Final, that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Schofield made his international bow during his rookie year with Hull FC and went on to make a record number of appearances for Great Britain. He’ll be a keen observer of today’s RLWC2013 fixture and is expecting a rough and tumble affair with the physical Fiji side.

“They are absolutely crazy for Rugby League in Hull and I am sure that the crowd capacity at the KC Stadium for the game against Fiji will be absolutely choc-a-bloc, they will be getting right behind England,” he said.

“The Fijians love a physical challenge and they will bring a different aspect to the game that the English lads aren’t really familiar with and I think that it could be an old-fashioned test match with a few fisticuffs and a few square-ups, but I don’t mind seeing that in test football.”

SCHOFIELD PUTS ADOWN TOWN KICK INAGAINST AUSTRALIA

THE FAMOUS SHIRT SWAPBETWEEN SCHOFIELD

AND AUSTRALIAN SCRUMHALF PETER STERLING

‘SCHOEY’ STARTEDHIS CAREER AT HULL

australia never looked like scoring against us that day ... but we still lost”


EXCLUSIVE FIJI INTERVIEW

Described as ‘the next Lote Tuqiri’ by scouts at an early age, three-time Dally M Winger

of the Year in the NRL, Akuila Uate, first burst onto the international scene when made a huge impact at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

The Newcastle Knights points machine scored five tries for Fiji, led the competition in line-breaks and was hailed as one of the key reasons that the Bati reached the Semi-Finals of the tournament.

Such was the success of Uate in that tournament, that Knights and Kangaroos legend Andrew Johns was glowing in his praise for the winger, saying: “In all my years in Rugby League, I’ve never seen a better athlete than this bloke. It’s all raw power. And he still has a long way to go.

“Whenever Aku gets the ball in

his hands during this tournament ... strap yourself in because something is going to happen.”

Uate was a relative unknown in the NRL prior to 2008, but since that season he has crossed the whitewash 85 times in 114 games for Newcastle and gone on to represent Australia with three tries in five appearances.

A Fijian by birth, and brought up with a rugby union background, it wasn’t until his father sent him to be schooled in Australia that he switched to Rugby League and become a part of the great Fiji union to League conversion.

Uate said: “I was born in Fiji and brought up in a rugby union background, I was coming over to finish my schooling in High School in Australia, I ended up trialling with the Newcastle Knights and I have been with them for nine-

FIJI’S

FLYERAkuilA uAte hAs AlreAdy helped himself to A hAt-trick At rlWc2013 And the prolific try-scoring Winger is keen to increAse thAt tAlly this Afternoon


For us, there is no expectation, but Family, Friends and the people back home are expecting a very good result”

and-a-half years now.“Fiji is a very religious country.

All the players and all the staff want to praise the lord and praise god for everything he has done for us and the team. We praise God for making Rugby League the number one sport, it’s no longer about rugby union now, it’s about Rugby League.”

The fervour for Rugby League on the Pacific Island of Fiji has grown year-on-year in the past five years, so much so that Rick Stone’s team go into today’s game against hosts England with plenty of expectation.

“It’s a big game, it’s the Rugby League World Cup,” Uate said. “We are really looking forward to the challenge and we are going to give it our best. Every game, from here to the Quarter-Finals is going to be tough, tough for us and tough for the opposition,

but everyone is looking forward to the challenge. We will do our best and you never know what can happen.

“For us, there is no expectation, but family, friends and the people back home are expecting a very good result. We are in a different pool to what we were in 2008 and we are playing against some of the best players in the world in Australia and England, it is going to be tough for us, but we are going to give it our best and do our best for our country.”

Uate has certainly started RLWC2013 in style, a hat-trick against Ireland in the opening game was a great way to start the tournament and maybe gave the Australians a glimpse of what they might be missing out on. The 26-year-old recently signed a new three-year-deal with the Knights, but not before stories of

FORMER KANGAROOIn OctOber 2011, Uate maDe hIs

DebUt fOr aUstralIa In a stanD-alOne test match

agaInst new ZealanD helD at Uate’s hOme

staDIUm, aUsgrID

staDIUm In newcastle.

he scOreD the fIrst 2 trIes Of the game

disillusionment and rumours of a move to Japanese Rugby Union.

Uate insists that he is over the Kangaroos’ snub, but Rugby League needs to look after one of its star attractions if they are to hold on to a player who in a few years’ time might have eclipsed the exploits of Lote Tuqiri, the man who he was compared to.

“I’m not angry about not being picked for Australia,” Uate said. “That’s in the past now. I am here for Fiji to play some good footy and do well for my country.

“I’ve got another three years at Newcastle Knights but after those three years who knows where I will be, whether I’m playing Rugby League or rugby union. I would like to go back to rugby union at some stage, back to where I started, but that will all be decided once my career in Rugby League has finished.”


INSIDER’S VIEW

ENGLAND CAMP

Stand-off Gareth Widdop GiveS fanS an excluSive

behind-the-SceneS inSiGht into life in the enGland camp

WordS by MAtt MORRIS

“I t was important that we put in a good performance against Ireland, but more

important that we got the win. I think the positive side of the win was that we didn’t let them score any points. that win gives us the confidence moving forward, there have been some less-fancied teams taking it to the top teams in this tournament, I thought Ireland played okay and tested us at times, but it was more about ourselves and how we were going to play and it was great to get the two points.

“My room-mate Ryan Hall became England’s all-time

top try-scorer with his hat-trick and that’s a great accolade. He certainly knows how to finish a try, he’s big and strong, but to break any record is a massive achievement and every credit to

him. On the other wing we saw tom Briscoe come into the side and score a couple and that’s exactly what you want, people coming in and creating competition for places.

“Staying on the subject of Ryan Hall, we went to bed on thursday night and fell asleep and whoever had been in the room before us had set the alarm for five o’clock in the morning, so it woke myself and Ryan up. I managed to switch it off, went back to bed and the next thing I know I’m

hearing this noise and I thought the alarm had gone off again, it was really loud, at about quarter to six in the morning. It turns out that the fire alarm was going off, I jumped out of bed, but

EARLY WAKE-UP CALLGareth WIddop says ryan hall dIdn’t do hImself any favours for the smartest man In ruGby leaGue aWard after he

thouGht the 6am fIre alarm at the team hotel Was a radIo alarm clock!

My rooM-Mate ryan Hall becaMe england’s

all-tiMe top try- scorer witH His Hat-trick and tHat’s a great accolade”

Ryan Hall, still half asleep hadn’t realised that it was the fire alarm and kept asking me why the radio wouldn’t turn off, this from the supposed smartest man in the world. the whole hotel got evacuated at about six in the morning, so the boys weren’t very happy. there were reports of an Irishman seeing running off into the distance, but those weren’t actually confirmed!

“Hopefully we won’t have too many more early mornings this week for the big game against Fiji. If you look at their team, they have got a lot of NRL stars playing and they have got big Petero Civoniceva playing as well, who is very experienced. It’s going to be a really tough match, they are big, strong and powerful, it is definitely not going to be a walkover, we are going to have to prepare really well and make sure we do everything we can to win.”

WIDDOP SAYS IT WASIMPORTANT TO GET OFF THE

MARK AGAINST IRELAND

WIDDOP SAYSRYAN HALL IS A

DEEP SLEEPER


LEGEND INTERVIEW

Hull FC legend Johnny Whiteley is highly regarded on Humberside. Famously never dropped

in 417 appearances for the black and whites, he went on to coach both Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers and in 2004 joined the Rugby Football League Roll of Honour, nominated by both Hull clubs.

But it is Whiteley’s exploits on the international stage which will perhaps leave the greatest legacy. One of only two Englishmen to hold two Rugby League World Cup winners’ medals, he also coached Great Britain in a RLWC and is still the last man to coach GB to an Ashes series win over the old enemy.

Whiteley celebrates his 83rd birthday later this month and as evidenced by his playing appearances on the pitch at the KC Stadium earlier this year, Johnny is still going strong. Here he shares some of his incredible memories of Rugby League World Cup tournaments gone by.

“How times have changed, it’s almost got lost in time,” Whiteley said, thinking back to the very first tournament in 1954.

“The French brought the World Cup to the fore in 1954 and at that particular time Great Britain were touring Australia. In those days everyone was part-time footballers and they had been away for 13 weeks and then to come back, the French had convened the World Cup about

six weeks after the lads got back from Australia, so they couldn’t afford to go. There was no money offered up front whatsoever, all the lads who had got jobs couldn’t afford to have more time off, so what they had to do very quickly was select a virtually new Great Britain side.

“We had one training session at Rochdale and Joe Egan was our coach. When we all met at Wigan to go to France for five weeks we hadn’t had time to get any World Cup jackets, people just turned up in suits and club blazers, a real motley crew. When we got to the bus, we were going round France in a bus from Wigan, there was no Joe Egan and we all asked, ‘where’s Joe?’ and the answer was that we couldn’t afford to take him! So we went without a coach, and that was just the start!

“When we got to Paris for our first training session nobody could speak French, they’d given us some directions but we must have gone around the Seine time after time, we couldn’t find the ground. When we did finally find the ground it was locked, so we had to climb over a gate to undo a door to get into the ground to train. When we got in, where are the rugby balls? We didn’t have any, nobody had bothered to bring any because they thought they would have some there at the ground, so we played with a sock with a vest in it. That was our first training session, without a

A HULL LIVING

LEGENDJohnny Whiteley has been there, seen it, done it and done

again at a rlWC. in an exClusive intervieW, the double World Cup Winner reCalls his long-lasting tournament memories


coach, without a ball and having had to break into the ground.

“After that first training session somebody wrote that we were the ‘Dead End Kids’. The New Zealanders had turned up in their immaculate black and white blazers, the French all in blue with a cockerel on the breast and the Australians looking immaculate in green and gold, and we turned up in lounge suits and sports jackets. The headline-writers described us as ‘England’s Dead-End Kids’. But history tells us that Great Britain were the first team to win the Rugby League World Cup.”

Whiteley was unfortunate enough to be playing in the same position as the legendary Davie Valentine in ’54 and as such was the 14th man for every game. He played a few more games in 1957, a tournament which is remembered by Johnny for what went on after the competition.

“In 1957, we had one hell of a side on paper. It was in Australia and New Zealand, but we were a disaster, we had all the blazers and everything else you would expect, but the management left a lot to be desired and as a squad we never bonded together. Unfortunately it didn’t work out and we were only a shadow of the side we could have been.

“After that tournament had finished they decided that on our way back from Australia that we would play France in three

HULL THROUGH & THROUGH

WHitely Wore tHe black and WHite sHirt of Hull for 15

years from 1950 to 1965, Won 15 Great britain caps and Was a member of tHe 1954

World cup-WinninG squad


LEGEND INTERVIEW

nobody had bothered to bring any rugby balls in ‘54 because they thought they would have some there... so we played with a sock with a vest in it”

unofficial test matches in South Africa. We had Billy Boston with us and in those days apartheid was rife and they said that Billy couldn’t come with us. We might not have been a good side, but we were still all close friends and we all vetoed the tour and said that we weren’t going. They came up with the plan to give Billy a holiday, he could fly home via Honolulu and San Francisco, that was the sweetener. We then flew to Johannesburg and played the French in three unofficial test matches and they were successful, we got 20,000 at the first game.”

Whiteley was back for a crack at another RLWC in 1960 when he went down in history, along with Mick Sullivan, as one of only two Brits to claim two winners’ medals. Ten years later and he should have had a winners’ medal as a coach,

but was denied when the organisers had a change of plan mid-way through the tournament.

“We played very well, we beat Australia easily in the first match,” Whiteley said, looking back at the 1970 Rugby League World Cup.

“At the start of the tournament they had said that whoever wins the group games would be crowned champions, but then later on they wanted to have a decider for money-making purposes. We’d won all the group games reasonably well and the lads were a little bit upset about it because we thought that we had already won the World Cup, but then we had to play Australia again.

“We had just lost an edge, and there was a big fight, John Atkinson was at the heart of it, it was a pretty good battle, but we lost the fight, lost the game, and lost the RLWC.”



Tom Briscoe is hoping to be afforded one more chance to shine as a home player

in today’s England game versus Fiji at the KC Stadium. The Featherstone flyer has been a regular feature on the wing for Hull FC over the past six seasons, but after announcing that he’ll be joining Leeds Rhinos for 2014, he’ll no longer be seen in black and white.

“I would love to play there,” Briscoe said, after his two-try performance against Ireland last Saturday put him very much in the forefront of Head Coach Steve McNamara’s thinking for today’s game.

“It will be the last time that I walk into the stadium as a home player, I’m very excited and hoping that I get a chance to play there. It is the last chance that they will be cheering for me and the last time that I will be getting cheered there because I am sure there will be a few boos and stuff the next time I return to that stadium.

“Rugby League is a massive part of the city with the two teams there, and in previous years both sides of the city have really got behind England and that’s showed in the crowd that we got there and the atmosphere that was created.

“I have played at the KC Stadium many times when it has been full and I don’t think there are many stadiums that can beat that atmosphere. Hopefully everyone can come out in force to see us playing Fiji.”

Briscoe put himself in contention with a near faultless

display against Ireland at Huddersfield last week. Brought into the team after Josh Charnley picked up a shoulder niggle, Briscoe played his part in 42-0 demolition of the Wolfhounds in front of a record crowd.

He said: “I went into the game wanting to have a good game and push my bid for a starting spot next week and hopefully I did that.

“Getting to play in front of all those fans in what was a record crowd at that stadium was good to be a part of and it was great that it was a victory as well.”

Briscoe’s wing partner Ryan Hall played his part in the record-breaking nature of the afternoon by grabbing a hat-trick and in the process becoming England’s top try-scorer of all time. Briscoe could have notched a hat-trick of

his own had French referee Thierry Alibert not ruled Sam Tomkins’ pass forward, midway through the second half, but there were otherwise encouraging signs from a centre-wing partnership with Kallum Watkins which will be seen regularly for Leeds Rhinos next year.

“It’s exciting. Kallum is a great

player and that could be a great combination for us. It’s good that

we can start building that relationship up and getting to know how each other plays now and then we can build on that going into the season firing on all cylinders.

“I spoke with Sam [Tomkins] and neither of us thought it was a forward pass, but you get those decisions and you have to deal with that. Unfortunately, it went against us, but on another day it might have gone for us. You just take it how it comes, it’s a shame that I didn’t get the hat-trick but hopefully I will have the chance to get one soon.

FAREWELL MESSAGETom Briscoe didn’T geT The chance To say goodBye To

The hull Fc FaiThFul BeFore he swiTched To leeds rhinos For 2014, however, he’s keen To geT The opporTuniTy To

sign-oFF in sTyle in an england shirT This aFTernoon


It wIll be the last tIme that I walk Into the stadIum as a home player. It Is the last chance that they wIll be cheerIng for me and the last tIme that I wIll be gettIng cheered there…”

“It’s great for Ryan and great that he has got a hat-trick. It’s good that records were being broken on the field, as well as off of it.”

After facing up to Ireland’s Pat Richard’s last weekend, Briscoe will have to be at his best yet again this afternoon against Fiji as they possess one of the most impressive finishers in the game, Akulia Uate.

Briscoe is looking forward to what he expects will be a tough afternoon in more ways than one: “There’s a lot of NRL talent within the Fiji team. I think we need to

STARTING WINGER?

Tom Briscoe is confidenT he has done

enough To keep his inTernaTional sTarTing BerTh on The righT wing

afTer his firsT-half douBle helped england

crush ireland in huddersfield lasT week

prepare for an aggressive and tough battle across the field. I have watched some of their games and you can see how tough the contact is and you see players flying out from all over, so we have got to be prepared for that and I’m sure we will be.

“I think that’s just the style of play for the players they have got within their team, they like their big hits. We have got to be wary of that, but on the flipside we have got to do it back to them as well. With the size of our forward pack, it has got to be a good battle really.”

Briscoe touchesdown in the corner for england

Briscoe won’t wear the Black and white of hull fc again But is determined to say goodBye with some tries this afternoon


EXCLUSIVE FIJI INTERVIEW

Joe Dakuitoga, one of fiJi’s favourite rugby League sons, came cLose to never pLaying the game that was to make

him a househoLD name in his homeLanD. big Joe teLLs us how a switch from union to League changeD his Life

worDs by MATT MORRIS

FIJI’S FAMOUS

CONVERT

SHEFFIELD GIGJoe was a member of

the first fiJian bati side to play at rlwC in 1995 and from that earned

a ContraCt with sheffield eagles along with waisale sovatabua

and malakai yasa

I played In the World rugby league SevenS and then our late prIme mInISter, ratu KamISeSe mara banned me from playIng rugby unIon”

Joe Dakuitoga was never supposed to be a Rugby League player for

Fiji at two Rugby League World Cups, he was never supposed to be Head Coach as the Fiji national side that shook the world at the 2008 RLWC and he was certainly never supposed to be developing the game of Rugby League in Fiji. To Big Joe 21 years ago, Rugby League was a sport that he hated.

It was 1992, Dakuitoga had been enjoying three years playing first grade rugby union in the southern district of Australia, when he answered a call from some of his fellow Fijian nationals asking him to take part in Rugby League’s now defunct World Rugby League Sevens. The tournament, based in Sydney, seemed like a small step to take, but one that had major consequences for the rest of Dakuitoga’s life in sport.

“I played in that tournament and then our late Prime Minister, Ratu Kamisese Mara, banned me from playing rugby union. I was banned for life and I didn’t know what to do,”

Dakuitoga said as he looks back to those life-changing politically fuelled decisions.

Big Joe was a self-confessed ‘hater’ of Rugby League in those early days, but left with no choice but to forge a career in the ‘other code’, he’s now credited for his pioneering development work in a country which is fast becoming a nation mad for Rugby League.

“I hated the physicality of the game, it was very brutal, when I first watched Rugby League I was really scared, the likes of Steve Roach and Beetson, they played the game very physical, very dangerous.

“It was a struggle at first,” Dakuitoga said of his early years in Rugby League.

“I went on to play for Guildford in the Metropolitan Cup in Australia, represented New South Wales in the Metropolitan Cup and from that I landed a two-year contract with Penrith Panthers in the 94/95 season.

‘I didn’t know anything about the NRL, I was just enjoying myself and then Penrith Panthers

came for me which was a shock.“I saw how a Rugby League

club could look after someone who had come all the way from Fiji to play rugby all of his life. After just one year in Rugby League from 1992 I was representing New South Wales in 1993 and then to land a contract with Penrith, even though I was still learning the game.”

Joe was a member of the first Fijian Bati side to play at RLWC in 1995, and from that earned a contract with Sheffield Eagles along with Waisale Sovatabua and Malakai Yasa. He returned with Fiji in 2000 and was then awarded the ultimate honour of coaching the nation in 2008, a tournament that saw the Bati reach the Semi-Finals. The success of Fiji in 2008 will only have served to increase the interest in the sport back home, which will have helped Dakuitoga’s current role as Rugby League Development officer for Fiji.

“To be selected as the Head Coach for 2008 was a great honour for me, especially for my family back home in Fiji. It really broadened my knowledge of the game, along with Max Ninness from St George Illawarra Dragons, he was my technical advisor and

Joe Dakuitoga was HeaD CoaCH

of tHe fiJi 2008 Rugby League

woRLD Cup siDe

grow. We started with two zones and now we have got six zones. We are just starting to develop the game on Vanua, the second largest island in Fiji, so from next year they will start to run their own competition.

“It’s great to be one of the pioneers of Rugby League in Fiji and if rugby union doesn’t start looking after their players a bit better then maybe we will overtake them in the next few years. The way things are going now, there is a lot of interest in our sport, the people of Fiji are supporting us and it is a great honour to be a part of this campaign to try and lift the sport of Rugby League in Fiji.”

he helped me a lot in the preparation. To reach the Semi-Finals was a big achievement for us and for Fiji Rugby League as a whole. We had only started in 1992, so to come that far in so little time was a really big achievement.

“From six clubs in 1992 we now have about 45 clubs, so Rugby League in Fiji is really starting to


FIJI Q&A

TACKLE

SIXQ&A

Tariq SimS

What is your favourite word?I always say ‘sweet’ or ‘too easy’. Everyone seems to say that, it’s ridiculous.

If you could edit your past what would you change?I’ve got a bit of a shady past as a teenager, so probably my teenage years. I wasn’t a bad boy, I just hung around the wrong blokes.

What song would you like played at your funeral?Knocking on Heaven’s Door.

Property aside, what is the most expensive thing that you have bought?My truck, my F150, it’s a ute.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?I would probably cut out all the junk food. I am a big fan of McDonalds and Hungry Jacks, it’s my Achilles heel.

What keeps you awake at night?The TV. I like sleeping with the TV on and if it goes off I always put it back on. I put a sleeper on it as well. It’s a weird thing, I like watching TV and falling asleep with it on.

After sPeAkIng to hIs bIg brother Ashton eArlIer In the tournAment It’s noW tIme to cAtch uP WIth tArIQ sIms for the lAtest edItIon of tAckle sIx

GOLDEN ARCHESTariq SimS iS a big fan of macDonalDS anD he SayS he’D

love To SiDeSTep The poST maTch paSTa for a big mac


PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Scotland go toe-to-toe with new Zealand thiS evening in headingley for the firSt time, but there haS been one previouS

outing of note albeit when the maoriS viSited theSe ShoreS in 2000


HEAD TO HEAD

It’s perhaps a little remarkable that in the long history of Rugby League, and the rich tradition of games in the other

code, New Zealand and Scotland have never actually met in a Rugby League international.

However, there was one occasion when 13 Scotsmen went head-to-head with 13 people of New Zealand-birth, when in the Rugby League World Cup of 2000, the New Zealand Maoris turned up at Partick Thistle’s Firhill Stadium, in Glasgow, to tackle Scotland in the opening game of Group 4.

Scotland were coached by an Australian with Scottish heritage, Shaun McRae, a nice Scottish name if there ever was one, however, Shaun’s ‘McRae’ was top-trumped by the Scottish name of Maoris Head Coach, Cameron Wilson Bell, a New Zealander whose father was a Scottish railwayman from Lanarkshire.

Cameron Wilson Bell’s link to the more-famous Kiwi New Zealanders was also strong in that his son was Kiwi Test star and former captain, Dean.

This match represented the very first Rugby League World Cup match for both teams and they served up a real thriller in front of more than 2,000 fans.

Scotland’s team was made up of a mix of NRL and Super League stars, Castleford’s Australian Andrew Purcell and Hull’s Englishman Richard Horne operating in the half-back roles.

There was no question marks over the authenticity of the New Zealand Maoris, many of their side had previously, or would go on to, represent the Kiwis in

headerScotland 16–17 nZ MāorI

tries: lee penny, maiden, geoff bell

goals: graham mackay, matt

crowther

tries: clinton toopi 2, david

Kidwellgoals: gene

ngamu 2drop goals:

ngamu

international Rugby League. One of them would grace the RLWC stage at the very highest level, hooker Henry Perenara, who is now on the panel of match officials at RLWC2013.

Those who turned up witnessed a classic. Scotland tries from Geoff Bell, David Maiden and Lee Penny, were matched by a brace from Clinton Toopi and another from David Kidwell, but it was left to former Kiwi Test player Gene Ngamu to settle the affair, scoring a well-placed drop goal, to break Scotland’s hearts and give the Maoris their first win of the tournament.

Scotland went on to suffer further defeats to Ireland and

Samoa in the tournament, whilst the victory stands on the Maoris record as their only win in Rugby League World Cup history after they backed up the win with losses to Samoa and Ireland.

NZ Maori liNe upat 2000 rlWC


BIG KIWI INTERVIEW

Three wins from three games in Group B to reach this stage, have things gone to plan so far?We went through the group games with the idea of improving as the tournament went on and it has gone according to plan in that sense. It was a real shame to lose Tommy Leuluai and we have picked up a couple of bumps and bruises that we really need to keep an eye on.

You said at the start of the tournament that you expected RLWC2013 to be the most competitive World Cup ever, do you think that that has been the case?You just need to look at the quality of talent over here, in all of the groups. I think with a lot of teams, when you look at Italy, and certainly Scotland, other teams didn’t really anticipate was how much it means to those sorts of teams. Looking at the way they have performed, it’s a real positive of this World Cup, to see those teams doing really well.

Your opening game of the tournament against Samoa has been regarded as one of the great games of the group stages. Was that the type of games your guys needed to break yourself into this tournament?We certainly got what we expected. In the way that we did it, jumping out to an early lead and then allowing Samoa

back into the game, it probably wasn’t the way we would have liked it to have happened. We anticipated a real contest and they certainly gave it to us in that second half. There was always going to be the case of us finding our feet and I think all the teams have been a bit like that. If you look at Australia, I don’t think that they would have been really happy with their performance against England in their first game, the same with England who have slowly and gradually improved with every performance.

Did that Samoa comeback serve as a warning that you can’t take anything for granted in this tournament?We have had constant reminders. You look at Scotland’s win over Tonga and Tonga’s win over Italy, there’s examples of not taking anything for granted in this competition right the way through it. Italy versus England, Fiji’s first half versus England, there is enough reminders there for them to know that any sort of drop-off in your play, you are going to pay a price for. I guess that has been our focus, more on making sure we get our performance right.

What has particularly pleased you in the wins over France and PNG?I thought that the way that we defended against France was an improvement on the week before against Samoa.

KIWIS IN FINE FETTLE

We CauGhT uP WiTh NeW ZeaLaND heaD CoaCh STePheN KeaRNeY aT The STaRT oF The TouRNameNT, WheRe he

PReDiCTeD oNe oF The moST ComPeTiTive RuGBY LeaGue WoRLD CuPS eveR. The KiWi BoSS DRoPPeD BY FoR aNoTheR

ChaT aheaD oF ToNiGhT’S maTCh aGaiNST SCoTLaND

WoRDS BY JOE WhITELEY

Kiwi bossstephenKearney


BIG KIWI INTERVIEW

Although it was a different team and they threw something different at you in terms of the attack, I thought the way that the lads applied themselves in their defensive effort against France was a pleasing aspect for me. Despite the scoreline, and I know it’s a cliché, the French side threw a lot at us in a really competitive environment, their defence held up pretty well and you could see how much it meant to them. They played in front of 17,000 and you could see that it was really important to them and they played that way. The scoreline certainly flattered us, it wasn’t as one-sided as it seemed.

around a long time, he’s a super competitor, he knows the game really well and I can see part of him going well is that he has taken the leadership and ownership role of pushing the Bravehearts team around.

With young Danny I spent 12 months with him at hull FC and he was a kid who always struck me as someone with a great deal of talent and to see him get the Man of Steel was really pleasing for someone who, from a distance, has followed his career. It has always been encouraging to see him performing like that, he has got a wonderful kicking game, he’s super-smart with the footy.

I’ve got no doubt that’s why they are performing so well, they are two really good halves.

Danny Brough kicked the winning goal and had a great game for hull FC when you won the Challenge Cup together.he did. I hope I had some sort of impact on his career, too! he was a good kid when I played with him, probably a little bit of a rough diamond, but it is good to see him going really well.

Finally a word on your hosts, Leeds. headingley has almost become your home venue for RLWC2013.It has been wonderful. We have been working out of Leeds Academy, doing our training out of there and it has been really positive for us. I’ve met up with Gary hetherington a couple of times already and it has been great to see him, see how he has been going.

peterwallace

Kearney says he’s been pleased with training at leedsrhinos’ base

I thought that fIrst half agaInst Png was the most- comPlete Performance from us so far”

Against Papua New Guinea, the first-half attacking structures for us were really good and again that was an improvement on the back of the week before. We identified that our attack the week before wasn’t so good and we wanted to improve that side of things and I thought that first half against PNG was the most complete performance from us so far.

Your big players, Kieran Foran and Sonny Bill Williams, have led the tournament statistics in the areas that you would have expected them to, but are there any other Kiwi players who have stood out for you?Those two are the obvious names, but in these early stages of the tournament I think they have all put their hands up. The forwards in particular, Sam Kasiano’s performance against France was a really good one, Jesse Bromwich’s game against Samoa, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s performances in particular points of the tournament. They have all made really good contributions and it’s just a matter of, against Scotland, making sure everyone makes a good contribution for 80 minutes.

Looking at your opponents this evening, Scotland. You are probably more qualified than most to talk about their half-back pairing because you played alongside Danny Brough at hull FC and you coached Peter Wallace at Brisbane.I have had 12 months with Pete and I know what he has given the Scottish team. he’s been


EXCLUSIVE SCOTLAND INTERVIEW

ALL MOUTH AND NO

TROUSERSScotland’S nRl StaR luke douglaS SayS he’S a tRue

ScotSman in eveRy SenSe and will weaR hiS kilt with pRide both befoRe and afteR thiS

evening’S QuaRteR-final claSh with new Zealand

woRdS by MATT MORRIS

I f anyone need question Luke Douglas’s Scotland authenticity, they should just check underneath his kilt.

Douglas, an ever-present in a record-equalling 194 consecutive first grade matches for the Gold Coast Titans, has been wearing the Scottish kilt with pride during Rugby League World Cup 2013 and true to tradition he’s keeping things real by going commando!

“There’s no underwear allowed to be worn underneath it,” Douglas said of the tartan tradition, which has been adopted by all members of Steve McCormack’s Scotland squad.

“We’ve got a bit of a fine system, if we disobey rules we have to roll a dice, so if someone was to catch you out there are consequences for wearing underwear. You’d probably get away with it, but a couple of the boys have been done when they have been sitting down and they have been fined.”

The cold weather and lack of underwear has not hindered Douglas’s form at RLWC2013, he’s continued his run of first grade games by featuring in each of Scotland’s group games, scoring a try in the victory over USA last week and ranking second in the tournament’s top tacklers.

The 27-year-old is delighted to be continuing that run into the Quarter-Finals today with the Bravehearts, against the world champion Kiwis: “It will be a tough one, but definitely exciting. You’ve got an elite squad there, whereas our squad is made up of some full-time and some part-time players. Hopefully the boys can all get together and put in a really good performance, but we are really excited about it.

“From day one since I arrived the boys have ripped into training and I knew that we had the squad here, it was just a matter of putting it all together.

“We didn’t trial that well against Papua New Guinea, we lost that, but it was a building block, we tried a lot of things out on the day and people were finding their way in the team, but we can definitely hold our heads up high and say that we have come away from the pool round undefeated, which has been really good.”

Douglas admits that his size and lack of pace may have helped contribute to his record run of consecutive games for the Titans and Scotland, it’s an element of fortune which his teammate Ben Fisher could have done with, the Scotland stalwart desperately missing out on the USA game after tearing his calf in the warm-up.

“I’ve had a few close calls but I’ve been able to stay out on the

Luke DougLas hashaD a great rLWC2013


EXCLUSIVE SCOTLAND INTERVIEW

paddock,” the big forward said. “I have been fairly lucky, a lot of guys have big injuries, but a lot of mine have come at the right time so I have been able to do stuff in the off-season and that hasn’t really stopped me from playing.

“I have been very lucky, when I do get bumps and bruises I try to keep on top of them and I suppose being a bigger guy I don’t reach the top speeds that the fast guys do, so there is no chance of pulling any muscles.

“Ben Fisher has been involved in the squad for a while and he’s retiring after this tournament and before the game he was in the dressing room saying ‘come on boys, don’t make this my last game’ and then that happened in the warm-up, it was the last thing we were doing in the warm-up before we went back in the sheds.

“It’s heart-breaking for him, even when we were doing the national anthems he was standing directly opposite us on crutches and ice, with his wife and son, and he was in tears. My heart goes out to him and that win against USA was for him.”

Douglas is not the only Gold Coast Titans player tearing it up for the Bravehearts at RLWC2013; rookie full-back Matty Douglas has given Warrington fans a tantalising glimpse of what they will be getting next season with four tries in three games for Scotland. It’s the kind of form which comes as no surprise to Douglas: “He was full-time training at the Titans and I’ve known Matty pretty well, he’s a good bloke and he has always trained hard.

“He didn’t really get an opportunity at the Titans, he played well in the National Youth Competition, which is the Under 20s. But he’s such a young guy, he’s 20 years old, he’s got a whole career ahead of him, so it’s great to see him get his

opportunity with Scotland and he is definitely making the most of it, he’s been outstanding.

“We’ve got a few guys like that. Alex Hurst had a great game on the wing against USA, he’s still unsigned for 2014, he’s obviously showing his worth. Ben Hellewell in the centres is pretty much unknown and he has been outstanding for us, also. I know Kane Linnett from the Cowboys, he has been awesome as well.”

Luke is not the only member of the Douglas clan playing international rugby in the UK this autumn. Younger brother Kane played against England for Australia rugby union a fortnight ago and with a game against Scotland at Murrayfield on the horizon, there could have been a question of divided loyalties. But Douglas Snr hasn’t worn a kilt for nothing over the past few weeks.

“I’ll be supporting Scotland! I just hope he plays well,” Douglas said, putting to bed any doubts as to where his allegiances lie.

“I’m the eldest brother and I’m very proud of what he is achieving, he has been awesome. He got a game

at Twickenham and they played at Italy last weekend, he has got a couple more games, one in Wales and then the Edinburgh game.

i knew that we had the squad here, it was just a matter of putting it all together”

SCOTLAND’S NRL

CONTINGENTDOUGLAS, whOSe GrAnDfAther IS

OrIGInALLy frOm GLASGOw, IS One Of

fOUr nrL pLAyerS tO pLAy fOr ScOtLAnD thIS yeAr. the Other three beInG peter wALLAce

(brISbAne), JAmeS mcmAnUS (newcAStLe)

AnD KAne LInnett (nOrth QUeenSLAnD)

Luke DougLas


So, the Group StaGeS are over, and what a pulSatinG and breathleSS paSt three weekS we have juSt witneSSed. From workinGton to briStol, aviGnon to limerick, rlwc2013 haS

captured the imaGination oF ruGby leaGue FanS new and old. let’S take a look and how the Story haS unFolded So Far…

wordS by MAtt MORRis

tHE stORY SO FAR

The build-up to the opening match at Cardiff’s Millennium stadium certainly made

a few headlines. ‘Hock-gate’ made ripples beyond the traditional Rugby League media, but ultimately it was England versus Australia, on the pitch, which held the main stage. the fireworks provided by a spectacular opening ceremony were matched by steve McNamara’s side as they raced into a convincing lead against tim sheens’ pre-tournament favourites. But the Kangaroos showed their

patience and confidence to claw their way back into the game and grab an unassailable advantage, winning 28-20.

What followed at the Millennium stadium set the tone for the remainder of the group stages. italy had already sent a warning shot across the bow with their defeat of England in a pre-tournament friendly, so when they shook co-hosts Wales 32-16 in a Group C/D clash, the old guard of international Rugby League sat up and took notice.

GeorGe BurGesstakes on australiahead on

tHE GROUP stAGEs

italy’s anthonylaffranchi istackled By Wales’neil BudWorth


tHE GROUP stAGEs

Group b GetS under wayFrance and Papua New Guinea served up a tense thriller at Hull’s Craven Park to open proceedings in Group B. Le Chanticleers edged it 9-8, but not before PNG’s saw defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, David Mead cruelly missing a last-minute penalty.

As that game came to a close, World Champions New Zealand got their campaign under way with a bruising battle with the samoans. Leading 36-4 at one stage, the Kiwis were shook by a heroic samoan fight-back, which at 36-24 promised a stunning finale. sonny-Bill Williams memorably bombed a try, but stephen Kearney’s side put the game beyond doubt when Manu Vatuvei completed his hat-trick with seven minutes left on the clock.

rlwc2013 heatS upGroup A action continued at Rochdale where the Fijians felt right at home thanks to the efforts of the local community. Rick stone’s Bati had too much raw power, pace and precision for Mark Aston’s ireland - Fiji comfortable 32-14 winners.

the focus switched further north when tonga and scotland renewed acquaintances at Workington’s Derwent Park. tonga had demolished the Bravehearts at their last meeting in RLWC2008, but steve McCormack’s men gained sweet revenge with a brilliant but fraught 26-24 victory.

the opening round of fixtures quite possibly saved the best till last at Bristol’s aptly named Memorial Ground. Few will forget the moment the Us tomahawks ‘shocked the World’ to clinch a landmark maiden RLWC victory over the Cook islands.

france’s MichaelsiMon is tackled ByPnG’s neville costiGan

neW Zealand-saMoa at WarrinGton turnedinto a thriller

usa celeBrate afaMous victoryover the cooks


THE QUARTER-FINALS

neW Zealand v scotland at headinGley (leeds) on

friday noveMBer 15,

australia v usa at racecourse stadiuM

(WrexhaM) on saturday noveMBer 16

enGland v france at dW stadiuM (WiGan)

on saturday noveMBer 16

fiji v saMoa at halliWell jones

stadiuM (WarrinGton) on sunday noveMBer 17

laying down a clear message of intent with a 38-4 triumph.

the final round of fixtures provided plenty of excitement, especially in the opening game where at salford City stadium, scotland knew that they had to win against the tomahawks to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout stages. things didn’t look too good when the Bravehearts were 8-0 down to the already-qualified Americans, but a fearless second half performance saw them come from behind to win 22-8. Even with that victory, steve McCormack’s men were in limbo, awaiting the outcome of results elsewhere to know their fate.

FavouriteS proGreSSthe top three ranked sides were in dominant form as the group stages headed for the final weekend. New Zealand retained their 100 per cent record with a

convincing 56-10 victory over PNG in front of more than 18,000 fans at Headingley.

England also enjoyed a good win on saturday, but not before being made to work hard by an industrious Fiji side. More than 25,000 fans turned up at Hull’s KC stadium and they saw the Bati shock the hosts, taking the lead before England’s class told to power to a 34-12 win and

track when they played host to the UsA at Wrexham. But terry Matterson’s men had not read the script, emulating their opening victory by winning 24-16, knocking the Welsh out in the process and all-but securing their passage to the knockout stages themselves.

Later that day and Group C was kept very much alive when scotland and italy produced a classic, tied 30-30 after 80 minutes, to keep their unbeaten records intact, the Bravehearts and the Azzurri would need to win their final group games to have any chance of reaching the Quarter-Finals.

crunch timeOne team teetering on the brink of elimination were Adrian Lam’s PNG. the Kumuls had hoped that the ‘home’ Hull support would inspire them to victories, but they were left wanting when the samoans came to town

to France and backRLWC2013 crossed the English Channel for the second phase of the group stages and New Zealand showed exactly why they are defending RLWC champions with a dominant 48-0 victory over the French.

England and Australia were equally impressive in their second round of fixtures in Group A. A Ryan Hall hat-trick took England to a 42-0 victory over ireland in front of a record crowd at Huddersfield; later in the day, Australia secured their progress to the knockout stages with a 34-2 win over Fiji in filthy weather conditions at st Helens.

Super Sunday November 3 2013 may well be remembered as ‘super sunday’ when we look back at RLWC2013 in years to come. iestyn Harris’ Wales were hopeful of getting their tournament chances back on

secured second place in Group A.Australia’s trip across the irish

sea was equally fruitful, they posted their best scoreline of the tournament in a 50-0 triumph over the Mark Aston’s ireland. the final result from Group A ensured that the Kangaroos finished top of the pile, whilst the Fijians qualified in third place.

pride on the lineWith neither Wales nor the Cook islands able to reach the knockout stages, there was nothing more than pride on the line when the two sides clashed at the Gnoll in Neath. it was another close one for iestyn Harris’s men, but despite a strong second half showing, they fell short losing 28-24 to the Kukis.

Final Group StaGe actionthe big game of the weekend came at Halifax’s the shay where italy knew that a win against tonga would set them up with a dream Quarter-Final with World Champions New Zealand. scotland were interested observers, knowing that a slip-up by the Azzurri would see the Bravehearts progress, and steve McCormack’s men were made to sweat after a first half without tries. But tonga’s power, including a man-of-the-match performance from Fuifui Moimoi, proved to be too much for the italians and they crashed out of RLWC2013 losing 16-0, meaning that scotland progressed to a match-up with the Kiwis.

the curtain was brought down on the group stages over in France where samoa continued their resurgent form against the co-hosts. it was another brutal battle, with neither side taking any prisoners, and with the reward of avoiding England in the Quarters, there was plenty to play for. the sides were level at the break, but samoa pulled away in the second stanza to record a 22-6 victory and set-up a tie with Fiji at Warrington.

italy’s anthonyMinichiello andscotland’s dale ferGusonBattle for the Ball

jarryd hayne touches doWn at

thoMond Park

Wales and cook islandsWere the first to Be eliMinated

tonGa’s fuifuiMoiMoi celeBratesvictory With Brentkite at the shay

saMoa’s daniel vidot scores a try aGainst france in PerPiGnan

tHE GROUP stAGEs

GRoUp STATSaustralia, neW Zealand and scotland Were the only teaMs

Who reMained unBeaten in the tournaMent. only ireland, Wales and PaPua neW Guinea Were Without a Win

enGland’s ryan hall is the tournaMent’s toP try-scorer so far With six,

italy’s Paul vauGhan is the toP Metre-Maker With 497, ireland’s rory kostjasyn is the toP tackler With 140 tackles Made and kiWi shaun johnson has kicked the Most Goals, BootinG 21 BetWeen the Posts

neW Zealand have scored the Most tries With 26, australia Made the

Most Metres With 4698, scotland Made the Most tackles With 1039, While neW Zealand GraBBed the Most Goals With shaun johnson’s 21


TACKLE

SIXDaviD Scott haS been chomping at the bit to get a chance for the braveheartS at rugby League WorLD cup 2013. it finaLLy came LaSt Week againSt the uSa anD We kept him buSy after, firing our Six queStionS at him

What is your favourite word?Boob. You can spell it backwards and also write it on a calculator. It’s a great word.

What song would you like played at your funeral?Don’t Look Back In Anger. It’s my favourite song, it’s the best song in the world, so why not have it. I’m a massive Oasis fan and it would be nice if they could play at my funeral, hopefully they will get back together before I die.

is it better to give or receive?Definitely give. Christmas is coming up and I think it is always a better feeling when you give someone a nice present.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?I don’t like it when you talk to people and they are right in your face, invading your personal area. It really grinds my gears. I call people like that Space Invaders.

What is the closest you have come to death?I was seven years old, I was on my skateboard and I fell off and my skateboard went off into the road. I chased after it and almost got hit by a bus. My dad said it was a couple of feet away from hitting me, he thought the back wheel almost hit me.

SCOTLAND Q&A

SCOTT DODGED DEATH WHEN A BUS NEARLY HIT HIM WHEN

HE FELL OFF HIS SKATEBOARD AS A 7-YEAR-OLD IN

SCOTLAND”

What is your most treasured possession?My laptop. It has got all my university work on it and if I lost that it would be a right nightmare and I wouldn’t be doing very well at uni, either.

q&aDaviD Scott

A CLOSE CALL

SCOTT DODGED DEATH WHEN A BUS NEARLY HIT

HIM HAVING FELL OFF HIS SKATEBOARD AS A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD

IN SCOTLAND


NZ Q&A

ROB LIKES HIS HOLIDAYS IN THE OFF-SEASON AND HAS GOT A SWISH VILLA IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA!

TACKLE

SIXQ&A

Dean Whare

When are you happiest?Probably when I am with my family – my little one and my partner. They are in Sydney at the moment, a long way away. Six weeks without them is pretty tough.

What is your most treasured possession?My little one. She means everything to me and I would protect her over anything. Having a little one changes your perspective of life and makes your realise that material things are not important.

What is most important lesson life has taught you?The reason I am so humble is because of my family. When I get out onto the field every week I play for those people, they give me the motivation of getting on there each week, especially my grandparents – they brought me up.

What has been your biggest disappointment?Injury. I had some injuries earlier in my career and in 2010 I smashed my ankle and was out for six months. When I was 17 I broke my leg.

Which living person do you most admire and why?My grandparents. I was brought up by them, they were like my parents and they mean everything to me. My grandmother passed just before I came on tour and that’s given me more motivation to try and win this World Cup for her.

Where would you most like to be right now?At home with my family, especially my little one. She’s my first so it is hard being away. I am glad I am here though, trying to bring something home for my country and family.

KiWi centre DeAn WhAre hAs fAceD some tricKy opponents in his cAreer, so hoW Does he fAre With our six personAL Questions?


FLASHBACK

THE NEARLYMEN we joruney back to

December 1 2004 anD the Day when international rugby league minnows usa nearly toppleD australia on their worlD tour

worDs by JOE WHITELEY, MATT MORRIS & IAN CHEVEAU

Four 20-minute quarters, an AstroTurf pitch, running commentary over the PA system

and American Football posts. Those were all part of what

was nearly the biggest sporting shock of all time back in 2004.

That meeting between today’s opponents USA and Australia was the first and only meeting in their history, until today.

Franklin Field, Philadelphia was the venue, as Australia ended their 2004 Four Nations Tour with a short stop-off in America, where they had arranged to play


AustrAliA, 20041. Fullback MATT BOWE 2. Winger LUKE ROONEY 3. centre MATT COOPER 4. centre BRENT TATE 5. Winger MATT SING 6. Five-eighth DARREN LOCKYER 7. halFback BRETT KIMMORLEY 8. ProP WILLIE MASON 9. hooker SCOTT HILL 10. ProP MARK O’MELEY 11. Second roW PETERO CIVENOCEVA 12. Second roW NATHAN HINDMARSH 13. lock BEN KENNEDY

FLASHBACK

the Tomahawks in a one- off friendly match.

But, nobody expected the game to go quite as it did, as the Kangaroos were left shell shocked by a first-half performance from a USA side made up mainly of amateurs and Rugby League newcomers.

The Tomahawks went into the break leading the greatest Rugby League side in the world 24-6, and it was only a second-half fightback from the Kangaroos that saved them from the embarrassment of defeat, as they eventually ran out 36-24 winners.

petero civoniceva “We were coming off the euphoria of winning the Tri-Nations and we went to Philadelphia and obviously we were

all feeling very good. We thought that it was going to be a great opportunity to get into the game, but the Americans came with a lot of passion and a lot of toughness and at half-time it was going to be very embarrassing for Australia.

When you talk about great memories that will be up there, just to be thinking that we were playing Rugby League in Philadelphia in front of a great crowd. It didn’t go to plan in that first 40 minutes and I remember the coach coming in at half-time and saying ‘boys you need to pull this together, because if you get beat it is going to be one of the greatest embarrassments in Australian sporting history’. I think all of a sudden we realised we were in a game and we were lucky enough to turn it around.”

matt petersen“It was a positive reaction in Philadelphia. I know in Australia it was a bit negative, because a couple of the Aussie players

got injured, but over there it was great, we were on The Morning Show and stuff like that.

During the game the ground announcer was explaining what a knock-on was, and he would explain why it was a scrum, and the same goes for if there was a forward pass or a penalty. It wasn’t continuously throughout the game, but every time there was a penalty, a try or a mistake, they explained it.

I remember it being a freezing night, it was raining and they still got a fair crowd of about 13,000. They did well to come out there; it was a great experience.

Franklin Field, there was a great history there, and all that part of it made it a great week. We went to have a look around where the Philadelphia Eagles are, all the Rocky stuff, the Liberty Bell, it’s a really historic town and that was one of the perks of going away to play with the American team.

We had a great week, all the American boys were great lads, we knew what we were up against, so we took the attitude

that we would give it our best. Luckily we got them at the back

of the Tri-Nations and I am sure that they had had a couple of nights out, but it’s an experience that I will never forget.”

brandon costin “When I walked into the stadium and I looked around before game day, I just thought, ‘what is going on?’ it was just a bit surreal.

It was exciting to be a part of it and meet those people, and even playing in that stadium was strange, because it was artificial turf.

It was just a whole different scene and to me that was exciting.

That would have been the biggest sporting upset in history, without a doubt. If America had gone on to win it would have been astronomical and I’d love to see what the odds were in a two horse race at the start!

To a degree I think they may have underestimated us. They were the best Rugby League team in the world and I think they knew they weren’t going to be beaten. They were enjoying the experience of it, and because of that they were making a great deal of fundamental errors.

For those young American players who were playing in the domestic competition, that was their Grand Final. They were so passionate and enthusiastic, that it assisted in putting the Australians off a little bit.

The American guys were just so keen to get out there and test themselves and have a sense of what it’s like to play against the best team in the world.”

brent tatePlaying in that American game in Philadelphia was some

experience. They nearly beat us that night. We’d just come off the back of a big tournament and we were there for an exhibition

match. The caught us off guard a little bit but we managed to pull it back after half time. They played with plenty of passion and enthusiasm but fortunately for us we just about managed to turn it around. It was a good stepping stone for the USA team and an experience that I suppose I’ll always remember.

The Kangaroos were lefT shell shocKed by a firsT-half performance from a Usa side made

Up mainly of amaTeUrs and rUgby leagUe newcomers”

And judging by the team Australia named, they weren’t taking the game lightly, as Darren Lockyer, Petero Civoniceva and Brent Tate all lined up to face the Tomahawks.

On the opposite side, though, there were only two recognisable names, former Super League and NRL players Matt Petersen and Brandon Costin, who had the role of organising the USA team from the half-back positions.

RLWC2013 caught up with four men who played on that day, to see what they could remember from the game.


CYFWELIAD ECSGLIWSIF

Nid dyma’r rowNd go-gyNderfyNol yr hoffai cefNogwyr cymru, gaN iddyNt fyNd allaN o dwrNameNt

rlwc2013 bythefNos yN ôl, oNd bydd cyN-hyfforddwr y dreigiau clive griffiths yN cefNogi ei heN ffriNd

terry mattersoN a’r tomahawks pryNhawN yma

geiriau gaN MAtt MORRIS

GRIFFITHS YN CEFNOGI

UDA

N i ddisgwyliodd pobl Gogledd Cymru y gem rhwng Awstralia v Yr Unol

Daleithiau yn rowndiau go-gynderfynol Cwpan y Byd 2013, ond cred hyfforddwr North Wales Crusader, Clive Griffiths y bydd pobl Wrecsam yn cefnogi’r tomohawks ar gyfer yr ornest y prynhawn yma.

Gwyddai Griffiths am wynebu’r Kangaroos; fel prif hyfforddwr Cymru yng Nghwpan y Byd Rygbi Cynghrair 2000, fe fu bron i’w dim gyflawni sioc pan oeddent ar y blaen yn erbyn Awstralia gyda 20 munud yn unig ar ôl yn y rownd gyn-derfynol yn Huddersfield.

Mae’n siomedig na fydd yn gweld y Dreigiau yn y rownd go-gynderfynol yn RLWC2013 ond hoffai weld sut y bydd yr Unol Daleithiau yn dod ymlaen yn un o hanesion mwyaf hudol y twrnament.

“Nid dyma’r gem fwyaf dymunol, ond dyna rygbi xiii ar adegau” meddai’r Cymro balch wrth edrych ymlaen i’r gem rhwng y Awstralia Kangaroos a’r tomohawks.

“Mae’n mynd i fod yn dasg anodd, dwi ddim yn gwybod sut y byddai’r dorf yn

ymateb, oherwydd fe gurodd UDA y Cymry, ond dwi yn gwybod y byddent yn gweiddi dros yr UDA.

“Byddent yn cefnogi’r tim gwannaf, fel yr oeddem ninnau ar y noson y gwynebon ni Awstralia.”

“Dwi’n adnabod terry Matterson, mae’n ffrind da i mi a dwi’n meddwl y bydd yn rhoi i fyny ei ddinasyddiaeth Awstralia er mwyn ennill y gem hon. Bydd yn hyderus, a bydd yn edrych ymlaen at y gem a bydd wedi paratoi ei chwaraewyr yn dda”

“Yn 2000, yn y rownd gyn-derfynol yn erbyn Awstralia, roedd gennym ni ddechreuad o 60 gyda’r bwci; ac ar yr awr roedd y sgor Cymru 22 Awstralia 20. Do, fe ddaethon nhw drwyddi yn y diwedd fel y mae timau gorau yn gwneud, ond nid oedd unrhyw ddisgwyliad gan neb. Rydych yn defnyddio hynny a dweud wrth eich bechgyn ‘edrychwch, meant wedi dangos diffyg parch i ni, roeddent yn blasé yng nghynhadledd y wasg, meant wedi gorffwyso chwaraewyr’, fe roddon ni

fraw ofnadwy i Awstralia y noson honno ac fe roddodd hynny hwb i Awstralia i guro Seland Newydd yn yr wythnosau canlynol.

“Fe adeiladon ni ar label y ‘tim

gwannaf’, doedd gennym ni ddim byd i’w golli, os gollon ni o 60 pwynt ni fyddai unrhyw berson yn dweud rhywbeth ta beth, ond ni wnaethon ni hynny a does dim y fath air a ‘methu’.

“Mae hyn yn gyfle i fechgyn UDA i fynd allan a dangos yr hyn y maent yn gallu gwneud. Mae yna un neu ddau o fechgyn sydd wedi eu lleoli yn Awstralia, a rhai sydd wedi eu geni yno ac yn ddilys trwy eu treftadaeth; ond byddent yn edrych ymlaen am hyn. Y peth gorau y mae terry wedi gallu gwneud ydyw gorffwyso rhai chwaraewyr yng ngem olaf y grwp oherwydd y maent wedi mynd trwyddo yn barod.

Mae stori anhygoel yr UDA yn RLWC2013 wedi rhoi Rygbi Cynghrair Cymru yn y cysgodion eleni, ond er hyn mae Griffiths yn deall na fydd datblygiad hir-dymor

chwaraewyr o Gymru yn digwydd dros nos.

Mae angen amynedd, meddai. “Os oes dyfodol i fod ar gyfer y gamp, a chynnydd yn y gamp mae angen cymorth arnom ni

LLun o Griffiths yn ystod ei Gyfnod feL prif hyfforddwr Cymru

iestyn harris yn erbyn awstraLia yn 2000

CYMRU YN RHOI BRAW I AWSTRALIA YN 2000

Newidiodd iestyN Harris i safle cefNwr, gyda mewNwyr lee Briers ac iaN watsoN; ac o gaNlyNiad

fe acHoswyd llawer o BroBlemau i’r KaNgaroos cyN cael eu trecHu gaNddyNt yNg NgHwpaN y Byd rygBi cyNgHrair 2000. fodd ByNNag, cymru oedd y

tim cyNtaf am 12 mis i sgorio mwy Na dau gais yN erByN awstralia.

gan y mawrion. Mae Wigan wedi dangos eu diddordeb yn Ne Cymru yn barod.

“Rydym newydd ddechrau yng Ngogledd Cymru nawr, rydym wedi cael dwy flynedd mewn


CYFWELIAD ECSGLIWSIF

Fe Fyddent yn ceFnogi’r tim gwannaF, Fel yr oeddent hwythau y noson y chwaraeon ni yn erbyn awstralia”

bodolaeth a thra ei bod wedi bod yn ymdrechu’n galed i sefydlu y Crusaders, mae’n rhaid dechrau ehangu a gwneud yr un peth eto er mwyn sicrhau na fydd yr un peth yn digwydd eto.

“Rydym wedi gwneud pethau y ffordd cywir y tro yma, rydym wedi gweithio’n ffordd i fyny i’r bencampwriaeth a mae’n rhaid i ni sefydlu ein hunain yno a gweithio o gwmpas hynny. Os gallwn ni ddenu y bobl iawn a’r gefnogaeth iawn, bydd yn ein galluogi i gael strwythur o dan North Wales Crusaders a chael timau ieuenctid a’r grwpiau o oedran o fewn hynny. Dyna fydd ein nod hir-dymor. Does yna ddim strwythur academi gyda Crusaders hyd yn hyn, ond mae’n bwysig i osod marc.

“Mae yna lawer mwy o ddiddordeb nag erioed o’r blaen, ni fydd yn cymryd lle rygbi undeb, ond mae’n gallu bodoli ochr yn ochr. Mae gennych chwaraewyr sydd yn chwarae rygbi undeb yng Nghymru sydd ddim yn addas i’r gamp, maent yn fwy addas i rygbi cynghrair; felly cyn belled fod ganddynt lwybr tuag at hynny, maent yn gallu dilyn y

llwybr honno ac efallai yn dilyn gyrfa mewn camp arall. Nid ydyw mor anodd i’w derbyn ag yr oedd yn 1895. Mae yna gymaint i’w hennill nawr os yr

ydych yn aros gyda’r gamp ac yn rhoi cyfle i chwaraewyr gymryd rhan mewn ffurf arall o rygbi yng Nghymru, cod arall”.

Os fydd llwyddiant North Wales Crusaders a South Wales Scorpions ar lefel domestig yn sylfaen ar gyfer unrhyw ddatblygiad pellach, gall mwy o glybiau Cymreig gael eu sefydlu yn y dyfodol. Byddai hynny yn arbrawf y byddai Griffiths yn awyddus i’w weld yn digwydd.

“Fe geisiodd a methodd Awstralia yn Perth ac Adelaide, ond fe roddon nhw gynnig arni. Flynyddoedd yn ôl fe aethon nhw i Brisbane ac fe ddywedodd llawer o bobl ‘Pam maent yn mynd yno?’ ond edrychwch beth ddigwyddodd i’r Broncos, neu Queensland….mae Melbourne yn ardal Aussie Rules, pwy fyddai’n meddwl? Os nad ydych yn trio, ni fyddwch yn llwyddo. Mae angen i ni sicrhau fod y ddau glwb yma ar sylfaen cryf er mwyn symud ymlaen.

“Beth am gymryd anadl ddofn, sicrhau fod y ddau glwb yn gadarn, ac ein bod yn darparu chwaraewyr ar gyfer carfan Iestyn yn y dyfodol.”

hyfforddwr north waLes Crusaders CLive Griffiths yn dathLu budduGoLiaeth

yn rownd derfynoL powLen northern raiL


EXPERT ANALYSIS

THINGS ARE HOTTING UP

HigHly-respected pundit Jon Wells Has been a keen and interested observer at rugby league World

2013. His analytical Work WitH bbc radio Five live Has taken Him around tHe country covering many oF tHe

games and He’s noW looking ForWard to tHe business end oF tHe competition in tHe Quarter-Finals…

BBC BROADCASTSEvEry gamE at rLWC2013 WiLL

bE broadCast LivE on EithEr bbC radio 5 LivE or 5 LivE sports Extra, With ExpErt CommEntary CourtEsy

of davE Woods, gEorgE riLEy, Jon WELLs and stuart pykE

“i commentated on two of the group games for the USA and saw the other one on TV, they

have acquitted themselves really well. Steven Johnson the Tomahawks manager, his selection policy was quite controversial, it ignored the entire USA Rugby League domestic playing roster, there are some players in there from the AMNRL, the original founding governing body, which was founded by David Niu about 20 years ago, there are five or six players from there. But for me that selection policy has been vindicated given the performances that we have seen so far. I say that it was a brave, but a very necessary squad selection.

“They have also done things the hard way, they have had three games in nine days, which is the most demanding schedule of any of the 14 teams. By comparison, you could say that Australia have been afforded 15 days. You then add the insult of having their

return tickets booked long before the pool games had finished.

“It’s a really positive story though, they were 90/1 to make the Quarter-Finals with the bookmakers and 1000/1 to win the tournament, so that on its own is a massive achievement.

“I think they have really earned themselves a chance to face-off against Australia. I don’t think anyone is expecting them to go any further, but even on its own, it is a fantastic story. Not a single

member of the US squad is getting paid for this, not even an allowance, a few of the other smaller teams have had a stipend or a weekly allowance, but they’ve had nothing and these guys are doing it off their own backs. It’s a great sporting story, never mind a great Rugby League story. I can’t really see anything other than an Australia victory, but I would suggest that the United States of America are everybody’s second team now, aren’t they?

“I read an article about Mark Offerdahl, he plays in France at the moment, though he was contracted to the Connecticut Wildcats AMNRL team and one of the main aims of his involvement in RLWC2013 was to put himself in the shop window and give himself a bit of a chance over here. For me he has been one of the stand-out players for the Tomahawks.

“There will be an awful lot of positive stories coming out of this, not least for coach Terry Matterson. Having gone from Head Coach over here, to assistant coach at the North Queensland Cowboys and then receiving the call at the very last minute, agreeing to do everything, we can assume, for nothing, no pay, that he deserves an awful lot of credit.

“As for Australia, they’ve almost been having two competitions. The warm-up competition, which is the group games in which Tim

Jon Wells has seenevery rlWC2013 game


EXPERT ANALYSIS

Sheens has used most members of his 24-man squad. And now the competition proper, the knockout stages.

“They are in a no-win situation, everybody expects them to get to the Final and anything less than a Final appearance will be a massive disappointment to them. They have just been quietly going about their business, they have been doing an awful lot of community work, which is great, they have been helping the domestic game over here. There’s not much to say about them, other than they have been quietly efficient.

“I would like to see more of Daly Cherry-Evans, he’s a fantastic player, I love watching him play. For those of us who have forked out the subscription for Premier Sport they would have already seen a lot of these guys play in the NRL, there are some fantastic players. The system over there is geared to churning out star after star after star and I think that if there is one lesson to be learnt out of this, it’s what we can now learn from them. There’s absolutely no

doubt we are second when it comes to player development, compared to Australia. I really do think that the English and the domestic competition can learn from this competition, from the likes of Australia.

“But the big story of the Quarter-Finals is about who Australia play today. You can’t write enough column inches about the USA, it’s a truly fantastic story.”

They have also done Things The hard way, Three games in nine days, which is The mosT demanding schedule of any of The 14 Teams”

Usa have sUrprisedeveryone, Wells said

Wells is a big fan ofdaly Cherry-evan


TACKLE

SIXHe’s nicknamed sidesHow BoB, But usa tomaHawks player matty petersen Has proven to Be tHe main event at rlwc2013 witH two tries in tHe group games. He’s retiring at tHe end of tHe tournament, But not Before He takes on our ‘tackle six’ feature

what is your favourite word?Enthusiasm. I try to be enthusiastic with everything I do. It’s a positive word, you are either a glass half-full or half-empty type of person but I try and stay positive all the time.

what song would you like to be played at your funeral?Probably something positive. Maybe the Star Spangled Banner now that I am playing for America.

which living person do you most admire, and why?Someone like Nelson Mandela or Barack Obama, people that break down barriers, someone who keeps to what they believe in and keep going no matter what. Hopefully we’ll meet Obama, we keep including him in tweets trying to get a response.

what do you most dislike about your appearance?I am starting to go bald at the back of my head. I love my curly hair and it is starting fall out.

what has been the best kiss of your life?I would have to say my wife. I have been with my partner now for 14 years and probably one of the reasons that I started going out with her was because she was a good kisser!

where would you like to be right now?I am happy to be right here, right now! This is an experience of a lifetime and this is my last-ever go at football. I am definitely retiring after this tournament so I couldn’t think of anything better than being here right now.

Q&aMatty Petersen

USA Q&A

SCOTT DODGED DEATH WHEN A BUS NEARLY HIT HIM WHEN

HE FELL OFF HIS SKATEBOARD AS A 7-YEAR-OLD IN

SCOTLAND”

big love for big hairPETERSEN SAYS HE

LOVES HIS CURLY HAIR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT

IT’S STARTING TO FALL OUT!

RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013 9392 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013

TEAM PROFILES

The Tomahawks are parTicipaTing in Their firsT ever rugby League worLd cup and suffered pLenTy of pre-TournamenT disrupTion wiTh Two coaches deparTing

and skipper ryan mcgoLdrick puLLing ouT of The squad jusT days before kick-off. however, ThaT hasn’T sTopped Them ‘shocking The worLd’ as They progressed

To The quarTer-finaLs, where They meeT ausTraLia

Team nickname: TOMAHAWKS FirsT appearance: 2013 rLWc2013 Group: D TournamenT besT: QUARTER FINALS (2013)

usa

ONE TOWATCH

prop/second rowEdward Pettybourne

second row Clint newton

cLub: Connecticut Wildcatsborn: 04/07/1987heighT: 175cmweighT: 83kgcaps: 2Full-back who played in all three of the USA’s RLWC2013 Group D games. Plays for Connecticut Wildcats in the American National Rugby League.

fuLL-backKristian Freed

cLub: Pennsylvania Bullsborn: 27/07/1988heighT: 175cmweighT: 90kgcaps: 5Wing who was born in Vorhees, New Jersey. Previously played rugby union in Hawaii, and Rugby League for Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup.

wingMiChaEl Garvey

cLub: Mangere East Hawksborn: 17/05/1986heighT: 183cmweighT: 101kgcaps: 2An American Samoan who has captained the Mangere East Hawks in New Zealand’s Sharman Cup competition earlier this year.

Loose forwardroMan HiFo

cLub: Wentworthville Magpies

born: 13/12/1984heighT: 187cmweighT: 98kgcaps: 2Older brother of Stephen, Daniel Howard is a second rower with a wealth of experience in Australian Rugby League.

second rowdaniEl Howard

cLub: Tuggeranong Bushrangers

born: 13/01/1987heighT: 193cmweighT: 98kgcaps: 2Youngest of the Howard brothers. Scored his first international try for the Tomahawks in their win over Jamaica.

second rowstEphEn Howard

cLub: Dalbyborn: 29/05/1079heighT: 188cmweighT: 98kgcaps: 3Cantoni qualifies for the Tomahawks through his grandmother on his father’s side who was born in Fort Bragg, California.

second rowMarK Cantoni

cLub: Mackay Cuttersborn: 16/07/1990heighT: 183cmweighT: 110kgcaps: 0New Zealand-born winger whose father originated from Swaines Island, part of American Samoa. Played in all three RLWC2013 group games.

wingBurEta Faraimo

cLub: Southampton Dragonsborn: 01/05/1994heighT: 185cmweighT: 92kgcaps: 0Centre who plays for Southampton Dragons in the American National Rugby League. Yet to appear for the Tomahawks at RLWC2013.

cenTreGaBriEl Farley

cLub: Redcliffe Dolphins born: 29/04/1983heighT: 175cmweighT: 87kgcaps: 3In his third season at the Dolphins, of American Samoan descent, he’s indicated a willingness to return to his homeland to help develop Rugby League.

uTiLiTytuisEGasEGa Samoa

cLub: South Newcastle born: 11/09/1985heighT: 175cmweighT: 97kgcaps: 3Shipway is a 28- year-old second row who has played in every Rugby League World Cup 2013 match for the Tomahawks so far.

second rowMatthEw SHiPway

cLub: Unattachedborn: 120/02/1987heighT: 185cmweighT: 118kgcaps: 3Big prop forward who has attracted a number of Super League and NRL clubs following impressive performances at RLWC2013.

proplEs Soloai

cLub: Hawaii Chiefs born: 26/12/1986heighT: 192cmweighT: 104kgcaps: 1Samoa-born centre who originally played rugby union in Hawaii before switching codes and being selected for the USA Tomahawks.

cenTrelElauloto taGaloa

cLub: Chicago Griffins born: 01/11/1989heighT: 180cmweighT: 90kgcaps: 2Dallas-born centre or winger who recently celebrated his 24th birthday. Played one Super League game for Warrington against Castleford in 2008.

cenTre/wingtaylor welCH

cLub: Carcassonneborn: 15/10/1987heighT: 184cmweighT: 100kgcaps: 7It wasn’t until the Kangaroos visited Philadelphia in 2004 that the former Manly prospect realised the USA had a Rugby League team.

second rowMarK oFFerdaHl

cLub: Parramatta Eelsborn: 02/01/1988heighT: 186cmweighT: 100kgcaps: 2One of a handful of American Samoans in the Tomahawks squad, has been a regular performer in the NRL with Penrith and Parramatta.

haLf-backJosEph Paulo

cLub: Windsor Wolvesborn: 08/09/1983heighT: 191cmweighT: 117kgcaps: 330-year-old elder brother of Joseph who has enjoyed a two-year spell with NRL outfit Parramatta Eels from 2007 to 2009.

prop/second rowJunior Paulo

cLub: Cudgen Hornetsborn: 27/03/1980heighT: 181cmweighT: 95kgcaps: 6Nicknamed Sideshow Bob due to his wild and crazy hair, Super League fans might know him for a brief spell with Wakefield.

wingMatthEw PeterSen

cLub: Southampton Dragons

born: 08/01/1987heighT: 181cmweighT: 80kgcaps: 2Owner and founder of Southampton Dragons, who play in the American National Rugby League. Played every game for USA at RLWC2013.

haLf-back/hookerCraiG PrieStly

cLub: Cabramattaborn: 01/02/1991heighT: 183cmweighT: 103kgcaps: 0No-nonsense prop who made his Tomahawks debut in their win over Wales. Plays for Cabramatta in the Ron Massey Cup.

propJudah lavulo

cLub: Wests Tigersborn: 19/02/1992heighT: 181cmweighT: 105kgcaps: 3Bustling hooker who played in all three of USA’s RLWC2013 group games. Had a suspension lifted making him available for today’s game.

hookerhavEataMa luani

cLub: London Broncosborn: 02/05/1984heighT: 180cmweighT: 82kgcLub: Belrose Eaglescaps: 4A tricky back who has enjoyed a successful year winning the Sydney Shield competition with Belrose Eagles in 2013.

scrum-haLf david marando

cLub: Wests Tigers born: 13/02/1988 heighT: 181cm weighT: 101kg caps: 3Wigan Warriors-bound forward who was a late call-up to the USA Tomahawks squad. Made his NRL debut with the South Sydney and became a mainstay of the Rabbitohs side before switching to Wests Tigers for 2013.

cLub: Penrith Panthers born: 18/06/1981 heighT: 186cm weighT: 102kg caps: 0Born in South Carolina, bred in Queensland, the son of former PGA Tour player, Jack, he’s waited 13 years for his Tomahawks debut and played a big part in all three of USA’s RLWC2013 group matches.

RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013 9796 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2013

TEAM PROFILES

the kangaroos came into rLWc2013 as big favourites to recLaim the rugby League WorLd cup

trophy after missing out in 2008, and they’ve certainLy got off to the best possibLe start on their mission to

doing so by dominating group a. We Look at some of the outstanding pLayers Who are Looking to go aLL the

Way, starting With today’s cLash With the tomahaWks

Team nickname: KANGAROOS FirsT appearance: 1954 rLWc2013 Group: ArLWc2013 opponenTs: ENGLAND, FIJI, IRELAND TournamenT besT: WINNERS

ausTraLia

ONE TOWATCH

centre/fuLL-backGreG InglIs

cLub: Sydney Roosters born: 09/06/1992height: 188cmWeight: 95kgcaps: 2 21-year-old forward who made his Australia debut at RLWC2013 following a great year with the Roosters. Made his NSW debut this year.

second roW/Loose forWard Boyd Cordner cLub: Melbourne

Stormborn: 05/12/1983height: 175cmWeight: 89kgcaps: 18 2013 Dally M Medal winner and three-time NRL Grand Final winner, Cronk is one of the greatest half-backs in the world.

haLf-backCooper Cronk

cLub: Wests Tigers born: 23/01/1984height: 179cmWeight: 88kgcaps: 7 A veteran hooker in the NRL, he is Wests Tigers’s only representative in the Australia squad. Made his Kangaroos debut in 2009.

hookerroBBie Farah

cLub: Cronulla Sharks born: 28/06/1989height: 194cmWeight: 114kgcaps: 3 Debutant for Australia at RLWC2013 who scored nine tries from the front row for Cronulla this year. Another New South Wales representative.

prop/second roWAndrew FIFIta

cLub: Cronulla Sharks born: 14/08/1981height: 180cmWeight: 103kgcaps: 27 Veteran of the Australia Test side with 27 caps, Gallen is an uncompromising forward with a phenomenal engine.

prop/second roW/Loose forWard

pAul gallen

cLub: Gold Coast Titans born: 10/02/1984height: 183cmWeight: 102kgcaps: 8 Utility player who had a spell in Super League with Catalan Dragons in 2009. Has represented New South Wales in State of Origin 14 times.

second roW/Loose forWard

GreG BIrdcLub: Newcastle

Knightsborn: 17/07/1987height: 185cmWeight: 96kgcaps: 13 Conventional full-back who has operated on the wing for Australia at RLWC2013. 11 tries in 13 games for his country.

fuLL-back/Wing/centre

dArius Boyd cLub: Manly Sea Eagles

born: 20/02/1989height: 184cmWeight: 84kgcaps: 3 Winner of the Clive Churchill Medal in the 2013 NRL Grand Final, Cherry-Evans has impressed for Australia at RLWC2013 so far.

haLf-backdAly Cherry-evans

cLub: Melbourne Stormborn: 18/06/1983height: 183cmWeight: 190kgcaps: 34 Australia captain and five-time Dally M Hooker of the Year. Took over the Kangaroos captaincy following Darren Lockyer’s retirement in 2011.

hookerCAmeron smIth

cLub: North Queensland Cowboys

born: 13/12/1988height: 194cmWeight: 113kgcaps: 6 Brute of a prop who recently reached 100 games for the Cowboys. Played for New Zealand Maori before pledging allegiance to Australia.

propJAmes tamou


born: 03/03/1982height: 186cmWeight: 88kgcaps: 25 Equally adept at either wing or centre, he is a stalwart of the Australia side. Wears a neck brace after suffering a career-threatening injury.

centre/WingBrent tate

cLub: Brisbane Broncos

born: 12/06/1985height: 181cmWeight: 110kgcaps: 20 Big second row with wild hair and immense power. Two-time Dally M Second Row of the Year in 2010 and 2011.

second roWsAm thaIday


born: 25/04/1983height: 179cmWeight: 86kgcaps: 27 Two-time Dally M Medal winner, one of the most-gifted players and deadliest kickers of his generation.

haLf-backJohnAthAn thurston

cLub: Gold Coast Titans

born: 24/06/1985height: 187cmWeight: 105kgcaps: 7 Gold Coast Titans co-captain who has represented Queensland 23 times. Winner of 2012 Dally M Second Row of the Year award.

prop/second roWnAte myles

cLub: Canberra Raiders born: 13/05/1992height: 183cmWeight: 110kgcaps: 1 Hard-running second row who made his Australia debut at RLWC2013. Papalii recently passed 50 career appearances for Canberra Raiders.

second roWJosh PaPalII

cLub: Brisbane Broncos

born: 05/05/1982height: 188cmWeight: 100kgcaps: 3 One-club man with over 275 appearances for the Broncos. Had played only once for the Kangaroos pre-RLWC against Wales.

Loose forWardCorey Parker


born: 30/07/1985height: 185cmWeight: 108kgcaps: 12 Prop who has spent nine years at North Queensland. He’s made 14 Queensland State of Origin appearances.

propmAtthew sCott

cLub: Melbourne Stormborn: 18/06/1983height: 178cmWeight: 90kgcaps: 22 One of the greatest full-backs of all time, Slater has been a linchpin of the Kangaroos side since 2008. Three-time NRL Grand Final winner.

fuLL-backBilly slater

cLub: Parramatta Eels born: 15/02/1988height: 189cmWeight: 100kgcaps: 8 Utility back who played for Fiji at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. He was crowned Dally M medal winner in 2009.

fuLL-back/centre/Wing

JArryd hayne cLub: Sydney Roosters born: 20/04/1988height: 180cmWeight: 94kgcaps: 2 Former Tonga international who scored a hat-trick for Australia in his first ever outing for the Kangaroos. Scorer of a wonder-try in the 2013 NRL Grand Final.

centre miChAel JennIngs

cLub: Cronulla Sharks born: 11/08/1983height: 188cmWeight: 105kgcaps: 15 Utility player who has lost only once in Australian colours. Made 20 appearances during his first year at Cronulla.

second roW/centre/Loose

forWardluke lewIs

cLub: St George Illawarra Dragons

born: 23/08/1986height: 183cmWeight: 91kgcaps: 14 St George Illawarra winger with 14 tries in 14 games for his country. Regular in the NSW State of Origin team since 2010.

Wing/fuLL-backBrett morrIs

cLub: Canterbury Bulldogs

born: 23/08/1986height: 182cmWeight: 86kgcaps: 5 The less-experienced Morris twin at international level, but offers Tim Sheens cover in a number of positions.

centre/Wing/fuLL-back

Josh morrIs

cLub: South Sydney Rabbitohs born: 15/01/1987 height: 195cm Weight: 106kg caps: 25 2009 Golden Boot winner who scored a try against New Zealand earlier this year. Despite being Souths’ full-back, Inglis has featured at centre in RLWC2013.

Documents

Rugby League World Cup 2013 - Part Two