Aus vs PNG (Spoilers)

[Surandy]

Australia beat Papua New Guinea tonight 70 points to 22.

Matt Bowen and Tom Learoyd were try scorers for Australia. No idea on any other info at this stage.

[Thunderstruck]

There's no practical need for these tests against PNG apart from letting 17 Australians having fun. The Junior Kangaroos would make for a much better spectacle.

[Surandy]

Kangaroos Invitational XIII 70 (M Bowen 3, L Rooney 2, M Cooper 2, S Hill, B Tate, N Hiundmarsh, T Learoyd, J Frizzo, C Phelps tries B Kimmorley 5, M Bowen 3, C Phelps goals) defeated Papua New Guinea Kumuls 22 (R Sibiya 2, D Sibiya, P Aiton tries R Sibiya 3 goals)
At Dairy Farmers Stadium Townsville

[Fampa]

There's no practical need for these tests against PNG apart from letting 17 Australians having fun. The Junior Kangaroos would make for a much better spectacle.

There's no need for these PNG players who barely make a living out of Q Cup and Jim Beam Cup as well as from the PNG highlands to play against quality opposition? They've only been dreaming of playing against their Kangaroo heroes since they were toddlers. No need at all really.

It's not really about spectacle, particularly when the ARL downgraded is from test status to an invitational side, it's about international development. Which is *sigh* sadly lacking on this side of the world.

[Thunderstruck]

so it's practically to let aussies run around having fun and the kumuls live out their childhood dream.

not much of a development when you have arguably one of the best sides in the world completely demolish a team of amateurs and semi pro's who are only there to live out a dream.

[steaming stormer]

so it's practically to let aussies run around having fun and the kumuls live out their childhood dream.

not much of a development when you have arguably one of the best sides in the world completely demolish a team of amateurs and semi pro's who are only there to live out a dream.

The same thing gets argues about at both the Union and Cricket world cups. The scorelines are often one sided, with massive mismatches, but it gives the minnows a chance to see how the best really play. It allows them to find out how far they have to improve. What is the benchmark. If minnows only ever played minnows, then the standard of the game in those countries would never improve. And that would mean no top quality players to come out of there... in the case of PNG... Marcus Bai. If these matches give the Kumul players the drive to make it to that level, I say the game has been a success. Even if only one player makes it, that is one more potential Marcus for the crowds to love!!

[Surandy]

There's no practical need for these tests against PNG apart from letting 17 Australians having fun. The Junior Kangaroos would make for a much better spectacle.

If that's the thinking then why have practice matches before the start of a season? They really serve no purpose other than to give coaches and players an idea as to where they are at in terms of competitiveness and strengths and weaknesses.

Sorry Thunderstruck, but I totally disagree with you on this one. The match had a number of purposes, it gave the Australian coach a chance to let some of the test players have a run in preparation for the tri-nations test series starting this week. It gave some of the players a last chance to prove their worth for selection in the test side. It gave the junior guys plus the Kumuls a chance to experience the level of competitiveness to which they need to aspire to if they want to play first class rugby league.

It's about developing and improving the great game of rugby league.

Your argument can be, and has been, used against the World 7's but I'm sure those Russian players that got to train with the Wests Tigers at the start of this season didn't think it was a waste of time, nor did a lot of the lesser nations like Greece, Lebanon, etc.

[Thunderstruck]

was there a corresponding match last year and the year before? if there were, i'll concede the arguments as they would valid, being a yearly test match but otherwise, i'll still see it as a stretching exercise for the roos.

as far as minnows vs minnows, there's a reason why there's an emerging nations cup. the PNG is probably ahead of that pack and I suppose I could I see it like Minardi going head to head against Ferrari. They're not aiming to be competitive, but act as a stepping stone as prospects to better teams.

[Fampa]

Yup, the Kumuls schoolboys side played the Australian schoolboys side earlier this year. And beat them. A number of those former schoolboys players were in the PNG side last night.

Bob Bennett has admitted thet PNG are in a re-building phase at the moment after the international retirement of players like Bai, Lam, Mamando and Mom. They are trying to keep the schoolboys side of earlier this year together as it progresses. However without playing quality sides how can there be progress?

PNG is currently ranked around 6th in the World (with France and Wales in at 4 and 5) and are a test nation. They deserve to play tests against other test nations. Australia happens to be the closest. The Kumuls will play the Australian schoolboys side next weekend.

I could go on, as international RL is my torch, but there are more appropriate places to vent my anger and the downgrading of last nights match from test status.