The 18th man column: '˜England's chances are slim'

Do you think Tonga should have been awarded a try at the end of the semi-final?

David Bailey: Removing my red and white tinted glasses, hand on heart I believed Tonga scored a try in the dying seconds against England. Yes, I get the definition of a loose carry, yes Whitehead’s only thought was to stop the man, but for me, Whitehead knocked the ball out, and Tonga regathered and scored. I think the fact that this has divided fans and pundits alike shows that maybe the rule needs to be addressed.

We have seen it in the past with the one-on-one ball steal being introduced and it just doesn’t help the profile of the game when controversy overshadows what was an outstanding occasion. One point, though, is the flak that Matt Cecchin is copping. It’s just absolutely ridiculous. The guy backed himself to make a call, which is the point we all want to get to. Refs confident in their own ability. It was a 50/50 call and he went with it. I’d take him in Super League every day of the week!

Darren Wrudd: After watching the final play several times, I don’t think it was a try after all. The big issue would have been what the referee’s decision was, when sending it upstairs.

If he had given a try, then it would have been hard to turn it down, but likewise if he had not.

It was good to see an official who was confident in his convictions throughout the game and this was no exception when such an important decision had to be right – and was.

Robert Kenyon: It wasn’t a try, it reminded me of the Pat Richards non-try at Wakefield in 2006 when Colin Halpenny knocked the ball out, it’s up to the ball carrier to keep control.

I’m glad it was ruled out, phew, what a last two minutes of a game.

But to hear them whinge about it is distracting people from what a great asset to rugby league Tonga have been at this World Cup. The hymns were lovely to hear and they gained a lot of new fans world wide because of it, they just need to get on with it.

Sean Lawless: It wasn’t a try, as much as Ryan Hall’s try against Australia wasn’t a try. The issue caused by the video referee in modern rugby ensures that we over-analyse every play, rather than supporting a referee that makes an on-field decision.

It was a loose carry from Fifita and an excellent tackle from Elliott Whitehead – I think we should be applauding the tackle from Whitehead rather than the nonsense of whether it was a try or not.

Ben Reid: No – It’s clearly a loose carry for me. Not only that, but the aftermath from the decision which ultimately booted an awe-inspiring Tonga out of the World Cup, has been simply embarrassing! There’s over reacting to a decision, (that was in fact correct) and there’s the Tongan reaction.

I mean, over the past week there’s been accusations of racism, petitions and ex-players calling for the referee to be banned for life – it’s ridiculous.

As I’ve said, it was the right call for me, and no, he shouldn’t have ‘made sure’ by going up stairs. He made a call and went with it, that’s what he’s paid to do.

Jon Lyon: This was such a tough call, I can only imagine Ben Thaler is thanking his lucky stars he wasn’t called on to make a decision. I think if it had been referred to the video ref it would have been as a “no try” from the onfield referee, and with no definite evidence to over rule that, the try would probably have been disallowed anyway. My first thoughts watching it live though, it was a one on one strip and play on, and the try should have been allowed. I wonder how many of us would have been screaming for a try had it been at the other end in the last minute for a potential winning England score!

What are England’s chances of winning the World Cup?

David Bailey: Now, 22 years on, England are back in a World Cup final. It’s all about these 80 minutes and England need eight or nine players minimum to be on their A game and hope that Slater, Dugan, Holmes, Cronk, Smith, Cordner and McGuire have a bad day. It’s easy when you put it like that isn’t it? Seriously though, regardless of selections, players out of position, players missing out, club rivalries, the game needs an England win.

The Aussies are a class apart and the Kangaroos are up there with the elite sporting sides, that manage to transcend their chosen genre. They have an aura about them and have always done in my 32 years of watching rugby.

The green and gold V is an iconic shirt and England have a chance to make themselves immortal in rugby league history.

I hope they take this attitude into the game and leave nothing on the pitch, because any other attitude could leave us with faces as red as the St George cross.

Darren Wrudd: The actual chances of England winning this year’s World Cup – it has to be said – are not high. We certainly have a right to compete for it and have been getting stronger as the tournament has gone on.

But we will need to put on an almost flawless display if we are going to overturn the high flying Australians.

I believe that we have it in us to do so, I really do.

However, the constant errors must be worked out of the game and we will need to control the ruck to dominate their players fiercely to put them off their game plan.

We do that and our chances will improve.

Robert Kenyon: It depends on team selection. It was mentioned that Lomax will be on the bench should O’Loughlin not play. Which I think is a daft idea. Lomax hasn’t produced on the big stage and I think he’s average to be honest.

This isn’t me wearing Wigan tinted glasses but I’d have Williams on the bench, he can cover the halves and hooker and him coming off the bench running at tired Aussies would frighten the life out of them.

I’d drop Tom Burgess, though. He had a stormer against Tonga because he was playing against big men, against the Aussies he will be playing against clever men and they will wait until Burgess is tired before they exploit him. We need a more mobile pack against Australia, they’re too clever for us to try and bash them to bits, we have tried that for years and it doesn’t work.

Australia’s pack isn’t a monster pack that we have to match, we just need to make sure they don’t run rings around our tired big men. I’d have played Heighington at prop in place of Tom Burgess.

Sean Lawless: England’s chances of winning the World Cup are slim, very slim in fact – but that’s better than having no chance at all. England need to build a platform of error-free rugby with a high completion rates and realise that they don’t need to score on every play – building pressure for 80 minutes is the way Wayne Bennett likes his sides to play and if they do that, they have a chance.

My concern for Saturday is Luke Gale – he can be England’s match winner, but he can also be Australia’s match winner.

His defence has been very poor in the tournament and his normally brilliant kicking game, average.

He must reproduce his Castleford form on the biggest stage, something he hasn’t always been good at doing, remember Old Trafford?

Ben Reid: It’s 50 per cent... okay, I’m not going to be that guy, but I’m all seriousness, we are clearly the underdogs and I love it.

We’ve nothing to lose really, as next to no one really expects us to win the game. I think we’ve a great chance, and I for one can’t wait to watch us play in such a huge final.

However, what is worrying about the whole final, is that we could turn up and play our best rugby... and still lose.

Aussies are such a good side, with unbelievable players, and it’ll be one tough game to win. I can’t wait, I don’t think we’ll be battered, and if we stay with a try after an hour, there’ll be a great chance.

Jon Lyon: In short, slim to none. There’s more chance of Wayne Bennett winning a comedy award. I thought we were outstanding, especially defensively for 73 minutes against Tonga, and almost allowed my hopes to build, but the last seven minutes showed once again that we just don’t seem able to play at the intensity required to compete for 80 minutes.

Has the tournament received the attention – in the media and among the public – it deserves?

David Bailey: The one major downside around the tournament has been the coverage, snippets here and there, ungodly kick off times, with results buried amongst friendlies and non-events in other sports. If football, or NFL, or rugby union had even a 10th of what rugby league has delivered over the past few weeks, it would get 24/7 coverage.

The amazing cultural challenges, the hakas and war dances of New Zealand, and Samoa, the prayers of Fiji, the hymns of Tonga, the actual fanaticism of Papua New Guinea, combined with some amazing feats on the field, players taking time out to visit schools and such like and being so accessible to the fans that idolise them. If I knew how to fix it I’d be on my way to Red Hall with a massive empty suitcase for them to load up with new tenners and fivers.

The romantic part of me likes the fact that rugby league is this hidden gem, not ruined by the commercial world, but for me, the players deserve so much more.

Darren Wrudd: I think that our game is so poorly promoted by the governing body that we probably have got what we deserved from the BBC.

The money that has been sunk into promoting the International Rugby Yawnion tournament really does put us to shame and so long as we think small, we will remain a niche sport, played somewhere up north.

It is amazing really when you see how the sport is treated down under, it’s simply huge. But I would have loved to have seen more of the home nation’s games included and generate some proper interest with a little better promotion all round.

Don’t hold your breath though, it probably won’t happen in my lifetime.

On a game by game basis, the BBC commentary has been quite good with several pundits over here and down under, but so much more could have been done to promote in general.

Robert Kenyon: If a zoo keeper stuck his arm into a lion’s cage to feed it and it bit the zoo keepers arm off, who’s fault is it?

It’s the zoo keeper’s fault - the lion does what it does, the zoo keeper should have known better and shouldn’t be surprised.

It’s the same with coverage of rugby league, why are we moaning about it?

I didn’t expect anything less from the media in this country.

Well, I suppose having games on at 4am Saturday morning won’t help either will it? I am surprised about it in Australia. The crowds have been poor apart from Tonga.

Sean Lawless: The media attention has been poor for the World Cup, in fact, do people who don’t follow Rugby League even know England are in a World Cup Final? Win the World Cup and I am sure the mainstream media may see a bandwagon to join. My issue isn’t necessarily with the mainstream media for not giving it enough attention but with our governing body – have they promoted it enough to ensure that the media has something to take note of?

I think not. A problem in rugby league that is as old as the game and a trend that can only be buckled by pioneers like Ian Lenagan and Eric Perez.

Ben Reid: No, nowhere near. It’s really frustrating being a rugby league fan in this country, as no matter the game, occasion or teams involved, there’s next to no build-up. This Saturday is our biggest game in many of years, and even the site that is broadcasting it have next to nothing on their site.

Now, I can’t comment about the newspaper coverage, as I don’t read them.

But as for TV adverts, website articles and so on, there’s not been much.

I feel like I’ve written more on these little contributions throughout the World Cup than The Daily Mail, Star, Telegraph and Guardian all put together.

Jon Lyon: I have seen very little attention given to the tournament. Some papers have devoted a bit more space, but if you weren’t looking for it I would find it hard to know the tournament was even taking place. The Australian apathy towards the World Cup hasn’t helped either, with some attendances very poor. If only the Australian public could embrace it with the same passion as the Tongans and PNG fans we would be singing their praises.