Ruben Wiki: Big defeats make us Tri Nations underdogs

It was a painful experience watching the Kiwis being beaten 46-14 by Great Britain on Wednesday.

It was painful because I wasn't there running out with them but it was also painful because our reputation took a bit of a hit with the result.

I agree with the concept of playing an annual test against Great Britain but, on reflection, perhaps it would have been better to wait another year before it was played.

It could then be put into the international calendar and Kiwis coach Bluey McClennan could pick the best players available in Australia and England.

Next year, the NZRL might not be so kind in pandering to the NRL clubs because we will be well within our rights to ask for the release of players, just as Australian clubs release players for State of Origin.

Bluey was put in a difficult position and I feel for him because I know he will take the result personally. He was the proudest man in the world when we won the Tri Nations last year but the last two results - the loss to Australia in the Anzac test and now the loss to Great Britain - will only make him more determined to succeed again in this year's tournament.

If there's one good thing to come out of it, it's the continuing interest in the international game after several sleepy years.

I can't remember a time when there has been such interest in the international game and long may it continue.

It's difficult for us to call ourselves the No 1 side in the world now and we will go into the Tri Nations as underdogs. But it's a position we're pretty familiar with these days because we always seem to go into a test against Australia or Great Britain as underdogs.

It would be dangerous, though, to write us off because we'll be like a wounded animal and the guys will want to make up for the last two results. We seem to play at our best when our backs are against the wall and it's great Stacey Jones has already made himself available.

I guess the Kiwis are very much like Queensland when it comes to State of Origin - always the underdogs.

Everyone wrote them off this year but now they have a great chance of claiming their first series since 2002.

Once again, I will be wearing the maroon shirt Steve Price gave me and I will give coach Mal Meninga a call before Wednesday to wish him and the boys luck.

Hopefully they will be as ruthless as they were in the second Origin match, when their defence won the game.

I expect it to go down to the wire but the fact it is on neutral territory in Melbourne will only help my Maroons.