Ruben Wiki: NZRL must pick battles carefully

It always floors me that Aussie clubs are prepared to release players for State of Origin but kick up a fuss when it comes to Kiwi players.

It's a double standard and it's frustrating. But with the Kiwis due to meet Great Britain in St Helens later this month, this is one fight the NZRL should let go.

They need to be choose their fights carefully and, considering the Great Britain test is a new idea that cropped up this year, now is not the right time. Hopefully next year it will be put into the calendar and Brian McClennan can pick the best side available to him.

It might look like a development side that will play in the test, and Bluey has said that. But make no mistake, this is a good Kiwi team.

Bluey is a crafty operator and knows what he is doing. He's selected a squad with one eye on the future and the other on winning the game. Winning is the main objective but it's also important to give the guys in the UK a taste of test footy for the long-term development of the Kiwis.

Development is something we at the Warriors are trying to achieve. There are a lot of guys in our elite development squad who have immense talent and I get to see it every Wednesday when we have a full contact session against them.

But I don't think a lot of them know how good they are. They are just as good as the guys in Australia but don't have the belief the Aussie kids have.

They also go through intensive coaching and development in Australia and that is something that is only now improving here. Because of that, the Australians know how to win.

When I moved to Canberra in 1993, I wanted to play the game at 100mph. That was the only way I knew - crash and bash.

But I learned, and I'm still learning, that you have to be smarter than that. You must learn how to win - sometimes you have to win ugly.

I know Ivan Cleary and John Ackland are really optimistic about the future and that while 2007 looks good, 2008 looks even better.

I guess I'd like to think that, while you need youngsters coming through, you can't beat experience and there are still a few old hands leading the way - Andrew Johns, Darren Lockyer, Ben Kennedy and the like.

I've now played 256 first-grade games and today my partner in crime, Steve Price, plays his 250th first-grade game.

Pricey has a knack of stepping up to the occasion and his endurance levels are quite phenomenal. If he wanted to, he could play a full game every weekend and not many front-row forwards can do that.

He will be back on board for us today against the Knights and we need the points to keep our season alive and, just as importantly, to continue our development as a side.

While most people might have written off our chances of making the top eight this year, and I admit the maths looks tough, I'm an eternal optimist.

It ain't over 'til the fat lady signs and I don't see her around just yet.