League: Kiwis are champs but there's more than the score at stake

The Kiwis are battling for more than their Tri-Nations trophy against Australia at Mt Smart Stadium tonight. Worried New Zealand league officials will be looking beyond the scoreboard figures after sluggish pre-sales of well under 10,000 by yesterday afternoon.

They are openly citing a lack of public confidence in the Kiwis being able to repeat their 2005 deeds as the principal problem, after years of too many downs and not enough ups against the mighty Aussies.

Tonight's test may also be struggling in the image-shattering wake of the Brisbane Anzac disaster and the ill-conceived test in England where a B-grade Kiwis side was smashed.

The Kiwis are champions for the first time in decades - but this year's only major test in Auckland has failed to fire the public's imagination, judging by the ticket sales. At stake is the chance to host regular tests and games in the 2008 World Cup, for which Australia is the principal host.

The All Golds make a northern tour next year marking New Zealand league's centenary. It has yet to be decided how the Tri-Nations will resume following the 2008 World Cup, but low New Zealand crowds make it odds-on England will continue as the most frequent hosts.

New Zealand Rugby League general manager Peter Cordtz said: "International league in this country is under threat if we can't make it pay. If it becomes nothing more than a development charity case, then it doesn't pay the bills."

While Australia will want the game to flow tonight, league bosses are desperate for the crowds to flow in at Mt Smart and against Great Britain in Christchurch and Wellington. Last year, when New Zealand scored its first win in Sydney since 1959, the follow-up crowd at Ericsson was just 16,300, almost all coming in pre-sales and corporates. The NZRL hoped to crack the 20,000 mark tonight, and even dreamt of reaching the 24,000 capacity. Fingers are still being kept crossed.

Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand split the Tri-Nations money pool equally, and England are the big contributors. Last year's final at Leeds, which did not include the home side, drew a 26,500 crowd. This year's one-off Anzac game in Brisbane was played in front of 44,000.

The NZRL desperately needs the Tri-Nations money and, with England as the major hosts in 2004 and 2005, it delivered in spades. The first tournament netted New Zealand around $1m, followed by a figure approaching that last year.

It is a classic dilemma. Hosting major tests is essential and fires interest, especially if the result goes your way. But, to pay the bills and drive the game, it is in New Zealand's interests to let Australia and England play host.

Cordtz said: "Our ability to make test football pay is becoming a big issue. There's an awful lot we can't do without that surplus. The Kiwis are the only thing that pays. Everything else is a food bill.

"We can be confident about the Kiwis but it's the punters who need the confidence. Before they spend that $20, $45, $60, they want to know they will see a contest. Maybe there is also a general malaise around big events."

A lack of public confidence has never hurt the Kiwis. Their most famous victories invariably come when they are written off, and their biggest crashes when confidence is high.

Australia have a rookie backline capable of running amok - but also one which could succumb to test match pressure. The same, of course, can be said about the Kiwis.

The greatest Kiwi concerns will centre on dummy half, NRL rookie centre Simon Mannering playing at lock, and general match stamina. Nigel Vagana can be inspirational but remains a makeshift test five-eighths option. Australia also have the outstanding figure in the game - Darren Lockyer. His goal-line dropouts alone, which soar a good 60 metres, will give the Kiwis extra ground to make up.

The conventional theory is that the Kiwis - who were to receive their test jerseys from captain Ruben Wiki at a dinner last night - operate better in short powerful bursts so are aided by plenty of stoppages, as in last year's Tri-Nations final.

There are a lot of ticks in the Aussie column, and not so many in the Kiwis'. Even the home crowd advantage, apparently, will be minimal. Then again, you can never tell with the Kiwis. They are nothing if not full of surprises.


Mt Smart Stadium, 8pm today

Kiwis
Brent Webb, Tame Tupou, Iosia Soliola, Steve Matai, Manu Vatuvei, Nigel Vagana, Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki (c), Dene Halatau, Roy Asotasi, David Kidwell, Tony Puletua, Simon Mannering
Interchange: Jerome Ropati, Nathan Cayless, Adam Blair, Frank Pritchard.

Kangaroos
Karmichael Hunt, Matt King, Mark Gasnier, Justin Hodges, Greg Inglis, Darren Lockyer (c), J. Thurston, Willie Mason, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Luke O'Donnell, N. Hindmarsh, Reni Maitua
Interchange: Mark O'Meley, Shaun Berrigan, Andrew Ryan, Brent Kite.