Rugby League: Vagana not worried about biff

By KIP BROOK

LEEDS - Kiwi prop Joe Vagana will do everything he can - within the rules - to wreck Australian hopes of winning the rugby league World Cup final at Manchester on Sunday.

Australia have been world champions for 25 years, but New Zealand enter the final at Old Trafford with their best chance of breaking their rivals' stranglehold.

The 119kg Vagana, who will come off the bench in the final, is known for his aggression and was involved in two skirmishes in the 49-6 semifinal win over England. He was put on report, but officials later found he had no case to answer.

Vagana said yesterday that New Zealand's focus was only on winning the cup for the first time, and they were not expecting Australia to needle them unfairly.

"It's a physical contact sport and when you see one of your team-mates being illegally hit, it's natural to go in and help them," he said.

"We had a bit of a scuffle in the first half against England, but the adrenalin was running high.

"Anyway, it's not the Australian style to niggle. We have played them many times and they will be going out to win like us and they don't have any tactics to start silly stuff.

"Within the rules, we'll do whatever it takes to win the World Cup. I'm expecting a tough game, as it always is against the Aussies."

Vagana has just signed to play alongside Henry and Robbie Paul at Bradford, putting behind him a five-year, 115-match career at the Warriors.

"It's been a goal for some time to win the World Cup and once we hopped on the plane in Auckland last month we were focused on the tournament, so the Warriors haven't preyed much on our minds," said the 25-year-old, who collects his 25th test cap in the final.

"We have never won the cup in its 46-year history and the boys are buzzing now we are in the final.

"But the job is not done yet. We have one more hurdle to get over this weekend.

"We'll put our bodies on the line one more time for 80 minutes of hard stuff. If we all do that together I'm pretty confident we'll succeed."

Vagana said he still remembered the pain from the last time the Kiwis played Australia, losing 0-52 in April. It was one of the worst days of his career.

All the Kiwis huddled together after the game and soaked up the awful feeling and vowed never to let happen again.

"We haven't thought about it too much," Vagana said, "but it's been in the back of our minds and I'm looking to reverse the result at Old Trafford - it doesn't matter if it's by one or 52 points, we'll take the win.

"But we don't even need that game as motivation. Any match against the Aussies is motivation enough for us. When you consider that this is the final and whoever wins will be champions of the world, it's an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime and we're hoping to grab it with both hands."

Meanwhile, international rugby league chief John McDonald has defended the decision to include 16 teams in the cup, saying: "I think 16 gives more people a chance to represent their nation and gives them exposure at a higher level."

The tournament has received widespread criticism for its one-sided matches.

- NZPA

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