For all we lambast England for being poor I'm sure we'd have made a better fist of this than NZ.

Similar situation to the 2013 World Cup where im sure England had more left in the tank had they made the final. But England only have themselves to blame for bombing a winnable game at Huddersfield.

I'm not for a moment suggesting NZ don't deserve to be there. England really should have beaten the Kiwis but couldn't get over the line.

Given how a lot of people like to put England down I just wanted to make the point that they wouldn't have been this bad imo.

You can't be sure of that though. Just like someone couldn't be sure England would be worse.

Imagine nz kicking their goals and this try ruled correctly it would be 22-12 with 10 to play. Can't seriously persist with non-neutral officials.

I love it. Realists are now classed as doom and gloom merchant.



The reality is that there is nothing exciting about international rugby league - aside a few moments of brilliance from individual players such as Johnson and rare upsets e.g Scotland drawing against NZ. That's the best we can come up with.

40k crowd, a very good effort considering England didnt make it. In 2011 England - Australia got 34k for the final.



Worth taking an England game there next time round

No wonder NZ have gone off the boil they've had former kr defence coach involved in the back room staff.

I thought that's who I saw.



How on earth has he got that gig?

Why? Because Austrailia won, what rubbish. They have won quite a lot over the last 20 years, and there was still over 40,000 for a game England weren't playing in.



International rugby league is in the strongest position it's been in for a long time, despite Austrailia's dominance.

And yet 35k at the olympic stadium was , got a final on the doorstep and 40k is seen as fantastic?

I wouldn't go to Anfield on principle, the whole thing about the club and their fans, I won't say anymore but please god never again at that hole, would rather it be at Elland Rd if the attendance is going to be 40k but anywhere aside from Anfield for future England games.

Yep. All this talk of international rugby league being dead outside of the world cup is not being a realist at all.



It's pure OTT doom and gloom because Australia have been superb in this 4 nations tournament.