Luckless Price Ruled Out Of Final As Kiwis' Voodoo Dolls Work Their Magic

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday November 22, 2008

Brad Walter

AFTER being humbled by Australia in their opening World Cup match, disappointed Kiwis players made a pact to give themselves a shot at redemption in the final but captain Nathan Cayless admits they will have to play at their absolute best to win tonight - despite the Kangaroos yesterday losing prop Steve Price after a training mishap.

Price, who compared his withdrawal to missing the 2004 grand final while at the Bulldogs, tore his left calf muscle during a routine training drill midway through Australia's final session when he moved in to tackle Greg Inglis. Initially, he thought renowned prankster Allan Langer, a member of the Kangaroos coaching staff, had thrown a golf ball at him.

"That's what it felt like and Alfie was standing behind me so I thought he had done it," Price told the Herald last night. "But it turned out he didn't. It's just one of those things. They say it's an old man's injury. The most disappointing thing is that my mum was coming down to Brisbane for the jersey presentation tonight and [wife] Jo is coming over tomorrow. Instead of watching me they'll be watching with me."

Price will join brother-in-law and Warriors teammate Brent Tate on the sidelines after the Kangaroos winger was ruled out earlier this week with a hip-flexor tear sustained in last Sunday night's 52-0 defeat of Fiji.

"I reckon some of the Warriors boys in the New Zealand team must have voodoo dolls of us they've been sticking pins in," he said. "It's disappointing but someone else gets a chance and the entire squad has been in good form so whoever it is they won't let anyone down."

Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart has delayed naming a replacement but Brent Kite is expected to be promoted from the interchange bench to start, with his Manly front-row partner Josh Perry coming into the 17-man squad.

Amid pre-match mind games, in which Stuart again declined to speak with the media, Cayless said New Zealand's rivals were worthy of the adulation that has been heaped on them as one of the best teams Australia has produced and rejected suggestions that predicted storms in Brisbane tonight would favour his side.

Despite the weather concerns, tournament officials yesterday insisted the final would kick off as scheduled at 7pm (8pm Sydney time) after inspecting conditions at Suncorp Stadium and reviewing contingency plans should there be further thunderstorms. With the playing surface having received more than 400mm of rain since last Sunday and a section of the roof having been damaged, the Kangaroos were forced to move their training session but New Zealand were given access to the venue later in the day.

Before then, Cayless and Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney fronted the media in a Brisbane park where much of the talk was about the lack of talk from Stuart, who has not spoken in the week leading up to three of Australia's five World Cup matches.

"I feel we have an obligation to the game," Kearney said. "It's a World Cup final. We feel we're trying to do the best we can for the game. It's packed out and it's going to be a wonderful occasion."

With the Kangaroos having racked up 180 points to 16 in their four matches leading up to tonight's final, including a crushing 30-6 win over New Zealand, there are few outside the Kiwis camp who think they can win. However, the Australians are wary as the Kiwis have improved as the tournament has progressed - although Cayless concedes they needed to.

"After the first game we vowed to each other that we wanted to give ourselves another opportunity. We felt like we didn't play to our ability in the first game and we've given ourselves a chance now through a lot of hard work and that sort of stuff and it's just up to us now to do it out on the field tomorrow night," he said.

"We need all 17 players to play to the best of their ability for us to get a victory tomorrow night, we're under no illusions about what sort of a task it is going to be for us."

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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