AUS -8.5pts v NZ

Over 40 points...even money is the bet here.

Are Aus really that far of NZ here?  I think this will be a close run final.  I very much like a low 1.3 lay on the favs and a +10 for the caps boys would certainly by my call there too.

AUS ... by 10 at least

Expect Aus to win comfortably on the scoreboard, but first 40 should be level. Draw is enormous therefore.

I'm sticking with Luke again this week for anytime.

8/1 with Sky if you can get on is just too big.  I've been happy to take 11/1 elsewhere given the way he has been sniping close in all tournie.

What am I missing here? I seem to be getting 37 and 39/1 on the draw in a final.

Hopefully you are missing nothing RM

Same RM. Way way too high.

I wonder what price Eng would have been here.  I feel they would have been shorter than NZ are now despite not being as good.

Well, the one thing you could say about England is that I genuinely think they have an area where they are better than Australia - i.e. the front-row, and maybe to some degree the whole pack. Unfortunately they keep getting utterly murdered in the backs......

Draw is not big for you moaner if you expect Aus to win comfortably

How daft is that?

You always know going for an early two will soon have the comms talking about respect.

In the second half Vis - which is why I'm not going for NZ. Think it will be within 2 - 6 at HT. Draw in the teens.

I wouldn't call that way too big if your expectation is to trade out around 50% less.  You're as likely to end up with a 1.01 train as get your trade given you think Aus are well clear.  Personally if I thought close first half Aus pull away second I'd be backing things with a much greater chance of return

The size of those in goals is a bit of a joke surely ?

Yes, dinky. Need to borrow a bit from Murrayfield!

NZ will be chuffed this is only 2-0 so far

Difference so far is the kick chase. NZ just not putting any pressure on Slater at all.

That Isaac Luke looks really small, in comparison, but he's a tough one to get down.

Would you want to put pressure on Slater when he leads with a boot to the face each time ? 

Standard RL high shot.

Go for two and give it some respect

I think the draw can often act outside of the parameters you would usually expect. How many times do you see a massive shift when the game goes in play alone!

You've got a point Vis, but in that case you time it so he lands and then you cut him in half. NZ doing neither right now.

I've done my billy big balls trading. Laid Aus at 1.2, backed them back at 1.28 and 1.29. He who dares eh?

Pretty obvious NZ go 10pts up now.....

lovely kick Aus

Better safe than sorry RM. It's a long game ;)

In goal supposed to be 6m minimum. Have to say it doesn't even look that big.

Australia's kicking game has just been miles superior hasn't it? Has made all the difference.

Not the first time we have seen Slater score that sort of try.

NZ like last week, just not at the races first 20

Yep. Very very poor start from NZ although Oz haven't looked great either.

Well I laid 1.2 at 2-0 Moaner quite happily, and now it's 1.18 at 8-2 and I'm in no hurry whatsoever to lay this one. Those numbers don't stack up for me.

agreed - some lays are far better than others given scores and timings

hell that was a tame set from NZ.  I thought NZ were closer to Aus than Eng were to NZ.  So far I have this wrong and it's Eng + NZ you could throw a ratings blanket over.

knock on, grounding, offside

go on Ashley

Great kick there for the try, a union player would have booted it into the crowd.

going to be a try then unless held up which he may well be

no try from that shot luke has done v well

cronk could have got that down at the end had he realised he may not have scored

Immense tackle!

That almost deserved to be a try

Aus look a lay now. Surely NZ will go at it for next 15.

Well, we've seen some bloody iffy decisions in this comp, but that may just have been the right decision, even though it could well have touched the turf.

Deserved a try, but then again Luke's tackle was just as good.

thought hed got it down myself

oh, is SBW playing?????

Another lazy defender blocking any chance of a chaser getting to the catcher. Makes you wonder if a better tactic for NZ isn't to just hammer into the back of whoever is blocking and see if you can put them out of the game.

ooooooohhhhhhhh

Amazing defence

Fine enough game this. You don't need a bucket of tries for good RL.

no doubt about this one

Try and game over I would think.

Good thing he scuffed that because I think Locke was favourite to get it otherwise.

1.07? NZ have looked abject but I can't be having that price.

They thought the same in 2008 but I just don't think NZ have the class to get back into this.  Not even close on today's showing so far.

timid stuff from new Zealand,there is no point leaving it in the dressing room and sonny bill appears  more like f****g granddad bill at the moment

Aus going for goal? Hmm...

Draw price seems even more tempting now!

Rubbish from Vauvei - never a way through on the near side there

That's woeful.

Have NZ seriously had a decent fat lad carry up the middle all half?  They are nowhere in the forwards and not much closer in the backs. Only pens have given them field position so far.

No. Abject performance.

Oh my. This is incredibly awful.

Yes, game over, job done, everybody go home.

I think even France or Samoa would have been a tougher opponent.

Crazy to play a game of such magnitude at Old Trafford. Too small a ground.

love the Bubba Watson kicking technique :)

Men against boys , NZ not turned up.
As a spectacle England with home nation pride & the crowd behind them would have been much better .....Mind was 1/3 in a two horse race ever easier to collect on.

Bloody hell that was dodgy. It's one thing having tiny in-goal areas, but not putting any padding at the bottom of that slope?

Honestly, rugby league officials seem determined to give themselves legal headaches.

Well done Aus backers, it was the walkover a few called. Shocking that NZ could be so bad in the final and that RL still generally only has one decent international side.

Definitely was a shame that England didn't get through to the final in the end. No doubt at all it would have ended up in the same team winning, but the fury of the England forwards would have at least challenged Australia. NZ just couldn't get anything going at all.

Australia just a level above all others.  That display today was breath taking at times.