Michael Cheika brings together both teams he’s currently coaching – Lebanon and Argentina
Michael Cheika is currently at the helm of both the Lebanon rugby league team and Argentina rugby team – and he brought them both together at a plush restaurant in the UK.
World Cup
Don't miss out on the headlines from World Cup. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Lebanon are on a collision course with the Kangaroos at the World Cup and on Wednesday morning (AEDT), they broke bread with a nation that knows all about being the underdogs and beating Australia.
The Cedars and the Argentinian rugby union team shared dinner at a plush restaurant in the middle of Manchester, brought together by the man who is remarkably at the helm of both – coach Michael Cheika.
Provided Lebanon make it past Jamaica this weekend – the outcome is considered a fait accompli – Cheika will face one of the most frantic weekends of his coaching career in just under a fortnight.
On Friday, he will lead Lebanon into battle against the Kangaroos. On Sunday, he will go searching for an upset as the boss of Argentina against England on the hallowed turf of Twickenham.
David will meet – and attempt to beat – Goliath twice in the space of three days.
“I am sorry to tell you that next week hasn’t come into my mind yet,” Cheika said.
“I have seen it happen too many times before. If we were Australia or New Zealand or England – fully professional – they can do that.
“But we can’t. We are still finding our own feet.”
Cheika is keen to keep a lid on things but there is a sense of destiny within this Lebanon team. Spearheaded by Parramatta star Mitchell Moses, they are relishing every moment of this World Cup.
Dinner with the Pumas was the latest night that will live long in their memory. In one corner, Moses was deep in discussion with Argentina hooker Julian Montoya.
In another, Pumas assistant David Kidwell renewed acquaintances with Lebanon coaches Robbie Farah and Matt King.
Asked why he organised a meeting between the two sides, Cheika acknowledged there was much they could learn from each other.
“The opportunity was there,” he said.
“The Argie boys have consistently been asking me about what is going on and how it is going. Obviously they don’t have a huge culture with the game because it is not played over there, but they have all watched enough now to know what is going on and what I should be doing.
“There would be a fair few guys playing footy in England. They have an understanding of the game – the ones who have played over in the UK.
“Of course, (assistant coach) Felipe Contepomi – I coached him at Leinster – and we took over … a best of NRL VHS. So he was a Joey Johns fan from day one.
“I think it is a good mix – something different. It has been interesting that they have been so interested. It would have been good if we could have run some training together but it didn’t line up that way.
“The coaches will share some time tonight which is good. It is that whole crossover. We had Eddie come up the other day.”
Eddie is of course Eddie Jones, coach of England and long-time friend of Cheika. They will be arch enemies in two weeks at Twickenham but until then, they will remain sounding boards for each other.
“I am not going to be tackling him and he won’t have to tackle me either,” Cheika said.
“He is a good friend and when the battle comes, you have to change sides.”
COTTER REVEALS BRUTAL CONCUSSION TAKE FROM DAD
Kangaroos forward Reuben Cotter watched back footage of his sickening head clash with Fijian powerhouse Tui Kamikamica in the opening game of the World Cup. What he saw shocked him.
“It’s a bad one,” Cotter said.
“I didn’t realise how bad it was. I am glad I ended up staying off because it was pretty bad. I tried to use some late feet to throw them off.
“Wrong place, wrong time. Tui came forward and I stepped into him. It was a bad way to go out but I will be right.
“Week off and I will get back into it. I remember everything that happened up until the head knock. We obviously won so that is good too.
“I am feeling good now and I didn’t really have many symptoms afterwards. So that was a positive sign.”
Reuben Cotter will miss Australia’s next #RLWC game after suffering a concussion in this head clash. Protocols usually involve a best case 11 day return to play. Appeared to be clear Category 1 symptoms on field, would rule him out of any exemption to return in 7 days pic.twitter.com/OQXwXAQiyY
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) October 15, 2022
While Cotter was cursing his luck, there was no sympathy from home.
“My phone was blowing up when I came off the field,” Cotter said.
“Dad got into me. No sympathy from dad. They were pretty excited - they were up early to watch it. Everyone back home was excited.”
Cotter passed a cognitive test on Wednesday morning (AEDT) and will make his second appearance for the Kangaroos against Italy this weekend in Australia’s final pool game before the quarterfinals.
The game is a final chance for those on the periphery of the squad to force their way into coach Mal Meninga’s calculations heading into the knockout stage of the tournament.
Most interest will centre on the halfback duel between Daly Cherry-Evans and Nathan Cleary - they opposed each other in a wrestling session at Manchester City’s Etihad campus.
However, several spots remain up the grabs heading into a game against Italy that should be nothing more than a formality for the Kangaroos.
Cotter is among a cluster of middle forwards looking to impress Meninga heading into the weekend. His Test debut only lasted 30 minutes but his plan is to make a big impression and leave Meninga with no choice but to retain him in the side - there is every chance he may play some hooker this weekend if Meninga opts to rest Harry Grant or Ben Hunt.
“Every match you pull on an Australian jersey is important and I won’t be looking at it any different,” Cotter said.
“I am sure the boys that play won’t be either. We come off the back of two good games and we have to continue building in these back three games. I just have to play to my ability and play to my strengths.
“Everyone wants to play, especially in the back end in these big games. Everyone will be going hard for it.”
Cotter has family heading over to the World Cup in coming weeks, their presence particularly special given the difficult times he has gone through in his career.
Cotter’s journey to an Australian jersey has been littered with potholes, the Cowboys forward overcoming a series of knee injuries that curtailed almost three years of his career.
“They were with me when I had a few niggles with my knee injury,” Cotter said.
“To be with me now is awesome as well. To get to see this year and how it has panned out is exciting.”
52-POINT EMBARRASSMENT: WORLD CUP’S LOPSIDED DILEMMA
- By Dean Ritchie
International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant says he’s “not concerned” about the lopsided World Cup score lines despite the winning margin over the past six games blowing out to an embarrassing average of 52 points.
Grant even suggested the score lines “compare favourably to other codes.”
The much anticipated tournament is fast becoming a lopsided dilemma.
There are now growing calls for the event to be cut back to eight to ten nations or be revamped where minnow nations are separated from tier one countries.
The average winning margin across the 14 games played is 37.5 points. And in the past six games, that average winning margin has been a horrible 52 points, which includes victory differences of 84, 56, 24, 62, 18 and 68 points.
“It just bores me and I can’t stand boring games,” said former Kangaroos skipper, Max Krilich. “The minnows can’t put up a fight. They are trying but they’re just not up to standard. It’s not a contest. It’s as simple as that.”
Only two games in the tournament have been decided by single figure margins.
Tonga plays Wales at St Helens on Tuesday morning with another one-sided score line expected.
Grant, the former NSW Police Minister, was quick to defend the tournament and said the positives were abundant.
“I’m celebrating new nations playing and being embraced and the wonderful talent we have on show and I’m not concerning myself with the scores,” Grant said from England.
“There are (lopsided results) even in the NRL with two fully professional sides competing. We’ll have blowouts, it’s all part of the sports’ growth.
“As a fan or spectator you always want as close or as competitive a match as possible. I’m not concerned about the scores in this World Cup so far as they’re less than previous World Cups and compare favourably to other codes.
“The footy has been enjoyable to watch and doing what footy does, bringing joy no matter the result. Just look at Greece and Jamaica and everyone’s reaction to their joy at scoring and playing against the best in the world - you can’t beat that.
“The results haven’t had an impact on viewership as the numbers (show) and digitally are very strong, setting records so more people than ever are watching the joy league brings.
“As the pool matches end and the quarters, semis and final is played, the scores will tighten.”
Krilich, captain of the unbeaten 1982 Kangaroos, said future World Cups must be reduced in numbers.
“Eight to ten teams, that’s probably enough,” Krilich said. “Are Jamaica and Scotland going to help rugby league? Probably not.
“I couldn’t stay awake for the Australia versus Scotland game. I watched the first half and then woke up and it was 84-0. I’d rather see a score line of 11-10.
“The players don’t enjoy playing in such lopsided games. Players want to be tested. It’s not the players’ fault, these are the rules but it’s a shame.”
Colleague Phil Rothfield revealed his World Cup plan in Monday’s Daily Telegraph.
Rothfield wrote: “The rugby league World Cup should be reduced from 16 teams to eight. Some of the teams at this tournament are no stronger than NSW Cup sides and all the blowouts over the weekend were hard to watch.
“We should have Australia, England, the Kiwis, Tonga, Samoa, PNG, Fiji and then a country from the qualifying group, most likely France or Lebanon. It would be far better to watch than the Kangaroos, the Kiwis and the Poms slaughtering underprepared and under-skilled opponents.”
Expensive match tickets have impacted on crowd numbers with event officials struggling to break even.
‘Tough decisions’: Kangaroos won’t panic ahead of Kiwi grudge match
The Kangaroos kicked off their international redemption quest with a gritty win against Tonga, but coach Mal Meninga refused to guarantee any changes in what is already a new-look team.
Storm star turns back on Kiwis to keep Origin dream alive
The injury plagued Kiwis have suffered a massive blow ahead of the Pacific Championships, with a young star rejecting New Zealand to keep his Maroons Origin dream alive.