Possibly the longest rugby league season in history just ended at the start of December (!), with Australia defeating England 6-0, a result that might be mistaken for a soccer scoreline except that the Socceroos rarely keep a clean sheet.
Anyway, back in May I named a hypothetical Earth rugby league team. The end of the tournament presents a good opportunity to update this side.
So here is the EARTH TEAM v2.0...
1. Roger TUIVASA-SHECK (NZ Warriors, New Zealand)
RTS was brilliant in the World Cup and it's scary to think how much worse New Zealand would've been without him at the back. I'm calling it - he's marginally better than Billy Slater.
2. Jermaine McGILLVARY (Huddersfield Giants, England)
3. Kallum WATKINS (Leeds Rhinos, England)
Previously I had the Raiders combo of Rapana and Leilua here, this time I've gone with a different unexpected combination. McGillvary was immense throughout the tournament, making a heap of metres coming out of trouble, and constantly threatening in attack. If he was five years younger, I think half the NRL would be after his signature. Watkins was the player inside feeding him attacking ball, and was a desperate ankle tap away from changing the course of the tournament in the final. He was also very strong in defence throughout the tournament.
4. Michael JENNINGS (Parramatta Eels, Tonga)
This position is reserved for Greg Inglis when fit. In the meantime, Jennings gets the nod. He was a significant part of Tonga's spirited success in the World Cup, sparking the team out wide after the huge contributions from their forwards. The other contender was Dugan, but he still can't pass and signed with the Sharks.
5. Valentine HOLMES (Cronulla Sharks, Australia)
Hard to argue with 11 tries in two games.
Hard to argue with 11 tries in two games.
6. Michael MORGAN (North Queensland Cowboys, Australia)
Didn't have the strongest tournament, but showed in the back half of the NRL season what an outstanding player he has become through leading the Thurston-less Cowboys to the Grand Final.
7. Cooper CRONK* (Sydney Roosters, Australia)
While Slater and Smith seem ageless, I think Cronk has shown some signs of slipping - it's going to be interesting to see if the Roosters get their money's worth. There just weren't any other outstanding halfbacks across the NRL season or in the World Cup to challenge his place here.
8. James GRAHAM* (St.George-ILLAWARRA Dragons, England)
Previously I wanted the NRL's biggest grub leading my forward pack in an interplanetary grudge match, and nothing I saw in the World Cup changed my mind.
9. Cameron SMITH* (c) (Melbourne Storm, Australia)
If you really want to understand the benefits of sports science in modern rugby league, consider that Smith is still the best player in the game at an age where past greats have been a few years retired with broken bodies.
10. David KLEMMER (Canterbury Bulldogs, Australia)
We expected certain players to dominate for Australia, but Klemmer was the one that took the biggest stride forwards, both in the figurative sense, and with his high-knee running style, in the literal sense too.
11. Boyd CORDNER* (Sydney Roosters, Australia)
The New South Wales captain scored the only try in the World Cup final.
12. Elliot WHITEHEAD (Canberra Raiders, England)
I was going to stick with Gillett here, until I contrasted two moments from the semi-finals. There was Whitehead, making a desperate grab at the arm of Fifita, with enough force to dislodge the ball and prevent a try that would've seen Tonga in the final and England victims of the greatest choke in rugby league history. Then there was Gillett, bombing an early try against Fiji with an attempted offload so bad it appeared that he had never thrown a pass to his right before.
13. Jason TAUMALOLO* (North Queensland Cowboys, Tonga)
The best forward in the game, and the biggest story of the World Cup when he switched allegiances from New Zealand to Tonga.
Interchange
14. Gareth WIDDOP (St. George-ILLAWARRA Dragons, England)
England's best option for fullback, five-eighth and halfback in this tournament, so would be a very handy impact player off the bench.
15. Josh McGUIRE* (Brisbane Broncos, Australia)
I picked McGuire in the first version of the Earth Team after hearing a story about him pulling his own tooth to play a game of footy. What I've learnt since - McGuire has been playing footy with one eye for three years. How did I miss this?! What a player.
16. Matt GILLETT* (Brisbane Broncos, Australia)
17. Andrew FIFITA (Cronulla Sharks, Tonga)
One of the interesting developments in 2018 will be whether Fifita chooses Australia or sticks with Tonga, and if New South Wales pick him if he sticks with Mate Ma'a.
Reserves
18. Suliasi VUNIVALU* (Melbourne Storm, Fiji)
Even with Holmes scoring 11 tries in two games, Vunivalu only lost his spot due to defence - he played arguably the worst game of his career in the semi-final for Fiji, with two poor defensive judgments particularly standing out. Still the best week-to-week finisher in the NRL.
19. Jarryd HAYNE* (Parramatta Eels, Fiji)
I already gambled on Hayne at centre in my previous Earth Team, and he let me down badly. But he looked revitalised playing for Fiji during the World Cup, and took complete control of the last 20 minutes of their memorable upset of New Zealand in the quarter-final. At Parra, I'm not even sure whether he'll play fullback or centre, but he's going to be happier playing outside Moses and Norman than he has been for a long time.
20. James ROBY (St. Helens Saints, England)
For years, Roby has been one of those UK Super League players you're pretty confident is really good, but don't see enough against NRL opposition to know for sure. After the World Cup, I think we can be sure. England always looked better when he subbed on for Hodgson, and in the final he proved he could play 80 minutes at the highest intensity.
21. Jesse BROMWICH* (Melbourne Storm, New Zealand)
The suspended Bromwich looked better with each defeat in the Kiwis shitshow.
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