Six Reasons The Kiwis Are Going To Win The Four Nations Final This Weekend

On form the Kangaroos should be unbackable favourites to beat the Kiwis at Anfield this weekend. Here are six reasons you should throw that form book out the window and prepare for a Kiwis victory.

1. Their backs are against the wall
The Kiwis just drew (and deserved to lose) to a Scotland team comprised largely of semi-professionals – a performance rightfully decried as one of the worst in team history. Shaun Johnson is obviously feeling the pressure of being the team’s primary playmaker and sidekick Thomas Leuluai’s injury means the Kiwis will be starting a second rower at standoff. Rookie coach David Kidwell seems flat out managing the most basic elements of the coaching gig and at this point looks like he would be more suited to coaching park football.

The Kiwis have lost their last three matches against the Kangaroos by a combined score of 56-10 and now face a Kangaroos team who appeared to be hitting their straps against England. But despite their rather murky overall record the Kiwis have a history of performing at their best when the odds against them seem the greatest.

2. This is just what the Kiwis do
In three of their four title-winning campaigns the Kiwis have lost to the Kangaroos in pool play (2005 Tri Nations, 2008 World Cup, 2010 Four Nations). At this point it seems like less of a trend and more of a strategy. It’s as though the Kiwis know they can cruise through the pool section of the tournament and as long as they have a good dig in the final, no one will remember their shoddy performances in the games leading up to it. If the Kiwis manage to knock off the Kangaroos at Anfield that draw against Scotland will be relegated to little more than a frustrating answer to a pub quiz question.

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3. International league needs the Kiwis to win
A year out from the World Cup a victory for the Kiwis over a star-studded Kangaroos side would be just the thing to build some buzz for international league’s showpiece tournament. A listless performance by the boys in black could herald a return to the bad old days when a major international tournament was just another slow coronation for the Aussies. It’s going to be a tough gig selling tickets to Ireland versus Italy in Cairns if it feels like they might as well hand Australia the trophy at the opening ceremony.

4. The game is being played at Anfield
An iconic sporting ground laden with decades of amazing history. Funnily enough almost none of that history involves rugby league. The decision to play the bulk of this year’s Four Nations away from the hotbed of rugby league fandom just adds to the oddness surrounding the match and almost guarantees a ridiculous result.

5. Shaun Johnson just launched a clothing line
It doesn’t matter how good you look, if you can’t win something (really, anything at this point) then it’s tough work selling fans on your personal brand. The fact that Johnson just launched a clothing line targeted at league fans that only goes up to 2XL throws up more questions about his decision making than his kicking on the fifth tackle. After winning the least-deserved Man of the Match award in the history of organized sport and earning a well-earned serve from rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns, ‘SJ’ desperately needs an epic performance to get his t-shirts and hoodies flying off the shelves.

6. It’s 2016
The All Blacks lost to Ireland, Cronulla won the Premiership, the Chicago Cubs are World Series champions and Donald Trump is going to be President of the United States. At this point it would be more of a shock if the Kiwis didn’t upset the Kangaroos on Sunday.

Watch the Four Nations final live and on demand on Rugby Pass. Kick-off Sunday November 20, 10:30pm HKT