| 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final | |||||||||||||
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| Date | 22 November 2008 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Suncorp Stadium | ||||||||||||
| Location | Brisbane, Queensland | ||||||||||||
| Man of the Match. | Darren Lockyer (Australia) | ||||||||||||
| Australian National Anthem New Zealand National Anthem |
? Geoff Sewell |
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| Referee | Ashley Klein (England) | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 50,599 | ||||||||||||
| Broadcast partner | |||||||||||||
| Broadcaster | Nine Network | ||||||||||||
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The 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final was a rugby league match played on 22 November 2008 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The match was the final game of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and determined who would become world champions for the next five years. The match was played between New Zealand and Australia. In one of the biggest rugby league upsets of all time, New Zealand beat Australia by 34-20 after trailing by four points at half time.
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The two teams had played each other once already at this world cup in the opening ceremony where Australia ran out easy winners.
| 26 October 2008 | Australia | 30 – 6 | New Zealand | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 34,157 Referee/s: Ashley Klein Man of the Match: Johnathan Thurston[1] |
| Tries: Inglis 14' c Monaghan 30' c Folau 48' m, 80' c Slater 60' c Goals: Thurston (4) Smith |
(report) | Try: Manu 26' c Goal: Matai |
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 30 | 6 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney | |
| England | 50 | 4 | Telstra Dome, Melbourne | |
| PNG | 46 | 6 | Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville | |
| Fiji | 52 | 0 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
Australia were undefeated at this world cup coming into the final.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 6 | 30 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney | |
| PNG | 48 | 6 | Skilled Park, Gold Coast | |
| England | 36 | 24 | Energy Australia Stadium, Newcastle, New South Wales | |
| England | 32 | 22 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
Australia went into the match as clear favorites. They had won 9 of the previous 12 Rugby League world cup's including the last six consecutively. Australia had also not lost since 2006. New Zealand had won the Tri nations in 2005 but had lost to Australia eight times in a row since that victory.
The TAB offered odds of more than 20 to one on a Kiwi win by more than 13 points and New Zealand were paying $6.25 to win at many outlets.[2]
| 22 November 2008 19:00 AEST |
Australia | 20 – 34 | New Zealand | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 50,599[3] Referee/s: Ashley Klein (England) Man of the Match: Darren Lockyer (Australia) |
| Tries: Lockyer (12', 35') 2 Williams (17') 1 Inglis (65') 1 Goals: Thurston (18', 36') 2/4 |
Report | Tries: 2 (49', 70' pen) Hohaia 1 (24') J Smith 1 (28') Ropati 1 (61') Marshall 1 (76') Blair Goals: 3/3 (25', 28', 50') Luke 2/3 (71', 77') Marshall |
At halftime Justin Morgan said on the BBC "It has been a great display from both teams in the first half. The Kiwis have been a little unlucky but they are still in the game and I would like to see them put the ball in the air more in the second half and see if they can get some results."
Suncorp Stadium was sold out months in advance for the final. 1.2 million Australians watched the game live on television.[6]
Hundreds of New Zealanders welcomed the team home at Auckland Airport.[2]
Ricky Stuart, coach of the Australian team, was reported to be so incensed by his team's defeat in the final that he verbally attacked Geoff Carr, the Chief Executive of Australian Rugby League, claiming that tournament organisers and match officials conspired to cause the Australian loss.[7] The next morning he had a chance meeting with Ashley Klein, who refereed the final, and Stuart Cummings, the Rugby Football League's director of match officials, at their hotel. He reportedly abused both officials in front of a number of witnesses, calling Klein a cheat, and behaved in an aggressive and physically intimidating manner.[8] Stuart later apologised for his behaviour and resigned from his post.[9]
The Kiwis were noimnated for team of the year in the Halberg Awards but lost to the gold medal rowing pair of Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell
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