Halfback Hughes plays down Kiwis hype
We’ve got the team to do it [win the World Cup] . . .We need to put it together.
Jahrome Hughes
Kiwis halfback Jahrome Hughes is keen to douse the hype around the team ahead of their opening match at the Rugby League World Cup on Monday.
New Zealand have a side laden with top NRL talent and one of their best squads for the tournament.
While Australia are clear favourites, many pundits believe this year is New Zealand’s best chance since 2008, when Stephen Kearney’s team upset the odds in Brisbane.
Hughes acknowledges their potential but feels they have a lot to prove.
“We’ve got some talented players and our forward pack is really good,” he said. “We’ve got the team to do it, but that’s not going to get you over the line, just the team sheet that goes out there. We need to put it together.
“But we’re confident in the team we have, and the core group have been together for a little while now, so we’re keen to see how we can go.”
After a week in Leeds ahead of last Sunday’s warm-up clash with the Rhinos — Hughes was among the tryscorers in a 74-0 romp — the Kiwis have settled into their York base, with the chance for the full squad to train.
It has been particularly important for the new-look spine of Joseph Manu, Hughes, Dylan Brown and Brandon Smith, since their first outing as a quartet in June’s test win over Tonga.
Hughes wasn’t part of the last World Cup, as he was still finding his feet at the Melbourne Storm and had played just six NRL games in five seasons. But he has developed massively since then, with three preliminary final appearances along with the 2020 grand final triumph, and is rated as one of the sport’s best playmakers.
The 28-year-old remembers watching the 2008 final as a teenager — “that was crazy” — and is aware of the impact a successful campaign could have.
“It would be great for the people of our country,” said Hughes. “We’ve put enough pressure on ourselves to win the Cup but it would be such a joy to New Zealand.”
Barring any major upsets, the Kiwis are seeded to meet Australia in the last four, which would be the first transtasman semifinal since 1995.
The Kangaroos would present a formidable challenge but Hughes is adamant the team aren’t looking beyond their pool matches, with Lebanon first on Monday at 7.30am, followed by Jamaica and Ireland.
“Every game is going to be important,” said Hughes. “It’s doesn’t really matter [the] opposition — we take it week by week. We don’t want to look too far ahead and start thinking about semifinals or quarter-finals. We need to play well [in the group stages], we can’t take anyone lightly.”
That message has been drilled home by Kiwis coach Michael Maguire, who is is famously fastidious and has the reputation as a tough taskmaster but Hughes says he has struck the perfect balance.
“He’s been really good,” said Hughes. “He wants us to get around and enjoy; when we’re on the park, we’re training hard and putting in our best efforts. [But] once we’re off the field, he just wants us to relax and soak up everyone’s company. That’s the best recipe for a winning team, when everyone’s gelling really well, not just on the field but off as well.”
Fullback Manu concurred, saying the Kiwis need to build steadily across the six-week tournament. He identified the pool games as an invaluable chance to develop and improve combinations, given the team has played only once since November 2019.
Manu has spent most of his career out wide, with 123 of his 137 NRL games at centre or wing for the Roosters. But he is expected to be used in the No 1 jersey for the Kiwis — after a successful experiment against Tonga in June — and enjoys the extra challenges.
“I feel like you’re always on the ball,” said Manu. “It’s a bit different, fullback, these days. There’s a lot of stuff required and it’s a challenge for me. Any jumper playing for the Kiwis is nice, but off the back of this forward pack and the whole team, I can really thrive [there].”