Old-school rugby league breakdown: Kiwis v Australia in 1985

Rugby League takes a rare fortnight off over Christmas. It’s about the only time of year that there isn’t some sort of footy to keep us going. So, as a relative novice when it comes to the archives, I’ve gone back to 1985 to see how things have changed.

Rugby league consumes me. It is part of my daily life, but it hasn’t always been that way. I’m a relatively late bloomer to the superior rugby code, having grown up in a suburb of Auckland that hasn’t had a team feature in the top grade since 1945¹ .

Therefore, I’m not totally across the old-school rugby league that so many people on the internet claim is better than what we have now. Better than the professional athletes with more science and technology at their disposal than ever before and with every game televised and available weekly. So, with that in mind and on a deep path down the off-season YouTube rabbit hole, I landed on the second test between the Australian Kangaroos and New Zealand Kiwis in 1985.

Mark Graham and Kevin Tamati carried from the kickoff with the ferociousness you’d expect in any test match in any era. What wasn’t expected - despite seeing highlights of past kicking duels - was the clearing kick on the second tackle…

The brutality is eye-catching from the start. The 10-metre law wasn’t introduced until 1993² , so all there really is to do at times is charge straight at the opposition and try to roll over the top of them. We simply don’t see a five-eighth wind up straight at an opposing forward with his elbows raised as Wally Lewis did with his first touch of the ball.

For how much we hear about the game being soft today, two minutes hadn’t passed before the referee blew a penalty for Kiwis backrower Kurt Sorensen, leading with his elbow. The Australian commenraty team³ blew up deluxe when Garry Jack copped a high one shortly after, suggesting that “they’ve shown their tactics” while demanding a send off not five minutes into the match.

As a huge supporter of scrums and their place in the game today given the attacking opportunities they present, I’d change my tune very quickly if scrums in 2025 resembled those in 1985.

There were 18 of these throughout the match…

Our friends in the commentary box did eventually find something positive in the game as a superb Dean Bell carry from the backfield ended with a massive shot from Mal Meninga.

The reasons for changing the 10-metre rule are constantly evident. The early kicks out of yardage and lack of action at the advantage line make for a tough watch at times. The swarming defence is able to apply pressure so quickly that errors and dropped balls are a regular occurrence as the attacking team often catches in contact.

Even as the Kangaroos generate a quick play-the-ball through Steve Roache to leave just three Kiwis defending half of the field, Peter Wynn’s run ends as a one-pass hit up. The Kiwis winger is able to close down the passing lane before Wynn crosses the advantage line, forcing him to look inside against a three-man defence.

The first try of the match came in very 1985-like fashion. It’s how I typically picture the game in this period. Quick hands beating a jamming defence before a flurry of offloads in the backfield.

One-on-one battles in space are the key. Offloads out of low tackles are a consistent feature across the 80 minutes, but just as consistent is the dropped ball and turnover in possession. Completion rates can’t have been much higher than 50% in this one.

Most of the match is spent in the middle of the field. ‘Tackles inside the opposition 20-metre line’ won’t have been a number teams recorded as they do now.

The Kiwis led for the majority of the game but never looked in total control. It’s difficult to control a game that is so chaotic with fatigue becoming more and more of a factor.

Carlaw Park looked set to explode as Kemble, Filipaina, and the Kiwis inched closer to victory. The commentator referred to them as the better side on the day. They created more opportunities and had the better of the running for much of the match. However, as Kiwi footy fans know all too well, the Kangaroos are never out of it.

With what ended up as the last possession of the game, Garry Jack⁴ broke through the line for John Ribot to score the winner.

It’s a fitting finish, given how the try was scored. It’s again a break on the edges, and like most earlier in the match, it comes as a result of the defender shooting out and creating a triangle in the line coaches in 2024 spend countless hours coaching out of players.

Opportunities are few and far between to attack, but the final action reflects the majority of those that popped up throughout the match.

Rugby League in 1985

The lack of respect for possession is one of the most significant differences in the game compared to today. It’s easier to defend with such a short space between the ruck and the referee. Still, it’s alarming to see teams willingly hand over possession early in the tackle count. From deep in their own territory, no less.

Broken play on kick returns presented the best attacking opportunities against a disjointed and tired line, again bringing into question the tactics around early kick. The two fullbacks, Jack and Kemble, stood out as two of the most dangerous players on the park overall.

The fitness, or comparable lack of it, is also noticeable. Breaks made and tackles up the field without a support player in sight. No shape on either side of the ruck with momentum, let alone one side.

“Again, no one there! There is no support from Australia; they are just standing flat and bunching up. Running sideways like the proverbial Queensland mud crab,” said the commentator late in the second half.

The Kiwis turned the ball over on the last tackle when they couldn’t get a dummy half to the ruck after a line break.

Wraparounds dominate attacking structures with barely a block play in sight. They’re trying to create the extra number and quick hands are the key to beating the defence on the outside, but rarely without an offload somewhere in the action. Turning the ball back in is consistently the most dangerous action out wide as the defence slides in cover.

We’d call this game sloppy in 2025 after losing count of the number of errors. The referee would have been hammered for the number of penalties called, too. Without getting into a mindless argument over which era was better, there is no doubt the quality and skill level of the game is better now. Does the chaos and lack of professionalism produce a better product? Others can argue that.

I enjoyed the game overall. It’s interesting to dig into how rugby league has changed over time and to get an idea of why greats of the game are considered as such.

Mal Meninga is a beast and played the centre position totally different to what we see today. James Leuluai did the same for the Kiwis in the #4 jersey. Blocker’s fearlessness is on full display in this one. Olsen Filapaina is a Kiwis legend, and every touch drew noise from the crowd in anticipation - he finished as the Man of the Match for me. I knew the name Gary Kemble, but he’s a gun. Paul Vaughtin kicked the ball a lot more than I would have guessed.

I’ll fast forward roughly 10 years to another game over the break. Flick through any suggestions you might have, and I’ll add them to the list.

NRL Offseason Podcast Schedule

There isn’t a lot going around on the NRL podcast circuit right now, but I have a few evergreen episodes that are worth adding to your queue over the summer.

Content Corner

NRL content is inconsistent at the best of times, so I’ll add any of the good stuff I find here.

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1  The North Shore Albions made a brief reappearance in the mid-90s, but Rugby Union is the code of choice in the area. Shoutout to my childhood playground, North Shore Rugby Club.

2  In what really is classic rugby league fashion, NSWRL introduced the 10-metre rule mid-season.

3  The commentary is worth the watch alone. If Kiwis today think the Fox broadcast speaks about a Test match with an Australian bias, this is a comedy.

4  Jack did well to get up from this only five minutes earlier…