Could there have been a better way to end the rugby league year?

The Kiwis shocking everyone (including us, to be fair...), by beating the Kangaroos 34-20 in the rugby league World Cup Final. This was a game that Australia was supposed to have virtually wrapped up going into the final, and after already beating the Kiwis 30-6 in the first round of matches, it was justified that they were expected to walk away with the Cup. But the Kiwis had other ideas, and they executed the perfect game plan for beating the Aussies.

Right from the Haka you just knew this one wasn't going to be a walkover for the Aussies - the Kiwis laid down the challenge, as the Aussies marched forward to face their opponents face to face. It was without a doubt one of the best Haka's we've seen in a long time.

The Kiwis kept themselves in the game despite the Kangaroos taking an early 10-nil lead, but the crucial moment was when Darren Lockyer dropped the ball over the line, giving the Kiwis a life - if he had scored the Aussies would have had a 16-nil lead, and they would most likely would have gone on to thrash the Kiwis. The Kiwi's then managed to scored through Jeremy Smith, and from that moment on they knew they were in with a chance.

They did all the important things well, like shutting down Thurston and Lockyer, and despite some poor errors at times they kept fighting.

Going into the second half the Kiwis had to dig deep, as they have a habit of slipping in the last fourty. But this time they maintained their composure, while the Aussies were the ones who started to get the wobbles. It started when Billy Slater threw the ball infield as he was about to go out, only to have it land in the arms of Benji Marshall who ran away for a try. There was then another crucial moment when Lance Hohia was awarded a penalty try, after Joel Monaghan took him out as he went for the ball. The momentum had swung the way of the Kiwis - but you could never count out the Kangaroos, who have a habit of scoring late in the game to spoil the party.

When Adam Blair scored late in the game, though, we knew we had won - especially when Marshall slotted the conversion. It was the greatest feeling possible, and for us it will go down as the best moment in New Zealand sport that we've personally watched. We always talk about the 2005 Tri Nations final as being great, but this surpasses that by a long way. Not until the All Blacks win another World Cup (or, even less likely, the Black Caps win one), will this feeling be repeated.

The tournament has been a huge success, and we feel it is worthy of being run every four years. Based on the supporter turn out, we don't think the rugby league governing body would disagree.

It's been a fantastic year of rugby league, and although we didn't get all the results we'd have liked, all in all it's been very entertaining - and the Kiwis win caps it off for us in the best possible way.

Now all we have to do is wait for the 2009 season to begin, which will be the year of the Warrior.

You heard it here first.