Punters flock to Kangaroos to crush Kiwis in Four Nations final

November 20, 2016 1:51 pm.by Dominic Ciconte

Four Nations 2016 final
THE Four Nations final between Australia and New Zealand will be a completely one-sided affair, according to Sportsbet.com.au punters.

The final, played at Anfield in Liverpool, begins at 1.30am AEST on Monday, November 21.

The Cameron Smith-led Aussies are paying -400 in head-to-head betting, have attracted 84 per cent of the money wagered on the decider so far. The Kiwis have slipped out to $4 and are friendless with punters.

The Kangaroos enjoy a -10 line and have also received significant interest to win at a margin 13+, which is paying $2.25.

In selection news ahead of the match, Australian coach Mal Meninga looks certain to replace the injured Sam Thaiday (fractured cheekbone) with Canberra enforcer Shannon Boyd.

Kangaroos fullback Darius Boyd told the UK press that Thaiday will be missed, but his replacement is more than capable of filling the void.

“Sam has played a lot of Tests for our country and to be missing for the final is, I suppose, disappointing,” Boyd said.

“In saying that, I think Shannon Boyd has had a great Test debut and first few games this year and while it’s unlucky for Sammy it’s really good for him to get his chance now.”

Australia has been undefeated on the way to the final, beating England 36-18, New Zealand 14-8 and Scotland 54-12. In addition to its loss to the Aussies, the Kiwis have tied with Scotland and snuck into the final on the back of a 17-16 win over England.

Australia’s likely line-up: Darius Boyd, Valentine Holmes, Josh Dugan, Greg Inglis, Blake Ferguson, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Matt Scott, Cameron Smith, Aaron Woods, Boyd Cordner, Matt Gillett, Trent Merrin. Interchange: David Klemmer, Michael Morgan, Tyson Frizell, Shannon Boyd/Jake Trbojevic

New Zealand’s likely line-up: Jordan Kahu, Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Solomone Kata, Jordan Rapana, Tohu Harris, Shaun Johnson, Jesse Bromwich, Issac Luke, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Kevin Proctor, Greg Eastwood, Jason Taumalolo. Interchange: Adam Blair, Marty Taupau, Lewis Brown, Manu Ma’u.