Cordner eyes unique rugby league history

Australia captain Boyd Cordner is eyeing off a special piece of history on Friday night as he aims to become the first New South Wales player to achieve rugby league’s ultimate trifecta.

Already this season he has captained the Blues to back-to-back State of Origin titles, as well as winning the NRL premiership for the second year in a row with the Sydney Roosters.

However, should the Kangaroos defeat New Zealand at WIN Stadium on Friday night, he will be the first captain to add a Test victory against a tier one nation to his astounding tally for a season.

Former Queensland captains Mal Meninga, Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith have all achieved the feat, but Cordner stands to be the first New South Welshman in history to celebrate the trinity.

It would cap off a remarkable year for the 27-year-old, who was handed the Kangaroos captaincy by Meninga at the end of 2018.

“Boyd leads by example,” Meninga said of Cordner’s leadership success.

“He is a man of few words but when he talks everyone listens.

“He is a great player in his own right and knows when to lead at the right times. He is a special player and a special talent. He understands the importance of putting on the green and gold jersey.

“He’s the ideal captain for Australia.”

The Kangaroos scored a 24-10 win over the Kiwis in the World Cup Nines final last weekend, but were not so lucky against their trans-Tasman rivals at the end of 2018.

Cordner had a chance to achieve the feat last year, but the Kiwis sprang a 26-24 upset on the Kangaroos at Mt Smart Stadium – just their fourth win from the past 17 games involving these two nations.

“You learn from your past, you learn from your mistakes so we’ve looked at it,” Meninga said.

“We’re no less passionate than the Kiwis. We’re going to come with a lot of passion for the jersey on Friday night.”

The Kiwis are aiming for back-to-back wins against Australia for just the fifth time in history.

STATS THAT MATTER

*This is the 137th Test match played between Australia and New Zealand, the Kangaroos winning 100 games (73.5 per cent) to the Kiwis 33 as well as three draws.

*This will be the first Test match between the two sides played at Wollongong with the Kangaroos winning 28 of the past 33 games in Australia including eight of the past 10.

*The Kiwis have won just two of their past 12 games outside of New Zealand but won their most recent (34-0 v England at Elland Road, Leeds).

*Stats: Fox Sports

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