Golden Point unnecessary - Bennett

Despite calls from former greats of the game to introduce ?Golden Point? to international football, neither New Zealand coach Daniel Anderson nor Australian mentor Wayne Bennett supports such an initiative.

Saturday afternoon?s 16-all draw left several players ? particularly Kangaroos forwards Willie Mason and Jason Ryles ? scratching their heads, with many not realizing there is no extra-time period at international level.

According to former Test stars Mark Geyer and Benny Elias, it is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately.

"The Test match on Saturday deserved a victor," said Geyer.

"Golden point is one of the best innovations the game has seen. It's progress, like the video referee. I think golden point should be used in every game.

"Another mini-game actually unfolds in the extra time period.

"Both sets of players must have felt hollow on Saturday."

The belief that every match needs a winner and a loser is an idea supported by Elias, who said the fans paid to see the contest decided.

"People like to see a final outcome," he said.

"At the end of the day you work hard for a result. The crowd on Saturday walked away dumbfounded and the players stood around like idiots just looking at each other. It was a flat finish.

"The great thing about sport is that there are winners and losers."

Bennett, however, strongly disagreed with Elias and Geyer saying any extra-time period would have put to great a strain on the players who have several matches still to play in the tournament.

"Both sides have to back up next Saturday in London and there was no need to be on the football field any longer today,? he said

"This is international football and we don't need golden point. I think both teams deserved a point out if it."

Anderson backed the veteran Broncos coach, saying the traditions of international rugby league should be preserved

"Golden point is good for spectators but it can remain an NRL or an RFL [in England] initiative," he said.

"It was a great game between two fantastic teams. Yhe result was a traditional result in traditional football."

Both teams blew chances to seal the win in final 15minutes, with Australian halfback Craig Gower missing a simple field goal shot 12minutes from full-time and Kiwis centre Nigel Vagana spilling a lovely short ball from Sonny Bill Williams just metres out from an open line.

"We probably had our best chance at a field goal with 12 minutes left when Craig Gower had a shot because the Kiwis weren't expecting it then," said captain Darren Lockyer.

"We had a few more shots and so did they but no-one looked like kicking one."

In the dying seconds Lockyer sliced through the New Zealand defence and looked to have put fellow Bronco Shaun Berrigan over for the match-winning try only to have referee Russell Smith pull the movement back for a forward pass.

It was a nail-biting finish to what was a tremendous game of football played in trying conditions.