Rugby League Selection, Of Team For N.Z. Tour “A Hard Task”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29535, 9 June 1961, Page 20

Rugby League Selection, Of Team For N.Z. Tour “A Hard Task”

(By W F. CORBETT, an Australian Associated Press special correspondent, who unit visit New Zealand with the Australian Ruabv League team]

SYDNEY. June 8. Australia’s Rugby league selectors on Monday night in Sydney will face one of their most confusing problems for many years. They have to pick 20 players to open a tour of New Zealand at Rotorua on June 17 from a j-g-saw puzzle of form. The only certainties are the managers. They have already been appointed—Jack Kessey. a fine administrator and former player of Sydney, and G. W. Allen, of Toowoomba, Queensland, who refereed she first inter-

national match ever decided in Toowoomba when New Zealand played there in 1919. Selection of the Australian team will follow the second match on Monday in the annual series between New South Wales and Queensland. Country's recent defeat of Sydney was such a form Shock that the selectors swung the axe right and left, hacking out of the Nev 7 South Wales team for the first match of the series against Queensland eight men who were strongly in the running for toe New Zealand tour. Among them were B. Clay, a lock or five-eight. and K. O’Shea, a second-row forward. The Sydney man to gain the captaincy against Country is usually regarded as the skipper to be groomed for a tour, but it did not work out this time. The captain against Country was the international bull back or winger B. Carlson. He vanished overnight and was superseded by the Country captain, T. Paskins, who formerly played with the Workington Town Club 'England) and Eastern Suburbs (Sydney). Many advocate as captain the brilliant centre R. Gosnier. The Kangaroo lock, J. Raper, cannot make the trip as he has not yet recovered from a knee cartilage operation. Players from New South Wales country area are now dominating the spectacle for the Australian selections. This has given Queensland stronger hope of big representation for toe New Zealand tour. In two matches between New South Wales and Queensland this week-end there could well be further form upsets. No-one knows just what is going to happen, least of all toe players. Tlie Kangaroo winger K. Irvine (Sydney, must surely make the trip. Experience in England has given him poise and polish. He is a professional runner and accelerates quickly. Among others whom New Zealand must see is the Kangaroo hooker I. Walsh, who at first feared that hiis employer would not let him away. At a late hour-his boss however gave him authority to tour. As well as being a fine hooker he is an experienced -player in the loose. Country’s shock to Sydney was due to a big extent to the coaching of P. .Jackson, a farmer England vir -captain, who is now living at Goulbum (New South Wales).