RUGBY LEAGUE Kiwis, Australia Have Eve-Of-Test Problems

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30168, 27 June 1963, Page 6

RUGBY LEAGUE Kiwis, Australia Have Eve-Of-Test Problems

-The Press* Special Service SYDNEY, June 26. New Zealand and Australia, who meet in the third and deciding Rugby League test at Sydney on Saturday, are both seriously troubled by injuries. The former Wallaby forward, R. Thornett, withdrew from the Australian side today with an injured knee, while the Kiwis’ vice-captain, W. L. Snowden, is receiving treatment for an injured ankle and has not trained since he returned to Sydney on Mondav.

The New Zealand party waa reduced by one yesterday when the first choice fullback, G. R. Phillips, flew home for an immediate cartilage operation. Other Kiwi injured players are R. D. Hammond, 'B. T. Reidy,, N. L. Denton and J. E. Sparnon, none of whom were able to train with the team today.

If Snowden’s injured knee faila to respond to treatment, the New Zealand selectors may be forced to switch the Kiwi captain, M. L, Cooke, from loose forward to halfback and replace him with H. R. Sinel. Reidy Probable Reidy, who is troubled with a thigh injury, is expected to be fit, and will turn out for practice tomorrow. The 14 tourists who remained in Queensland for matches against Central Queensland and Wide Bay,

returrted to Sydney this morning and within half an hour of arrival, wer* out on a training run.

Thornatt'a place in the Australian team has been filled by R, Hambly, bis Sydney teem-toat*. who was dropped by the selectors on Sunday night • Atroctoua Conditions

The conditions at Sydney Cricket Ground are atrocious, and are worse than the week preceding the first test. The playing area between the 25yard lines is a sea of mud following four days’ continuous rain. Even with fine weather between now and

Saturday the ground will still be very heavy. New Zealand does not want a wet ground, according to the manager, Mr G. Plant “We will have to accept ground conditions, but a dry ground would have euited us better," he said. “We won the second teat on a dry ground, which provoa it would have suited us much better,” said the coach, Mr W Telford. The rain waa so hevay on Tuesday that the Australian coach, Mr C. Churchill, cancelled a training aeosion for hia team. Both sides will have their last training spells tomorrow.