Broadhurst in front row against Sydney

Press, 16 September 1976, Page 36

Broadhurst in front row against Sydney

By

JOHN COFFEY

Mark Broadhurst, the Papanui forward whose previous first-class rugby league experience has been in the second-row, will pack down in the unaccustomed role of prop for South Island against Sydney on Saturday. The sudden promotion of Broadhurst has resulted from the withdrawals from the squad of the prop, Terry Gillman, and his Christchu r c h-Eastern Suburbs club-mate, Alan Rushton, who had been the reserve forward.

Gillman has been troubled by a knee injury for some time and aggravated it last week-end, when he had the very strenuous tasks of playing for the New Zealand XIII against Sydney at Auckland on the Saturday, and then for Eastern against Papanui in the Canterbury club championship grand final on the Sunday. Under the circumstances, Gillman’s achievement in attaining selection for the national team was all the more praiseworthy. But he was extremely sore after the hard slog in the Carlaw Park mud, and had medical advice to stand down from the South Island side. A wrenched shoulder forced Rushton to leave the field during the grand final, and the accompanying internal bruising has not cleared sufficiently to allow him to train with the island squad this afternoon.

Mr H. J. Walker, a South Island selector and the team manager, said yesterday that there had been a chance of Rushton recovering by Saturday. However, Rushton had unselfishly decided that it would “not be fair to the other players” to take the risk of having to withdraw at the eleventh hour.

When it became known

that .Rushton was in doubt, Broadhurst was asked to stand by in case a new forward reserve was required. The loss of Gillman, in addition to that of Rushton, was not expected, and left the South Island panel critically short of specialist props. Because of personal commitments, Broadhurst has flirted with representative football this season. He was originally not available for Canterbury, returned for two matches, was out of contention again when West Coast was eliminated from the national Rothmans tour-

nament, but will play in the Rothmans grand final on September 29. There is no doubt that Broadhurst, who appeared in all of Canterbury’s nine matches last year, will not be out of his depth against the Sydney tourists. His style, though, has the freeflowing flair of a secondrower, and he will have a difficult assignment adjusting to the role of prop. While Broadhurst was the logical choice as the replacement in the starting XIII, Mr Walker had problems when seeking a suitable substitute forward to take Rushton’s place. He first looked to the former Canterbury and New Zealand trialist hooker, Dale Brown (Kaiapoi), only to

discover that he was on holiday at Invercargill and was not available. Mr Walker then attempted to contact another forward with past provincial experience, Rex Dalzell (Linwood), but Dalzell will not return from a business conference at Auckland until the week-end.

Rod Walker (Papanui), a member of New Zealand teams on three occasions, was also approached, but is still troubled by jaw injuries suffered in recent club fixtures. His club-mate, Angus McGregor, eventually ended. Mr Walker’s search and might well add South Island honours, if he takes the field, just over a month after his Canterbury debut. The West Coast members of the, squad arrived in Christchurch late last evening. The side will train at the Show Grounds this afternoon. The revised team is.—

M. W. J. O’Donnell; E. S. Kerrigan, M. P. Brereton (vice-captain), B. I. Dickison, J. B. Low; D. Field, G. Harcourt; W. Hargreaves, J. Griffin, M. E. Broadhurst; W. A/S. Bunn, A. P. Coll (captain); M. D. Stone. Reserves: G. D. Taie, A. J. McGregor.