Broadhurst chosen

Press, 2 July 1979, Page 30

Broadhurst chosen

By

JOHN COFFEY

Mark Broadhurst (MaristWestem Suburbs), a surprise omission from the Kiwi side which toured Australia last season, yesterday realised his most cherished sporting ambition by being chosen for the New Zealand rugby league team to meet Britain in the first test at Auckland on July 21. But the satisfaction of having Broadhurst among the seven new caps will be tempered in Canterbury by the shock omission of Barry Edkins and the national panel’s snubbing of the province’s other leading contenders, Robin Alfeld, Alan Rushton, Terry Gillman, and Lewis Hudson. An elated Broadhurst said last evening that he thought he had stronger claims to a second-row position, rather than at prop, where he has been placed. Although Broadhurst started in the front-row for South Island against Auckland on Saturday, he later switched with his club-mate, Gillman. Broadhurst is more familiar with the second-row role, but has performed with distinction at prop when required by Canterbury and South Island. The omission of Edkins was quite unexpected after his outstanding display for South in its 11-10 win at Auckland’s expense. Edkins scored two of South’s three

tries and earned the Auckland Supporters’ Club’s “man of the match” award. The Kiwi team, one that is sure to give rise to much debate, is.— W. R. Collicoat (Wellington); D. O’Hara (Auckland), O. O. Filipaina (Auckland), J. Leuluai (Auckland), R. Uluave (Manawatu); F. Ah Kuoi (Auckland, vice-cap-tain), G. J. Smith (West Coast); M. E. Broadhurst (Canterbury), H. Tamati (Taranaki), D. P. I. Sorensen (Cronulla-Sutherland); K. R. Tamati (Wellington), G. L. West (Taranaki, captain); A. P. Coll (West Coast). Reserves: J. D. Smith (Auckland), P. Ravlich (Waikato). Only five of the players — O’Hara, Filipaina, Ah Kuoi, Coll and John Smith

— were in the squad which toured Australia and Papua New Guinea a year ago. Collicoat Mid Sorensen last appeared for the Kiwis in 1977, while West has made an even more auspicious comeback. West was dropped after one test in 1975, but his leadership and general play for Central Districts gained him the captaincy. Apart from Broadhurst, the other newcomers are Leuluai, Uluave, Gordon Smith, Kevin Tamati, Howard Tamati and Ravlich. Leuluai has had an eventful season, having graduated to the New Zealand centres from wing and full-back for Auckland. By doing so, he has ended the sequence of 29 consecutive test appearances by Dennis Williams (Auckland). The prolific-scoring Uluave becomes the first rugby league international from Manawatu, and he deserved his recognition after . outplaying his main rivals, O’Hara and Kevin Fisher (Waikato), in the national inter-district competition. Previous selection panels regarded Ah Kuoi as essentially a wing, an attitude which caused Ah Kuoi to make himself unavailable for the Kiwis until the Auckland selector-coach, Don Hammond, decided to use him at stand-off half on Saturday. Ah Kuoi responded to the opportunity given hint.