Baxendale keen to continue

Press, 12 May 1982, Page 30

Baxendale keen to continue

By

JOHN COFFEY

-Ray’.Baxendale has been involved in rugby league playing or preparation almost continuously since presuming training with the Runanga club on the West Coast in the early months of 1980. Blit his enthusiasm has in no way been dimmed by over-exposure And he is keen to return to the football fields in this country. A New Zealand forward in 16 tests since 1975, Baxendale’s rugby league travels have twice taken him around the world in the iast 18 months — from the township of Runanga to the code’s most renowned stadiums in Britain. Baxendale returned to Christchurch earlier this week after spending most of the northern season with the. Wakefield Trinity club in the British first division. It was his second consecutive season in Britain, having toured there (and to France) with the Kiwis in late 1980. Last autumn he made another notable change to the course of his career,

transferring to Canterbury and linking up.with MaristWestern Suburbs. Baxendale — home too late to be included in the South Island squad ‘ for the KB . Super League inter-districts championship — might be back in the Marist pack against Eastern-Hertz next Saturday. “I feel that I only need a few days off before getting back into football,” Baxendale said yesterday. “There is no staleness — as long as the mind is keen, and one is free of injuries, there is nothing tc> stop anyone from playing the year round.” Club rugby league in Britain has drawn criticism from observers who feel that it has become increasingly defensive in nature. The harsh promotion-relegation system, with four teams being demoted to the second division each year, has caused sides in the bottom half of the championship to restrict themselves to a policy of safety-first. It was in such a situation that Baxendale found himself, although his outstanding tackling would have admirably suited Wakefield’s purposes.

But Wakefield at present has just a shadow of the team which reached the Challenge Cup final at Wembley in 1979. Baxendale said that of the squad of 21 which went to Wembley, only two or three remain on the club’s staff.

The once powerful Wakefield outfit has suffered from financial circumstances in recent seasons and has had to-follow many of its counterparts in selling players to keep ahead of its commitments.

Among the losses were David Topliss, the “man of the match” at Wembley, the senior British test prop, Trevor Skerrett, and the high-scoring centre, Terry Day. Ironically, all three are now at Hull, alongside Baxendale’s Kiwi team-mates, Dane O’Hara, James Leuluai, and Gary Kemble.

“The transfer system in Britain is quite incredible. You don’t really know who. you will be playing with from one match to the next,”; Baxendale said. “The lower-placed clubs, have a big problem, in contrast to teams like Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers, where money seems to be no worry. Payments at Wakefield were good, but the boys at Hull are treated like superstars and can count on plenty of winning bonuses. “Hull, for example, can afford to buy quality men just for its second XIII, which would be competitive with many first division teams. I spent Christmas up at Hull and Gary (Kemble) had one whole wall covered in Christmas cards from Hull’s fans,” Baxendale said. “Similarly, Dane O’Hara’s twins were inundated with presents from Hull supporters. Hull draws between 12,000 and 16,000 spectators at every home game, and a whole army follows it to away matches,” he said.

i While Hull has reaped rich . rewards - the John Player >. Cup, runner-up in the cham- : pionship, a Challenge Cup ;.. final replay with Widnes, and . how a position in the premiership final, also \ against Widnes — Wakefield spent the freezing British winter trying to avoid relegation. Wakefield lacked depth — when a forward, Kevin Rayne, was transferred to Leeds for £40,000 he was not replaced — yet it fought tenaciously in a seven-sided contest to find the four clubs to be dropped to the second division. It valiantly held- on as Whitehaven, York and Fulham were doomed to relegation. That left Wakefield, Castleford, Featherstone Rovers and Wigan still in the danger zone, and the uncertainty remained until the last round when Wakefield was beaten by Featherstone and its fate sealed. If O’Hara, Kemble and Leuluai have had most of the recognition, the success of

other New Zealanders such as Baxendale, Shane Varley (who was one of the major reasons for Workington Town’s promotion to the first division), Danny Campbell (Wigan) and the Murray brothers, from Northland (Salford) has led to players from this country being held in high regard.

Moves to loosen the transfer restrictions between nations have been welcomed by Baxendale. He said that the newly-formed Players’ Association in England had lobbied the British Rugby League to raise the matter with the International Board.

“There are a host of players in England who would like to gain experience in Australia and New Zealand. . I don’t see anything wrong with that - certainly, New Zealand has received a boost from the number of Kiwis who have developed through having terms with overseas clubs,” he said. Baxendale himself feels that he has benefited from the coaching of Bill Ashurst, a brilliant though injuryprone former British secondrow forward.

“Most of our training included touch football, with concentration on ball skills. Ashurst was a master of that, he had the stamp of class all over him. I am sure that my individual play has improved,” he said. Baxendale is now looking forward to retaining his place in the New Zealand team to tour Australia and Papua New Guinea in June and July. Once the New Zealand programme is completed, Baxendale will be content to have a rest from rugby league, although he was asked back for a second season at Wakefield.

“Joining Wakefield was always going to be a oncer, a chance to play in Britain and to show my wife, Donna, some of the world. But professional football is not worth the sacrifice of the quality of life, and it will be good to enjoy a summer.”