Broadhurst battles on regardless

Press, 6 March 1984, Page 40

Broadhurst battles on regardless

By JOHN COFFEY Mark Broadhurst, the New Zealand and former Canterbury prop forward, is continuing to play professional rugby league in England in spite of a serious injury and against the advice of his Kiwi test coach, Graham Lowe. The rugged Broadhurst is having pre-match inoculations and wearing a chest protector to lessen the pain he is suffering from a severely damaged sternum bone. Surgery will be required, and Broadhurst intends to have an operation after his British club, Hull Kingston

Rovers, completes its programme in May. But he will then have to rest for a long period to aid recovery and it is virtually certain that Broadhurst will miss the home test series against Britain in July. During a recent visit to England Mr Lowe advised Broadhurst “to have a real good think about having it (the operation) done straight away.” But Broadhurst, in his 17 tests and when with ManlyWarringah and Hlawarra in the Sydney premiership, has earned a reputation as one of the toughest players in the code.

Mr Lowe admits that he admires Broadhurst’s courage. He questions his wisdom, though, in risking further injury. “Mark had been playing without too much discomfort for some time, until he was hurt again in a match with Wigan. I would like to see him quit now and have the injury fixed,” said Mr Lowe.

“In my opinion Mark is the best open-side prop in the world, and even now he is the most effective prop in Britain; but those who know him can see that he is not right, and I would hate him to jeopardise his future,” he

said. The Kiwi and former West Coast scrum-half, Gordon Smith — now a teammate of Broadhurst’s at Hull Kingston Rovers — is also extremely doubtful for the tests in July. Smith, who Mr Lowe described as the “player of the series” against Australia last year, has recently been something of a week-to-week proposition because of a knee injury. “One or two” of the other seven New Zealanders who have full contracts in Britain might experience some problems in arranging releases from employment

commitments to return for the home tests.

However, Mr Lowe was heartened by their determination to extend their international careers, and was extremely pleased with the general form of the Kiwis.

He singled out the young Centre, Dean Bell, for particular praise. Bell, on an off-season transfer to Leeds, ‘has been devastating,” said Mr Lowe. “I believe he will make a similar impact on New Zealand rugby league as Mark Graham.”