Sorensen back to his best

Press, 13 July 1984, Page 23

Sorensen back to his best

By

JOHN COFFEY

Kurt Sorensen has few peers as a spectacular rugby league forward, but he yesterday adopted a conservative stance when discussing the factors which have caused him to spend most of this season in reserve grade with his Sydney club, Eastern Suburbs. “About all I can say is that Eastern Suburbs is having a terrible year after buying a lot of players in the off-season,” said Sorensen, who regains his international status when New Zealand meets Great Britain in the first test of the Autex series at Auckland tomorrow.

Sorensen and his brother and fellow Kiwi forward, Dane, transferred from a financially-troubled Cron-ulla-Sutherland as two of the scoop purchases in an Eastern Suburbs spending spree earlier this year. In spite of the influx of talent, the coach, Laurie Freier, has not been able to mould a winning combination. Eastern Suburbs is

second-to-last of the 13 Sydney premiership sides, with only the relegation-threat-ened Western Suburbs behind it. One of Mr Freier’s more radical experiments was to place Kurt Sorensen in the centres. It was not a successful ploy, and Sorensen resumed his second-row responsibilities in the second XIII.

Dane Sorensen, after recovering from an injury, also had to bide his time in the reserves before reclaiming a regular position in the first grade front-row. The Kiwi coach, Graham Lowe, has not been alone in criticising Mr Freier for his treatment of the New Zealanders. Many Eastern Suburbs members would not be amused that, while the top side is struggling to stay competitive, the reserves are well on course for their championship play-offs.

“I’ll admit I wasn’t playing too well at the start of the season,” Sorensen said. “But I have been happy with my form recently, feel that I have played well in the last few weeks, and think I would have been back in first grade this week-end if I had not come over here.”

The Sorensens, unlike Olsen Filipaina (Balmain), will not be returning to Sydney for club football on Sunday. Filipaina made a big impact on his recall to first grade last week-end, to such an extent that Balmain is flying him to Sydney for the match against Cronulla , and then on to Christchurch on Monday for the second test on July 22.

If Sorensen has been somewhat out of the public eye by appearing in the curtain-raisers, he believes that the British tourists have not overlooked him —

“I think the Poms have been watching a lot of games in Sydney, including some of ours.” Sorensen welcomed the chance to renew his association with his Kiwi teammates. Although only 27 years of age, he can trace his test career back to the 1975 international championship. Tomorrow’s match will only be the twelfth Sorensen has played for New Zealand, and his eighth test. Surprisingly for such a robust runner and regular tryscorer at all other levels, he has yet to register a point for his country. Sorensen has only a oneyear contract with Eastern Suburbs, and has not yet plotted his football future. Among his options is a term • with an English club — he has had “a few offers” — but, happily, he at present sees nothing to bar his availability for the 1985 Kiwi tour to Britain and France.