Sorensen faces suspension

Press, 13 November 1985, Page 80

Sorensen faces suspension

NZPA special correspondent BRUCE MONTGOMERIE

Harrogate The Kiwi forward, Kurt Sorensen, could receive a one-match suspension for his two periods in the sin bin during the third rugby league test against Great Britain at Leeds.

The case against Sorensen, who was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes after a second-half on-field brawl, will be heard by the English Rugby League disciplinary committee on Friday morning (N.Z. time). Under English rules, any player who has been sinbinned twice in a season is automatically put out for one game. “Sorensen could be sus-

pended for one club game when he returns from France if the sin bins are recorded against him on Thursday night,” said the English Rugby League secretary, Mr David Oxley. Sorensen will return to play for the English club, Widnes, after he completes the tour of France with the Kiwis, and may have to miss one game then if the penalty is recorded against him.

“It depends how the disciplinary committee views the matter,” Mr Oxley said. Earlier in the third test, played last Sunday (New Zealand time), Australian referee, Mr Barry Gomersall, had sin-binned Soren-

sen for five minutes. Sorensen is not the first test player to be sin-binned twice in a test, as the British prop, Keith Rayne, was sent to the sin bin twice in the second test against Australia at Brisbane last year. The English Rugby League management committee will discuss Mr Gomersall’s report of the test, and the brawl, tomorrow morning.

Mr Gomersall’s report to the league reads in part: “In the sixty-fifth minute, the touch judge, Wallace, called my attention to a fracas. I had no occasion to call the police.” Mr Oxley said he was disturbed that the police

had come on to the pitch.

It is one of the rare times police have intervened in a rugby league match during the history of the game. “What if one of the policeman had caught a punch to his face,” said Mr Oxley. “We fully back the police, but it wasn’t a soccer match, and rugby league crowds have never been violent. “It could have been a serious situation if one of the policeman had been accidentally punched.” Chief Superintendent William Speight, of the Leeds police, has defended his decision to intervene. “There was a serious incident taking place on the playing area, and there

appeared to be no apparent end to it,” he said. ’

“In the presence of a large crowd, including a sizeable . number of young people, I felt it did nothing for the temperature of that crowd by allowing it to continue.”

The test was played on the Leeds Soccer club’s home ground at Eiland Road, Leeds, and there was a 2 metre high fence surrounding the playing area, put there protectively for soccer fans.

Few, if any, of the English rugby league grounds have wire netting fences between the playing area and the spectators. A crowd of 22,059 went to the third test.