Rewarding week-end for Graham Lowe

Press, 19 April 1986, Page 80

Rewarding week-end for Graham Lowe

By

JOHN COFFEY

Graham Lowe, the New Zealand rugby league coach, had only good news when he returned to Auckland from last weekend’s fact-finding trip to Sydney. On consecutive days Mr Lowe watched two of his Kiwis, Dean Bell and Hugh McGahan, playing for Eastern Suburbs, and the scrum-base trio of Mark Graham, Clayton Friend and Olsen Filipaina in action for North Sydney. He also spoke to the New Zealand and Cronulla-Sutherland forward, Dane Sorensen. Perhaps inspired by Mr Lowe’s presence at Belmore Oval, Graham, Friend and Filipaina were outstanding as the oncelowly Norths combination overwhelmed the 1985 champion, CanterburyBankstown.

Filipaina won the “man of the match” award, Graham was a try-scorer, and Friend made a mockery of Australian/reports that he was struggling to adjust to the tempo of professional football. ■ v

"After Sunday’s win Clayton was the talk of the town,” said Mr Lowe. “In fact, all three of them were. Olsen . played a blinder, and Mark was back to his very best.” Mr Lowe also ascertained that Filipaina was available for the three Trans-Tasman Cup tests in July, and another possible head-on clash with the Australian captain, Wally Lewis, whose reputation he severely tarnished last winter. “I had a good talk to Olsen and it didn’t take much to twist his arm. Just before I left to return to Auckland he said, ‘Don’t worry, if I’m picked I’ll be there’,” said Mr Lowe. Ironically, Lewis might not be marking his 1985 nemesis. While it is likely he will retain the leadership, Lewis is being touteji as a

candidate for loose forward, with Brett Kenny filling the stand-off half role. Although he has been shunted out to centre by Eastern Suburbs, McGahan satisfied Mr Lowe with his effort in a narrow loss to South Sydney at Redfern Oval last Saturday. Bell also passed his inspection, though his withdrawal from Wednesday night’s National Panasonic Cup match suggests he might not yet be free from a leg injury which has troubled him. Mr Lowe was also assured of Sorensen’s availability for the tests in Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane. He will return to Sydney to watch Cronulla play, and to view the first State of Origin match between New South Wales and Queensland.