Junior Kiwis coach wears many caps

Press, 12 June 1986, Page 40

Junior Kiwis coach wears many caps

By

JOHN COFFEY

Bob Bailey, of Auckland, was understating his present situation when he said yesterday he “quite liked coaching rugby league teams.” Mr Bailey arrived in Christchurch yesterday to take charge of the Junior Kiwis squad preparing for the first “test” against the Papua New Guinea Juniors at the Addington Show Grounds on Saturday. Beginning with that game, Mr Bailey will be responsible for the prematch preparation of three different teams, each of them having an entirely different purpose, within five days. On Sunday Mr Bailey will be back in Auckland

guiding his provincial team against South Island in the final of the national Travelseekers Trophy inter-district competition. The Kiwi trial sides are to be named that afternoon, and next Wednesday night Mr Bailey is to coach The Rest (comprised of Britishbased New Zealanders and southern zone players) against Northern Zone (a mix of Auckland and Northern Districts representatives). Mr Bailey will put the Junior Kiwis through their drills in morning and afternoon training runs today and tomorrow, while the Auckland captain, Ron O’Regan, will supervise his side’s work-out to-

morrow. But Mr Bailey caused a surprise at Auckland’s training on Tuesday night by switching the prolificscoring Mark Elia to the wing and bringing another Kiwi, Joe Ropati, in to partner his brother, Tea, in the centres. . A suspension caused Joe Ropati to miss the earlier inter-districts games and Auckland’s successful Rugby League Cup challenge against Canterbury. However, Mr Bailey recalled Ropati’s devastating form against Wellington and in club fixtures. “We trained really hard on Tuesday and Joe survived it all. To do that he must be fully fit,” said Mr Bailey.