Filipaina also retires from league tests

Press, 26 August 1986, Page 34

Filipaina also retires from league tests

By

JOHN COFFEY

Olsen Filipaina, the second most prolific scorer for New Zealand In rugby leagues tests, yesterday joined his. captain, Mark Graham, in retirement as an aftermath of the sacking of their Kiwi coach, Mr Graham Lowe. A veteran of 29 tests, during which he accumulated 108 points, Filipaina made known his feelings about Mr Lowe’s dismissal by the New Zealand Rugby League when the Sydney-based Kiwis called a press conference at the North Sydney Leagues Club. The other Kiwis in attendance, Clayton

Friend (a club-mate of Graham and Filipaina at North Sydney) and Gary Prohm (Eastern Suburbs), stopped short of ruling themselves out of future international football.

Both Friend and Prohm said they wished to give the matter further consideration. In Prohm’s case, that was rather surprising, for he had expressed a desire to retire from test rugby league before the recent series against Australia. Dean Bell, who is soon to leave Eastern Suburbs and join Mr Lowe at Wigan in the British first division, and Hugh McGahan, who captains

Eastern Suburbs and is looked upon as the logical successor to Graham as New Zealand’s leader, were not present because of other engagements. When approached by a journalist after their club match last Sunday, Bell and Prohm said they were “surprised and upset” by the shock sacking of Mr Lowe, but did not have enough information to comment further. A statement was issued at yesterday’s press conference that all of the Sydney-based Kiwis condemned the N.Z.R.L. or what had occurred.

New Zealand rugby league followers will be hoping that the three 24-

year-olds, Bell, Friend, and McGahan, do not harden their attitudes

when giving the matter more thought They obviously have vital roles to fill in Kiwi test teams into the early 19905. As it is, the loss of Graham’s inspirational leadership and extraordinary forward skills — and the motivational and coaching talents of Mr Lowe — is tragic as New Zealand attempts to hold on to a weakening World Cup points lead.

Graham, aged 30, would have been New Zealand’s captain until at least the end of the World Cup cycle in 1988, just as Mr Lowe was to have guided the Kiwis in that period under an agreement with the

N.Z.R.L. made only a few weeks ago. Yesterday Graham reaffirmed his decision to retire, even in the knowlege that international rules will prevent him from playing for North Sydney when he might have been representing his country. lie spoke of the great advance made by rugby league in New Zealand since Mr Lowe became national coach in 1983, and how he would hate to see it lose its increased television and newspaper coverage and become a “poor relation” again.

Mr Lowe had been given a Godfather-type offer to resign or be sacked — said Graham

of the man who played such a big part in his development as a footballer at Otahuhu and North Brisbane and at international level.

Equally firm in his resolve was Filipaina, aged 29, the biggest stand-off' half in test history. He said Mr Lowe had taken rugby league to unbelievable heights in New Zealand and he wanted nothing more to do with the administration in his homeland.

Though still undecided, Prohm, also 29 and the most versatile of ail test footballers, said he was appalled at the RLZ.R.L. action after Mr Lowe had given the Kiwis world class status.