League coach won’t rule Freeman out

Press, 30 March 1989, Page 18

League coach won’t rule Freeman out

PA Wellington The Kiwi rugby league coach, Tony Gordon, will not rule the banned Balmain half, Gary Freeman, out of contention for the first test against Australia in Christchurch on July 9. Freeman was stood down for 12 weeks late on Tuesday evening by the New South Wales rugby league judiciary for eye gouging the Newcastle Knights prop, Mark Sargent, during last Sunday’s premiership match. Evidence against Freeman was given by his Kiwi teammate and Newcastle captain, Sam Stewart. The ban, which Freeman will appeal, effectively keeps him out of all rugby league until June 26. The first test against the Kangaroos is at Christchurch 13 days later, but Mr Gordon will not count Freeman out. "He wouldn’t take that many games to get up to test standard. I’m only one vote, but we’ll see what form he’s in,” Mr Gordon said. “We definitely wouldn't rule him out He’s one of those players who’ll be training as hard as if he was playing.” However, if Freeman is included in the New Zealand squad of 15 for the first test it will be a surprise. The squad is due to be announced on June 24-25, while Freeman is still under suspension.

Mr Gordon was disappointed at the news of Freeman’s ban. “We all recognise that Gary is a really aggressive player, but gouging and acts of that nature are totally out of character.” Mr Gordon had been phoned by the Balmain secretary, Keith Barnes, who gave him the news and told him the part Stewart had played in the hearing. “He told me what Sam had said and I have no comment on that. I just think it’s a bit tough on Gary.”

Stewart was asked by a judiciary member, Kevin Roberts, to describe Freeman’s style of play. “Knowing Gary for the past six or seven years, playing with him or against him, I thought it was his usual game. “I find Gary, besides his football qualities, is a fairly aggressive player which I feel benefits him as a footballer but sometimes he can steer away on the disciplinary side of the game.” Stewart said that opponents of Freeman had previously accused him of “over-vigor-ous play” and unnecessary “roughing-up” of players. When Mr Roberts asked Stewart if he thought Freeman would resort to gouging, Stewart said: “In all probability, yes.” Freeman fiercely denies the eye-gouging charge laid by Stewart.

“I freely admit I am a very physical player but eye-goug-ing just isn’t in my make-up. I have never gouged a bloke and I never would. If someone did something in a tackle I would rather get up and belt him,” Freeman said from Sydney yesterday. Freeman .denied gouging the eye of Sargent and refused to comment on Stewart’s role in the inquiry other than saying he was "very disappointed.” A Newcastle player, Peter Johnston, was sent off during the spiteful match for eyegouging and he was not penalised by the judicial committee. “The referee was standing right alongside me in my incident. In his report he said there was no malice in the tackle. He thought it was legitimate. “I just don’t believe it. It will totally destroy my season,” he said. Freeman got a broken nose and two black eyes during the inci-dent-packed match he swung with two tries.

The suspension has further soured his already strained relationship with the Australian league media and caused him to rethink his Sydney career. Australian critics canned Freeman after last year’s World Cup final and blew up Sunday’s incident with front and back page photos of Sargent leaving the ground covered in blood.