First impressions key for league contenders

Press, 31 March 1989, Page 27

First impressions key for league contenders

By

JOHN COFFEY

Stuart Simcott has 80 minutes at the Addington Show Grounds on Sunday in which to give his rugby league career a positive nudge.

Just back from an offseason with Rochdale Hornets in the British second division, Simcott has only Papanui’s match against Linwood to stake his claims for a place in the Canterbury representative squad. The Junior Kiwi forward, who made his senior provincial debut against Auckland at Carlaw Park last winter, is keen to play for Canterbury against West Coast at Greymouth on Anzac Day. “I’ve heard that there have been injuries to some of the others,” Simcott said yesterday. “Making the side to play Coast would be an opportunity to stay in for the big games later in the season.” Simcott gained valuable experience at prop and

forts of the Canterbury loose forward, Logan Edwards, who was a teammate in England. “Logan played brilliantly, and not only at loose forward and secondrow. WWhen he pushed a knuckle back on one of his fingers they put him on the wing and he scored two tries against Hull Kingston Rovers,” said Simcott. There is no certainty that Edwards will resume playing in Christchurch before the first provincial squad is named after Sunday’s opening premiership round. - • “ His Marist-Western Suburbs club is anxiously awaiting his imminent return, worried by rumours Edwards might follow Wayne Wallace back to Hornby.

The Canterbury selectors, Frank Endacott, Kevin Allan and lan Jenkins (convener), will welcome the return from injury of the experienced prop, Russell Tuuta, who is to make his premiership debut for Linwood. Gordon Smith, the Halswell player-coach who in other circumstances might have solved the selectors’ problems in seeking a stand-off half, captain and even goalkicker, has confirmed his retirement after a distinguished representative career. Because of Wallace’s injury, there is a vacancy at hooker. It will not be filled by the versatile Gary McLauchlan, who has also notified officials he is restricting himself to club football.

second-row with Rochdale, though he was modest in rating his performances — “I did all right.” He was much more enthusiastic about the ef-