League players sought

Press, 6 April 1989, Page 29

League players sought

PA Wellington The Kiwi league coach, Tony Gordon, expects his star centre, Kevin Iro, the wing, Gary Mercer, and the loose forward, Mark Horo will be hounded by scores of club agents looking to sign them up immediately after the first test against Australia this year. Iro, like Mercer and Horo, has played five tests for New Zealand and needs only one more to qualify for a full clearance from the New Zealand Rugby League. “I expect they (agents) will all be down after the first test especially for Iro,” Mr Gordon said. But in the meantime, Iro, now in Britain, still has to heed to the N.Z.R.L.’s whims which have upset him.

He was due to return to New Zealand on March 31 when his clearance to play for Graham Lowe’s Wigan side ran out.

The N.Z.R.L. has allowed him to remain in Britain in order to play the Challenge Cup final against fellow Kiwi Shane Cooper’s St Helen’s side. But the N.Z.R.L. will not allow him to play in the weeks leading up to the cup final and that decision has elicited an angry response from Iro. “I don’t understand what they (N.Z.R.L.) are up to,” an angry Iro said. “They tell me that I can stay in Britain but what’s the use of that if I am not allowed to. I can’t play. It doesn’t make sense,” the Kiwi international said. While such rulings will no longer frustrate him after July and the test series against Australia, Mr Gordon anticipates it will be a problem at the other end of the scale that could annoy him.

With offers likely to come pouring in for Iro, Mercer and Horo, should they play, Mr Gordon is keen to avoid disruptions and distractions. Canterbury - Bankstown and Balmain have both inquired after Iro while Balmain has also shown a keen interest in Mercer. But Mr Gordon does not want his players holding court with agents when in camp. “They will have a free day after the first test in Christchurch and they can do all their dealings then,” Mr Gordon said.

“But I’ll be telling the players when they are in camp that the sole purpose of them being there is to concentrate on trying to win the series.

“I won’t put up with them being disturbed when they are in camp.

“They (agents) did that in Australia when we were there.

“And if it happens again, we’ll just have to do what we did there ... kick them out!.”