Tony Kemp determined to win selection despite suspension

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 64

Tony Kemp determined to win selection despite suspension

PA Sydney The Newcastle Knights’ back, Tony Kemp, is determined to work his way into the New Zealand test team, despite a threematch suspension by the New South Wales Rugby League judiciary reducing his chances to impress the Kiwi selectors. Kemp missed the first four rounds of Sydney’s Winfield Cup premiership while fighting in the Auckland High Court to gain a New Zealand Rugby League clearance to play in Australia. After returning to the Knights’ first grade side as a late replacement in the fifth round, he played three full games — then lasted only five minutes on Sunday before being

marched for a high tackle on the Cronulla fullback, Jonathon Docking. Unless Newcastle successfully appeals against the sentence handed down by the judiciary on Monday evening, Kemp would have only two more club games before the first test in Christchurch’' against Australia on July 9. Kemp said yesterday he was “very disappointed” about his suspension. This coming week-end Kemp was to hqVS lined up against the Canberra centres, Mai Meninga and Laurie- Daly, whose dynamic form has helped the Raiders to seven straight wins in the .premiership and seen them tipped as a possible Kangaroo centre pairing. “I was really hoping to

play against them and boost my chances of selection in the New Zealand team,” Kemp said. “It’s not been my year so far, but I think my form in the last four games has been exceptional so I’ve been quite pleased with that.” Although the suspension leaves him with little time to attract the selectors’ attention before the New Zealand team is named, he said he would have to redouble his efforts when he returned to club football. “I’ll; be putting in extra now at training. I’ve been through worse.” Kemp said Newcastle was still looking at mounting an appeal, but the club president and barrister, Max Fox, will have to find new

evidence to approach the N.S.W.R.L. appeals’ committee. As with the 12-match ban the N.S.W.R.L. judiciary imposed on Balmain’s Kiwi representative, Gary Freeman, for alleged eyegouging, the judiciary appeared to make Kemp’s case a warning for other players. The judiciary chairman, Dick Conti Q.C., accepted that. Kemp’s arm contacted Docking’s shoulder initially before hitting his head and Kemp made “more of a reaching than a swinging action.” “However, it was undoubtedly head high,” Mr Conti said. “The judiciary is troubled that if these tackles continue we may be confronted with permanent injuries.”