Faimalo might ask for ‘rookie’ release

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 52

Faimalo might ask for ‘rookie’ release

By

JOHN COFFEY

Esene Faimalo, . the Canterbury forward spending a “rookie” rugby league season with Balmain, ■ is in two minds whether he wants, to complete his term in Sydney. It is possible that Faimalo will seek an early release from Balmain to rejoin his Sydenham club side before the end of the club premiership in Canterbury. “I was definitely thinking about it two weeks ago when I got cut from the squad,” said Faimalo

from Auckland, where he is preparing for tomorrow night’s Kiwi trial. A test replacement against Papua New Guinea and reserve for the World Cup qualifying match with Great Britain 12 months ago, Faimalo has languished in second grade with the powerful Balmain club. "But then someone got injured at training, they brought me back for a full game and I got the player of the day award,” said Faimalo. However, the now familiar criticism voiced by most players on the one-

season “rookie” scheme — too little match play — resurfaced against South Sydney last week-end. “They have this silly system where a lot of players get only half a game. You come off at half-time if it is your turn,” he said. “Balmain simply has too many players. Eight sit on the bench every match, but only four can go on. I feel that I have lost a lot of my game fitness. I’d rather be playing than sitting on the bench.” Another Canterbury “rookie,” Mark Nixon, has

already returned from Canberra to finish the season with Hornby and possibly Canterbury. Paul Nahu; temporarily left North 'Sydney to rejoin his Bay 6f Plenty provincial team Tor three matches. Faimalo is disappointed he has not had more opportunities to show Balmain officials his ability. “I don’t think their forwards are as good as they make out,” he said of the club which supplied four members of Australia’s World Cup winning pack last October.

While in Sydney Faimalo has detected

marked changes in the emphasis at training — “they concentrate more on stamina, with lots of uphill work and weight training.” Though also troubled by influenza yesterday, Faimalo is hoping for a full 80 minutes to convince the Kiwi selectors he should be one of the 17 chosen for the first test against Australia at Queen Elizabeth II Park on July 9. Faimalo intends to return to Sydney on Saturday. By then he will have

decided whether he will ask Balmain to clear him,

so that he can challenge for the Kiwi tour to Britain and France in more familiar surroundings.

Meanwhile, the Auckland and former Canterbury scrum-half, Phil Bancroft, can play in the trail. Bancroft was sent to the sin-bin late in Glenora’s 72-18 defeat of Richmond last Sunday. Perhaps feeling he had done enough with three tries and 12 goals, Bancroft instead went to the showers. He was cautioned for his action of ignoring the referee’s instruction.