Graham puts emphasis on Sydney competition

Press, 21 July 1989, Page 40

Graham puts emphasis on Sydney competition

PA Wellington The Kiwis’ World Cup hopes lie in getting more players into the tough Sydney rugby league premiership, rather than going to England, a former test captain, Mark Graham, says. In “Mark My Words,” a biography launched in Auckland last evening, he says Australia will always be in the World Cup final.

“So in order to be able to match them, New Zealand will have to be able to have a lot of good players playing, not in England, but in the tough Sydney competition,” he said. “Perhaps an Auckland side in the New South Wales competition would be a good move. It would certainly help bring New Zealand players up to the level required to be competitive.” Graham, who left North Sydney at the end of last season after eight years with the club, most of them as skipper, spent only a brief part of a planned two-year stay with the English side, Wakefield Trinity, before

quitting late last year. The former Otahuhu and Brisbane Norths stalwart says pre-match preparation was the main reason the Australians are so good. “The tactics, the reasoning behind why things are done, is explained to you at training,” he said. “The natural ability of players is brought out to the ‘nth’ degree. “They don’t drop balls, they don’t miss tackles, they don’t forget to turn up in their defensive positions, they don’t throw stupid punches and get caught, they don’t get themselves penalised out of the game, they don’t panic.” Graham says lack of adequate pre-match planning by the coach, Tony Gordon, was a factor behind the Kiwis’ 25-12 loss to the Kangaroos in the World Cup final in Auckland last year. “I know it is a huge occasion, and I like ‘Tank’ as a bloke. But his experience in the game was not enough. “There was never a good enough game plan

to beat the Australians,” he said. While his career has had its ups and downs, Graham said the cup final loss knocked the stuffing out of him. “If the public felt like they had been stabbed in the heart, we felt like an atom bomb had been dropped on us,” he said. The biography is written by three Australian journalists — Alan Clarkson, Brian Mossop and Grantlee Kieza. • The Australian rugby league hooker, David Trewhella, on Wednesday, chased and punched a spectator after he was crash-tackled from behind at the end of the match at Basin Reserve. The incident happened while Trewhella was signing autographs after helping Australia to a 28-10 win over Wellington. Trewhella was hit by a big man in his mid-20s.

Trewhella ran after his assailant and punched him in view of amazed spectators. “I had just finished playing 80min of football

and I can tell you I wasn’t hit that hard during the match,” said Trewhella. “I’ve never had a reason to do that before but I make no apologies. I was defending myself.” • The Australian second-rower, Paul Sironen, under an injury cloud, has been included in the Kangaroos team to meet the Kiwis in the third rugby league test in Auckland on Sunday. Des Hasler replaces Greg Alexander at halfback. Sironen suffered what was believed to be an injury to ankle medial ligaments against Wellington on Wednesday.

“We can leave it until Sunday morning before deciding,” Australian coach, Bob Fulton, said yesterday. The Australian team: Gary Belcher, Dale Shearer, Mai Meninga, Tony Currie, Michael Hancock, Wally Lewis (captain), Des Hasler; Sam Backo, Kerrod Walters, Steve Roach, Paul Sironen, Bradley Clyde, Paul Vautin. Reserves: Greg Alexander, Michael O’Connor, David Trewhella, Bruce McGuire.