Series honed Kiwis’ form — Gordon

Press, 5 September 1989, Page 56

Series honed Kiwis’ form — Gordon

PA Wellington Despite losing the recent three-test rugby league series to Australia, the Kiwi coach, Tony Gordon, is happy with the way it has honed the form of several key players who will tour Britain and France shortly. After returning to play in the Sydney competition following the series, the skipper, Hugh McGahan, the fullback, Darell Williams, the scrum-half, Gary Freeman, the prop, Brent Todd and the centre, Tony Kemp, showed marked Improvement in their form.

“It’s great to know they are all in-form now,” Mr Gordon said yesterday. "We might have lost the series but it has kickstarted some of our players into the form I

know they can display when they are on top of their game.” Freeman, who has been dubbed “Whiz” by Sydney media, has provided Balmain with just the spark it needed to twice down Penrith as the Tigers make their charge to the grand finals.

Both Freeman and Todd (Canberra) are the two Kiwis still in a position to be playing in the Sydney grand final on September 24, which means they will join the New Zealand tour party later.

McGahan has also come into his own, earning rave reviews for his performances in the last few rounds of the Sydney competition. “The series was probably just the tonic they

needed to get them going again and that is a very healthy sign,” Mr Gordon said. He anticipates a British side that will be "60 percent better than last year”.

New Zealand beat Ellery Hanley’s tourists, 1210, at the Addington Show Grounds in a virtual World Cup semi-final last year.

“But this year they are going to have all those players who didn’t tour and that will only make it much tougher for us.”

The influx of British players in the Sydney competition this year would give more steel in their international team as well, Mr Gordon said.

His squad goes into camp on September 19 in Auckland.