League: Australians forced to accept NZ referee - at last

By PETER JESSUP

The Australians will be forced to accept a New Zealand referee for their games against Great Britain in the Tri-Nations series, with Englishman Russell Smith yesterday agreed as whistler for the Kiwis-Kangaroos match this weekend, despite their refusal to accept him in the past.

Under Rugby League International Federation rules all tests are supposed to be refereed by a neutral official, but that has not been the case since the last Tri-Nations series in 1999, largely due to Australian insistence that their guys are best. The other two countries are kicking up following Bill Harrigan's retirement.

Last-minute manoeuvring yesterday saw Christchurch referee Glen Black appointed to oversee Saturday's test curtainraiser between New Zealand A and the New South Wales Jim Beam Cup champions at Albany, in what will be a final examination of Black's abilities before the Aussies approve his involvement in the series in England.

Dave Pakieto was to handle the game but stepped aside at the insistence of the Australian Rugby League, which had previously required tapes of Black's performances in charge of Super League and Bartercard Cup finals games, before agreeing to him as a Tri-Nations' referee.

Each country puts up three refereeing prospects, with the others given the power of veto.

There is some irony in the fact Pakieto was the last Kiwi referee to just about break on to the international scene, only to have his career sidelined by the Aussies' reluctance to accept the neutral referee rule.

Black, 37, has wide experience. He has overseen the finals of Oceania tournaments and the New Zealand A side against France and the United States in 2002. He has refereed games in the European Cup involving Wales/Russia and Ireland/France.

He has been in charge of the Kangaroos once before, taking their game against England A on the northern tour last year as well as some Super League matches.

Black said he felt he'd been groomed for the job. "I've proved myself over the years and the bosses believe I've got the ability - if I'm not up to it now I never will be. Opportunity is as important as ability."

And he knows what lies on his performance. "If I blow it, I blow it for all New Zealand referees."

Kiwis coach Daniel Anderson assumed he was going to get an English referee.

It didn't matter who it was, but they would perhaps seek a meeting with him, mostly so the players were familiar with his voice.