League: Kiwis quash rebellion claims before big series

By PETER JESSUP

On and off-the-record phone conversations and a player meeting in England have produced no evidence of a player revolt against Kiwis coach Daniel Anderson.

The team's management is now confident of a unified front for the Tri-Nations series.

"No one has any issues with Daniel," said the team's business manager, Pat Carthy, who has just returned from England where he was booking accommodation and training venues and checking player availability for the October/November series.

In Auckland, team managers have made inquiries of senior Kiwi players at the Warriors, including Stacey Jones and Monty Betham, without finding any dissension.

Decisions on the surgery required for a variety of Warriors players will be made after the weekend.

They include Clinton Toopi and Lance Hohaia, who are apparently optimistic about being available if required for the Kiwis.

In England, Motu Tony has just had a cartilage scrape and missed a meeting of prospective Kiwis players, including Ali Lauitiiti, Shontayne Hape, David Solomona, Logan Swann, Robbie Paul and Lesley Vainikolo, at a restaurant midway between Bradford and Leeds.

But Carthy said Tony had told him he would be available for the series.

The Kiwis will be based at The Village Green hotel, an apartment-type block in Leeds, throughout the Tri-Nations.

They will make trips away for the Anzacs' game against Cumbria and a test in France.

After playing Australia at Albany on October 16, they pick up Super League players and meet the Kangaroos again in London on October 23, before travelling north. The Cumbria game, against a mix of Kiwis and Aussies who are not first-choice test players, is on Wednesday, October 27.

The Kiwis play Great Britain on November 6 at Huddersfield, then make a flying visit to France for a November 11 match aimed at keeping the squad match-fit.

Great Britain and Australia play that weekend, and the Kiwis have their final pool game the following weekend at Hull. The grand final is on November 27.

The team selectors will meet after this weekend's final NRL round to consider a preliminary squad.

But that will not be named for two weeks, to allow the players a short end-of-season refresher.

At the instigation of coach Anderson the team management is arranging for New Zealand sporting high-achievers to speak to the players before each test about the meaning and value of representing their country.

Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick will do the job in London, ex-Kiwi Dean Bell speaks before one of the tests in the north, and the aim is to secure an Athens Olympic hero for Albany.

This Kiwis line-up will be much-changed from that of recent tests.

But conspiracy theorists who allege coach-player ructions should look at the last Kangaroo tour to England, where 17 first-class players made themselves unavailable.

The real problem is the length of the season and the lack of a clear time for representative football, something unlikely to be resolved while the English and most Sydney clubs have no interest in promoting it.

Kiwis' Schedule

October 16: v Australia, Albany

October 23: v Australia, London

October 27: (as Anzacs) v Cumbria

November 6: v Great Britain, Huddersfield

November 11: v France, Carcassonne or Perpignan

November 20: v Great Britain, Hull