Rugb y League: Injury blows for Aussies, Brits

By Peter Jessup

The two first-choice halfback prospects for Great Britain in the rugby league tri-series are both hampered by injury, Tony Smith (Wigan) with a groin injury and Sean Long (St Helens) with a dislocated shoulder.

That leaves Leeds' uncapped Ryan Sheridan as the only other specialist halfback in the 20-man squad.

And Brisbane prop Shane Webcke failed a medical test when the Australians gathered at the Sydney Football Stadium yesterday and was replaced by Cronulla's Jason Stevens.

Webcke will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Team doctor Nathan Gibbs' only other concern is Sharks wing Mat Rogers, who has a deeply bruised thigh which is expected to heal by October 8, when the team go into camp.

The New Zealand Rugby League's punt on the series looks likely to pay off, with ticket sales for the three-game Ericsson Stadium package for the Kiwis against Australia, the Kiwis against Great Britain and the November 5 final already standing at around 10,000.

The league has budgeted for around 20,000 people at the opener on October 15 and needs around 12,000 at each of the other games to hit its break-even point.

But chief executive officer Gary Allcock said the league's financial exposure was low, given the commitment from Bartercard International, Lion Breweries, Vodaphone, Puma and other sponsors.

Meanwhile, unwanted Warrior Sean Hoppe has the chance to make the Euro Super League grand final on October 10 if his new team, St Helens, can dump surprise package Castleford in the major final this weekend.

Hoppe was subbed on by St Helens coach Ellery Hanley after 33 minutes of an awful minor final at the weekend when his side were already three tries and 20 points down, 12 of those points coming from Bradford's Kiwi fullback Henry Paul, who scored a try and hit three conversions and a penalty.

* The Taranaki Rugby League has been lumped with a substantial fine for disregarding the national governing body's order that it not play Tino Brown in its provincial semifinal against Canterbury last weekend.

But Taranaki's 41-34 victory will stand, meaning a Taranaki-Canterbury major final this weekend at the most unusual venue of Rugby Park in New Plymouth as curtainraiser to the Taranaki-Auckland NPC rugby game tomorrow.

Brown, who started the season with Taranaki, was then poached by Wellington, but went back to Taranaki for the playoffs, with Billy Weepu, once Wellington were out.

When team lists were issued before the final, Canterbury protested against the presence of the pair. The NZRL appeals committee heard the case and ruled them out.

Weepu did not play but Brown did, and the Taranaki league is now stung for flouting eligibility laws. But the NZRL board decided the result was not affected and Taranaki should host the match that will decide the second grand finalist to meet Auckland South on October 10.

NZRL chief Gary Allcock said there were minor problems with the league-rugby collaboration but the opportunity for a 10,000-plus, rugby-fuelled crowd and some television cover was too good to miss.