Anzac Test: Time for new approach to NRL suspensions

Thomas Leuluai. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwis veteran Thomas Leuluai would like to see a rethink around the game's suspension rules, in the wake of Dallin Watene-Zelzniak's withdrawal from the upcoming Anzac test.

The Penrith winger was ruled out of Friday's match, after taking an early guilty plea from a grade one charge incurred in last Sunday's NRL clash with Cronulla.

Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney, in consultation with the Panthers, decided not to fight the charge at the judiciary. It means that Watene-Zelzniak - who missed the entire Four Nations campaign last year after a freak training injury - misses a second chance for a debut with a week's suspension.

Leuluai, like the rest of his teammates, is not dwelling on the enforced absence of Watene-Zelzniak but does feel for the 19-year-old.

"I've seen a lot of players get ruled out over the years and it's always unfortunate," said Leuluai. "It would be good if club football could somehow be separate from test matches."

Leuluai feels some subjective guidelines could be used, rather than a blanket approach.

"If it is a low grade [offence] and nothing too serious I don't see why it should cross over into internationals," said Leuluai. "The big charges - they should stop you playing footy altogether - but with the little ones I can't see why you can't keep that to club football.

We don't really play enough tests so if you want the international game to be strong you want everyone available."

It's something that has plagued the Kiwis over the years. For a while, it seemed before every test many of the best Kiwis were suspended. Remember Quentin Pongia, Stephen Kearney, Jarrod McCracken, Nigel Vagana, Ali Lauitiiti, Nathan Cayless, Steve Matai and Ruben Wiki?

"It's not the first time I've seen someone miss an Anzac test through suspension," said Leuluai. "Ruben Wiki was guilty of that a few times though his one's most probably weren't just for one week. But anyway it is no excuse. The rules are the rules at the moment and we have a pretty strong team anyway."

The Kiwis completed a solid training run on Tuesday morning, with Leuluai saying that all of the calls and combinations came back " very smoothly". In the afternoon the Four Nations champions signed autographs for almost an hour in one of Brisbane's busiest shopping streets, drawing a large crowd as punters formed long queues to meet the players.