League: Coach hot over throwing claim

Kangaroos winger Jarryd Hayne. Photo / Getty Images

England coach Tony Smith has slammed claims from Kangaroos winger Jarryd Hayne that England will throw their final match against the Kiwis to ensure they don't have to face Australia in the final.

According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper, Smith was irate over Hayne's suggestions England would deliberately lose for any reason.

"I don't know of anyone in rugby league who would lay down in a game," Smith told rugbyleague.com.

"That might be a reflection of Jarryd's attitude but not ours. There is no way a professional sportsman representing his country would lay down for any reason.

"We've got so many players vying for places, there is so much competition within the squad. It is not something I would contemplate, live with or anything.

"I don't know of it ever happening. But if Jarryd wants to think that, then let him."

Hayne said earlier in the week that Australia had to beat England overnight because defeat would put the Kangaroos' fate in the host nation's hands.

"If we lose this, I'm sure the Poms aren't going to beat the Kiwis so they can play us in the final," he said. "They're going to want to be beaten by the Kiwis so they can play them the week after."

Hayne's comments were not the only source of anti-Australian sentiment in the lead-up to the Wigan showdown.

Referee boss Stuart Cummings also slammed the Kangaroos' concerns about local referee Steve Ganson controlling the match against England by claiming he is the best whistleblower in the world.

Cummings met Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens and captain Darren Lockyer in Leeds yesterday but a face-to-face with Ganson fell through.

In the wake of Australia's 20-20 draw with New Zealand in their opening match of the tournament in London last weekend, Sheens was desperate to discuss various rule interpretations before his side's must-win game in Wigan.

While Cummings is the RFL referees boss - and does not act for the international governing body - he passionately defended Ganson when contacted by the Daily Telegraph, saying that it was an insult to suggest the Englishman would favour his home country.

"Steve Ganson is the most experienced international referee that we have in the world," Cummings said.

"He's refereed more international games than anyone else at the moment. I refereed at a high level, including two World Cup finals, and I can tell you it's only ever one team in one corner and one team in the other. Anyone outside of refereeing can't understand that. It's an insult to suggest otherwise."

Sheens wanted clarification that the game will be controlled in the same manner as the match against the Kiwis.

A short 10m and less scrutiny of the markers forced him to choose Robbie Farah as a back-up to regular dummy-half Cameron Smith, who was worked over by the big Kiwi forwards.

The monstrous English pack was expected to do the same overnight.

That said, Cummings, who has advocated neutral referees in internationals, admitted it was not acceptable that an Englishman was in charge of a match involving his own nation.

"Absolutely, it's regrettable," he said. "That's why we have to keep developing international referees."