League: Kiwis assistant secures commentary gig

Former Warriors assistant coach Justin Morgan has been appointed assistant to Kiwis head coach David Kidwell. Photo / Photosport.

Kiwis assistant coach Justin Morgan has secured a commentary role with the BBC.

Morgan, who took up his position with the national team soon after David Kidwell secured the head coaching role in September, will assist in the BBC's coverage of the crucial England versus Australia clash at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday afternoon (Monday morning NZT).

Morgan is well known to British viewers. Before his assistant role at the Warriors - which ended after one year when he was relieved of his position at Mt Smart in September, after another disappointing season for the Auckland club - Morgan spent seven seasons in Super League.

He was in charge of Hull KR, taking the underachieving Yorkshire club to the playoffs on several occasions.

During that period he also did some work as a pundit for the BBC, a link that is being revived on Monday.

It's an unusual situation though, as Morgan will be commentating on a game between New Zealand's two major rivals, with the final destiny of all three teams yet to be decided.

On previous tours of the Northern hemisphere in the 1980s and 1990s it wasn't uncommon for non-playing members of the Kiwis to end up in the radio commentary box.

On the 1985 and 1989 tours of Great Britain and France long time league broadcaster Allen McLaughin used several members of the squad, including Owen Wright. That was the beginning of a long association for the duo, who have recently concluded a 21 year run as a commentary team covering the Warriors.

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