League: Kiwis set for boost from Bradford

By PETER JESSUP


New father Motu Tony will not travel to England this week for the second game of the Tri-Nations series.

Robbie Paul is sure to come into the side to play Australia - to be named today - for the game at Loftus Rd Stadium, the home of London soccer club Queens Park Rangers.

It is a matter of whether Paul plays at hooker, halfback or five-eighth.

Louis Anderson made a good fist of dummy-half at the weekend, but his service is not as slick as Paul's.

Paul would also provide a lift from halfback, where his acceleration and strength in traffic could provide the first incision for the Kiwis.

But the Bulls' star might be better in the No 6 jersey where he can use his boot to better effect.

Lesley Vainikolo will get the right-wing spot, where Matt Utai played at Albany.

Ali Ali Lauiti'iti looks a certainty for one of the second-row spots vacated by the surgery-bound Penrith pair Joe Galuvao and Tony Puletua. And Paul Rauhihi is likely to come into the mix.

In the Australian camp, Craig Fitzgibbon is recovering from a sternum injury and should play, possibly pushing Tonie Carroll out of the side.

Otherwise the Kangaroos are not expected to make changes.

The Australians have accepted Russell Smith as referee again.

They are still kicking up a fuss about field sizes. The pitch at Loftus Rd will again have short in-goals, though it will be wider than the 61m at North Harbour. The Rugby League International Federation meets during the series and the standardisation of field size will be raised.

Great Britain coach Brian Noble yesterday named his 24-man squad, with some hardened campaigners joined by a host of youngsters.

There are eight new caps, four of them among the six players from Super League's new champions Leeds.

Included is the whole Rhinos front row of Ryan Bailey, Matt Diskin and Danny Ward, all in their early 20s, along with try-scoring freak Danny McGuire.

Bailey and young wing Chev Walker make it, despite each serving a nine-month jail term after a violent incident outside a Leeds nightclub.

Iestyn Harris is included after returning from rugby union. Martin Gleeson is named despite not playing for four months following suspension for a betting scam.

Andy Farrell, 29, is captain of a team with average age of 24. But in Stuart Fielden, Sean Long, Adrian Morley, Kris Radlinski, Paul Sculthorpe and Keith Senior he has a core of experience.

Surprise omissions were Leeds captain Keith Sinfield and Bulls half Paul Deacon.