League: Legend Leuluai revisits the scene of his glory days

The Kiwis' Tri-Nations campaign is a chance for rugby league great James Leuluai to revisit scenes from his playing days in northern England through the 1980s.

The former centre is assistant to test coach Daniel Anderson in a tour party that includes his son, 19-year-old halfback Thomas Leuluai.

Last year, Leuluai senior returned to England for the first time for the 21st anniversary of Hull's 1982 Challenge Cup triumph.

Also present were the two other New Zealanders who took part in the victory over Widnes in the Wembley final - Dane O'Hara and Gary Kemble.

"It was great being at the reunion and meeting all the players and people we knew," Leuluai said.

"That brought back a lot of memories and I've been very fortunate to get a chance to come back in a coaching capacity."

The second New Zealand-Great Britain test will be staged at Hull's new ground, the KC Stadium, on November 20.


"I've seen the new stadium, which is very good, and I'll be looking forward to that test," he said. "But we've got next week's test against Great Britain to think about first."

After his time at Hull, which included a second Challenge Cup final appearance in 1985, Leuluai went on to play for Leigh, Wakefield Trinity and second division Ryedale-York. He also appeared in 29 tests, scoring 14 tries in a seven-year Kiwi career, which began in the 1979 series against Great Britain.

Leuluai said match preparation today had become more structured, than it was during his time as a player.

"It's the professional era now and there more physios and more doctors, and training is a lot more specialised," he said. "But I think the mental side is still the same."

The organiser of last year's reunion, Roger Waudby, said Leuluai remained a popular figure at Hull, as did O'Hara and Kemble.


In the 1982 cup final, it was O'Hara who scored the try that tied the scores at 14-14, forcing a replay at Elland Road in Leeds which Hull won 18-9.

Three years later the Kiwis were joined by star Australian halfback Peter Stirling, but Hull went down to Wigan 28-24.

- NZPA