Graham Lowe: League silenced by the roar of the Lions

Long-suffering New Zealand league supporters will be anticipating the start of the Lions tour of New Zealand with a double dose of trepidation.

Not only will they be expecting the volume of noise in the media to blow the sound barrier to smithereens, but they're also about to suffer the additional indignity of having the incompetence of international administrators of the 13-man game exposed before their very eyes.

Because while the International Rugby League Board has demonstrated it would have trouble organising a decent knees up in a brewery, rugby is about to present another showpiece product on the world stage. And this time, they've had the nous to take the show right back into heartland New Zealand - still surely the emotional epicentre of the game.

Looking just like a traditional tour of old, when schools and factories closed and people were literally hanging from the rafters in provincial grounds throughout New Zealand, this Lions tour will really underline the parlous state of the international league game.

The selfishness and self-interest of league clubs in Australia and Britain has consistently undermined the efforts of administrators - which admittedly have been pathetically weak - to establish some sort of international credibility for the code.

Ironically, that selfishness could be turning on the game itself as star players such as the Bulldogs' Braith Anasta continue to be tempted not only by big money, but by the international opportunities which rugby can provide.

Much-maligned rugby administrators deserve a huge pat on the back for their foresight in reverting to an old-style, authentic rugby tour.

Perhaps the only question to ask is, has it come too late? Have the provincial fans already lost that parochialism which drove them to support their side through thick and thin, rain, hail and shine?

The fact is, league has trouble putting together a simple tri-series at international level each year. That's largely because current New Zealand administrators are not respected at all by their international counterparts.

Most importantly, they have no idea how to deal with Australians on their own terms and more often than not have to find out from the media what developments have occurred at international level.

Despite its parlous state at international level, it is astounding to see the continuing strength and resilience of league in the State of Origin concept.

It was timely for the first 2005 Origin match to be played this week on the eve of the Lions tour, and just a day after the Lions pre-tour test against Argentina.

For league supporters, it will have certainly highlighted the differences between the codes, and the reasons the 13-man game will continue to capture an audience in heartland Australia and across the Tasman.

League fans have long since stopped allowing the man with the whistle to not only steal the spotlight, but determine the result. They want to see skilled footballers playing at the peak of their abilities and State of Origin never fails to deliver.

The Warriors showed signs, in beating the South Sydney Rabbitohs last week, that there's still life left in this season for them.

Captain Ruben Wiki stepped up in the absence of Steve Price, Sione Faumuina demonstrated again what an enormous talent he has, and Jerome Ropati continued to show how well he is developing.

It's no coincidence, either, that the team appears to be turning a corner since the return of fullback Brent Webb.

But it gets no easier this week. Wests Tigers showed in the first 65 minutes against the Canberra Raiders that they have plenty of power and skill all over the park. Benji Marshall's outrageous sidestep for a try will have sent shivers up Tony Kemp's spine as he contemplates how to shut down that sort of creative genius.

The real danger for the Warriors, however, is the power in the Tigers' pack, which completely out- muscled Canberra for a good part of the game. It will be an interesting contest against the big men of the Warriors, as both teams look to find the space for their little guys to create havoc.

If Tigers coach Tim Sheens has looked at enough of the Warriors' games this year he will realise that the trap for his team will be to fall into an arm wrestle with the Warriors. They have sucked a few teams into that sort of contest this season.

If the Warriors are going to give the season a shake, it has start this Sunday. A loss would nearly put them in the have-to-win-each-week basket, and even the most ardent fans know that would be a struggle.