League: Marshall out for England leg

The Kiwis will be without Benji Marshall for the England leg of the Tri-Nations, but have not given up hope of having him play the two tests against Australia in Sydney and Auckland.

Marshall needs shoulder surgery and a long recovery period, but Kiwis coach Brian McClennan, while accepting the halfback cannot be away in November, is still asking his Wests Tigers club to make the high-stepping sensation available in October.

The NRL clubs have accepted a proposal put to them by chief executive David Gallop that medical details regarding players who are ruled out through injury be sent to the New Zealand Rugby League to rule out any suggestions of tampering.

Consequently, McClennan expects to find out a lot more about who is in and who is out in the next two weeks.

Wests Tigers have said Marshall has been carrying the shoulder problem for some time. He is not yet booked for surgery.

Hull's Motu Tony will come into strong consideration for the England leg of the series. McClennan was contacting him yesterday.

And there will be a nervous wait to see how Lance Hohaia has recovered from his knee injury.

Sione Faumuina is going to England to play for Hull and has made himself unavailable for the Kiwis. McClennan said there were no others in that position.

On the positive side, form players including veterans Ruben Wiki and Nigel Vagana, Penrith backrowers Tony Puletua, Joe Galuvao and Frank Pritchard and others had expressed great enthusiasm for the tournament.

The Kiwis' selectors will name a train-on squad in the days after the final NRL final round is completed on Sunday and add to it as teams drop out of the play-offs. Newcastle's Craig Smith appears set to make a return after last playing for the Kiwis in 2001.