Rugby League: Kiwis getting back to grassroots

By PETER JESSUP

The young league stars of Mangere had the big league stars before their eyes yesterday when the Kiwis went to Nga Tapuwae and the Southern Cross Campus to train.

Team football manager Gordon Gibbons was caretaker there until 1993 when he received a phone call from Lion Breweries' sponsors manager, Richard Fry, asking if he wanted to join the company as league liaison.

Gibbons let a few expletives fly and slammed the phone down, believing it was a mate having him on.

Fry rang back and convinced the caretaker and coach he was for real. Gibbons has since had a job some blokes dream of and yesterday was running team errands around the field he used to mow.

Fifty of the school's best from primary to seventh form were invited to lunch with the Kiwis at a barbecue provided by Mangere and league icon Peter "the Mad Butcher" Leitch.

Southern Cross runs rugby and league teams at about even numbers, but "there wouldn't be a kid in either code who hasn't been down at Mangere East [league] at some time," according to assistant principal Simon Mann.

The students were appreciative of the chance to meet their heroes.

Centre Clinton Toopi did not run because of a badly grazed foot. But he should be fine for Sunday's test against France at Ericsson Stadium.

Nigel Vagana was still to be ruled 100 per cent, but he looks 99.9 per cent fit.

The backs practised passing moves and their kick and take. Fullback Motu Tony and Henry Fa'afili each dropped one when looking into the sun, but were otherwise safe.

Coach Gary Freeman and assistant Gerard Stokes worked mainly with the forwards, setting defensive patterns. He was relaxed and happy afterwards. Harder work will come today at Carlaw Park.

The test will be played with the old four-panel international ball. The eight-panel ball, developed by Gilbert and used at last year's World Cup, is the players' favourite, but it is yet to be officially sanctioned by the Rugby League International Federation.

After a fairly easy two-hour run, the Kiwis had to wander through crowds of schoolchildren and the couple of hundred fans to get to the showers, then lunch.

New trainer George Yiasemides, who has worked with Freeman since the pair joined up to run the Parramatta under-18s, was a bit taken aback.

"You wouldn't get this in Australia," he said.

Yiasemides had one observation about the Kiwi side: "They were asking lots of questions, which is always good.

"It shows they accept you and that they're thinking. It's when everyone's quiet that you worry."