Rugby League: Kiwis have point to prove on home ground

By PETER JESSUP

The Paul brothers, Robbie and Henry, stepped off the plane after 35 hours' travel from strife-torn Bradford and went straight to Kiwi training at the Basin Reserve yesterday, seeking revenge for the World Cup loss.

The durable Pauls phoned "home" to make sure their families were okay and, assured that no one close to them had been bothered by the race riots in the northern English city, set about establishing some combinations to down Australia on Friday.

The Kangaroos have scored 92 points to the Kiwis' 12 in their previous two encounters, and Henry Paul said the team wanted to take advantage of the home ground and crowd at Wellington.

Logan Swann flew in as seventh Warrior/Kiwi yesterday after Melbourne's Matt Rua was ruled out late on Sunday with an ankle injury.

Swann had been on stand-by after the extreme disappointment of missing out on coach Gary Freeman's first-up 17. The enforced switch means little because the two play similar games. Swann hit the sort of form on Saturday night against the Eels that would have earned him a spot had he produced it earlier.

Swann said yesterday that Warriors coach Daniel Anderson had picked him up after the initial selection disappointment, indicating areas of his game that needed work, specifically in support play and defence.

Kiwi captain Nathan Cayless was the only non-trainer at the Basin Reserve. The bruises from the battering his Eels received from the Warriors were still keeping him on the sideline along with his Titahi Bay grandparents, Fred and Mavis, and around 100 fans.

The team worked through defensive patterns, but there was little contact work, with Freeman keen to use the video before getting to specifics of the game plan.

The TV was to run late at the Kiwis' hotel last night and the skills session is to come this morning.

Henry Paul said he was "buzzing."

"I can't wait for Friday. Yeah, we've got something to prove."

He has no fear of failure despite being the target of big offers from rugby union and NRL clubs, meaning his performance on Friday will be reviewed more critically than most.

Contract negotiations were the last thing on his mind.

"Who cares - I just want to beat Australia."

His back-flip passes and other instinctive interchanges with Robbie offer the Kiwis great attacking opportunities.

"It's backyard stuff from when we were kids and, yeah, we're gonna use it on Friday."

The team had already gelled, he said.

"We don't want to go cold again. We froze a bit in the World Cup," he said. "We all love playing at home, so hopefully we'll put on a good show. The Aussies don't hold any fear for us - most of these guys play against them every week."

The Kangaroos were skilful and methodical but not unbeatable.

"When we beat them it's after we get everything right, no errors, doing everything perfectly, muscle up in defence, scramble on the line - it's going to be the same again on Friday."

Ticket and corporate box seat sales totalled around 18,000 yesterday, with interest sure to increase after the Australians fly in today.

* An NRL judiciary panel last night took less than a minute to clear Kangaroo forward Bryan Fletcher of a careless high-tackle charge, which, if he had been found guilty, would have ruled him out of the test.

Fletcher faced a one-week suspension for the high shot on Northern Eagles captain Geoff Toovey.

St George Illawarra winger Nathan Blacklock, the leading tryscorer in the NRL, was last night drafted into the Australian camp after Parramatta utility Daniel Wagon was ruled out of the test with an ankle injury.