Rugby League: Ryan whistles for sense on referees

By Peter Jessup

New Zealand Rugby League chairman Gerald Ryan leaped to the defence of local referees yesterday after his Australian counterpart, Colin Love, said none were fit to whistle the Kangaroos v Great Britain tri-series test.

Love said he'd opt for one of the three Aussies named for the series - Bill Harrigan, Steve Clark and Tim Mander - or consider Brits Stuart Cummings and Russell Smith, but there were no Kiwis up to standard.

The English Rugby League chairman, Neil Tunnicliffe, has indicated they want to stick to the series rules that require a neutral ref. If there is a dispute those rules state that the chairman of the Rugby League International Federation determines the outcome. The chairman is Love's predecessor at the ARL, John McDonald.

Love, still seeking $A10 million from News Ltd and Optus as part of a sponsorship package that is desperately needed to shore up ARL-aligned clubs, denied his job was under threat as a result of the ARL's failure to enact a clause that would have ensured payment.

He wasn't in charge at the ARL when the call for cash had to be made in March, Love said, and he wasn't aware of calls for his head.

New Zealand has put up only two of the allowed three refs for the panel - Phil Houston, who has whistled a Lions-Kangaroos series in the UK and was used by the ARL then dropped two seasons ago, and Dave Pakieto, who is national number two and has reffed Oceania nations games.

Ryan, who has previously angered the ARL and NRL with comments that orangutans and blind grandmothers from the South Island could do better than some Australian refs, said he had complete faith in the pair to stand up to the grade expected.

The NZRL will press for McDonald's decision before the RLIF meeting in Auckland that coincides with the opening tri-series game against Australia on Friday October 15, and will seek to strengthen the rules and deals that govern international football to end the uncertainty that has surrounded the series.

NZRL chief executive Gary Allcock expects to announce a series sponsor next week when the Kiwi side is named.

Meantime, the league will today start selling tickets with package deals to attract families and offer a 20 per cent discount for fans watching all three games after confirmation the Great Britain-Kiwis match (Friday, Oct 29) will also be at Ericsson along with the Australia game and the final (Nov 5), the cheapest being $12 for a child and $36 for adults.

On the local front, the NZRL is considering 15 applications for franchises to play in its new beefed-up national competition from 2000 and expects to name six acceptances by the end of next week.

Some others have been asked for more details, the league hoping to finalise the remainder within a fortnight.