Rugby League: Time for Freeman to call it a day

By PETER JESSUP

Gary Freeman has been jumping walking on thin ice this Northern Hemisphere winter.

His team selections and game plans have been wide open to criticism after ordinary results, but it's the off-field drama involving Clinton Toopi that really calls his judgment into question.

Freeman has had charge of the most talented, most balanced and strongest Kiwi side to tour Britain, and all the forecasts were, rightly, for a 3-0 series whitewash.

Freeman blamed referee Steve Clark for the 16-10 loss yesterday that allowed Great Britain to retain the Albert Baskerville Trophy by squaring the series.

The whistleblower had the penalty count 18-8 against the Kiwis after the first two tests, and it went 6-3 yesterday. The resultant lack of possession, according to Freeman, meant the tourists did not have a chance.

"Maybe it was his 10 weeks out of football, maybe his fitness wasn't as good as it should have been," Freeman said.

When it was suggested the Kiwis deserved the penalty count against them by failing to adjust to Clark's calls and instead arguing the toss with him, Freeman's response was: "You must have been watching a different game."

The truth is Great Britain were better all over the park and deserved the win, their first against the Kiwis in nine years.

Yes, they had the benefit of a bad decision by the video ref who awarded the Brits' second try when the ball was clearly knocked-on. But it wasn't until the last five minutes that the Kiwis played dominant and controlled football, nearly earning themselves an unlikely draw.

How much did Toopi's late-night punch-up with fellow centre Nigel Vagana in the bar of the team's hotel after the second test affect the performance?

That is anyone's guess. But obviously there was a bad outcome, with Toopi sent home after breaking his wrist, which left the team forward-dominated and the big men were worn down, conceding too many line-breaks as the game went on.

The team trainer, Hayden Knowles, a mate of Freeman's from the Parramatta club, flew home to Australia between the first and second tests to attend to personal legal problems.

Surely that should have ruled him out as a prospect before the tour party left? Why go into an international without the best possible preparation?

British coach David Waite had the inferior team and clearly out-coached Freeman.

His superior tactical approach was to be expected considering his grounding in the NRL.

The big question for the New Zealand Rugby League is whether to persist with Freeman and hope he has learned - or look for someone new.

NZRL president Selwyn Pearson said he would seek a review of the tour by the three-man panel which appointed Freeman - former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe, former player Jarrod McCracken and board member Bob Haddon.

He would also seek input from Kiwi veterans Ruben Wiki, Stacey Jones and Stephen Kearney on Freeman's coaching and the atmosphere engendered on tour.

The full board meets on December 6, which would be too soon to decide on whether Freeman's two-year contract would be extended, but Pearson expected the decision to be made before Christmas.

Freeman denied yesterday that he was the one who told the media that Toopi had hurt his wrist in the second test.

He would not discuss who might have done so and why the correct version was not circulated.

You can't make a coach responsible for player behaviour. But he is accountable for the culture developed within a touring party. And for fronting up when things go wrong - not covering up.

There are parallels with the Craig Gower incident before the Kiwis-Kangaroos test in Sydney three years ago, when the Penrith hooker exposed himself to a female Irish tourist in a public bar during a "bonding session" five days out from the international.

In the Toopi case, one has to wonder why the Kiwi players were out drinking late after a disappointing draw, when the focus should have been more usefully centred on a week off the grog and nailing the third and final test. Toopi, who apparently took exception to comments by Vagana in relation to the Warriors making the NRL grand final thanks to the banning of the Bulldogs, has apologised to his teammates and league fans.

He will start the season late and face a fight to regain his Warriors centre spot. What point is there in further punishment?

The Warriors chief executive, Mick Watson, received an explanatory telephone call from Toopi yesterday after news of the late-night fight broke after his return to Auckland.

He cut the conversation short and wanted the 22-year-old in his office today for a full hearing.

Toopi is not a big drinker, nor is he prone to bad behaviour, but it's fair to say he needs to examine whether he's one of those people whose personality is not improved by alcohol and whether he needs to drink. Watson said they would consider counselling if there was "a behavioural issue triggered by alcohol."