Sydney Samoans to trial in NZ

SYDNEY - Three Sydney premiership rugby players have headed to New Zealand in the hope of returning to Australian shores to take on the Wallabies next month.

With Manu Samoa the opposition for the Wallabies' opening test match of the season at Telstra Stadium on June 11, Samoa coach Michael Jones has made some radical changes in the way his team operate, including the introduction of training cells in Australia and New Zealand to identify talent.

Parramatta third-grade coach Alan MacDonald is the Samoa regional co-ordinator in New South Wales and has three players lining up in trial matches in Auckland today.

They are Manly winger David Alo, Parramatta flyer Mohd Roache and Parramatta flanker Winnie Paulo.

"Michael has been keen to have a type of academy running in different areas," MacDonald said.

A key part of the programme is that the players identified as potential Samoa internationals frequently get together for training sessions to keep in touch with Jones' programme.

- NZPA