Kiwis ready to fight for players

The New Zealand Rugby League says it is ready to go to the international board if NRL clubs refuse to release players to take on Great Britain on 27 June.

Coach Brian McClennan wants Fui Fui Moi Moi, Iosia Soliola, Jeremy Smith, David Kidwell and Billy Ngawini, who all play in Australia, for the one-off Test.

"We're not asking for too much because we haven't asked for any stars," said NZRL chairman Selwyn Bennett.

"I think it's getting to the stage where we're going to have to test it."

McClennan wants to use the one-off match at St Helens to try out some new players, and hopes to play Ngawini alongside Stacey Jones at half-back.

But Jones has indicated he is concentrating on regaining fitness playing for Catalans Dragons after a long lay-off with a broken arm before he thinks about playing for his country again.

"In an ideal world, I'd love to play but I've got make sure I'm going all right for the Dragons before I start thinking about playing Test-match football," he told the Rugby Football League website.


Source: bbc.co.uk