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Thursday, October 21, 2004

Calling Bullshit 

What's with these arsehole NRL and Super League clubs telling us when and where we can use NZ players for test matches?

How often do Australian or British clubs tell local players that they can't represent their country because they need surgery?

Check this out from todays herald.

In it Bradford say that they will not release Lesley Vanikolo for any more than one game (v Australia of course) and that he will have to go under the knife before the Kiwi tests v Great Britain. It's worth pointing out that Bradford are also coached by Great Britain coach Brian Noble.

But the thing that annoys me most is this...
Bradford football manager Stuart Duffy said Vainikolo's operation was originally scheduled for this week.

"He needs this operation as quickly as possible because obviously we need to ensure he is fit for the start of our season."


So let's get this straight. The first few weeks of Bradfords season (which runs for 28 games, plus a few pre-season games and how ever many Challenge Cup games they last for) are more important than New Zealand v Great Britain test matches played in front of packed houses?

No they aren't. So would the international RL board please make some fucking rules that clubs have to obey or else they are given hefty fined or stood down from competition! Bradford get about 10,000 average crowds during the year, with that perhaps doubling for big games but for early season crap there won't be many there at all.

Bradford could quite easily get the guy fit one or two weeks into the start of the regular season next year. All he would be missing by the sounds of it is some warm up knock about games and a Challenge Cup game against some useless team.

But because there is never a stand taken on this issue we get the same problem coming up year after year.

Comments:
The problem is that this seems to be something that all clubs have no problem getting up to.

I can think of a certain NZ rugby province that isn't too popular though these days ;)
 

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