By STEVE MASCORD
FORMAL peace talks between American rugby leagues warring factions have begun.
US Tomahawks team manager Steve Johnson tells Far & Wide that in the wake of a new agreement between the AMNRL and the Grand Prix Sports corporation, there are renewed moves to get the sport under one roof in the land of hype and glory.
David Niu from the AMNRL and Peter Illfield of the USARL are holding talks under the oversight of Tas Baitieri, says Johnson.
They had a meeting with no animosity. David put a proposal to Peter which he thinks is fair and it has been taken back to the USARLs member clubs.
We are hopeful of a reunification.
The ugly spat has marred attempts to take the American game to the next level and news of the peace talks comes after a successful international against Tonga in Honolulu at the weekend.
The Tomahawks were edged out 28-20 at Kaiser High School but a number of influential figures in Oahus sports community were impressed with what they saw and at least two schools want to start rugby league programs.
Johnson is heading up a scholarship scheme which will hopefully see promising Hawaiian players placed with Intrust Super Cup clubs and there were also talks at the weekend about kick-starting the game in American Samoa.
Grand Prix Sports is the company that wants to take State Of Origin and the World Club Challenge to Los Angeles.
As part of the arrangement, they are going to provide a minimum of $250,000 a year to help the Tomahawks program and grass roots development, said Johnson.
They are having talks with the International Federation now.
Meanwhile, the Tomahawks game against Melbourne in New York is now likely to be played on October 20. Moving it back a week should allow the likes of Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith to take part as the original date clashed with the end-of-season trans-Tasman Test.
.
WHY was the round 16 NRL game between Canterbury and Melbourne switched from Adelaide to Mackay, costing South Australia its one big game of the year?
Apparently it was a case of the South Australian governments events corporation and the Adelaide Oval authorities not stumping up enough cash or providing sufficient benefits to the Dogs.
The fixture was put in the draw in the expectation a deal would later be reached but it wasnt
Far & Wide was told a change of administration at the South Australian Cricket Association is the main cause of the cancellation. Mackay had applied to the NRL, not the Bulldogs, for a match.
The Mackay game will now be played at 2pm on June 24.
.
THE European Shield has provided some cliff-hangers in recent weeks and some not-so-cliffhangers.
A field goal by Kenny Keinhorst a 25-24 win over Serbia who were one step from a World Cup place.
But Norway did not require such heroics to beast Sweden, where the scoreline was 122-8.
FORMAL peace talks between American rugby leagues warring factions have begun.
US Tomahawks team manager Steve Johnson tells Far & Wide that in the wake of a new agreement between the AMNRL and the Grand Prix Sports corporation, there are renewed moves to get the sport under one roof in the land of hype and glory.
David Niu from the AMNRL and Peter Illfield of the USARL are holding talks under the oversight of Tas Baitieri, says Johnson.
They had a meeting with no animosity. David put a proposal to Peter which he thinks is fair and it has been taken back to the USARLs member clubs.
We are hopeful of a reunification.
The ugly spat has marred attempts to take the American game to the next level and news of the peace talks comes after a successful international against Tonga in Honolulu at the weekend.
The Tomahawks were edged out 28-20 at Kaiser High School but a number of influential figures in Oahus sports community were impressed with what they saw and at least two schools want to start rugby league programs.
Johnson is heading up a scholarship scheme which will hopefully see promising Hawaiian players placed with Intrust Super Cup clubs and there were also talks at the weekend about kick-starting the game in American Samoa.
Grand Prix Sports is the company that wants to take State Of Origin and the World Club Challenge to Los Angeles.
As part of the arrangement, they are going to provide a minimum of $250,000 a year to help the Tomahawks program and grass roots development, said Johnson.
They are having talks with the International Federation now.
Meanwhile, the Tomahawks game against Melbourne in New York is now likely to be played on October 20. Moving it back a week should allow the likes of Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith to take part as the original date clashed with the end-of-season trans-Tasman Test.
.
WHY was the round 16 NRL game between Canterbury and Melbourne switched from Adelaide to Mackay, costing South Australia its one big game of the year?
Apparently it was a case of the South Australian governments events corporation and the Adelaide Oval authorities not stumping up enough cash or providing sufficient benefits to the Dogs.
The fixture was put in the draw in the expectation a deal would later be reached but it wasnt
Far & Wide was told a change of administration at the South Australian Cricket Association is the main cause of the cancellation. Mackay had applied to the NRL, not the Bulldogs, for a match.
The Mackay game will now be played at 2pm on June 24.
.
THE European Shield has provided some cliff-hangers in recent weeks and some not-so-cliffhangers.
A field goal by Kenny Keinhorst a 25-24 win over Serbia who were one step from a World Cup place.
But Norway did not require such heroics to beast Sweden, where the scoreline was 122-8.
