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From Today's SMH

MAGGIES

Juniors
Messages
6
Warriors coach Daniel Anderson has sent Wests Tigers an angry letter in a bitter dispute over their teenage prodigy Benji Marshall, it was revealed last night.

Marshall, who excelled as a late inclusion in the joint-venture side which shocked Brisbane 12-10 at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, is set to stay at the centre of a three-way tug of war between NSW, Queensland and New Zealand for his representative services.

Anderson, also the New Zealand national coach, said yesterday he had been accused by Wests Tigers' football manager Steve Lavers of breaking anti-tampering laws by authorising an approach for Marshall to play for the junior Kiwis.

"I've never met Benji Marshall, I've never seen him play a game of football. I think I walked past him at the sevens this year," Anderson said. "I responded to the letter in fairly strong terms."

Lavers admitted quoting the NRL's anti-tampering rules in an email to NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert over the issue but said he did not name Anderson and was not suggesting an illegal approach by the Warriors.


"I just thought it was protocol for a governing body to go through the club if they want to talk to a player and not approach him directly," Lavers said.

"I have got a response from Daniel Anderson, I haven't got back to him and I've got no comment on what he had to say."

It appears the clash occurred as a result of the NRL forwarding Lavers's complaint to the NZRL. It was then passed on to Anderson who took umbrage.

"He is Kiwi-born and eligible to play for New Zealand," said Anderson. "The NZRL's high performance director, Duane Mann, has contacted him, I think. But when it does come time for me to talk to him in my capacity as national coach, I'm going to go through the right channels and make sure there are other people around, because what was in Steve Lavers's letter to Ian Schubert was, quite frankly, ridiculous."

Marshall turned down Mann's approach and is to play for the Australian schoolboys against the junior Kiwis this year but Anderson said: "Nathan and Jason Cayless played for the junior Kangaroos and went on to play for the Kiwis, so that isn't necessarily a problem. I'd like to think he will consider playing for New Zealand."
 

BJ

Juniors
Messages
523
would benji be eligable to play for New Zealand and then if approached play for NSW and or QLD?
tony carrol represented new zealand but was also given a grant to play for qld in state of origin.. same could happen for benji maybe? if he makes it that far..
 

yappy

Bench
Messages
4,161
Nope they've closed that loophole. Willie Mason turned down a chance to play for the Kiwi's so he could play Origin (and for Oz) I think Tahu was in the same boat. You have to be an Australian to play Origin now - you make yourself eligible for NSW or QLD and you make yourself eligible for Australia.
 

Tigerpete

Juniors
Messages
1,955
Look at these fully grown men all squabbling over an 18 yr old kid as if he's the latest playstation game :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

Snide the Tiger

Juniors
Messages
389
Yappy - the loophole has just been closed while Queensland don't need it at the moment!

As soon as their next starting half emerges from north of the Australian coastline - they will again annex PNG - the Solomons and Bougainville and claim them as QRL sovereign territory!

As for the Anderson being p*ssed off with our letter - they had a whinge to the Roosters after the 7s about Willie Bishop and have accused us of breaching anti-tampering laws when we approached Toopi & Koopu while playing for Newtown a few years back!!

With double standards like that - he is wasting his time as Kiwi coach. He is made for the Queensland Origin post!
 

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