League Finals Series
Lyon makes pledge to Kangaroos
By Dean Ritchie
October 03, 2006
THE last time Jamie Lyon laced on a boot in Australia was to lead Wee Waa to a Group 4 premiership in the NSW bush.
Next month Lyon will be back playing on home soil for the Kangaroos, after the former Australia centre was a surprise inclusion in Australia's squad for the upcoming Tri-Nations series.
With the Kangaroos suffering a huge number of withdrawals due to injury, selectors yesterday turned to a batch of new faces - and an old one - to do the job.
Lyon left Australia in 2004 to play for St Helens in England following his infamous walk-out on Parramatta, and was last year voted the Super League's most valuable player.
Though selectors usually resist selecting overseas players, Lyon's imminent return to Manly and his outstanding form served as a compelling argument.
Lyon is due to play the Super League grand final in a fortnight - against either Bradford and Hull - and miss the first Tri-Nations match against New Zealand in Auckland on October 14 but is extremely excited about pulling on the green and gold again.
"I won't let anyone down and can't wait to get back in an Australian jumper again," Lyon told The Daily Telegraph last night. "Everyone gets a bit nervous but I can't wait to get amongst it. Some of the games over here aren't as strong as back home but there won't be any dramas about my form.
Australia coach Ricky Stuart said: "When you've got a quality player like that available for selection, obviously he's thrown up in the selection meeting and the selectors chose him."
Lyon, arguably the world's premier centre, has played at five-eighth for St Helens.
"Jamie was available for selection and when you look at the halfbacks and five-eighths in the game, I think we're lacking depth in that area," Stuart said.
"He's got the ability to play a number of positions ... five-eighth, centre.
"And what's attractive about it is he's in outstanding form in the English Super League."
ARL chairman Colin Love commented on why Lyon was chosen from England.
"The selectors are never given directions not to select anybody so all of those (overseas-based) players have always been available," Love explained.
<A class=image href="http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/?from=ni_story"">
<A href="http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20514452-23214,00.html">http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20514452-23214,00.html
The germ just won't go away. Can't wait to smash that asshole. Btw loved the quote in bold. Pity he didn't think that before he left his team mates. Piece of sh*t doesn't deserve to wear the green and gold.
Lyon makes pledge to Kangaroos
By Dean Ritchie
October 03, 2006
THE last time Jamie Lyon laced on a boot in Australia was to lead Wee Waa to a Group 4 premiership in the NSW bush.
Next month Lyon will be back playing on home soil for the Kangaroos, after the former Australia centre was a surprise inclusion in Australia's squad for the upcoming Tri-Nations series.
With the Kangaroos suffering a huge number of withdrawals due to injury, selectors yesterday turned to a batch of new faces - and an old one - to do the job.
Lyon left Australia in 2004 to play for St Helens in England following his infamous walk-out on Parramatta, and was last year voted the Super League's most valuable player.
Though selectors usually resist selecting overseas players, Lyon's imminent return to Manly and his outstanding form served as a compelling argument.
Lyon is due to play the Super League grand final in a fortnight - against either Bradford and Hull - and miss the first Tri-Nations match against New Zealand in Auckland on October 14 but is extremely excited about pulling on the green and gold again.
"I won't let anyone down and can't wait to get back in an Australian jumper again," Lyon told The Daily Telegraph last night. "Everyone gets a bit nervous but I can't wait to get amongst it. Some of the games over here aren't as strong as back home but there won't be any dramas about my form.
Australia coach Ricky Stuart said: "When you've got a quality player like that available for selection, obviously he's thrown up in the selection meeting and the selectors chose him."
Lyon, arguably the world's premier centre, has played at five-eighth for St Helens.
"Jamie was available for selection and when you look at the halfbacks and five-eighths in the game, I think we're lacking depth in that area," Stuart said.
"He's got the ability to play a number of positions ... five-eighth, centre.
"And what's attractive about it is he's in outstanding form in the English Super League."
ARL chairman Colin Love commented on why Lyon was chosen from England.
"The selectors are never given directions not to select anybody so all of those (overseas-based) players have always been available," Love explained.
<A class=image href="http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/?from=ni_story"">
<A href="http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20514452-23214,00.html">http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20514452-23214,00.html
The germ just won't go away. Can't wait to smash that asshole. Btw loved the quote in bold. Pity he didn't think that before he left his team mates. Piece of sh*t doesn't deserve to wear the green and gold.
