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paranoid aussies

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760
NEW ZEALAND have told Australia to read the rule book after the Kangaroos complained about the short in-goal areas prepared at North Harbour Stadium for tonight's Centenary Test.

Trans-Tasman rivalry boiled over when the Australians arrived at the venue yesterday for training and noticed the in-goal areas were the bare international minimum of six metres, despite there being at least another 10 metres behind the deadball line that could have been used.

Coach Chris Anderson immediately called on team manager Gerard Raper to lodge a complaint with the New Zealand Rugby League, with the obvious suspicion being that the short in-goals are designed to counter-effect the dangerous kicking games of Brett Kimmorley, Darren Lockyer and Craig Wing.

But NZRL chairman Selwyn Pearson fired back: "They need to read the International Federation rules which clearly states six metres as a minimum and no more than 11 metres as a maximum. We're working within the rules. What's being said is a conspiracy theory -- that's awful."

The depth of the in-goal is at the discretion of the host nation. The only in-goal in the NRL to match North Harbour's skinny depth is Olympic Park in Melbourne, which has been given special exemption from the NRL's standard minimum of eight metres because the field is ringed by an athletics track.

The kicking game of both teams has become a talking point with the Australians blessed by the boots of Lockyer, Kimmorley, Wing, Danny Buderus and Craig Gower, all players who do the majority of the kicking for their club teams. The Kiwis, on the other hand, have no one in that category.

The man who would normally do all the kicking and would lap up a deep in-goal, Stacey Jones, is out injured.

The Australian players were presented with their jerseys last night by former captain Laurie Daley, with each asked to explain what playing for their country means to them. They then watched a video of highlights from previous Kangaroo Tours to reinforce the honour of playing for Australia.

Both teams put the finishing touches on preparations for the Test with a training session each at North Harbour.

The Daily Telegraph
 

In-goal

Bench
Messages
3,523
I can't believe they complained about that.

When they play GB the fields will be icy slippery with minnimum in-goals, Chris Anderson is such a bloody whinger.
 

In-goal

Bench
Messages
3,523
I don't know why more sides don't use this, Australia scores heaps of tries from kicks why don't more teasm try and nullify this. It will also prevent continous line drop outs for the Kiwis.
 

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