TO: NZRL Staff, Districts and Affiliates and Board

FROM: Cushla Dawson

DATE: 09 February 2009

RE: Media Summary Tuesday 03 February to Monday 09 February 2009

NZRL loses its shirt as company goes bust: THE cash-strapped New Zealand is set to lose the shirt off its back. The company that makes the World Cup winner's jersey is reported to have gone into administration. Sydney's Sun-Herald newspaper is today reporting the Australian division of International Sports Clothing which also supplies the Air New Zealand Cup's Manawatu and Bay of Plenty unions, six NRL clubs, Australian Super 14 franchises and two AFL teams has been placed in administration.

Tough times ahead as crisis hits clubs: PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald says he is open to offers to privatise the club amid fears some NRL teams may not survive the global economic crisis. The financial downturn has already had a severe impact on rugby league, with several clubs reporting that sponsors have either pulled the pin or are struggling to fulfil their commitments. While there are no current expressions of interest in buying into the Eels, Fitzgerald confirmed privatisation could be an option to ensure the club weathers the financial storm.

Enjoy the calm before the Storm: Hamilton City council expects a good turnout and a profitable day when the Warriors play the Storm next Thursday. The Hamilton City Council is confident next Thursday's -Melbourne Storm rugby league clash will be a financial success. It says that because neither team is being paid an appearance fee the city will break even if it sells 8000 tickets. By yesterday it was half- way there.

Benji still possible for Japan Union: The future of at the Wests Tigers continues to hinge around the possibility of an appearance in Japanese rugby union in 2010, as fellow players call for the club to give their star half plenty of freedom. Wests hooker Robbie Farah was the most vocal, saying that the possibility of Marshall missing a Tigers pre-season and perhaps a handful of early season NRL matches wouldn’t hurt the club and will keep their main man happy.

One Niko to play in Warriors squad: Just one of Hawke's Bay's Niko brothers will play for the Warriors under- 20 rugby league side against the Hawke's Bay Unicorns under-20s in Napier next week. Eighteen-year-old Elijah Niko will get game time in both the frontrow and secondrow positions during the Park Island encounter which will be played in four 20-minute quarters. His 16-year-old brother and fellow forward, Kenny, has been ruled out of the match with an ankle injury.

Unanswered Sporting questions from the 2008 : What does Rugby League have to do to be recognised? The controversial decision to award the team of the year to the Evers-Swindell twins is not the first time that a team has mysteriously missed out. The Kiwis were snubbed in 2005, not even being nominated as one of the four finalists, despite winning the Tri Nations and holding Australia scoreless for the first time in twenty years.

Son of All Black ready to impress in : HE was named after a western movie so it is no surprise that this son of an All Black has designs on becoming a Cowboy. Although instead of the lasso- slinging, gun toting variety – Mackay Cutters signing Chance Bunce wants to end up in a North Queensland jersey.

Kids 2 Kiwis day: On Sunday February the first the Kiwis came to Otahuhu rugby league club. It was an absolutely AWESOME day. We got to meet all of the rugby league World CHAMPIONS!! We even got lessons from Isaac Luke on how to grubber the ball PERFECTLY. We got to play rob the nest with Sam Perret and play ball rush against David Fa'alogo and Sam Rapira. We also got to tackle the Kiwi forward . When my dad went to buy me a Kiwis T-shirt I snatched the T-shirt of him and ran to get the Kiwis autograph's because I was so EXCITED!!!!!I got everyone autograph on my shirt. Prime was actually recorded us LIVE can you believe it LIVE from 10:00 onward. (Source: Tanielu Pt England School Blog site, 04 February 2009) Vili wins supreme Halberg Award: Olympic women's champion Valerie Vili has captured New Zealand's ultimate sporting prize - the Halberg Award - for the second consecutive year. And rowing twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell defeated sentimental favourites, rugby league's World Cup-winning Kiwis, for the team award.

Benji could get $1m in code switch – report: Kiwis rugby league star Benji Marshall could earn $A1 ($NZ1.3) million for a rugby off-season in Japan later this year as he seriously considers a code switch. Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported Marshall was set to be offered the million-dollar deal to play about 12 matches in Japan in the (NRL) off-season.

NZRL loses its shirt as company goes bust THE cash-strapped New Zealand Rugby League is set to lose the shirt off its back. The company that makes the World Cup winner's jersey is reported to have gone into administration.

Sydney's Sun-Herald newspaper is today reporting the Australian division of International Sports Clothing which also supplies the Air New Zealand Cup's Manawatu and Bay of Plenty unions, six NRL clubs, Australian Super 14 franchises and two AFL teams has been placed in administration.

"They (ISC) are going into administration," NRL marketing manager Paul Kind said.

"From our perspective, we're not out of pocket at this point. The deal with ISC is that clubs hold independent agreements for their kit supply and we have one licence with them on supporter apparel, which we're working on now. It's a question for the clubs who have an independent agreement (with ISC).

"We're sitting down with ISC on February 11th (Wednesday). They're coming in so we can sit down and talk about where it's all up to."

The NRL clubs linked to ISC Australia include Cronulla, Penrith, Canberra, South Sydney, Parramatta and the .

The NZRL unaware of the company's demise until contacted by Sunday News was last night scrambling for information about the status of the ISC.

Its relationship with ISC is a complex one and if the sports clothing company has folded the financial ramifications for league in New Zealand are unclear.

It is understood ISC provides the NZRL with a certain amount of free merchandise, while any extra merchandise above the specified amount is paid for. The NZRL also makes money via a licencing arrangement with ISC from every officially licenced product sold.

"I can't really comment too much on the situation at this point in time," NZRL general manager Peter Cordtz said.

"What we have found is that a very complex situation has developed. This is considerably more complex than just a straightforward receivership situation. We are working through what the implications and downside if any will be for the NZRL.

"We are trying to get our heads around that now. We really don't know the full story or what the implications might be yet."

Bay of Plenty rugby boss Jeremy Curragh said his union had been aware of the problems facing the Australian arm of ISC for a while.

He has been involved in talks with a new New Zealand division of the UK company about supplying the Steamers' gear for 2009. It is completing with two other companies to win the BOP contract.

Manawatu's CEO John Knowles confirmed his union is now looking for a new jersey supplier.

(Source: Aaron Lawton and John Matheson - Sunday News | Sunday, 08 February 2009)

Tough times ahead as crisis hits clubs PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald says he is open to offers to privatise the club amid fears some NRL teams may not survive the global economic crisis.

The financial downturn has already had a severe impact on rugby league, with several clubs reporting that sponsors have either pulled the pin or are struggling to fulfil their commitments. While there are no current expressions of interest in buying into the Eels, Fitzgerald confirmed privatisation could be an option to ensure the club weathers the financial storm.

"Sure, we're open to that possibility, or part thereof," Fitzgerald told The Sun-Herald.

"There's a big question mark over [whether teams survive]. Clubs will possibly have to opt out of the NRL or more seriously look at a joint venture. They may even have to look at private ownership, although that hasn't proven to be overly successful in terms of dollars.

"Manly won the comp, but I don't think [co-owners] Max Delmege and Scott Penn made a profit. It's tough at Souths, with [co-owner] Russell Crowe instituting various measures to save on costs."

Leagues clubs, for so long the lifeblood of Sydney teams, are already near breaking point due to the impact of the new smoking legislation and poker machine taxation. A survey of 34 leagues clubs - seven of them licensed NRL leagues clubs - conducted by accounting firm PKF last year found revenue had fallen $56 million (6 per cent) over the past four years. The report, commissioned by Leagues Clubs Australia, also revealed:

* 41 per cent of clubs face financial distress based on EBITDA (earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortisation);

* In 2004, 70 per cent of leagues clubs posted a net profit, while only half that number were expected to do so in 2008;

* For 10 clubs, five of which are NRL associated, the financial distress is labelled "serious" or worse. Should they collapse, 2230 jobs will be lost and senior league funding will fall by $7 million.

The figures clearly underline the need for NRL clubs to pursue other revenue streams to ensure their survival. However, sponsorship dollars, another crucial source of income, are increasingly hard to secure in the current climate.

The Bulldogs are resigned to starting the season without a major backer, the Panthers' sleeve sponsor is in administration as is ISC, the company that outfits half a dozen NRL sides. Several clubs contacted by The Sun-Herald confirmed some sponsors are also struggling to pay up.

The good news for the NRL is that it has extended agreements with major sponsors Harvey Norman, Toyota, VB and Bundaberg Rum. About 80 per cent of the game's revenue - from broadcasting deals and major sponsorships - has been locked in until 2012. "Right now, we've had no indication from any of those major sponsors across the game that they're going to change their investment based on economic circumstance," NRL marketing manager Paul Kind said.

But what if those companies can't afford to pay?

Harvey Norman boss Gerry Harvey said he had every intention of continuing his long-time association with rugby league. But the retail king admitted that, if things got really tough, the bottom line would come before his love of league.

"At the end of the day, love goes out the door," said Harvey, whose retail chain sponsors the State of Origin series.

"Love stays around as long as it can, but when it becomes desperate, even love goes out the door. We haven't reached that stage, we're nowhere near that. We wouldn't pull anything out of rugby league, I wouldn't think, because we're closely wedded.

"If things got desperately bad it could be a different story, but we're not at that stage."

Harvey said all companies were cutting costs and sports sponsorships were in the firing line. "Charities, sponsorships, wages, advertising, general costs - they are the five things that everybody looks at," he said. "Across the board, most people are looking at those sort of things and saying, 'This will be a pretty difficult year for all sporting bodies and charities.'

"This would be one of the most difficult years in the last 20, I'd say."

Even players are nervous. Several have contacted Rugby League Professionals Association boss Matthew Rodwell to check on their entitlements should their club fold.

Fitzgerald, meanwhile, said the best way for players to secure their future would be to take a pay cut. The Parramatta supremo caused a stir last year when he called for the salary cap to be lowered. His opinion hasn't changed.

"That would be terrific," Fitzgerald said. "Obviously that's the major part of our costs in terms of player payments. There's just not enough money to keep things going the way they were.

"I think it should come down progressively by 20 per cent over three years."

Instead, the cap will rise slightly this year, by $100,000, and there are no plans for it to go backwards.

"I don't think lowering the cap is an option," NRL chief executive David Gallop said. "In terms of clubs, our salary cap system is more important than ever and thankfully we didn't listen to those who sought to undermine the importance of it over the years."

Sydney clubs in particular are struggling and some may not be able to spend up to the limit of the cap. As far back as May last year, Dragons boss Peter Doust indicated that financial pressures may prevent the joint- venture club from spending to the limit. Recent global developments are unlikely to improve that outlook.

And even though the Panthers group have expanded their asset base by $90 million during the past five years, group boss Glenn Matthews, part of a committee lobbying the State Government for poker machine taxation relief alongside Fitzgerald, added: "Whether we formally lower the cap or whether clubs do it themselves, directors have a responsibility to ensure the solvency of the organisation.

"If we have a lowering of revenue from sponsors we'll have to lower our expenses, and the big chunk out of our expenses is the salary cap."

Matthews said he hoped the State Government would offer clubs some taxation relief.

"The government understands there's a serious problem there," he said. "Importantly, there is no longer any argument about the figures any more."

The great unknown will be whether cash-strapped families walk through the turnstiles or cheer their team from the comfort of their lounge rooms.

Sea Eagles chief executive Grant Mayer said the challenge was to provide supporters with unique game-day experiences.

"We're concerned about the effect on game-day crowds," he said. "We tend to think, globally and historically, that's where sports have been affected.

"I would never say it's doom or gloom, because rugby league and sport are an outlet for people."

Supporters are expected to pay closer attention to ticket prices, although NRL marketing manager Paul Kind dismissed suggestions of capping ticket prices at $10 to ensure bums on seats.

"I don't think any of our clubs are overpriced; we've always been a well-priced sport," Kind said.

The Eels are down 20 per cent on sponsorship income compared to this time last year. Their arch rivals, the Sea Eagles, are one of the few clubs to have made gains on that front, forecasting a 5 per cent increase.

The fact they have the premiership trophy in their keeping has helped, and the two families that played a part in delivering it believe more clubs will follow their privatisation route. Multi-millionaire businessmen Delmege and Penn predicted clubs could put the "for sale" sign up in 2009. "There's no question all the clubs will struggle this year," Penn said.

"Some of them may have to entertain private ownership models or find wealthy individuals to support them, given the traditional financial support from leagues clubs and registered clubs aren't doing the business to support the revenue needs of the football clubs."

Delmege added: "After 45 years in property, this would be the most difficult time I've ever seen.

"I've been through overseas currency [crises], 20 per cent interest rates, all sort of things but this has caught us on the back foot. I think you'll see some more privatised this year, or attempts to privatise."

The stockmarket crash has had massive ramifications for rugby league. Delmege, however, wants to follow through with plans to list the Sea Eagles this year.

"I certainly see that as something that would come more in the near future than the distant future," he said. "If we went down that route and coupled it with real estate, it's a beautiful investment for the members."

However, there are no guarantees. Fitzgerald wasn't prepared to give one when asked if the Eels would survive the global economic crisis. "I'm not in a position to give any guarantees," he said.

"We're taking all sorts of measures to reduce cost and measures to raise revenue. Things are very tough. I can't give any gilt-edged guarantee that we'll be around. I'm confident, but there are no guarantees."

In the past, the NRL has intervened to prevent clubs from going to the wall. Would they be prepared to do it again?

"No club is currently expendable," Gallop said. "We need to provide eight games a week to television and we actually benefit from our saturation in Sydney.

"It would be something we'd have to look at and consider the extent of the trouble the club is in and the impact on the game's overall position. We're not holding a blank cheque but we're also very conscious of the damage that losing a club can have."

(Source: The Canberra Times, 08 February 2009)

Enjoy the calm before the Storm Hamilton City council expects a good turnout and a profitable day when the Warriors play the Storm next Thursday. The Hamilton City Council is confident next Thursday's New Zealand Warriors-Melbourne Storm rugby league clash will be a financial success.

It says that because neither team is being paid an appearance fee the city will break even if it sells 8000 tickets. By yesterday it was half-way there.

The council is banking on Waikato's league fans coming out in force for the pre-season game at Waikato Stadium.

"We will be really disappointed if this doesn't break even," council communications manager Philip Burton said.

"Trading on the success of the Warriors last year, the Kiwis winning the Rugby League World Cup, and the return of , this thing should have a fair bit of momentum."

He said a pre-season rugby league clash in 2004, in which the Warriors played the St George Illawarra Dragons, was "highly successful" but two further games had ended up costing the council.

The match on Thursday will be the Warriors' first of 2009, and their fourth game in Hamilton since 2004.

The last time the Warriors took the central sporting stage in the city, in an NRL match against the Parramatta Eels in 2006, low crowd numbers cost the city more than $144,000.

In 2005, an NRL game against the Eels cost the council a further $61,000. Despite this, Hamilton City Council events and facilities manager Mark Christie is hopeful Hamiltonians will get behind the match.

He said Hamilton beat competition from and Wellington to host the game, and he expects a crowd of between 10,000 and 12,000 to attend it.

About 22,000 people turned out for the Warriors first Hamilton game in 2004.

The Regional Council experienced its own case of sporting failure in December when it shelled out about $2.5 million to bring soccer star David Beckham and the LA Galaxy to Auckland for an exhibition game. The game was attended by only 16,000 fans, 3000 short of the number needed just to break even, and the loss to the regional council topped $200,000.

Mr Burton said that if this Warriors-Storm game was a success, the council would look at bringing more pre- season games to the city.

Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah recognised that an event like the upcoming match could be a big financial risk for a city, but was confident Hamiltonians would "rise to the occasion".

"Obviously it has to be financially viable for the city," he said.

"But if the town turns up, and turns it on, it makes for a fantastic time."

He said the team was looking forward to heading south of the Bombays, and they were keen to perform in front of Waikato's rugby league fans.

"Waikato Stadium is one of the best stadiums in the country. From a playing point of view you can't ask for better," he said.

It is likely the Warriors will also use the match to pay tribute to rising star Sonny Fai, who was lost in a rip at Bethells Beach, Auckland, on January 4.

(Source: Waikato Times, 07 February 2009)

Benji still possible for Japan Union The future of Benji Marshall at the Wests Tigers continues to hinge around the possibility of an appearance in Japanese rugby union in 2010, as fellow players call for the club to give their star half plenty of freedom.

Wests hooker Robbie Farah was the most vocal, saying that the possibility of Marshall missing a Tigers pre- season and perhaps a handful of early season NRL matches wouldn’t hurt the club and will keep their main man happy.

“If it means keeping him, we’ve gotta be open-minded about it,” Farah confirmed.

Sources suggest a small stint of only 10 games could possibly net Marshall around $1million dollars for his time. However, the only major factor would be injury - with the Kiwi playmaker having a torrid time of things in his short career. Insurance concerns from his Wests Tigers owners would be the major hurdle, along with any injury obtained during a Japan stint also preventing him from fulfilling his full obligations to the new benefactors - essentially reducing his pay.

While keen to update Marshall’s contract, the Tigers remain in waiting until Benji decides and confirms his international options before the local NRL club make a final offer.

“At the moment his manager is negotiating with us as if there is virtually no proposal (from Japan),” coach Tim Sheens said.

“We’re in no hurry and neither are they.”

Benji and his management are aware that NRL rules prevent any player from taking part in any other competition while contracted; however there remains an outlet open to Marshall through creative paper shuffling - by letting his current agreement lapse and then not re-signing with Wests until he finishes any obligation in Japan. As an uncontracted player, Marshall is allowed to play anywhere outside of the NRL - this loophole could also allow him to get around opposition from within the Tigers club should it exist.

Apart from the injury worries, coach Sheens urged Marshall to consider the option long and hard - stating that the Japanese tournament holds many unknowns and for a player in a foreign country and code, it could prove risky.

Tigers chief executive Scott Longmuir indicated he would be willing to explore all possibilities to keep Marshall, with a view to pairing him with former Canberra half-back Todd Carney in 2010.

(Source: www.nrlnews.com 06 February 2009)

One Niko to play in Warriors squad Just one of Hawke's Bay's Niko brothers will play for the Warriors under-20 rugby league side against the Hawke's Bay Unicorns under-20s in Napier next week.

Eighteen-year-old Elijah Niko will get game time in both the frontrow and secondrow positions during the Park Island encounter which will be played in four 20-minute quarters. His 16-year-old brother and fellow forward, Kenny, has been ruled out of the match with an ankle injury.

"Kenny twisted his ankle during a wrestling training session a couple of weeks ago. He'll be back training again soon," Elijah said.

"As for me I can't wait to get down there and play in front of family and friends," said the former St John's College pupil and Hawke's Bay Ross Shield rugby player.

Elijah started a three-year contract with the Warriors in March last year. He got homesick so his younger brother Kenny and parents Petelo and Leoi joined him in March.

Kenny went along with Elijah to a few of his trainings and ended up scoring a four-year contract. Elijah had a couple of appearances for the Warriors under-20s in last year's Toyota Cup competition and hopes to be a regular member of the side this year.

He agreed the Warriors will start as favourites in the February 14 encounter against the Unicorns under-20s.

"But at the same time we will be showing them plenty of respect. Like all of us, those Hawke's Bay blokes want to enhance their chances of securing professional careers," said Elijah who has started a Diploma of Sports Management course at the New Zealand Institute of Sport.

He pointed out the Warriors team, which will be coached by former Kiwi Tony Iro and managed by Kiwi and Warriors legend Dean Bell, has been together since November.

"We had six weeks of fitness before our Christmas break and resumed training on January 6," said Elijah.

Key players in the Warriors side which will play in Hamilton on Thursday before travelling to Napier on Friday include prop Luke Laban, who was named New Zealand Rugby League's 2008 junior player-of-the-year, and fellow Thomas Ah Van, Meli Koliavu and Michael Afioga.

Numerous talent scouts from both sides of the Tasman, including former Kiwis and Warriors coach and former Kiwi Peter Brown, will attend the clash.

Warriors under-20 squad: Michael Afioga, Junior Afualo, Thomas Ah Van, Kyle Bos, Anthony Bristow, Jason Cook, Gowan Duff, Simon Gibson, , Kurt Kara, Beau King, Meli Koliavu, Jerome Kutia, Luke Laban, Ryan Laurenson, Sam Limu-Franklin, Sione Lousi, Alehana Mara, Peter Mills, Elijah Niko, Brandon Nixon, Daniel Palavi, John Palavi, George Smith, Bill Tupou, Trent Wallace.

(Source: Hawke’s Bay Today, 6 February 2009)

Unanswered Sporting questions from the 2008 Halberg Awards

What does Rugby League have to do to be recognised?

The controversial decision to award the team of the year to the Evers-Swindell twins is not the first time that a New Zealand rugby league team has mysteriously missed out.

The Kiwis were snubbed in 2005, not even being nominated as one of the four finalists, despite winning the Tri Nations and holding Australia scoreless for the first time in twenty years.

Instead the judges opted for an All Black team that beat the worst Lions team of all time, then completed a 'Grandiose Slam' against the home nations that had made up that aforementioned Lions teams.

And three Rowing pairs, who had won World Championship Gold in Japan

The All Blacks won team of the year in 1987 for winning the World Cup against the weakest field ever assembled and took it again in 2006 after taking down a Wallabies team at their lowest ebb and a creaking Springboks squad.

Even the Silver Ferns were recognised in 2003, winning the World Championships against an Australian team on the slide.

Okay then, so of the 30 journalists and sports stars that make up the Halberg judging panel, how many of them have a rugby background?

Ten.

What about an Olympic background?

Nine

And a rugby league affiliation?

Two. Righto.

What about the process? Surely with so many tough decisions to be made there is a vigorous, well educated debate between informed judges before coming to a sometimes difficult consensus?

Ahh, not quite. This was the case in years gone by, when the experts would gather in a (smoke-filled) room and justify their choices before hammering out some final verdicts.

But in these modern times, as we swim in the river of political correctness, decisions are made anonymously in the comfort of your own home by just ticking a box, before being mailed back. Hell, you could even get the kids to help out, or ask for the wife's opinion as another episode of Coronation Street drifts by.

Ryan Nelson stars in the English Premier League, the biggest competition of the world's most popular sport. Surely the Blackburn captain must have come close to being Sportsman of the Year?

Not exactly. Nelsen has never been a finalist actually. There have been go-karters, canoeists, speed skaters, mountain runners but no room for one of the only New Zealanders who would be recognised in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe and our highest earning sportsman by a country mile.

What exactly does a shot put coach do?

It was good that Kristin Hellier was recognised for 10 years service to the sport and Valerie Villi, but she was coaching the overwhelming favourite who was expected to win.

Just how much tactics and strategy can be coached and analysed in the sport of shot put when compared with Rowing (Richard Tonks) , Boardsailing (Grant Beck) and Rugby League (Steven Kearney).

Are we obsessed with rowing? Rowers have won the supreme award on seven separate occasions since 1990, and picked up team of the year on a number of other times.

Athletics comes next with three and no other sport has taken the Supreme award more than twice in that 20 year timespan.

It is a tough, gruelling sport and New Zealanders have achieved great things - of that there is no doubt.

But please, cast your net a bit wider.

In 1991 Wynton Rufer won the Bundesliga in Germany, and scored goals against Diego Maradona's Napoli en route to winning the UEFA Cup with Werder Bremen.

And missed out on the Halberg Award to Phillipa Baker, rower.

In 1982 the All Whites made it all the way to the World Cup in Spain, setting a record for the amount of qualifying games. It captured the country's imagination in such a way that for a while it was seriously mooted that football was going to take over from rugby as the number one sport of New Zealand.

But they missed out, to the World Championship winning rowing eight.

How is a jockey different from a motor racing driver?

Our jockey's have never come close to being recognised over the years - despite some amazing victories in Melbourne Cups and and even a Japan Cup.

This is perhaps because it is recognised that the horse does a lot of the work.

But when it comes to motor racing it seems to be not the case.

Scott Dixon, driving one of the best cars and with a great team behind it, gets all the credit and is judged superior to board sailor who won World Championship and Olympic gold in a truly global sport.

(Source: Michael Burgess, One Sport, TVNZ, 05 February 2009)

Son of All Black ready to impress in Queensland Cup HE was named after a western movie so it is no surprise that this son of an All Black has designs on becoming a Cowboy.

Although instead of the lasso-slinging, gun toting variety – Mackay Cutters signing Chance Bunce wants to end up in a North Queensland jersey.

His father was legendary New Zealand rugby union player Frank Bunce, but after moving to Australia when he was 10 years old, Bunce Jnr has developed a taste for the faster pace of league. The 22-year-old has terrorised his opponents with his blistering speed in his career so far which has included stints in the lower grades with Balmain as well as the Southern Sydney Sharks, Cronulla's feeder team.

He has also been selected in an All Golds outfit featuring Kiwi icon and Logan Swann as well as playing in the curtain raiser to last year's World Cup for New Zealand Maori. And after being scouted by Cutters coach and former Cowboy Shane Muspratt he is set to elevate his game to the next level in the Queensland Cup this season.

"I've had an eye on him for about 1½ years and I know him through JT's (Johnathan Thurston) manager Sam Ayoub and so I approached him to see if we could get him up here," the mentor said.

The best thing about Bunce's game according to Muspratt, is his ability to turn nothing into something with his pace and playmaking abilities.

"He's going to be really handy for us, he's got a good turn of foot, good speed and probably the best thing is that he has really good skills and has played a bit of five eighth in the lower grades," Muspratt said. "He'll play fullback for us and he'll play a sweep line like Matty Bowen plays, you definitely need a pass off the back of that and that's what Chance has got."

While not ready for the NRL yet, the Cowboys will also be keeping a keen eye on Bunce's progress at Mackay and also brought him to Townsville to train prior to the Christmas break.

Bunce was also one of two younger, fringe players selected to play in the scrapped trial against Cronulla in Mackay next weekend.

And so keen is he to impress, he has even created a highlights package on video website YouTube.

Muspratt said while his feats in the video were impressive, he had a lot of work to do to get to NRL level.

But he was confident that, with his ability and attitude, a first grade call-up in 2009 could be a real option.

"Those highlights show the best parts but Queensland Cup is a standard above the NSW Cup and a couple of steps above the Jim Beam Cup," he said.

"It's not just going to happen, he's got to want it, work hard and if he wants it bad enough, I think he'll go fine."

(Source: Townsville Bulletin, February 4th, 2009)

Vili wins supreme Halberg Award Olympic women's shot put champion Valerie Vili has captured New Zealand's ultimate sporting prize - the Halberg Award - for the second consecutive year.

And rowing twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell defeated sentimental favourites, rugby league's World Cup-winning Kiwis, for the team award.

Vili emerged as the big winner at the 2008 awards dinner in Auckland, repeating her performance of last year by winning the Sportswoman of the Year category and then claiming the supreme Halberg Award.

In so doing the 24-year-old became only the third female to capture the big prize in the 60-year history of the awards.

Vili followed in the footsteps of fellow athlete (1950 & 52) and lightweight rower Phillipa Baker (1989 & 94) as the only other women to win two Halberg Awards, and the first to score back-to-back wins.

She also became the 10th dual winner and first since rower , the only three-time winner (1998, 1999 & 2000).

The other category winners she headed off for the supreme award at the Vector Arena were Indy 500 champion (Sportsman of the Year) and double-scull repeat Olympic gold medal pair, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell (Sports Team of the Year).

The awards, hosted each year at a glittering dinner organised by the Halberg Trust, recognise outstanding achievement by New Zealand sports men, women, teams and coaches over the previous 12 months. Unable to make last year's dinner in Christchurch, as she was competing in Auckland on the night of the awards, this year Valerie was presented with the trophy by Olympic rowing single scull bronze medal winner, Mahe Drysdale, the 2006 Halberg Award winner.

For Vili 2008 was a year of total domination. She won every international competition she contested and her first throw in the Olympic final of 20.56m was a and NZ record throw. It also completed a clean sweep of every major title available to her - Olympic, world indoor and outdoor, World Cup and Commonwealth Games. The other finalists in the Sportswoman of the Year category were (swimming), (bowls) and (triathlon).

In the Sportsman of the Year category, won by Dixon, the other finalists were Olympic board sailing winner Tom Ashley, Beijing individual pursuit silver medallist , US Amateur Golf Champion and 1500m Olympic bronze medal winner . Dixon was not able to be at the dinner but spoke by satellite from Indianapolis. The Team category was won by the Swindell twins ahead of the Rugby League World Cup winning Kiwis, the All Blacks and the men's team pursuit cycling quartet from Beijing, which won a bronze medal.

In the Emerging Talent category, which provides a $25,000 scholarship from Westpac Bank, the winner was 18-year-old Winter X Games free-skiing medal prospect Jossi Wells. The other finalists were Chris Rahardja (karate), Paige Hareb (surfing) and Graham Oberlin-Brown (rowing).

Vili's coach, , completed a double when she won the SPARC Coach of the Year category. The other finalists in this distinguished group were Dick Tonks (rowing) and Grant Beck (board sailing) who coached Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell and Tom Ashley to their Olympic gold medals and , the successful Kiwis coach.

The 2008 Westpac Halberg Awards marked 40 years since the Eagles Golfing Society of New Zealand began their support of the Halberg Trust nationally. They presented the Trust with a cheque for $157,342.90 which took their support since 1969 to more than $3.5million.

The dinner again inducted two former New Zealand sporting champions into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. They were Anne Audain, Commonwealth Games middle distance gold and silver medallist during the 1980s and squash ace Ross Norman, who won the 1986 World Cup squash title with a stunning four-set victory over then world champion Jahangir Khan, unbeaten for more than five years.

(Source: www.stuff.co.nz 03 February 2009)

Benji could get $1m in code switch - report Kiwis rugby league star Benji Marshall could earn $A1 ($NZ1.3) million for a rugby off-season in Japan later this year as he seriously considers a code switch.

Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported Marshall was set to be offered the million-dollar deal to play about 12 matches in Japan in the National Rugby League (NRL) off-season.

It meant he could potentially return to his Wests Tigers club in 2010 but could miss the first three matches of the NRL season if his Japanese club made the playoffs.

Marshall's manager Martin Tauber confirmed Japanese interest in his client, and said Marshall may travel there in coming weeks for negotiations.

"I can't rule out the prospect of him playing over there," Tauber told the newspaper.

"If you were going to play in Japan they'd want to have a look at you and you'd want to have a look at them."

Marshall, whose contract with the Tigers ends this season, is reportedly well advanced in talks to remain with the club.

Tauber said his charge would not sign with any other NRL club except the Tigers, while English was not on the cards because of its financial uncertainty.

A lucrative rugby deal in the off-season would boost Marshall's bank balance while allowing him to resume playing with the Tigers in 2010.

Marshall, who returned to Auckland at the weekend for a function to celebrate the Kiwis' World Cup triumph, was guarded about his plans.

"I won't think about it while I am here -- I will just enjoy the boys' company and leave all that stuff in Australia for a while," he told the Sunday Star-Times.

"I am in no hurry to make a decision. I will probably try to get it done before the start of the season, but it's been a tougher job than I'd thought. There's lots to take into account. I honestly don't know which way I am leaning."

(Source: NZPA, 03 February 2009)