TO: NZRL Staff, Districts and Affiliates and Board FROM: Cushla Dawson DATE: 10 August 2009 RE: Media Summary Tuesday 04 August to Monday 10 August 2009 Bargain Bryson holds hopes for Kiwis payoff: Three Goodwin boys have played in the NRL. There was Luke, who was with the Western Reds; Bronx, the Canberra fullback sacked after a pub incident; and now Bryson, the bargain Bulldogs wing with the millionaire performances. And yet 23-year-old Bryson, with 16 tries in 17 games this season, is the only one who hasn't worn a New Zealand representative jumper. Last year, when Luke coached the Maori team and Bronx played fullback, there was no younger brother. League may hit hallowed turf: EXCLUSIVE: Australian and New Zealand league officials are expected to meet this week with Eden Park bosses to discuss the possibility of staging a test between the Kangaroos and Kiwis at the hallowed ground next year. Sunday News has been told NRL marketing boss Paul Kind and director of finance Ed Farish who lend their help to the Australian Rugby League when needed will touch down in Auckland in the next 24 hours. It's understood they will hold discussions with new NZRL CEO Jim Doyle and will also meet with Eden Park officials while here. Injury curse robs Kiwis of Asotasi again: The 24-test veteran suffered yet another season-ending injury last night, damaging the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during South Sydney's upset 36-22 win over defending champions Manly in the National Rugby League (NRL). The initial prognosis for a shattered Asotasi was six months on the sidelines, meaning he will miss Souths' bid for the NRL playoffs, and the end-of-season Four Nations tournament for the Kiwis in England and France. Graham Lowe a contender to coach Knights: World Cup-winning New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney's name is missing from the list of candidates to succeed Brian Smith in charge of the Newcastle Knights next season. Although his name has come up in media speculation since news of Smith's impending departure to the Roosters broke three weeks ago, Kearney was not one of the 12 applicants considered at the club's board meeting on Wednesday night. Development charge making clubs reluctant to blood young rep players: Sydney Roosters officials said a try-saving tackle by Iwi Hauraki just 90 seconds before full-time against the Knights last weekend highlighted the commitment of their players - but the rookie winger almost didn't get to make his NRL debut because of confusion over development fees. After naming Hauraki for the match against Newcastle, the Roosters were contacted by the New Zealand Rugby League seeking $10,000 in fees for the 2005 Junior Kiwis star. Kiwis train-on squad named for Four Nations: World Cup-winning Kiwis dominate a 45-man train-on squad named today ahead of the Four Nations rugby league tournament in England and France later this year. National selectors Howie Tamati (convener), Tony Kemp, Darrell Williams and coach Stephen Kearney have included 20 of the 24-man squad that beat Australia in last year's World Cup final. The missing World Cup players are captain Nathan Cayless, now retired from international football, Sika Manu, Evarn Tuimavave and David Kidwell. Rugby-Tahu joins dual internationals in heading back to league: International winger Timana Tahu was a granted a release from his contract by the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) on Wednesday, paving the way for the dual international to return to rugby league. The 28-year-old, who made a highly publicised switch to rugby union from league in 2008, had asked for an early release from his ARU contract, which was to expire after the 2011 World Cup. New boss planning for future – shock: It may be a strange concept to some league followers, but the game’s new boss says no longer will they be doing everything at the last minute. NZRL Chairman Scott Carter has returned from a summit of the sport’s world leaders with an impressive list of long-term plans – including a confirmed calendar for the Kiwis until 2017 and a desire to sign national coach Steve Kearney until 2013. See document attached in the email. Bargain Bryson holds hopes for Kiwis payoff Three Goodwin boys have played in the NRL. There was Luke, who was with the Western Reds; Bronx, the Canberra fullback sacked after a pub incident; and now Bryson, the bargain Bulldogs wing with the millionaire performances. And yet 23-year-old Bryson, with 16 tries in 17 games this season, is the only one who hasn't worn a New Zealand representative jumper. Last year, when Luke coached the Maori team and Bronx played fullback, there was no younger brother. "I was sort of supposed to," he says sheepishly. "But I went away for a holiday. I'd already booked it before anything came up and I wasn't back in time." Is he booking any year-end trips this year? "Nah, no way," he says. Named last Wednesday in a 45-man Kiwis train-on squad, the wing who cost the Bulldogs just $55,000 can cement a remarkable year of renaissance by surpassing his brothers and playing for the full national team in October's Four Nations. The sons of legendary wing "Lord" Ted Goodwin, who won four test caps for Australia in the 1970s but "doesn't mind" about their defection, the Goodwin boys qualify through a Maori grandmother. Luke was a 2000 Maori World Cup selection, and campaigned to get his side into last year's tournament but settled for a high-profile curtain-raiser with Australian Aborigines. He has taken his brothers home to learn about their culture and develop a passion for New Zealand so that Bronx, who once hid in a toilet rather than perform the haka, is now confident enough to take a lead role. Unsurprisingly, Luke also had a role in Bryson's Kiwi call-up. "He told me that Stephen Kearney had spoken to him about me, that's how I knew [they were interested[ and he's really happy about it," says Bryson, who has yet to talk to the Kiwi coach or any of the selectors. "I've just glanced over the squad, seen there are 45 players in there. Hopefully I keep my form up, and if I am playing well, it will sort itself out." Goodwin had nine games for the Sharks last year but had no club until the Bulldogs stepped in. "I wasn't going to throw it in, but I wasn't sure what was going to happen," he admits. "I thought I might get a start somewhere, but I was glad it was a club like the Bulldogs." Bulldogs recruitment manager Peter Mulholland called him the bargain of the season and he's now on upgraded terms for the next two years. "I didn't want to go anywhere else. The Bulldogs gave me my chance this year, and so I am more than happy to stay with them. I couldn't be happier." Now he's adjusting to becoming the best-known of the clan. "It's a bit of a shock," he confides. "You can go places now and have dinner and people say hello who you don't know. Before, you could go anywhere and do what you want and now I've got to be more careful about where I am going and doing." (Source: Steve Kilgallon - Sunday Star Times, 09 August 2009) League may hit hallowed turf EXCLUSIVE: Australian and New Zealand league officials are expected to meet this week with Eden Park bosses to discuss the possibility of staging a test between the Kangaroos and Kiwis at the hallowed ground next year. Sunday News has been told NRL marketing boss Paul Kind and director of finance Ed Farish who lend their help to the Australian Rugby League when needed will touch down in Auckland in the next 24 hours. It's understood they will hold discussions with new NZRL CEO Jim Doyle and will also meet with Eden Park officials while here. Next year's Four Nations tournament in Australia and New Zealand is high on the agenda and yesterday ARL chairman Colin Love confirmed the prospect of holding a test at Auckland's most prestigious sporting venue was a strong possibility. "I won't be heading across with the other guys this week," Love told Sunday News. "I do know all about that (the meeting with Eden Park officials) though. They (Kind and Farish) will be looking at a lot of different commercial aspects and the possibility of playing a match at Eden Park if it's on the right terms well, it's a prestigious stadium and if everything falls into place it might be possible to make that happen." NZRL CEO Doyle said talks with Eden Park were on the cards. "We will be at that meeting too," Doyle told Sunday News yesterday. "We (the NZRL) will be meeting all day on Monday and Tuesday with Ed Farish and Paul Kind and for me, this is my first week in the job and it will be my first meeting with them. "A big part of it will obviously be how the NRL, NZRL and ARL can work more closely together. "Certainly a big part of the trip is around next year's Four Nations and that's why there will be some discussions with Eden Park in respect to potentially having some of the tournament's games there.