1982 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea

The 1982 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea was a four match tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team. The New Zealand national rugby league team lost a series 0-2 against Australia, but defeated Papua New Guinea in a one-off test match. Their only other game was a match against Queensland.

Background

New Zealand last toured Australia in 1978 while this would be their second trip to Papua New Guinea having played a test against the Kumuls in Port Moresby in 1978.

Squad

The New Zealand squad was chosen from those playing in the NZ, Australia and English competitions. The coach was Cecil Mountford with the captain being Hawera's giant back row forward Graeme West, although North Sydney's Mark Graham would captain the team in the tests against Australia.

The Kiwis were without the services of fiery Cronulla-Sutherland brothers Dane and Kurt Sorensen after the cash strapped Sharks refused to release them for test duty.

NameGamesTestsTriesGoalsFGsPointsClub
Fred Ah Kuoi220000 North Sydney Bears
Mark Broadhurst330000 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Tony Coll210102 Marist Saints (NZ)
Wayne Dwyer000000 Marist Saints (NZ)
David Field000000
Olsen Filipaina220000 Balmain Tigers
Kevin Fisher212006 Huntly South (NZ)
Clayton Friend211003 Carlisle RLFC
Bruce Gall431003 Taranaki Wildcats (NZ)
Mark Gillespie000000
Mark Graham (vc)220000 North Sydney Bears
John Griffin000000 South Island (NZ)
Lewis Hudson000000Linwood Keas (NZ)
Gary Kemble321003 Hull F.C.
James Leuluai433009 Mount Wellington (NZ)
Hugh McGahan212006 Otahuhu Leopards (NZ)
Peter Mellars100000 Wellington (NZ)
Dane O'Hara431003 Hull F.C.
Gary Prohm431003 Hull Kingston Rovers
Gordon Smith43116035 Hull Kingston Rovers
Gerard Stokes000000Eastern Suburbs (NZ)
Howie Tamati431003 Waitara Bears (NZ)
Kevin Tamati431003 Randwick (NZ)
Shane Varley000000 Workington Town
Graeme West (c)321003 Hawera Hawks (NZ)
John Whittaker100000 Randwick (NZ)
Owen Wright110000 Otahuhu Leopards (NZ)

Australia

Sunday, 27 June
Queensland 31 – 16 New Zealand
Tries:
Wayne Challis, Brad Backer, Tony Currie, Wally Lewis, Mal Meninga
Goals:
Mal Meninga (5)
[1] Tries:
Gary Kemble, James Leuluai, Dane O'Hara, Gordon Smith
Goals:
Gordon Smith (2)
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Eddie Ward

Queensland: Tony Currie, Brad Backer, Gene Miles, Mal Meninga, Wayne Challis, Wally Lewis (c), Mark Murray, Rod Morris, Greg Conescu, Paul Khan, Rohan Hancock, Bryan Neibling, Norm Carr. Res - Cavill Heugh, Greg Holben. Coach - Arthur Beetson

New Zealand: Gary Kemble, Gary Prohm, John Whittaker, James Leuluai, Dane O'Hara, Gordon Smith, Clayton Friend, Bruce Gall, Howie Tamati, Kevin Tamati, Graeme West (c), Tony Coll, Hugh McGahan. Res - Kevin Fisher, Peter Mellars

In the first game on the Australian leg of the tour, the Kiwis faced an almost test strength Queensland side, losing 31–16 at Lang Park.


First Test

The Australian's escaped with an 11-8 win over New Zealand at Lang Park in Brisbane. The forced retirement due to a chronic knee injury of Canterbury-Bankstown's George Peponis saw Manly-Warringah's Max Krilich named as both Australian hooker and new team captain.

Saturday 3 July
Australia  11 – 8  New Zealand
Tries:
John Muggleton
Goals:
Michael Cronin (4)
[2] Tries:

Goals:
Gordon Smith (4)
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 11,400
Referee: Fred Lindop
Man of the Match: Wally Lewis
Australia
New Zealand
FB1 Greg Brentnall
LW2 John Ribot
RC3 Michael Cronin
LC4 Steve Rogers
RW5 Kerry Boustead
FE6 Wally Lewis
HB7 Steve Mortimer
LF8 Ray Price
SR9 Les Boyd
SR10 Rohan Hancock
PR11 Craig Young
HK12 Max Krilich (c)
PR13 Rod Morris
Substitutions:
IC14 John Muggleton
IC15 Mal Meninga
Coach:
Frank Stanton
FB1 Gary Kemble
LW2 Gary Prohm
RC3 Olsen Filipaina
LC4 James Leuluai
RW5 Dane O'Hara
FE6 Fred Ah Kuoi
HB7 Gordon Smith
LK8 Mark Graham (c)
SR9 Bruce Gall
SR10 Graeme West
PR11 Mark Broadhurst
HK12 Howie Tamati
PR13 Kevin Tamati
Substitutions:
IC14 Hugh McGahan
IC15 John Whittaker
Coach:
Cecil Mountford

English referee Fred Lindop had what the press termed a "Love affair with his whistle" and blew 44 penalties during the game. New Zealand led for most of the game through the boot of Gordon Smith, though with the number of penalties gave Michael Cronin ample opportunity to tie the game at 8-all late in the second half. Only a late John Muggleton try gave the Aussies their win.

Of Lindop's 44 penalties, New Zealand won the count 25-19. There were only 7 decisive scrums in the game with Lindop blowing a penalty to end most of them.


Second Test

Australia wrapped up the Trans-Tasman series 2-0 with a 20-2 win over the Kiwis at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Saturday 17 July
Australia  20 – 2  New Zealand
Tries:
Greg Brentnall
Ray Price
Kerry Boustead
Wally Lewis
Goals:
Michael Cronin (4)
[3] Tries:




Goals:
Gordon Smith (1)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 16,775
Referee: Fred Lindop
Man of the Match: Ray Price
Australia
New Zealand
FB1 Greg Brentnall
LW2 John Ribot
RC3 Michael Cronin
LC4 Mal Meninga
RW5 Kerry Boustead
FE6 Wally Lewis
HB7 Steve Mortimer
LF8 Ray Price
SR9 Les Boyd
SR10 John Muggleton
PR11 Craig Young
HK12 Max Krilich (c)
PR13 Rohan Hancock
Substitutions:
IC14 Steve Rogers
IC15 Rod Morris
Coach:
Frank Stanton
FB1 Gary Kemble
LW2 Gary Prohm
RC3 Olsen Filipaina
LC4 James Leuluai
RW5 Dane O'Hara
FE6 Fred Ah Kuoi
HB7 Gordon Smith
LK8 Mark Graham (c)
SR9 Bruce Gall
SR10 Graeme West
PR11 Kevin Tamati
HK12 Howie Tamati
PR13 Mark Broadhurst
Substitutions:
IC14 John Whittaker
IC15 Hugh McGahan
Coach:
Cecil Mountford

Although Ray Price was named as the Man of the Match, the game was a personal triumph for Australian halfback Steve Mortimer who controlled the play and led the Aussies to a 20-2 win.[4]

Giant Queensland centre Mal Meninga, after not being used off the bench in the first test, made his official test debut in this game in place of Steve Rogers who moved to the bench. Meninga had an unhappy game though, dislocating his elbow in the 28th minute after a crunching blindside tackle from Kiwi winger Dane O'Hara, while at the same time attempting to break a tackle from Kiwi fullback Gary Kemble. The other major change for the Australians was Ray Price coming into the side at lock for the injured Paul Vautin.

Papua New Guinea

Sunday 25 July
Papua New Guinea  5 – 56  New Zealand
Tries:
Alan Rero








Goals:
Poka Kila (1)
[5] Tries:
Kevin Fisher (2)
James Leuluai (2)
Hugh McGahan (2)
Clayton Friend
Bruce Gall
Gary Prohm
Howie Tamati
Kevin Tamati
Graeme West
Goals:
Gordon Smith (9)
Tony Coll (1)
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: John Gocher
Papua New Guinea
New Zealand
FB1Kungas Kuveu
RW2Alan Rero
RC3Y. Pilkokos
LC4Jimmy Peter
LW5Samu Sasama
FE6Jon Joseph
HB7Poka Kila
LK8John Wagambie (c)
SR9Jack Waninara
SR10Arebo Taumaku
PR11Philip Ralda
HK12J. Tenakanai
PR13Tara Gau
Substitutions:
IC14Joe Tep
IC15Joe Katsir
Coach:
Uve Sabumei
FB1 James Leuluai
LW2 Kevin Fisher
RC3 Gary Prohm
LC4 John Whittaker
RW5 Dane O'Hara
FE6 Gordon Smith
HB7 Clayton Friend
LK8 Hugh McGahan
SR9 Bruce Gall
SR10 Graeme West (c)
PR11 Kevin Tamati
HK12 Howie Tamati
PR13 Mark Broadhurst
Substitutions:
IC14 Owen Wright
IC15 Tony Coll
Coach:
Cecil Mountford

References

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