1986 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea
The 1986 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team. Test matches were played in New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea. The tour began on 6 July in Auckland and finished on 17 August in Port Moresby, consisted of five test matches, with two of them counting towards the 1985-88 World Cup.
After having lost 18-0 to the Kiwis at Carlaw Park in the 3rd test of the 1985 series, Australia won the 1986 series 3-0. New Zealand then continued their tour to Papua New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea they won the first test against Papua New Guinea 36-26. They then lost the second test match 22-24, a match which counted towards the 1988 World Cup.
Contents
Squads
Australia
Australia was coached for the first time by 1956–57 Kangaroo Tourist Don Furner. Wally Lewis was the captain of the team with Wayne Pearce the team vice captain.
The players used by Australia in the series was: Wally Lewis (Wynnum Manly) (c), Wayne Pearce (Balmain) (vc), Noel Cleal (Manly Warringah), Steve Folkes (Canterbury-Bankstown), Garry Jack (Balmain), Brett Kenny (Parramatta), Les Kiss (North Sydney), Terry Lamb (Canterbury-Bankstown), Gene Miles (Wynnum Manly), Bryan Niebling (Redcliffe), Michael O'Connor (St George), Steve Roach (Balmain), Dale Shearer (Manly-Warringah), Royce Simmons (Penrith), Peter Sterling (Pattamatta), Peter Tunks (Canterbury-Bankstown).
Of the players used by Australia, only Wayne Pearce (injury) and Peter Tunks (personal reasons) did not go on the end of season 1986 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France.
New Zealand
The New Zealand test team was coached by Graham Lowe and captained by Mark Graham.
The Kiwis squad was: Mark Graham (North Sydney) (c), Dean Bell (Eastern Suburbs), Shane Cooper (Mt Albert), Mark Elia (Te Atatu), Olsen Filipaina (North Sydney), Gary Freeman (Northcote), Barry Harvey (Western Suburbs (Taranaki)), Gary Kemble (Hull), A'au Leulaui (Hull), Hugh McGahan (Eastern Suburbs), Dane O'Hara (Hull), Ron O'Regan (Mt Albert), Gary Prohm (Hull KR), Joe Ropati (Warrington), Kurt Sorensen (Widnes), Brent Todd (Linwood), Wayne Wallace (Hornby), Darrell Williams (Mt Albert), Owen Wright (Manukau).
Peter Brown, Tea Ropati, Marty Crequer, Dean Lonergan, Adrian Shelford, Sam Stewart, James Goulding, Glenn Donaldson and Gary Mercer also played for the Kiwis against Papua New Guinea.
New Zealand leg
The tour began with Australia coming to Auckland to play the first of three test matches between the trans-Tasman rivals.
This would be the final test played between New Zealand and Australia at the Carlaw Park ground in Auckland. Due to sponsorship, the test series was known as the "Winfield Test Series".
With the selection of St George and NSW centre Michael O'Connor, the former Wallaby became Australia's 39th dual-code rugby international. Dale Shearer, Steve Folkes and utility reserve Terry Lamb also played in their debut tests for Australia.
First test
|
6 July 1986
|
New Zealand  |
8 – 22 |  Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Dean Bell Goals: Olsen Filipaina (2/2) |
[1] | Tries: Brett Kenny (2) Steve Folkes Dale Shearer Goals: Michael O'Connor (3/5) |
Australian leg
In the tour games the Kiwis defeated Newcastle 22-17, Riverina 14-16, Wide Bay 32-7 and North Queensland 46-6.
Second test
After having been Sydney's main test match venue since 1914, this would be the final test played at the Sydney Cricket Ground until 2008. Gary Freeman, who would go on to play a total of 46 tests for New Zealand until 1995, made his test debut in this game.
|
19 July 1986
|
| Australia |
29 – 12 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Garry Jack Brett Kenny Wally Lewis Gene Miles Wayne Pearce Goals: Michael O'Connor (4) Field Goals: Peter Sterling |
[2] | Tries: Olsen Filipaina Dane O'Hara Goals: Olsen Filipaina (2) |
|
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 34,302 Referee/s: Robin Whitfield  Man of the Match: Steve Roach  |
| Australia | Position | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Garry Jack | FB | Gary Kemble |
| Les Kiss | WG | Dean Bell |
| Gene Miles | CE | Joe Ropati |
| Brett Kenny | CE | Mark Elia |
| Michael O'Connor | WG | Dane O'Hara |
| Wally Lewis (c) | SO | Olsen Filipaina |
| Peter Sterling | HB | Gary Freeman |
| Steve Roach | PR | Owen Wright |
| Royce Simmons | HK | Barry Harvey |
| Peter Tunks | PR | Kurt Sorensen |
| Steve Folkes | SR | Mark Graham (c) |
| Noel Cleal | SR | Hugh McGahan |
| Wayne Pearce | LF | Gary Prohm |
| Bryan Niebling | Int. | Shane Cooper |
| Don Furner | Coach | Graham Lowe |
Third test
Australian vice-captain Wayne Pearce tore the Anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the first half. Despite surgery and an intense rehabilitation, he was eventually ruled out of the 1986 Kangaroo Tour after failing a team medical.
Australia continued its international dominance and scored a clean sweep against the Kiwis with a 32-12, 6 tries to 2 win in front of almost 23,000 at Lang Park. The match was broadcast into NSW and Qld by the Nine Network and via relay into New Zealand. This game also counted towards the 1985-1988 Rugby League World Cup.[3]
|
29 July 1986
|
| Australia |
32 – 12 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Brett Kenny (2) Peter Sterling Wally Lewis Gene Miles Michael O'Connor Goals: Michael O'Connor (4/6) |
[4] | Tries: Darrell Williams (2) Goals: Olsen Filipaina (2/3) |
Papua New Guinea leg
In Papua New Guinea they defeated Island Zone 26-6 and lost to Southern Zone 20-26 before the two test matches.
First test
|
10 August 1986
|
Papua New Guinea  |
26 – 36 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Lauta Atoi Darius Haili Joe Tep Bernard Waketsi Goals: Kungas Kuveu (5) |
[5] | Tries: Peter Brown (2) Mark Elia Gary Freeman Hugh McGahan Dane O'Hara Joe Ropati Goals: Joe Ropati (3) Peter Brown (1) |
|
Danny Leahy Oval, Goroka
Attendance: 11,000 Referee/s: Kevin Roberts Man of the Match: Adrian Shelford File:New Zealand Kiwis colours.svg |
| Papua New Guinea | Position | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Kungas Kuveu | FB | Gary Kemble |
| Joe Katsir | WG | Joe Ropati |
| Lauta Atoi | CE | Darrell Williams |
| Bal Numapo | CE | Mark Elia |
| Arnold Tivelit | WG | Dane O'Hara |
| Daruis Haili | SO | A'au Leulaui |
| Gessau Gebob | HB | Gary Freeman |
| Joe Tep | PR | Adrian Shelford |
| Roy Heni | HK | Wayne Wallace |
| Bobby Ako | PR | Peter Brown |
| Roy Loitive | SR | Owen Wright |
| Bernard Waketsi | SR | Hugh McGahan (c) |
| Arebo Taumaku | LF | Ron O'Regan |
| Dairi Kovae | Int. | Marty Crequer |
| Peter Peng | Int. | Sam Stewart |
| Barry Wilson | Coach | Graham Lowe |
Second test
This match counted towards the 1985-88 World Cup.
|
17 August 1986
|
| Papua New Guinea |
24 – 22 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Daruis Haili (2) Bobby Ako Lauta Atoi Goals: Dairi Kovae (4) |
[6] | Tries: Peter Brown Hugh McGahan Joe Ropati Wayne Wallace Goals: Peter Brown (3) |
|
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
Attendance: 15,000 Referee/s: Kevin Roberts Man of the Match: Arebo Taumaku  |
| Papua New Guinea | Position | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Dairi Kovae | FB | Gary Kemble |
| Joe Katsir | WG | Dane O'Hara |
| Lauta Atoi | CE | Joe Ropati |
| Bal Numapo | CE | Darrell Williams |
| Mafu Kerekere | WG | Marty Crequer |
| Daruis Haili | SO | Shane Cooper |
| Tony Kila (c) | HB | Gary Freeman |
| Joe Tep | PR | Adrian Shelford |
| Roy Heni | HK | Wayne Wallace |
| Ati Lomutopa | PR | Peter Brown |
| Bobby Ako | SR | Hugh McGahan (c) |
| Bernard Waketsi | SR | Owen Wright |
| Arebo Taumaku | LF | Ron O'Regan |
| Kepi Saea | Int. | A'au Leulaui |
| Noah Andy | Int. | Sam Stewart |
| Barry Wilson | Coach | Graham Lowe |
Papua New Guinea scored their first ever test match victory against New Zealand and their first test win since defeating France 37-6 in 1977. The Kumuls would not win another test until 1990.[7]
Aftermath
Graham Lowe resigned in August and Tony Gordon was appointed coach in September.
Dun Furner and Wally Lewis would lead the Australian team on the undefeated 1986 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France at the end of the NSWRL and Brisbane Rugby League seasons.
See also
References
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- ↑ 1st Test PNG vs NZ
- ↑ 2nd Test PNG vs NZ
- ↑ Papua New Guinea Kumuls results at Rugby League Project
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- Australia–New Zealand relations
- 1986 in New Zealand rugby league
- 1986 in Australian rugby league
- International rugby league competitions hosted by Australia
- New Zealand national rugby league team tours
- Rugby league tours of Australia
- Rugby league tours of Papua New Guinea
- 1986 in Papua New Guinea rugby league
