English legend Garry Schofield attacks Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos
COCKY English great Garry Schofield has caused an international furore, accusing Australia of “running scared” from Great Britain and declaring Mal Meninga had “completely failed” as Kangaroos coach.
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COCKY English great Garry Schofield has caused an international furore, accusing Australia of “running scared” from Great Britain and declaring Mal Meninga had “completely failed” as Kangaroos coach.
Schofield, who played at Balmain and Wests between 1985 and 1989, also said Australia had lost their mantle as rugby league’s top nation and that England’s pack was the best in world footy.
An International Rugby League Federation meeting in London on Tuesday will determine whether a historic three-Test series between Great Britain and the Kangaroos in Australia eventuates next year.
“If we don’t get the chance to play in a full Ashes series, it will be a disgrace,” Schofield said. “Come on Mal, what are you scared of? Australia can’t stick two fingers up to the glorious history of international rugby league.
“Dally Messenger will be turning in his grave. At the moment, it looks like the Aussies are running scared.
“We can’t let them off the hook with this. They don’t own the game. So, come on Australia. Come on Mal. Let’s get it on.”
Meninga fired back on Monday, telling The Daily Telegraph: “Schofield is the mouth from the north. People don’t even talk to him up there. He was here last year with a touring party, he was a shocker wasn’t he?
“We won’t be running scared, put it that way. We have never been scared of the Poms over a three-match series.”
Schofield didn’t hold back in his League Express newspaper column after watching England claim a 2-0 series win over New Zealand in Liverpool over the weekend.
He took direct aim at Meninga, who was left to have a chuckle when contacted by The Daily Telegraph.
“When Mal Meninga got the Australia job, there was plenty of talk that he would put the pride back into the green and gold jersey and reverse the trend which had seen State of Origin become bigger than Test football in recent years,” he said.
“No one respects big Mal more than me, but you can only conclude that he has completely failed. If the Lions travel to Australia in 2019 and don’t get the chance to play in a full Ashes series, it will be a disgrace.
“You Australians have got to stop treating the international game with such contempt. Mal probably knows England have the best Test pack and he will realise that with a golden generation of Australian playmakers having retired, the Aussies may well lose an Ashes series for the first time since 1970.
“(Let’s have) a proper Ashes series between Australia and Great Britain in 2019. And we will beat you.”
A veteran of 46 Tests for Great Britain, Schofield continued his attack on Australia.
“It will be such a shame if the Australians refuse to play Great Britain during next year’s Lions Tour. They should not be allowed to dictate terms like this,” Schofield wrote.
“After the win at Anfield, we have clearly earned the right to take on the green and golds in a proper series. It’s not like we’re asking them to travel over here. The Lions will be in the Southern Hemisphere anyway, so what is the problem?
“They won’t even agree to one Test match, although even that wouldn’t be enough for me. The Aussies lost to New Zealand last month, which meant that the winners of the England-Kiwi Test series would become the world’s number one Test nation.
“Even if you believe the Aussies are still the best and that their defeat to the Kiwis was a blip, then they don’t deserve to be ranked number one if they can’t be bothered to play many games.”
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Originally published as English legend Garry Schofield attacks Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos
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