Apologies as team drops ball

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday May 30, 2009

Glenn Jackson

RUGBY LEAGUE has been embarrassed again after the NSW State of Origin squad yesterday left hundreds of young victims of the Victorian bushfires in the cold for an hour-and-a-half - because they trained over time.Players from the Blues squad made hasty apologies after 320 children, a number of whom had lost their homes in the blazes in February, were forced to take part in a clinic by themselves as they waited for the NSW team bus to arrive.Most of the children had travelled more than two hours to Princes Park in Carlton by bus, taking the day off school to do so, but the NSW squad was 90 minutes late even though they had to come from Werribee, about 40 minutes away. Many were given just 40 minutes with the team before facing the return trip to their homes in the fire-ravaged towns of Marysville, Kinglake, Alexandra, Eildon and Whittlesea.One highly placed official in Victorian rugby league described the Blues' actions as "a f---ing disgrace", while the NSW Rugby League general manager, Geoff Carr, said he was "not particularly happy" about the children being kept waiting for so long. "As far as we are concerned it's the last thing we wanted, to keep these kids - particularly after what they've been through - to keep them waiting," Mr Carr said.Craig Wing, the NSW interchange player, said he was "truly sorry" for the delay."We're a little bit disappointed in ourselves," he said, adding the team was kept behind for an intense training session and misjudged the travel time.The snub was seized upon by the Queensland Origin squad, which also took part in the clinic, with halfback Johnathan Thurston saying: "This is grass roots. I think they could have been here on time."

© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald

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