Rugby League: Kear in call for draft system

THE SHEFFIELD Eagles' coach, John Kear, has called for a draft system, a ban on mid-season transfers and a phasing-out of Australian coaches, writes Dave Hadfield.

Kear, who led the Eagles to the Challenge Cup last year, has become the first man to be asked to contribute a "Viewpoint" chapter to the Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook, which was published yesterday.

At the launch in Leeds, Kear said that Super League needed to become a more evenly balanced competition. "When a player comes off contract, the team in bottom spot should have first call on him," he said. "That would immediately spread the talent in Super League."

Kear also argued that clubs hiring a foreign coach should have to use one of the places on their overseas quota. "In an ideal world, I would really enjoy a situation where all head coaches and support staff were true Brits," he said.

Only one of Kear's Sheffield players, who begin their campaign at Bradford on Sunday, has made the traditional Coaches' Select XIII in the book - the Great Britain prop forward, Dale Laughton.

Not surprisingly, Grand Finalists Wigan and Leeds dominate the selection, with five and four players respectively.

Matt Crowther, the Sheffield winger who has not played since badly injuring his knee last May, will play in the reserve side against Bradford tonight. Kear will then decide whether to include him in the first team squad for Sunday.

Castleford are to star in a documentary film being made to mark the millennium. The film, Taming the Tiger, is to feature the club's long-serving prop forward, Dean Sampson, and is expected to be premiered on a giant screen at the Wheldon Road ground before a televised match.

Wakefield Trinity, Castleford's opponents in their opening match of the season on Sunday, have been boosted by the news that their captain and former Cas stand-off, Tony Kemp, will be fit to play.