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Hill may
be first
to appeal
the draft
SYDNEY: Rookie centre Ter
ry Hill would definitely become
the first player to appeal against
rugby league's controversial draft
if Eastern Suburbs try to take him
away from Western Suburbs at
today's third selection hearing,
his manager said last night.
Tony Kelso, who handles the 21
year-old centre's business affairs, said
Hill would refuse to even attend a
Roosters training session if he was
nominated as one of their draft choices
today.
In other draft affairs:
. It was confirmed Gold Coast fire
brand Ron Gibbs was still up for
grabs.
. Former St George international
Graeme Wynn added his name to the
draft list.
. Steve Morris, another former inter
national, withdrew his name realis
ing his Winfield Cup career was
probably over.
Hill has been training with Wests
during the summer but Easts - who
have priority in the draft - have ex
pressed interest in him.
"I don't think there is any doubt he
will appeal if Easts try to pick him up,"
Kelso said last night. "Terry is not go
ing to Eastern Suburbs. I can't see why
they would pick a player who does not
want to play for their club."
The Roosters board had still not de
cided whether to nominate the highly
rated former South Sydney lower grad
er as its first draft choice late last night.
Club manager Jack Gibson told a
Sydney radio station on Sunday Hill
had not given himself the opportunity
to even attend a training session with
the Roosters and therefore could not
make a fair decision as to whether he
preferred the club to Wests.
Roosters coach Mark Murray said he
"sees no problem" with Hill joining
Easts, "even if he has been training at
another club".
I Kelso said yesterday, "We spoke to
Jack Gibson about a month ago and
Terry made it very clear, his father
made it very clear, that he wanted to
play for Western Suburbs; not Eastern
Suburbs. Terry will not tram with them,
. he doesn't want to go near the place."
Wests chief executive Gordon Allen
would not commit himself to support-,
ing any appeal from Hill. Appeals are
allowed under the new draft rules for
reasons including hardship.
Today's third internal draft will see
62 players up for grabs and, despite
most clubs having spent up to their
salary cap restrictions, only Parramatta
and North Sydney will be absent.
Gibbs was confirmed yesterday as
being up for grabs in the draft, despite
reports a week ago he had returned to
his junior club - Newcastle Western
Suburbs.
Newcastle Wests secretary Alan Hex
tall said his club had not snared Gibbs
and probably wouldn't, while Allen
.confirmed the Magpies remained inter
ested.
. Wynn visited the New South Wales
Rugby League yesterday and asked
draft coordinator Paul Broughton to
add him to the draft list. Wynn, un
wanted by his club of 12 years, St
George, is exempt from the draft be
cause of a long-service clause.
"He said 'well no one knows that', so
we agreed to ptace his name at the
bottom of the draft form, telling clubs
he was available and how to contact
him," Broughton said.
Wynn, 30, indicated he would con
sider playing for match payments only
and said he had held some negotiations
with Illawarra but had come to no
agreement.
Illawarra chief executive Bob Mill
ward said his club was interested in
signing "one or two players" to incen
tive-only deals.
Morris acknowledged yesterday his
Winfield Cup career was probably over,
saying he had withdrawn his name
from the draft list because it was obvi
ous no club was interested in him.
Broughton named nine players who
had taken their names off the list since
the last draft.
Kiwi fullback Marty Crequer has
signed with Canterbury, Logan City
youngster Jason Wallis is moving from
Wests to Canterbury and former first
graders Henry Raymond and Steve
Hanson are playing for Newtown in the
Metropolitan Cup.
Cronulla has signed lanky Illawarra
goal-kicking centre or full-back Greg
Carberry, Manly hooker Mai Cochrane
? signed with Young, Easts fullback
Wayne Portlock has also departed for
the country and Balmain signed young
back Terry Smith.
Players are allowed to reach agree
ment with clubs if unsigned after being
on the draft list as long as they do not
change their negotiating price.
The draft hearing begins at NSWRL
headquarters in Sydney at 10am.
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