Why one coach has been left “heartbroken”
27th July 2018 , AJ Bell Stadium, Manchester, England; Betfred Super League rugby, Round 23, Salford Red Devils v Leeds Rhinos; Betfred rugby balls
Adrian Lam has told journalists that Australia head coach Mal Meninga is “heartbroken” that Australia and New Zealand will no longer be taking part in this year’s World Cup.
This comes after all 16 NRL clubs told World Cup organisers that they backed the stance of the Australia and New Zealand national side.
But, Lam – who is assistant coach to Meninga with the Kangaroos – knows Meninga is bitterly upset.
“I know Mal is very passionate about growing the international game,” Lam said.
“I’ve seen how hard he’s worked to try and develop the international game, it’s unbelievable.
“I know that he’ll be heartbroken and disappointed about that but it’s the bigger picture we need to take into consideration here.
“It’s just a difficult time with the pandemic, there’s so much grey area around it.
“There’s no ‘us and them’, it’s just the situation we find ourselves in. The NRL are currently in lockdown in Queensland because of Covid cases in New South Wales. There’s that much to take into consideration.”
World Cup organisers are still trying desperately to find a solution, with cancellation altogether rather than postponement the likeliest avenue if it doesn’t go ahead.