Officials from National Rugby League clubs and rugby league HQ "are in talks to bring the competition to Hawaii," according to Jeremy Pierce of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. With a "190-strong contingent from the University of Hawaii’s" American football team arriving in Sydney on Sunday ahead of the opening game of the college football season on Saturday, America’s 50th state is reportedly "champing at the bit to bring the NRL across the Pacific." Former U.S. national coach Kelly McGill runs Grand Pacific Events "which this weekend hosted a rugby league festival in Hawaii." McGill said that Hawaii was "ready to rock" when it came to hosting the NRL and "nothing was out of reach, including premiership fixtures, a nines tournament or even the game’s ultimate showpiece -- State of Origin." The artificial playing surface of Hawaii’s main football venue, the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, "has just been ripped up and relaid with state-of-the-art Field Turf" after consultation with officials from the NRL and the Int'l Rugby Board, which felt it "more closely mirrored natural grass." McGill said that Hawaii "could host NRL teams, in an exhibition match at least, within the next year or two." He said, "We're really serious about this" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 8/21).
UNDER REVIEW: In Sydney, Adam Pengilly reported the NRL Integrity Unit's end-of-season review "will consider tightening the rules around a player's access to mobile phones" on gameday after a second player was shown to be "using a device in the dressing room while a match was in progress." Channel Nine aired vision of Wests Tigers back-rower Chris Lawrence on his mobile phone "shortly after he limped from the field with a knee injury" in the loss to Penrith on Friday night. Lawrence was understood to be "merely responding to a text message from his wife," Kathryn, who was not at the game, and was concerned the 192-game veteran "would need a lift home from Pepper Stadium, Penrith." But the NRL on Sunday "pledged to look at restricting the use of phones in the inner sanctum," particularly given NSW Police are continuing to probe three matches -- two from last year and one from this season -- over match-fixing allegations (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/21).
