The 1990 Kangaroo Tour was the seventeenth Kangaroo Tour, where the Australian national rugby league team (known as the XXXX Kangaroos due to sponsorship reasons) travelled to Europe and played eighteen matches against British and French club and representative rugby league teams, in addition to three Test matches against Great Britain and two Tests against the French. It followed the tour of 1986 and the next was staged in 1994.
This series was the closest the British team came to reclaiming The Ashes since last winning in Australia in 1970. Great Britain won the first Test at Wembley Stadium and in the second Test at Old Trafford in Manchester the match was tied at 10-all until the final minutes when Australia scored a late try to win the game. Australia then went on to easily win the third and deciding Test and retain The Ashes. Australia won both Test series against Great Britain and France, suffering one loss (against Great Britain in the first Test), and remaining undefeated in tour matches against British clubs in a streak stretching back to midway through the 1978 tour.
The 17th Kangaroo tour was televised back to Australia on the Ten Network with commentary provided by Graeme Hughes, David Morrow and sideline reporter Tony Durkin. Also joining the commentary team at various stages, including the Ashes Tests, were then Manly-Warringah coach and former New Zealand national rugby league team and Wigan coach Graham Lowe, and the captain of 1986 Kangaroos, Wally Lewis. The Channel 10 coverage was sponsored by Just Jeans. The ABC televised the tests against France with former Wests Magpies winger and captain Warren Boland providing commentary. Various off-duty players including Mal Meninga, Benny Elias, Mark Geyer, Gary Belcher, Andrew Ettingshausen would also join the Ch.10 team in England as guest commentators or sideline reporters (with unrestricted access to coach Bob Fulton's tactics), while Allan Langer co-called the 2nd French test, the last game on the tour, with Boland on the ABC.
The squad's leadership The team was coached by Bob Fulton making his third Kangaroo Tour, though his first as coach (Fulton had captained the Kangaroos on his previous tour as a player in 1978). Mal Meninga was making a record third consecutive tour and his first as captain, while NSW captain Benny Elias (making his second tour) was named as the tours vice-captain. As per custom, the Australian Rugby League appointed two tour managers, one each from the Queensland and New South Wales rugby leagues. Former Kangaroo captain Keith Barnes was team manager from NSW, while Les Stokes was the manager from Qld.
Other staff included trainers Shaun McRae (who also acted as Fulton's assistant coach), Brian "The Sheriff" Hollis as a trainer/runner (Hollis had long been with Fulton during his time as Manly-Warringah coach during the 1980s), and World Champion boxing trainer Johnny Lewis (best known as Jeff Fenech's trainer) as team conditioner. Manly-Warringah club doctor Nathan Gibbs, a former South Sydney and Parramatta forward who had retired from playing in 1984 to concentrate on his medical studies, was team doctor. Gibbs made the controversial decision during the selection medicals to rule Kangaroo stalwart and likely captain Wally Lewis unfit for the tour and thus unable to make a third consecutive tour alongside Meninga.
Touring squad Player Club Position(s) Tests (as sub) Games (as sub) Tries Goals F/Goals Points Greg Alexander Penrith Panthers 4 (3) 17 (7) 14 50/89 – 156 Gary Belcher Canberra Raiders 5 11 6 1/2 1 27 Martin Bella Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 1 11 (3) – – – 0 Mark Carroll South Sydney Rabbitohs 0 6 (1) 2 – – 8 John Cartwright Penrith Panthers 1 9 (2) 1 – – 4 Laurie Daley Canberra Raiders 3 6 – 0/2 – 0 Ben Elias (vc) Balmain Tigers 4 10 (1) 2 – – 8 Andrew Ettingshausen Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 5 12 15 – – 60 Brad Fittler Penrith Panthers 0 8 8 – – 32 Mark Geyer Penrith Panthers 1 (1) 11 (2) 4 – – 16 David Gillespie Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 3 (2) 10 (4) 1 – – 4 Michael Hancock Brisbane Broncos 1 6 (1) 4 – – 16 Des Hasler Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 4 (4) 13 (6) 3 – – 12 Chris Johns Brisbane Broncos 1 (1) 11 (4) 4 – – 16 Allan Langer Brisbane Broncos 1 11 4 – – 16 Glenn Lazarus Canberra Raiders 5 (1) 13 (5) 2 – – 8 Bob Lindner Western Suburbs Magpies 4 10 (1) 2 – – 8 Cliff Lyons Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 4 8 3 – – 12 Brad Mackay St George Dragons 4 12 (3) 4 – – 16 Mal Meninga (c) Canberra Raiders 5 11 8 16/38 – 64 Mark McGaw Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 1 6 (1) 1 – – 4 Steve Roach Balmain Tigers 5 10 2 – – 8 Mark Sargent Newcastle Knights 3 (3) 11 (3) 6 – – 24 Dale Shearer Brisbane Broncos 5 (1) 13 (1) 9 1/1 – 38 Paul Sironen Balmain Tigers 5 10 3 – – 12 Ricky Stuart Canberra Raiders 5 9 1 – 1 5 Kerrod Walters Brisbane Broncos 1 8 2 – – 8 Kevin Walters Brisbane Broncos 0 8 5 – – 20
By club The touring side was represented by 19 New South Welshmen (N) and 9 Queenslanders (Q).
Brisbane Broncos (6): Michael Hancock (Q), Chris Johns (N), Allan Langer (Q), Dale Shearer (Q), Kerrod Walters (Q), Kevin Walters (Q) Canberra Raiders (5): Mal Meninga (captain) (Q), Gary Belcher (Q), Laurie Daley (N), Glenn Lazarus (N), Ricky Stuart (N) Penrith Panthers (4): Greg Alexander (N), John Cartwright (N), Brad Fittler (N), Mark Geyer (N), Balmain Tigers (3): Ben Elias (vice-captain) (N), Steve Roach (N), Paul Sironen (N) Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (3): Martin Bella (Q), Des Hasler (N), Cliff Lyons (N) Cronulla Sutherland Sharks (2): Andrew Ettingshausen (N), Mark McGaw (N) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (1): David Gillespie (N) Newcastle Knights (1): Mark Sargent (N) South Sydney Rabbitohs (1): Mark Carroll (N) St George Dragons (1): Brad Mackay (N) Western Suburbs Magpies (1): Bob Lindner (Q)
Mal Meninga was making his third Kangaroo Tour having also toured in 1982 and 1986. Greg Alexander, Gary Belcher, Martin Bella, Ben Elias, Des Hasler, Bob Lindner, Steve Roach, Dale Shearer and Paul Sironen were all 1986 tourists. For the rest of the squad it was their first ever Kangaroo Tour.
The Kangaroos went away with four club halfbacks in the squad. Test incumbent Allan Langer; Canberra's former Wallaby and dual premiership winning half Ricky Stuart; and former test halfbacks Des Hasler and Greg Alexander – though Hasler's ability to play almost anywhere in the backline as well as the back row, saw him as the team's utility player while Alexander would play the tour as backup fullback to Gary Belcher, along with two games on the wing : one against Widnes, the final tour game on the English leg; the other the second Test against France, the final game of the tour (he had also played most of the game against Castleford on the wing after replacing the injured Mark McGaw). Like Terry Lamb in 1986, Alexander was selected for every game on the tour, though unlike Lamb he did not appear in each game after not getting off the bench in the second Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Alexander was the only one of the quartet not to start a game at halfback while on tour, though he did spend some time in his preferred position at various times including the first Test against France when he was forced on after just 15 minutes to replace an ill Ricky Stuart.
1990 was the first Kangaroo Tour to Great Britain and France where the entire playing party came from the NSWRL Premiership and since the 1988 introduction of the Gold Coast Chargers, Brisbane Broncos and Newcastle Knights expanding the competition to 16 clubs with 5 Queensland players coming from Brisbane Broncos, 2 from Canberra Raiders, 1 from Manly Sea Eagles and 1 from Western Suburbs Magpies.
While Meninga was making his third tour, making their second Kangaroo Tours were: Benny Elias, Greg Alexander, Gary Belcher, Martin Bella, Des Hasler, Bob Lindner, Steve Roach, Dale Shearer and Paul Sironen. Each player making their second (or third) tour played at least one Test match on the tour.
Great Britain The Ashes series against Great Britain saw a record aggregate crowd of 133,684 attending the Test series, easily beating the previous record of 114,883 set during the 1948–49 Kangaroo tour and was some 66,130 more than had attended the 1988 Ashes series in Australia. As with the 1982 and 1986 tours, the game against Wigan at Central Park drew the biggest club game attendance of the Kangaroo Tour with a crowd of 24,814.
The tour took place during the 1990–91 Rugby Football League season.1948/49 Ashes series at Rugby League Project Bradford Northern, a regular stop for the tourists, were allegedly left off the tour itinerary after being fined by the RFL for fielding what was virtually a reserve grade side against the touring New Zealand team in 1989.
Of the 13 games the Kangaroos played in England, four of the teams (Wigan, Warrington, Castleford and Hull) were coached by Australian's while one other (St Helens) was coached by a New Zealander.
Test Venues The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.
1990 was the first tour since 1911–12 not to play at test at one of the larger club grounds such as Central Park, Headingley or Odsal Stadium.
London Manchester Leeds Wembley Stadium Old Trafford Elland Road Capacity: 82,000 Capacity: 48,000 Capacity: 32,500
FB 1Gary ConnollyRW 2Alan HunteCE 3Tea RopatiCE 4Phil VeiversLW 5Les QuirkSO 6Jonathan GriffithsSH 7Shane Cooper (c)PR 8Jon NeillHK 9Paul GrovesPR 10Kevin WardSR 11Paul ForberSR 12Bernard DwyerLF 13John HarrisonSubstitutions:IC 14Mark BaileyIC 15George MannIC 16Ian ConnorIC 17Roy HaggertyCoach: Mike McLennan FB 1 Gary BelcherRW 2 Andrew EttingshausenCE 3 Mal Meninga (c)CE 4 Mark McGawLW 5 Michael HancockFE 6 Laurie DaleyHB 7 Allan LangerPR 8 Steve RoachHK 9 Kerrod WaltersPR 10 Martin BellaSR 11 John CartwrightSR 12 Paul SironenLK 13 Bob LindnerSubstitutions:IC 14 Chris JohnsIC 15 Glenn LazarusIC 16 Brad MackayIC 17 Greg AlexanderCoach: Bob Fulton
Kangaroos skipper Mal Meninga, a crowd favourite at St Helens after playing with the club in 1984–85 and helping them to win the Premiership and Lancashire Cup, returned to Knowsley Road and scored two tries, including the opening try of the tour. Andrew Ettingshausen came into the side on the wing in place of Dale Shearer who was ruled out with a stomach muscle strain, and crossed for a hat-trick of tries.St Helens vs Australia highlights
FB 1Chris PerryRW 2David JonesCE 3Ged ByrneCE 4Phil EdenLW 5Andy MasonSO 6Tracy LazenbySH 7Mark ConwayPR 8Adrian ShelfordHK 9John ThompsonPR 10Nigel BellSR 11Andy Kelly (c)SR 12Nick Du ToitLF 13Gary PriceSubstitutions:IC 14Richard SlaterIC 15Billy ConwayIC 16Andy WilsonIC 17Lynton MorrisCoach: David Topliss FB 1 Greg AlexanderRW 2 Chris JohnsCE 3 Brad FittlerCE 4 Kevin WaltersLW 5 Dale ShearerFE 6 Cliff LyonsHB 7 Ricky StuartPR 8 Glenn LazarusHK 9 Ben Elias (c)PR 10 Mark SargentSR 11 David GillespieSR 12 Mark CarrollLK 13 Brad MackaySubstitutions:IC 14 Mark GeyerIC 15 Mark McGawIC 16 Des HaslerIC 17 Bob LindnerCoach: Bob Fulton