Smith latest Kiwi to withdraw from tour

New Zealand have lost another player from their British tour with the withdrawal of Craig Smith. The Wigan prop has pulled out in order to have surgery on an ankle injury which has given him trouble for much of the English season.

"Craig spoke to me and told me he has been carrying an injury for a while," said the Kiwi coach, Gary Freeman, as the tour party settled into their Leeds headquarters yesterday. "He's shown a lot of character to get through the season, but he has got to have an operation straight away."

Despite already losing the original tour captain, Nathan Cayless, from his front row options and having his replacement Andrew Lomu back with his club in Sydney having tests on a shoulder, Freeman does not intend at this stage to call up a stand-in, such as Bradford's Jo Vagana, to join the party.

"We think we have got enough guys, although I'll be interested to see how Jo and Lesley Vainikolo go for Bradford in the Grand Final on Saturday," said Freeman.

He added that he had no intention of changing the Kiwis' expansive style after their invigorating but ultimately unsuccessful approach in their recent Test against Australia.

"The basic approach is that they are there to play footy," he said. "I want them to attack whenever they can. We want to entertain while we are over here."

The other missing Kiwi, the New Zealand Warriors' winger Francis Meli, is on his way to Britain after resolving a problem with his visa. Having missed the Test against Australia with an injury, he is likely to be in the side for the opening game of the tour at Hull on Tuesday.

Super League's leading tri-scorer this season, the London Broncos' Dennis Moran, will miss the start of next season after having surgery on his knee. "I should be fit by March," he said.

Barry Eaton, the scrum-half discarded by Widnes after their first season in Super League, has joined Batley on a full-time contract that will include development work in the area. His role will include taking over the schools development work carried out this season by Glen Tomlinson, who has retired. "We have been after Barry for quite some time," said Batley's chairman Kevin Nicholas.

David Howes, the former chief executive at St Helens, is to leave his job as managing director at Leeds, continuing the unsettling train of events at the end of the season, which has already seen several first-team players shown the door.