Rugby League: Kiwi faces 'trial by video'

NEW ZEALAND'S Stephen Kearney is to become the first player to face 'trial by video' over an incident in a Test when he appears before a three- man international disciplinary panel tomorrow, writes Dave Hadfield.

Great Britain have triggered the mechanism for citing a player after an international - a mechanism that was established only last summer. They allege that the Kiwi second- row was guilty of two high tackles, in the first Test at Wembley on Saturday, which went unpunished by the referee, Greg McCallum, and that one of them broke the cheekbone of his opposite number, Denis Betts.

After encouraging reports yesterday, Britain's coach, Malcolm Reilly, is hoping that Martin Dermott, who dislocated his elbow this week for the fourth time, will be fit for the rest of the series and will not need an operation.