ONE of rugby league’s closest friendships is about to face the ultimate test.
England boss Steve McNamara and Papua New Guinea counterpart Stanley Gene have been good mates since their days together at the Giants.
Both men moved to Huddersfield in 2001 – the year they were relegated from Super League – but stayed loyal to the cause and were at the heart of the Giants’ promotion-winning campaign of 2002.
They remained teammates before McNamara retired at the end of the 2003 campaign, and their three good years of sharing a car on a daily basis from their homes on Humberside to Huddersfield came to an end.
The pair were reunited at Bradford Bulls in 2006 when Gene moved from the Galpharm and played under assistant coach McNamara.
But even though they went their separate ways at the end of that campaign, the friendship remained as strong as ever.
And that’s the case today, even though the pair are this week determined to plot each other’s downfall in tomorrow’s Four Nations clash between the two countries in Auckland.
With a wooden spoon so desperate to be avoided, the friendship between McNamara and Gene is the last thing on their minds.
But the England chief knows their relationship will survive what promises to be 80 minutes of full-blooded international rugby league, even if it does end up in controversy.
"Stanley has been a very good friend of mine for many years now, and that won’t change after tomorrow, whatever happens," said McNamara.
"We both thoroughly enjoyed our time at Huddersfield and often speak fondly about it together.
"But that obviously counts for absolutely nothing this weekend.
"I’m as keen to beat Stanley and his team as much as he’s as keen to beat us, and we certainly wouldn’t expect it to be any other way.
"After losing to New Zealand and Australia we’re both determined not to lose all three games in this tournament, so winning this weekend means everything.
"The friendship will have to go on hold for a couple of hours."
And McNamara knows how vital that will be given the last meeting between the two teams.
England were staring a shock defeat in the face when they trailed at half-time to the Kumuls in the opening match of the 2008 World Cup in Townsville before rallying to gain an unconvincing 32-22 victory, their only success of the tournament.
"We could have lost and it’s in the memory of a couple of players who played in that game," added McNamara.
"They’ve spoken to the rest of the players about that game and we’ll talk a bit more about it before we play this game. It’s a different group this time around but we’re certainly aware of the threats that Papua New Guinea can bring."
McNamara has made seven changes to the side that lost 34-14 to Australia in Melbourne last Sunday and will give first run-outs of the series to Harlequins centre Tony Clubb and Warrington prop Garreth Carvell.
Clubb, whose only previous international experience was against Wales in a World Cup warm-up match two years ago, takes over from Ryan Atkins while Carvell, a late call-up for the injured Adrian Morley, takes the bench spot of Eorl Crabtree.
They are the only members of England’s 24-man squad yet to make an appearance on the tour but McNamara insists there was no sentiment involved in his selection.
"Tony has been a fantastic tourist," he said. "I couldn’t have asked for more from him both on and off the field. He is enthusiastic in everything he does."
