-------------------------------------------------------------------- Read my letter to the editor on this article here. Also see
my comment on the subject Peter
Peters Gets It Wrong ... Again!.
BIG-STEVE 'Bring
Out Your Dead,'
Says The Manly Mouth By ADAM LUCIUS
and JASON
AVEDISSIAN NORTH SHORE
TIMES - 7/1/2004
Manly rugby league football manager
Peter Peters has renewed the bitter rivalry between the Sea Eagles and
North Sydney, labelling the Bears "a corpse" as they attempt to qualify
for the World Sevens tournament in Sydney this month.
If the Bears win one of two spots at
the January 21 qualifying series in St Marys they could be matched-up
in the Sea Eagles' group for the main draw at the Sydney Football
Stadium on the weekend of January 24-25.
Manly have been pooled with Newcastle
and the New Zealand Warriors with one wildcard team to be added
following the qualifiers in Sydney's West.
Twelve clubs, including Norths,
Balmain, Italy and the Cook Islands, will fight it out for two spots in
the World Sevens.
Peters welcomed the opportunity to
kick-start the cross-Spit feud even though he doubts the Bears will
reach the big day.
"Seven players is still too many for
them to get it right," he said.
"If they do make it we'll probably throw our Flegg (underr 17s) team in
against them."
"We don't really see Norths as rivals."
"It's pretty hard to have a rivalry
with a corpse."
Peters also ridiculed suggestions
Norths would drag former international Greg Florimo out of retirement
for the Sevens qualifiers, declaring: "IF Flo plays we'll have to see
what (former star five-eighth) Ian Martin is up to".
"(Australian
vice-captain of the 1950s) Rex (Mossop) might also be available."
Florimo, a legendary figure with the Bears, was not baited to enter a
verbal war with Peters.
"I don't think it deserves the dignity of a response." the Bears'
assistant coach said. ------------------------------------------------------------------