CHASE WAS ON NZ RADAR - KEARNEY

[josie andrews]

Rangi Chase was considered for selection by New Zealand prior to his controversial decision to play for England, according to the Kiwi's coach Stephen Kearney.

Castleford stand-off Chase, crowned three weeks ago as the Super League's Man of Steel, was born and raised in Dannevirke on New Zealand's North Island and played for the New Zealand Maoris against England last season.

But, having signed a new long-term contract with Castleford, the 25-year-old decided his best chance of winning international honours lay with England and, available for selection on residency grounds, he made his debut against France on Friday, winning the man-of-the-match award in the process.

He is now preparing to face Australia, Wales and the country of his birth in the forthcoming Gillette Four Nations, and New Zealand boss Kearney admits Chase had been one of the players on his radar for selection.

"He was in a group of 56 players that we identified," he told Press Association Sport.

"We had that number to pick a squad from a couple of months ago and he was definitely on that list.

"I was well aware of how well he was playing over here and it was going to be a tough decision, because we had Benji Marshall, Kieran Foran, Isaac Luke, Thomas Leuluai and Shaun Johnson before he got injured."

But even though Chase has now turned his back on playing for New Zealand, Kearney says the former Wests Tigers half-back was likely to miss his cut anyway.

"We have a lot of good halves and a lot of them I have worked with and had success with," he added.

"It was unfortunate, because of those players, that Rangi missed out. But he has chosen to play for England and I wish him all the best."

Chase's decision to throw his lot in with Steve McNamara's England squad has polarised opinion across the sport, with several high-profile ex-internationals highly critical of the move.

Kearney, though, who won 45 caps for New Zealand - the country of his birth - is not a believer in having to play for the nation from which you hail, especially as his World Cup-winning captain of 2008, Nathan Cayless, was born in Sydney.

"Rangi feels this is his best pathway to play international footy," Kearney, whose side face England in Hull on November 12, said. "That's his decision.

"We have guys in our team born in Australia but have an affiliation (with New Zealand).

"Our World Cup-winning captain was born in Australia but he thought he was a New Zealander because that's where his mum's roots were. It's up to the individual."

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