Australia are seeking an urgent meeting with Steve Ganson, the English referee, before Saturday’s crucial Gillette Four Nations match against England, to clarify different rule interpretations at the play-the-ball between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Their concern is not with Ganson’s appointment — Australia refused to accept a neutral official from New Zealand or France because they considered them to be amateurs — but the degree of tolerance displayed in Europe to defending teams in slowing opponents down around the rucks.

Australia and New Zealand were caught out during their 20-20 draw last Saturday, when Ganson awarded 21 penalties as both teams struggled to come to terms with his policing of the play-the-ball and the ten-metre gap.

“I want some clarification on some of the interpretations,” Tim Sheens, the Australia coach, said. “We had some interpretations, in writing, before the first game that had nothing to do with what was allowed and not allowed at the ruck.

“It would appear, talking with a few people here, there’s a lot more allowed in the ruck here than there is in Australia. So when we’ve got an English referee, obviously that’s going to be the interpretation. It’s not a war council but we’ve had a good look at the video and I want some clarifications [to] get a bit of an idea what to expect in game two.”

A dazzling Australia back line rarely got out of first gear in an intense forward battle with the Kiwis and Sheen is concerned that the same will occur in Wigan against a big England pack using delaying tactics, because of the greater leniency here towards defending players interfering and markers not always standing square at the play-the-ball.

The dilemma is the opposite of the problem from last year’s World Cup, when wrestling techniques allowed in the southern hemisphere created a slower play-the-ball than England were used to. Whereas the NRL has successfully introduced a system using two referees that has eliminated the blight of wrestling tactics, speeding up play, the engage Super League has become bogged down by spoiling and grappling techniques.

The international game still features one referee, partly because the RFL cannot afford a two-referee system. Significantly, after his team had lost to Leeds Rhinos in the Grand Final this month, Mick Potter, the St Helens coach, said: “I think two sets of eyes close by the ruck is a good thing. It’s speeded the game up in Australia and you’re seeing more entertaining games. If you want more tries, you probably need to look at it. If you want a dour, hard type of game you can keep [the wrestling tactics] in.”

Sheens’s predecessor, Ricky Stuart, was livid with Ganson after he awarded a crucial penalty try against Australia as video referee in the World Cup final defeat by New Zealand last November. But if Australia require any reminding of Ganson’s impartiality, they need only recall his famous dismissal of Adrian Morley, the Great Britain prop, 12 seconds into the first match of the 2003 Ashes series in Wigan for a high tackle on Robbie Kearns.

According to reports in Australia, Lote Tuqiri, the dual-code international, has agreed a deal to return to league with Wests Tigers, Sheens’s club, in 2010. However, news of his apparent signing cannot be formally announced until he completes a lucrative short-term deal in rugby union with London Irish or Leicester, who would have call on his services until March. Tuqiri would be the fourth leading Australian player to convert back to league, following Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Timana Tahu.

Craig Fitzgibbon, 32, the former Australia forward and goalkicker, has received visa clearance to take up a one-year deal next year with Hull, with the option of a further season. The prolific Fitzgibbon scored 1,604 points in 263 NRL games.

Darren Lockyer landmarks

• Darren Lockyer, the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland stand-off, became Australia’s most capped player when he made his 47th appearance in Saturday’s draw with New Zealand.

• The 32-year-old will equal the record of Clive Churchill on Saturday against England in captaining Australia for a 27th time.

• He first led Australia when they lost 30-16 to New Zealand in Auckland in 2003, having made his international debut in 1998.

• He needs one try to equal Ken Irvine’s record of 33 for Australia from 1959 to 1967.