FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 67, 19 March 1910, Page 16

FOOTBALL.

"This position has given mc more nnalloycd pleasure and less dissatisfaction ■than any other I have ever held," remarked Dr. Newman, in acknowledging j his election for the twenty-eighth time las president of the Poneke Football Club (Wellington). That wonder of the football field, G. W. Smith, the veteran "All Black," is still a shining light in the forefront of the i Oldhajn team in Northern Union foot- j ! ball. "Smithie" showed in the last match I against Leigh, that the passing years ' have not yet dimmed his brilliance. He I played a great game in .the Oldharh three- ! quarter line, and scored three fries in j his old dashing style. His second try J was the beat in the match. Wten the 'ball came out to him, Smith was close Ito the touch line, and with two men {to fitce it seemed impossible for him to get through, but with a little short I punt he lobbed the 'ball over their heads, and, dashing on, gathered it again for a really fine try- There is a possibility of j Smith returning to Auckland shoj-tiy. Australians are very jubilant at the I prospects of the forthcoming football seaI son. Says au exchange: If the negotiaj tions of the respective governing bodies of the Rugby game in this State do not break down at the eleventh hour—-and that is not at all likely—the most glorious football season in the history of the j State is now almost' upon us. The New South Wales Union, aa the result of the recent conference, has been able to refer to the various branches a programme that should tie all-satisfying, seeing that it' in- | eludes a visit from the recently-converted J Americans, the ever-welcome New Zealanders, and a representative Maori combination. At present the negotiations are at 'that stage at which it would be unwise on the part of the authorities to say too much, but it may be taken for granted that all three combinations will be on hand at the psychological moment This state of affaire is due in a large measure to the really sportsmanlike spirit of the New Zealand delegates at the recent conference. Messrs. Dixon, Fache, f.nd Mason are said to have conducted their business with the Queensland and New Wales unions in such a give-and-take manner as to leave no room for doubt that they were present in the best interests of the game. The New Zealand representative team will be one of the strongest ever sent to these shores by the Dominion, and if all that' is said of the young players who are to be given their chance here this season is true, entertaining expositions of the game should follow. It i 3 long since common knowledge that the League is bringing a powerful Northern Union team over at a very considerable outlay. The members of the combination are declared to be the fastest and the trickiest' men playing under Northern Union rules. The colonial players in the few Northern Union matches played in England recently occupied a prominent place in the scoring records. Wrigloy scored three tries, and placed five goals for Hudderdfield. Rosenfeld, M'Cabe, Anlezark, and Todd also scored for their respective teams, whilst Charles Seeling, the New Zealand forward, played his first Northern Union game, and scored a try, in a Lancashire Combination match at Wigan. A record list of notable registrations, all, of course, made with the avowed intention of clubs qualifying the players for the Cup-ties, was recently made by the Northern Union clirbs in England. St. Helens have registered another colonial in Frank Talbot, a powerful scrummager from Christenurch, New Zealand. Talbot came to England with Gray, but, unlike the half-back, his intention was to join a Rugby Union club. When, however, Seeling signed for Wigan, Talbot determined to throw dn 'his lot with the Northern Union. I could tell a story (says an English writer) regarding the "hunt" which has taken place in Gloucestershire, where the colonial, staying with relatives, has been laid up with influenza. However, St. Helens had Gray on their side, and Tal'bot duly signed for the West Lancashire club.

An instance of a Rugby referee consulting a touch judge on a. matter outside the duty of touch judges occurred in tho Swansea-Newport match at Swansea. From an attempt by J. Bancroft to kick a penalty goal the ball was fielded by F. \V. Birt, who, behind his own goalline, was prevented from bringing the ball out, and forced to touch down. The referee, presumably, thought that Birt was in the field of play when he took the ball, and a consultation with one of the touch

judge 3 confirmed thi3 opinion. He thereupon ordered a scrummage five yards out, a ruling that' surprised the defending side and occasioned comment among the spectators. The duties of touch judges are clearly specified in the laws of the Rugby Football Union, 'but the Welsh laws go further, providing for neutral touch judges. In matches where these are appointed the referee has power to consult \ a touch judge upon any point. It is worthy of remark that only the matches which Newport and Swansea? engage Cardiff have neutral judges actually /been appointed.—"The Field."