THE LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 166, 15 July 1924, Page 8

THE LEAGUE CODE.

-I I DEVONPORT ROUTED. s It is claimed that at least flve members f of the Devonport team. ti. I.alug, .»eart, 3 Seazar, J. I.aiug. and Godick, were suffer--3 in" from leg injuries when they took tnu (i"id against Marist Bros, on Saturday, - iLiiit eveu so, the team could not have been ! trounced more decisively, if the whole I thirteen had been cripples. The aeasiiiers I Jiad shown suoli good form in other games i that tbev wore leading in the competition . when they took the fleM against Maiists, r and even "now ttiese teams are now running • level iv the lend. In t!iu first spell Trtes l rattled on seven points in a fairly close . but by no means brilliant game, und for i i ten niinutee or so in the second halt the • respective packs settled down to vigorous 1 football, and there was plenty Jt excite- - meut. Devonport then save way, and not i only did the team weaken but It fell to • pieces, and the backs playing no better ; than juniors, Marists simply took charge i and almost scored when they choose. Tne t exhibition by the Devonport backs was one 1 o£ the worst seen this season, and they > will liave to show a wonderful improver ment if they arc to have a chance of - securing championship honours. Seeing ; they iiid all the vrork to Co the forwards • made a very creditable showing, but they have done better, and the only ones to «isplaj- their best form were Douglae. O'Brien and Scott. Jlarists, though winning by 3T . to O, did not play a brilliant, game, but it , was more inclined to ue solid. Gregory I gave a fine exhibition at fullback, and of ' the other backs, Brisbane, Sweeney and ■ Lang'were good. Gardiner kicked eight souls and also scored a try, and kept the boy on the score board busy altering the ; flguros. Neal and AY. Stormont were much J in Uie limelight in a solid pack. : PONSONBY V. ATHLETICS. The meeting between the above teams ! provided a fast open game, Fonsonbv eventually leaving the field the winners by I 15 points to 0. Athletics' rearguard lacked • the finisii of their opponents, and it was i their deficiency in this department that lost ■ them the game. Many promising passing > rushes broke down when within a few i yards of the blues' line owing to faulty . handling or a wild pass. The Athletic, for- • wards combined well together, and by faafc following up smothprod many dangerous i'onsonby movements. For Ponsonby. Mc- ■ Clyinont, behind the scrum, got the ball away to his hacks in good style, and in ■ defence, tackled well, while Gr.iy and Delgrosso did more than their share in both attack and defence. Dufty's strong kicking , was responsible for getting Athletics out ! of many tight corners, bat Yardley -was easily the outstanding back of the team, i being continually in the picture. Avery ■ nntl Te TVhntn were the pick of h good lot ■ of forwards. '. WHAT NEXT! The absence of the City senior team . from the competition on Saturday was not ■ altogether unexpected, as it was quite on • the cards that wearers of the black and i red jerseys would withdraw from the coini petition as a result of the dispute with , the Auckland League over the failure of the lattev body to recognise the clearance ! given to L. Brown as absolute, and register ; that player with the City Club. The facts . covering the history of the dispute , 1 appeared in the "Star" last evening, and . there is no necessity to ajrain go into them. , It lias been published that several of the I City team will apply for admission to the , ranks of Rugby, but this may be a little , premature, because the City players are . . staunch supporters of League, and are ! hardly likely to divorce their old love without exhausting every possible avenue to get righted what they contend is a wrong decision on the part of the League. I Although it is generally understood that - City lias •withdrawn from the competition. > no such notification has been received by s the A.R.L., and City is privileged to 'det fault twice in succession or three times t at intervals before the team can be dls- , qualified on that score. No doubt the . League would welcome some definite statei ment from City as to whether the latter - has actually withdrawn from the competi- ! tion, because the draw for the second - i round has to be made to-morrow evening. r j Ferheps there is still * way out of the

diificulty, and for the good of the It Is to be hoped that wise counsel -will prt- g vail and the trouble adjusted before it T reaches . the stage . -when. it. cannot be I remedied. . * SENIOR TEAMS' COMPLAINT. , A complaint which seems to be general with senior teame Iβ that there is too great a tendency on the part of the League to J grant transfers to first junior players of ( one club who may be offered a game with , one of the weaker senior teams. _ W lule ( one cannot perhaps blame any junior for ( taking the opportunity to set inclusion in ( a senior team,- the fact cannot be ovtr- t looked that by granting transfers freely, such plays havoc with the senior teams or j the clubs in many cases. F&r instance, _, City may be quoted as a case in point. , Here the team has experienced misfortune ( in losing more than one prominent player, , but the free granting of transfers to tile beet juniors in order that they may play for one of the weaker senior clubs has , resnlted in City finding it almost impos- s sible to replace men who through injuries or for some other cause are not now available. I only mention the City Club as a ease in point; other clnbs no doubt are in a similar position. The matter is one that might well be considered by the A.RX. J AUCKLAND V. HAMILTON. ! What sboul.l provide a real good mid- ' week game .md attract a substantial crowu ( to Cariasv Park to-morrow Is the contest ] ■between Aqckland and iHemilton. By no ( i stretch of lmagiuatiou is the combination , s*»lecte« to represent Aucklanxl the best that could be fielded. • and the team misflit ■ well be ftilled a "B" team. Even so. It la [ n fairly sood side, and should lie capable , of providing bright -football. The Hamilton ; team is said to be a strong one, and as the men from the Waikato are holiers of the Northern Union Cup they should be in a position to keep the locals busy. The game may bring to light players with claims to inclusion in the teams chosen to oppose the Englishmen in a couple of weeks. THE IMPASSE. To the Editor.—Sir.—The impasse which has iioen leached in Rugby L«ague circles . over the young player, Lou Brown, is to be very much regretted. The position was j fairly stated in the "Star" sports edition on .Saturday, and the publication of the clearI nnce given to Brown by the New Zealand Kugby League, stating definitely that he is clear of liability of whatever nature from his club, and entitling him to play in England or elsewhere, shoulld prove to the publflc that the lad is being specially victimised. The clearance Is a document which would win him the case in any British Court of law. and it ought to be sufficient to secure him justice at the hands of open-minded sportsmen. Brown does not desire to play for the Newton Club for several good personal reasons. Therefore, there is no sense of justice in endea- '. vouring to compel him to revert to Newton nnd penalising him for acting on his cloar- . nnce. Thi> point in a nutshell is. whether • the New Zealand llugbj- League is repudiating its on-n unconditional clearance iv favour of a minute by the Newton Club. ; that, should Brown return to Auckland, he must play for Newton. Which is the supreme body? At present the Newton Club dictates -the position. In a worthy spirit of loyalty to Brown the City Club. for whom he played, and who was penalised for playing him, has withdrawn from the competitions. Is it the beginning of the I end of League football in Auckland? CanI not better counsels prevail to end the injustice and save the League from disintegration?—l am, etc., F. J. DAWSOX. SELECTING A TEAM. To the Editor.—Sir.—The selectors of the Auckland representative team to play the Englishmen are up against a tough proposition. The "Sydney Referee." commenting on the visitors' play, tells us that their forwards are so sturdy that only weighty men .of powerful physique should be played : against them. It requires a hefty; hearty • and tireless pack to hold these Englishmen. iln the third match against New South Wales, the Britishers did what they liked • with the local forwards, who were brushed I aside as though wisps of straw. They . were too heavy, too powerful and too fast ! for the six stacked against them. They were ! ( better conditioned and better footballers in ■ every way. ' being much more alert indivi- • I dually, and better tacklers, their sheer ! superiority made the work of their backs ■ easy. In the "fare of these reports the 1 selectors have much food for thought. It is time our representative team was selected ' and undergoing special coaching in tactics, ■to enable them to cope with these topnotchere. Here is a team for the selectors" consideration:—Full-back. Gregory; ' three-quarters. Littlewood, Brisbane, Paul; ! five-eighths. Dnfty, Laing; half-back. Lang; ' forwards. O"Br:en (Devonport). Somers, ' Mason. T? Whata. Herring. Gardiner. —I am, etc., ONE OF THE CKOWD.