THE LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 202, 26 August 1924, Page 9

THE LEAGUE CODE.

BRIGHT FOOTBALL. The present season hns produced some j fir.c contests in club football, but The gnrne at ("arlaw Park on Saturday h»tweeD Marist j Brothers and Ponsonby would be hard to . beat ,-invwhere. I- was not so much the j evenness of the contest that appealed, hue j the football was quite up to the best standard and there was an absence of that tendency to indulge ln hard kicking, which has spoiled so many games. Saturdays came was important in that the result won .1 very likely decide the championship honours for" the season, bat this is n i certain'? ecu now as there is so little berw-en the • •tilil.-e of Devonport, llarist Brothers. Arh- . leti.-s and Ponsonby that it is yet easy for any of the reams mentioned to be beaten : more than once. That there is no occasion to indul-e in rough ar.d unsportsmanlike < racrlcs was forcibly shown when both j Marists and Ponsonby played a strenuous ; -am.- -.virh the pace right on. aad yet there , wns nothi-g o> which exception could be taken It is such football which will go a Ho" wav ro further advance the code. In th. Vflr stages, in f-.-r. throughout j ,h» tirsr st.-!',- !h- Tykes .11.1 practically ~v r! I :.-, : -ig and though the I'onsonby defence v.as s. !: !. :r had to give way, and Marists rattl-d .-:i 1:: polo's. Even the I supporters .f th- bin-a were prepared to .--cr.it a heevT c.'-r. bur in 5,..- on .i . half' when the r-f.-re.\ Mr. Bull, ..r.i.-re.l . the hook.rs ..n '• h sM-~ :.> he changed. ' quite a .-bar:.-- -::::- ov-r th- gam-, and so . fur from !ir:.-..- mi easy win Tykes were., busy trvin.- ;■) stave ~Z a threatened loss, i (Opening v.-.:;. a coal by !'■ l-wosso. the | , Ponies set:!..; - : .--.'-s .-.] •! rti'-T fairly stormed i : th- fykes' .;::-. Two tri.'-s aud another < i goal s.u -he wore r. .k'- lo point a. and:, the then r.-i-ii!i:: : n: quarier of an hour saw I ] 'some dashing piay. Pons ,nby attacked I . a.ni..sc c,ntinu..i:siv. bur sirive a3 they;, j wr-nlri they c ,i.|,l n -r urlil to the..- total.;; land it seemed ruat th - fires were unkind , SUilscE t-r." ii. '." I -";:' a-a a.1% al Hash had ajd-.i another cry. which placed , I the issue b.-yog-i doubt. There was not:. la great deal.- .-b..os.- between the teams.; ! and though Mj.-*,:s won by 1>: to 10, they |, 1 had to work h::rl for the victory. Both packs were grafters ail the time. ' the best forwards ..r. -he 3.-1.1 being I'eck- j I ham anil 11-.N'eil, -f Potisonliy. T'u-y were I always on the l—ll. and -i> Hr-gory. ( | Marists full-bark, a busy time. fniler the j circumstances i,regurj pluyi-d :i Hue game, i.rav. the --goalie" fur Ponsonby. did not j indulge in a great cl-.il of s ..-.- r. but he - ■ wns beaten badiy a couple of times. The | i Storroonrs. Gardiner and Johnson were ever , !in the thick of it. but O'Brien spoiled a j :z-.c,,i display by getting offside too often, j Of the backs ..n the Pon-.or.hy si.ie Del-grosso | r has phiye.l better, but Walsh. Norman and Donovan sot through plenty of work bom lin arrack" and defence. There did not appear to be any weak links in the rear I division of Tykes, and one aud ail showed upw * ll - ' : I A DRAWN GAME. : With several of the best of tbe City l . 1 thirteen on the retired list owing to ' injuries it was not a very strong team that , ; I opposed Elh-rs!:- on Saturday, but .-veil so I .it was confidently espected they would win. : ! However there was a surprise ia store, as i tbe game resulted in a draw. 10 ail. a fair '■ ch-oision taking n line through the run of i : ihe play. Though not a brilliant s.-t the - I Eilerslie men have consistently played useful football, aud Saturday is not the only , occasion when they had tne opposition tried i right out. The experience of ihe pres--nt , season should stand them in good stead, and with a little strengthening they should ■ City HDpears to ha°e gone to pieces, and ; 1 the" one-time champions are not feared now hy the strongest of tennis. < — NEWTON V. RICHMOND. | Ptoved on No. 2 at L'arLaw Park, the ! game' uetween Newton and p.i.-hmon.l was 1 closely contested, Newton winning by 11 • j points to o. At half-time the score was I v.**. in Newton's favour. The second half I was interesting and strenuous, both sides Indulging in bright passing? Richmond were a triiie unlucky in the concluding stages, and lost at least two tries hy iaI ft—.gement>> when they were near Newton's I line. ' SHORE'S EASY WIN. I At Victoria Park. North Shore had an easy victory over Mangere. the tinal score j being Shore 32. Mangere 13. In the first I hall, the team from across the harbour was I streets ahead or its opponents, aad suci ceeded in rattling np -7 points before the whistle for the change-over sounded. On ' resuming. llangere showed greatly im- ' proved form. and. their hacks throwing the j ball about freely, opened their s.-oring acj cunt when Paul scored a try which he himself converted. Shore then rallied and I notched another converted try. but after I this the cotrr.try team had the better of I the argument nnd scored two tries, one of I which was converted. In the *ntter stages, j the play became willing, certain members jof the Shore fifteen being the chief offender*. For rhe winners. " Taylor gave anI other sr.e display, while Harper gave Man- | gere a deal of trouble with his strong rushes. Lalng showed to advantage in Mc i first spell but fad»'l our of the picture r.s | the game progressed. O'Brien and St. George were always to the fore in tne ! forward movements, llangere has a good ■ wing in Paul, while L. Wilson proved himself fast on attack and sure in defence. Of the forwards. Enkntai. .1. Pai. Lipscombe and -lasell ail worked hard. CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE. i made some alteration in (he positions of j the teams in the senior gra.de competition. The following table show 3 how the clubs

l Points scored for and ajrainst the various • I clubs are as follows: —Devonport. for 16:*. - i ajrainst 11",: Marist, l"-.". and 60: Pon- : j sor.bv. 14> and -SO: Athleri-. 11.'! and 132; ; I City." IKS and fit: Richmond. 70 and loo: t Manure. 124 and 194; Newton, !>4 and 199; , | Eilerslie. 76 and 17S.

T.-.1 m Devonport . Marist Ponsonby . . Athietic .... Pity Richmond .. Mansere . . . Newton Eilerslie . . . ii it w. > 4 4 1 r. 10 r> i ". o i) o l Pts. in 17 16 14 i 11 10 R 6 ,*!