LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 152, 30 June 1925, Page 11

LEAGUE CODE.

THK TEAM. FIFTEEN' AUCKLANDERS. The North v. South and otlier trial matches over, the selectors, Messrs. Liversidge, Pearee, and I-lardingham lost no time in announcing the personnel o£ the combination to leave Auckland on Friday next to tour New South Wains, Queensland, and possibly Melbourne. The lot of any selector or selectors of a touring team is not a happy one—at least not till a tour has concluded—and it is extremely doubtful whether uny selection of pltiycrs ever gave universal satisfaction. Messrs. Liversidge, Hardingham, and Pearee, no doubt, expected many players and keen followers ot the League code to find fault with the selection, and in many quarters could be heard strong comment on Saturday night immediately the names of the lucky ones berarne known. Of the 23 plnyers 13 are Aiicklanders. which appears to be quite fair. We at this end know little or nothing about the standard of play in the south, and therefore must be prepared to accept the inclusion of the eight southerners to mean that they have shown form which entitled them to inclusion. City Only Two. "What, only two In the team?" Supporters of the City Club were astonished to find they had contributed only two to the contingent. K. Wethcrill and L. Brown were the ones to be favoured. Their selection came as no surprise, because they were always regarded as certainties, particularly Brown, who is, without doubt, the most brilliant back playing League in the Dominion. Wetherlll is a solid player, particularly on defence. The non-Inclusion of N. Bass as a forward and B. Davidson amongst the backs came as the big surprise to City's supporters. They clnimed Bass as the best forward playing League to-day, and Davidson they hold, Is the only man with sufficient pace to keep with Brown when the latter sets out for the opponents line. Others besides the City men considered Base a certainty, but there are plenty who will igree with the selectors, and It must not be forgotten that the hitter have had opportunities of seeing all the teams In action, and would not leave Bass out if they did not feel there were better men. Davidson had a chance, but he simply played himself out of the team by his poor showing for the North on Saturday. It Is doubtful whether he would have got in In any case, but no settled his prospects thoroughly, and tbe selectors were on that showing entitled to prefer others. By the way, the only men who played in the North team not selected to go on tour all belong to City. Athletic Four. Candidly, very few could have anticipated Athletic getting four meu in tie team. In the club championship they arc near the bottom of the list, as a team they haven't played one decent game this season, and because of this exception is being taken to their contribution of four. On the face of it perhaps Athletic do seem favoured, but when one comes to go into done the right thing. Dufty could not be left behind, and Herring,, always a tine forward, eclipsed anything he had done previously by scoring three tries against tne South Island team. There are those that should be In the team. All right, but let us see. In the first place. It must be admitted that the position of half-back was the most difficult one to fill. Some -favoured Webb, some Peckham, others Poison, but the selectors choose Wilson-Hall. Perhaps we have not a brilliant man for the position. ■Saturday, ° but Wilson-Hall did all that could be expected of him, and he did It well. Again, he has often played In big football, and played well, and not only will he see that his backs get tbe ball, but he will hand it to them properly, and not throw It anywhere at all. Avery is the breakaway forward. He has not played each week this season, and being in a poor team when he did step out he has not always been «een to advantage. But Avery in club football and in big -football is a different player. Never yet when In a representative team has he failed to Justify his inclusion, and it will be the same this time. His exhibition on Saturday entitled hlin to be Jivcn a trip with the All Blacks. Four to Marist. Like Athletic ithe Mnrlst Bros, contribute a quartet. Gregory has earned his Inclusion. He Is a tine full back, a good kicknot so good as Dufty, perhaps—but he will be a good second "barrel,' , and might also be useful in the three-quarter line. Klrwan is one of the headiest players in the team. iHe may not have a great burst of «peed, but he does what a lot of five-eighths fail to do, he Invariably cuts his first opponent out, and never runs straight across to his wings to crowd them. It is just a little bit or pace that will trouble him once he part* with the hall, but he will have done his share of the work by tnen. The surprlße of the whole selection Is Brisbane. On his form this season it was hardly expected he would be selected, hut perhaps the selectors have seen him do things missed by the spectators. He played good football against the Englishmen Inst year. O'Brien, who emigrated from the A team into the New Zealand combination, is a good bustling forward, a genuine worker, and should really have been in the ?<orth Island team on Saturday. Pome hold the opinion he Is a trifle slow—perhaps that is why Tie likes a. bit of a start and often gets caught offside. He will always be handy when there Is any hard work to do, and we want such men in the team. Devonport Get Three. To get three In the team Devonport have done very well. B. Laing, of course, could not be left out, he being at times brilliant, and easily the best live-eighths playing •League. An old head, who knows every move, and the only New Zealander to be sent 'to England with the Australasian combination, he will in all probability be made skipper of the teams to play in New South Wales and Queensland. H. Dlxon, who came over from the Union game to League this year, quickly established himself as n hard-grafting forward, and he is to be congratulated on getting the place his form this season warranted. S. Webb is the other Devonport player, but he may not be the bia; success many believe. He will work hard and shirk nothing, but, as remarked elsewhere. Auckland has no really brilliant half-backs, and Webb has found a place in a weak year. Ponsonby's Pair. Ponsonby are represented by Delgrosso and Lowry. Though the former has scored many more points than any other player in club football this year, it would not have occasion:ed surprise had be missed a place. lie has been in great scoring form tils season, and the fact of him having ten tries down to his credit is evidence that he has displayed the determination necessary for a wing threequarter. He is a fine goal-kicker, but iofn Dufty and Mouatt can lift a boll off the ground with the best. S. Lowry is essentially a hooker—but a champion at it. How They Scored. While plnyers in different positions in a team do not get tbe same scoring chances, it is nevertheless interesting to note the points down asrainst the Auckland nla.vers who are to go away with tnp New Zealand team on Friday. Of course, it does not necessarily follow that tbe player with the most points to his credit is the best player, bnt the man who is continually placing the ball down over the opponents' line must be able to put on that finishing touch to a movement. Again, a goal-kicker is not called upon for the same effort as the man who score tries: but. even so. many games have been won by a goal. The following table sets out the points scored this eeason by the Auckland members of the All lllsiv.ks:

A GOOD MOVE. The decision of the New Zealand Council yesterday to include S. Lowry, the Ponsonby hooker, in tlie New Zealand team, is a wise one, because it was recognised immediately the 22 players were chosen by the selectors that a risk had been i taken in haviug only one hooker—Green, of Canterbury. There is no question afcout dowry's ability to get the 'ball for his backs, and with him in the team we can look forward to giving our backs every chance to show what they can do an an attacking force.

TIPPING THE SCALE. J " ] All tv-uo profess to know anything about 1 football claim that the first essential If J success is to tie achieved by a team is a i hefty, vigorous pack of forwards. Experience has shown that while a light set will occasionally show to advantage, generally, on a heavy ground, In the long run, it is the solid, weighty men who do best. On the score of weight little fault can be found with the New Zealanders, and every ■ time the blacks form a scrum the six forwards will, collectively, weigh half a ton or more. The following are the men to i go on tour and their weights:— ',

SOME UNLUCKY ONES. "They can't all get in" was a remark frequently heard when supporters of the game were found extolling the claims of individual players in club football whenever tbe probables were being ticked off for the New Zealand team. No doubt there will be found players -who are a little disappointed, hut after going tnto the final decision of the selectors it is not easy to see where an Improvement could have been made, bearing the important fact in mind that the selection was limited to 23 players. Therefore those who had hopes of inclusion, font have to remain at home, must not be disheartened, and should be real sports and look for "better luck next time." St. George (Devonport) Is a hooker who must have just missed a trip, and Buss (City), Townsend (City), List (Kingsland), Llttlewood OPonsortby) and Cole (Ponsonby) should all have been considered at the final selection. They are all good players, and will not have to improve much to have a good chance of a trip to England next season. NEW ZEALAND V. AUCKLAND. CARLAW PARK TO-MORROW. ' With every prospect of fine weather the setting is favourable for the staging of the League match between New Zealand and Auckland to-morrow at Carlaw Park, nod though Wednesday is an "off" day. there should be a good crowd present to see the New Zealand team In action. The showing of the South Island forwards against the North on Saturday was so good that In selecting the team for to-morrow Messrs. Livcrsidge, Hardingham, and Pearee have given preference to the men from beyond Cook Strait, and the only Aucklander In the pack is the hooker, Lowry. With the Auckland team a fairly good one, there is every Indication of a keen and doge contest. The match will start at 2.45 p.m. The teams :— V New Zealand (All Black.—Full-back, Gregory: three-quarters. Brown, Dnfty, Pnrkps: flve-elghths. Saunders and Kirwan ; half, Webb: forwards, Carroll, Lowry, Ellis, Thomas, Mouatt, Henery. Auckland (All White.—Full-back, Ilerewtni (Ponsonhv) : three-quarters. Littlpwood (Ponsonby). Gardiner (Poneonby). Malloy Marlsts) : five-eighths. Cole (Ponsonny 1 and Hargreaves (Newton) : half-back. Peckham 'Ponsonby) : forwards. Singe (Marist), St.

George (North Shore), Payne (Ponsonby), McDonald (City). Douglas (North Shore), Bass (City). Reserves: Backs, Poison (Newton), Crewther (City), List (Kingsland) ; forwards, O'Brien (North Shore), Hawkes (City). NEXT SATURDAY. Club competitions will be resumed on Saturday, when the star attraction should be the second meeting this season between Marist Brothers and Tonsonby. When these teams met 'in the opening round victory weut to llarist Brothers liy S points to 7, after a very even game, 'but just how the result will be next Saturday is difficult to forecast. Marist Brothers will now be without Gregory, BTisbanc. Kirwan and O'Brien, while missing from ronsonby will be Delgrosso and Lowry. These defections will considerably weaken both teams but even so a good game should l>e "Witnessed. c 1 I

Tries. F. Delgrosso 10 L. Brown IT C. Dufty 4 B. rjiinjj 1 P. Gregory O —. Herring 0 H. Dlxon :". A. A very • i> S. Webb 4 E. Wetherill 3 A. Kirwan 3 A. Brisbane 2 \V. Wilson-Hall 9 T H<PpUn A Goals. r> rj 13 111 0 o o i i 0 0 n Tointe. 78 SI 3fi Lfl 20 IS ir; 15 14 11 0 6 6 n

St. B>. F. Henery (Canterbury) ..14 2 •T. O'Brien (Auckland) 13 11 B. A very (Auckland) 13 8 E. J. Carroll (Wellington).. 13 7 N. Monatt (West Coast) .. 13 3 ■S. Lowry (Auckland) 13 3 J. Ellis (Canterbury) 13, 2 E. Herring (Auckland) 13 2 H. Dlxon (Auckland) 13 0 A. Green (Canterbury) ..".. 12 R II. Thomas (Otago) 12 -1 BACKS. C. Bufty (Auckland) 14 O .T. Parkes (Canterbury) ... 13 0 B. Laing (Auckland) 12 VI J. Klrwim (Auckland) 12 0 C. Webb (Auckland) 11 3 J. Saunders (Canterbury).. 11 2 F. Pclsrosso (Auckland) .. 2 A. Brisbane (Auckland) ..11 l> T. Gregory (Auckland) 10 13 W. Wilson-Hall (Auckland) 10 0 I.. Brown (Auckland) 10 7 M. Wetherill (Auckland) ..10 7