THE LEAGUE GAME.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 194, 18 August 1925, Page 11

THE LEAGUE GAME.

ROOPE ROOSTER COMPETITION. _ The final of the Eoope Rooster competition on Saturday next, at Carlaw Park, will provide the annual charity match of the Auckland Rugby League. Two games were set down for Saturday last, but the failure of Newton to field a team against Ponsonby saw the latter score a bloodless victory. On No. 1 ground City met and defeated Devonport by 22 points to 11, after one of the most uninteresting games staged at the Park for a long time. Neither side played anywhere near their best form, and for not* more than ten minutes out of the two forty-fives played was there anything approaching football. The result means that City and Ponsonby will now play off the final for the Rooster, and a fast and open, exhibition may be expected. City hold the "Silver Wyandotte" at present, but they will have to play much better than against Devonport if they are to retain possession after Saturday next. AUCKLAND V. SOUTH AUCKLAND. To-morrow the Auckland Rugby League will stage a mid-week attraction, when at Carlaw Park the South Auckland representatives, holders of the Northern Union Cup, will be called upon to withstand a challenge from an Auckland representative thirteen. In 1922 South Auckland won the cup from Auckland, and have retained possession since, but they will have to be a good team if they are not to lose possession to-morrow. The teams are:— Auckland.—Full-back, Herewini (Ponsonby) ; three-quaarters, B. Davidson (City), Gardiner (Ponsonby), Littiewood (Ponsonby); five-eighths, H. Cole (Ponsonby), Greiming (Northcote) ; half-back, Poison (Newton) ; forwards, Singe (Marist), Townsend (City), O'Brien (Devonport), Payne (Ponsonby), Douglas (Devonport), McDonald (City). Reserves: Backs, Peckham (Ponsonby), List (Kingsland), Hargreaves (Newton) ; forwards, Mason (Athletic), Stormont (Marist). South Auckland.—Full-back, D. Johnston ; three-quarters, B. Jackways, J. Hemingway, A. Finlay; five-eighths, S. Raynor, B. Paki;. half-back. G. Raynor; forwards, R. Stevenson, L. Hutt, C. Gelson, J. Menzies, J. Dufty, T. Wilson. Reserves: F. Jackson, C. Davies, Tlmms, and P. Mikl. THE FINAL GAME. In. the original itinerary arranged the tour of the New Zealand team now in Australia should have closed on Saturday last, but now a game has been arranged at Cootamnndra for to-morrow, and the team will sail for Auckland on Friday. The record put up by the New Zealanders is every bit as good as was expected, because it was all along recognised that our men would be meeting the best exponents of the League code In the world. During the tour the team played up till Saturday 11 matches, of which they won five and lost six. In points they scored 198. against 204, leaving only a margin of six in favour of the Australians, and should the Blacks win their flnal match to-morrow the' chances are that they will turn the margin, of points in their favour.