LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 206, 1 September 1925, Page 13

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

1 THE UNORTHODOX. ! Just exactly a week ago to-day ' Mr. E. 11. ■ Mair, who happens to be the' New Zealand Rugby League's representative for ■ Australia, came over to Auckland with the members of the New Zealand team who had been on tour in New South Wales and Queensland. He told us that the reason we had been beaten, and beaten badly at that, by Queensland was because we played the game under the same old methods that we knew ten years ago. There had been a little alteration in the style of play, thanks to amended rules which had tended to sharpen the game up, but the players religiously adhered to the old orthodox movements, and they were as out-of-date as the crinoline skirt on a Friday night in Queen Street. Mr. Mair, we thought, was a little severe when he told those ■ present at the welcome home to the New Zealanders that our knowledge of the League code did not go past kicking, running and tackling, but he was good enough to say that we had the makings of great footballers if the players would adapt themselves to the unorthodox. He had put in a couple of weeks with the touring team, and found the men quick to grasp the tactics which were hitherto altogether foreign to them, and though it would take time before the men would have that complete understanding which could only ■ be reached by giving whole-hearted support to the lessons of the coach, and conscientious training, he (Mr. Mair) promised us something new in football tactics on Saturday last. And he did not disappoint. We had been led to expect an entirely new style of play, a style that would win matches, and heat the public to football sparkling with snappy, speedy and heady movements. Wo had it served up to us on Saturday, and the many thousands must have been delighted with the change from the game we knew. The touring team did all those things the Auckland team did not expect. The new tactics might be summed up in a few words—attack all the time, kicking the ball was taboo, nnd quick, snappy passing in which both forwards and backs combined was the basis upon which thi> team worked. Cutting in behind the player with the ball and receiving a pass from the player on the half turn was not only I pretty, but successful, and when the, Blacks had fairly settled into their stride i they completely baffled the Auckland team. | And the latter was generally conceded to | be a fairly strong side. It was the unorthodox that played havoc with the Auckland side, and they really never had a winning chance. Mr. Mair has certainly worked a wonderful improvement in the New Zealand team, but whether it is sufficient to enable them to beat Queensland will only be decided on Saturday. No doubt Mr. Mair will be a very proud coach : if we can beat the all-conquering Queens- j ■ landers, but which ever way the result ; goes he is to be congratulated upon introducing methods which promise to com- ; pletely revolutionise the League code and ! make the games brighter and better. HOW THEY PLAYED. While the New Zealand team on Saturday : must be given credit for winning decisively, ' tj»e individual players, all of them, did not ' get through their work without mistake, if ; we except Gregory, the full-back, who was .«s sound as a bell, and showed" himself ■ to be the best full-back in Auckland. J Herewini has often pleased the crowd, but I : on Saturday he was in dire trouble, the tricky movements of the New Ze>alanders, 1 . having him "badly beaten all the way. . However, to k«ep to the winning 'side of ■, ; the .threequarters, Delgrosso was perhaps i ' the best, and he has improved out of all I knowledge, so much so that there is no . better wing in the League code to-day. Barkes and Saunders were also good, - but Wetherill stood out as the best back on ! '. the ground, and he showed what a fine ' . footballer he is. The majority of openings came off his bat, but in this he was greatly i . assisted by Wilson-Hall, who is an Improved , half, and one who has quickly adapted , himeelf to the new points. The forwards i all did good work, and ably supported the 1: backs in passing movements. I On the Auckland side Herewini was not (I good at full-back. Davidson and Cole were - i the best of the backs, but Cole showed a ' I tendency to go too far and be caught with ; ,! the ball. Peckham. behind the pack, made many fine openings, and gave his backs ; [ some excellent chances to score. The best! i of the forwards were O'Brien and Singe, I i and they were equal to any in the New I Zealand pack. STRENGTHENING THE TEAM. The action of the selectors in sending' South for the crack Canterbury forward, j ! Petersen, ie clear evidence that every I effort is to be made to down the wonderful Queenslanders on Saturday. The selectors have also added O'Brien (Devonport), Singe 1 (Marist Bros.), and Davidson (City) to 1 the list of players from whom the final ! selection will be made. Those who watched : the play closely on Saturday would have been disappointed had the three j>layers ■ mentioned not been given a chance, bei cause they were quite the equal of any on the New Zealand side. Another wfcj has j i been included jn the training list, is Cole ' i (Ponsonby), but unless he realises that it is far better to fall into line with the new ! methods and get rid of the ball before he is caught and downed, he 'will bring ! disaster to the Blacks, in whatever match Ihe may be chosen to play in. Davidson , I has only one fault, and that is an;iriclina-. ; tion to indulge in a little too much kicking, ; but he is a footballer, heady, and fast, and • would make an ideal mate for Wetherill, in . fact any inside position would suit him. . On Saturday he was playing the touring . j backs at their own game, but, of course, i there was not that understanding about his , ('associates that prevailed on the other side. ' There are those who hold Davidson is a . little weak in tackling, but for the past . ; month or so he has been easily the best . j defensive player on the City side. In a . fast team Davidson will be right in his ; element, and will adapt himself to the new ; style of play without trouble. Brisbane , who went well in Australia, is unable to , play owing to injuries. : THE QUEENSLANDERS. Seeing 'that they downed the New Zea- . landers last month twice, 43 to 19, and' • 29 to 20, the Queenslanders have every i right to feel confident of their ability to , down the Blacks on Saturday at Carlaw Park, and though we may "surprise the natives," and treat them as we treated the '. Englishmen laet season led by Parkin, form I ' points to the visitors winning. But even I Gloaming has been beaten, and the Queens- . I landers will have to be right at the top . 'of their form if they are to maintain their ; title of champions. No team of footballers ( have been more keen to win a game than , the local men, and the training they have ; ] been putting in for the past fortnight has ;! been solid and educating. They will take [ the field ready to play for the world's eham- ; pionship, and if they go under it will be only because they are not the classy footballers we. believe them to be. There can 1 be no other excuse, and victory will only ' go to the best side. AT NORTH AUCKLAND. [ Following letters received from Whanga- - rei and other districts in North Auckland 1 Mr. McLean, a member of the New Zealand J Council, this week made the trip North to c pave the way. for the establishing of the • code there. Correspondence received gave 1 the information that many players at and 5 round about Whangarei were anxious to • get the code started, so much so that - already committees had been formed, and I it was expected there would be sufficient 8 teams ready to start a competition on a 1 sound footing when the next season came c . round. \ INDIVIDUAL SCORES. I j Though beaten in eighf out of the ' thirteen games played in Australia, the New J Zealanders in aggregate scored only seven points less than their opponents, the totals ; being 223 and 230. The following table : shows the points scored by the individual , members of the New Zealand combinaJ tion:—

Backs. Tries. Dufty 1 Brown 6 Delgrosso' .... 4 Sanders 5 Wetnerill .... 3 Brisbane 3 Webb ........ £ Parkes ....... 3 Kirwan 3 La ing j — Wilson-Hall .. 1 Goals. Points. 26 53 — IS 2 16 — 13 — 9 — 0 •— *) . Q — 9 2 4 — 3 Forwards. Mouatt 2 ' Avery 4 Henery 3 Carroll 2 Herring 1 ■O'Brien ...... 1 Ellis 1 Thomas 1 11 23 — VX — 0 — C — 3 — 3 — 3 — 3 Totals ..... 47 41 223