LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 242, 13 October 1925, Page 14

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

t ■ THE CURTAIN FALLS. CLOSE OF THE QUEENSLAND TOUR. What is generally expected to prove the most profitable season, financially, in the history of League football in Auckland, was brought to a close on Saturday, when, at Carlaw Park, the Queensland League team played the final game of their Dominion tour against an Auckland provincial .thirteen. Nobody expected the local men to have a winning . chance, and it was generally expected that the margin of points iat the end would be thirty. Itesults' showed that there were 40 points difference in the scores, the actual figures being 54 to 1-1, and even . this did not ■represent Hie difference in the standard of l>|ay of the two teams. As a matter of fact; -while the visitors played like the \ champions they aro, the AueUlanders on the other hand, couldn't play at all, and hnd it not been that the referee, Mr Bull i was particularly strict with the Queenslanilprs, the score, might have been in keeping wtih one of Claude Faikiners opening breaks in a billiards contest. To comment upon the'individual efforts of the I pla.vers would be only a waste of space, as while (lie visitors to a man were in great .form, this AucklnnUers never gave a worse exhibition. Inside tho first two minutes the visitors crossed the locals' line, and they keptji'ori doing it till the end of the game. It was a very one-sided affair, but Just what was expected, and the crowd enjoyed the fun.

* THE ENGLISH TOUR.

One fact clearly brought home to us this senson is that New Zealaud, unless a Rood deal happens in the next ten months, is not going to cut a very prominent figure with a League team in England next year. Xhls seaso.n,the selected -23 players of the Dominion toured- New South Wales and ■Queensland,, and- though ' the Blacks did fairly well in Xew South Wales, they were beaten ip Queensland, and on , the whole trip the' Xew Zealanders' record did not read attractively... - Still it may not have been -quite "SO b.«d jas • the' results would I indicate -but 7 ' he that as it' may, it was only with difficulty that Jfew Zenland could field a good side at the end of the tour Several of the members of the team failed badly, and can 'be counted out when the trip u> Enjrland is under discussion. Then the Queenslanders»came to the Dominion, and in their first: game were beaten by a point by' New Zealand at Carlaw Park. On that day they deserved fhe win. but even"so tue majority of those who saw the came felt that the better team lost. The visitors next played a drawn game with Auckland, and then set out to travel' the Dominion. AH along the line they played havoc with their opponents, and in pracr fieally each of'their matenps south of Auckland they rattled up from 50 to SO ; points, ami finally finished up by beat'ig- Auckland on Safimlny 54 to 14. Next■ -yenir New Zenliintl is to send n team to, England, lint there are not a preat m'nny really first-class Len'gne players in the Dominion, nnd unless there r.rt> inmovtnnt happenings between now and September next. It is Koine to he no easy job "to find 26 players Rood enough to send abroad. It is said them Is a likelihood, of more than, one member of the Queensland team coming across to play in the Dominion next season, if RUC i, happened It would be a royal' W i^i for ,H ?e , Kew zpnl »P f J Leaene, but it is Silffiy llkp, r the Oueenslandcrs 1 would be land re t d nke Ufflcient ,i n,lucement t0 come ore? I una take up residence here. . ■■■ .