THE LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 3 August 1926, Page 11

THE LEAGUE CODE.

TOURISTS SET SAIL KIA ORA. With the two managers and 26 representatives of Rugby League football who left Auckland to-day on a tour of Great Britain and France will go the best wishes of all New Zealanders who take even a passing interest in any branch of sport. It is 19 years since a League team visited England, and though the band managed by the late Mr. Baskerville had, at the time of departure, only an elementary knowledge of the thirteen aside game, they were such good footballers that they were equal to winning 18 of the 34 matches played, and the victories included the Tests. Undoubtedly the code has made great progres-s in the Dominion since that time, but it is questionable whether the players who left by the Aorangi to-day are as good as Baskerville's team. To compare the teams of different years, especially when a couple of decades intervene, is always unsatisfactory, and when history i s w/itten up it is records, not players, .which are the important factor. The lamentable performance of the New Zealand League team on Saturday against Auckland has certainly shaken our faith in the wearers of the kiwi blazers, but maybe the team will make good. The material is there, but as the majority of the players have had a long experience of football, we can hardly expect them to improve .individually, but as a team they should be vastly superior to what Saturday's exhibition would suggest. There "is always an inclination to belittle any touring team on its selection, and past history shows that calculations are invariably upset. Maybe such will have to be written up when the New Zealand League team of 1926 concludes the tour now commenced, but win or lose we may rest assured Bert. Avery and his men will do their very best to uphold the great name New Zealand has established on the world's football map.

Poor Numbers. Seeing that the average attendance at Carlaw Park would be 5000 or 7000, and that when big matches are staged a crowd of perhaps 14,000 comes along, it follows that to the best part of 10,000 the players are unknown. Of course the very complete and up-to-date programme is obtainable, but even so it would add to the interest of the game if the League officials would see tha,t the numbers on the jerseys' are readable and not washed out, as was the case on Saturday with the Auckland representatives.. No sports body studies its patrons more than the A.R.L., and we may take it that the faded numbers of Saturday last will be attended to.

Hard Luck. While the selected 26 in the New Zealand contingent are to be congratulated in finding favour with the selectors, there will be found hundreds of close followers of the League code who consider now, and have all along held the opinion, that Messrs. Mai l *. Hardingham, McClymont and Stirling could have improved upon the selection considerably and if put to the test the same grandstand, or terrace critics could produce solid arguments to support their contention, ihe writer purposely refrained from anticipating the work of the selectors or unduly criticising the team after its selection except to say that the chosen backs were very weak and many removes from international form. However, the men have sailed and it may; not be out of place to indulge in a little \ comment. - Dufty and Gregory are the fullbacks, ! and of the pair Gregory is to be pre-. ferred, as he is the more reliable and a much better tackier than Dufty. The latter is not nearly the world-beater some would believe, and 1 would prefer Rayner, of South Auckland, at any time in a series of games. Dufty will occasionally give a- brilliant display, but is more likely to let his side down, particularly on a dry ground when nippy backs would make him look like a novice. Rayner, on the other hand, is consistent and solid rather than brilliant, and can always be relied upon to at least make a good showing. j Of the three-quarters, Gardiner is a very lucky player to get a trip, and so also is Parkes. On the form this season, neither was entitled to be selected and men like- Littlewood, Hickey and List are, to put it mildly, very .unfortunate in not going on tour. The best back chosen is undoubtedly B. Davidson, and if the play happens to favour New Zealand j at Home, he, Cole and Brown should be, able to finish off any attacking move-: ments. ! Assuming that Webb, Delgrosso and | Kirwan will be tried at' five-eighths, j Prentice should have been in the team; before any one of them. The coach, Mr., Mair. thinks Delgrosso the best halfback, in Xew Zealand, but it is difficult to see I how he arrives at such an opinion. 1 Wilson-Hall is quite all right, but so • also is Peckham, and if a vote of the "fans" were taken the chances are a! strong vote would be recorded in favour of Peckham over Delgrosso. j Probably little fault will be found i with the forwards, but. from what we I have seen of him, Carroll is a failure as a hooker and why the selectors pre- i ferred him to St. George or Townsend j is hard' to understand. Herring and Thomas, are fortunate in getting a trip , in preference to O'Brien (Devonport) and Stormont and O'Brien, tooth of Marist Bros. Perhaps few will agree that Stormont or O'Brien should be included, but anyone carefully watching the play must come to the conclusion that two better grafters week after

week will take some finding. Perhaps the players mentioned in this comment can console themselves with the remark passed by one Leagueite on Saturdayi "We have the best players, but not tha best selectors."