THE LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 188, 10 August 1926, Page 12

THE LEAGUE CODE.

GOSSIP OF THE GAME. The Auckland Rugby League officials assisted to make the game between I Auckland and Otago a better contest ' than it might have been from the I spsctators' viewpoint by not having a curtain-raiser game on the main ground, with the result that the turf Mas in surprisingly good order when the rep. teams filed out to make a start. The ground cut up as tho game proceeded, and became very muddy in patches, but right to the end the teams played good football, the Aucklanders handling at times with an excellent degree of certainty. In Dunedin the League game is but in its second year, yet in that time wonderful headway has been made. The Otago Rugby League legislators, with a businesslike acumen which could be well copied by League controllers in other parts of the Dominion, have a banking credit which is numbered in thousands, and a ground of their own. They also hold a long lease of the Caledonian ground for winter sport, this being the best playing area for football in Dunedin. Thus it can be seen that the game has been well launched in the Southern metropolis, and as the majority of their players are on the youthful side the future is bright. Auckland won on Saturday for the reason that they had a better knowledge of the finer points of the code in attacking work. Otago, on the other hand, put up a splendid fight, and the spectators were fully appreciative of their effort. The strength of League football in Auckland can be gauged by the fact that although fourteen Aucklanders are now on their way to England with the Dominion side, and eleven of that number backs, a team up to the best rep. standard can be placed in the field. That fact was proved by . the heavy defeat administered to the j touring team on the previous Saturday. On the form that has been shown during the past couple of weeks a good many followers of the code are more assured than ever that some of the best players have had the misfortune to be left behind, a something that does not merely apply to Auckland players. On Saturday's form Cameron and Fitzgerald in the Otago vanguard were up to the very best League standard, . the devastating tackling of the latter being a feature of the game. It has been stated before that players of the calibre of Prentice, Peckham, Littlewood and List were I unlucky to miss the Home trip. List has by now convinced everybody of the quality of his play, also of the fact that all the good players in Auckland are not in the A grade competition. It is probable that before next season comes round an effort will be made to consolidate the League game in New Zealand, and there is an indication that the policy of the future will be to start with the "roots" and allow the "branches" to grow later. A change in administrative policy is evident by the reason that the code was previously established in a number of centres where it is non-existent to-day, in which connection might be mentioned Bay of Plenty, King Country, Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, Manawatu, Taranaki, Nelson, Timaru and Southland, while the code's hold at Wellington has been but precarious. Finance and lack of suitable playing grounds have been two difficulties, although in three of the main centres that combined problem has been overcome, just as it is possible anywhere else. For the future it might be said that the policy will be to build the game in the centres on the same sure and solid foundation that it is in Auckland, and that the following stage of development will be of a provincial nature to link up minor centres. At the moment the New Zealand touring team is somewhere between Suva and Honolulu. The Aorangi is not an ideal ship for a travelling team which requires plenty of "open spaces" for practice, but there is a splendidly equipped gymnasium on board, with rowing and cycling amongst the attractions. The team played an exhibition game at Suva on the way across, and a big crowd of spectators was very favourably impressed with the exhibition. Still there is not very much hope for Rugby of any code at Fiji, as the climate is all against it. It is said that when the New Zealand team returns to the Dominion that George Smith will accompany the party. One of the greatest athletes that New Zealand has produced, Smith made his debut in Auckland senior football in 1896, and that year was an Auckland Rugby representative. The following season saw him a Dominion representative on tour to Australia, and on his return he made history by pulling a • game out of the fire for Auckland against Wellington by a winning effort that is still talked about to this day. Little was seen of Smith on the football field during the following three seasons, but he returned in 1901 with his skill -ondiminished, and again won New ihqnoitfßs 31e next season sawi

Smith an absentee from Rugby ranks, as he was in England representing New Zealand on the athletic track. A second temporary retirement saw Smith out of the game until 1905, and he was then, at 33 years of age, considered good enough for the historic All Black team, and on his showing on the tour fully justified inclusion. The year 1907 again saw Smith as a New Zealand representative, this time a member of the first New Zealand Rugby League team that went on a Home tour. He remained in England, and for several seasons played for the Oldham Club. Smith had a phenomenal buret of speed, and although the claims of Surman, Barker, Carr and Horder have all been discussed, there are many who consider that the Aucklander was the fastest three-quarter seen in this part of the world. The original intention vwis for the tourists to return home via Canada, and arrangements were in hand for them to meet a number of the Rugby teams there. This, however, will not be possible on the outward journey, as the team touVists will begin their programme against the English teams next month. Next Saturday will see the resumption of the senior club games. The leading teams, and particularly Marist, have been weakened by the departure of leading players on the Home tour, although that fact will serve the useful purpose of giving younger players a chance to make good. On Wetherill's showing of late there is much to regret that he was unable to join the New Zealand side. At the moment he is in brilliant form, and for inside back attacking play is the finest exponent that the code has. He has penetrative skill of a very high order, and his ability to accelerate pace in a flash enables him to make splendid openings for other backs trailing in support. THAT GOAL! The action of the referee in awarding a goal to Auckland in the Otago match when the two line umpires failed to raise their flags has been freely discussed hy followers of the code. The opinion of players was that the ball had dropped short of the cross-bar and evidently the opinion of the line umpires, who had taken their places behind the posts, was the same. However. Mr. Harlock ruled a goal and Auckland were credited with the two points. As Auckland won by 14 points to 4 nothing is to be gained by disputing the goal, but the rule makes it very clear that the goal should not have been allowed, as clause 4 states: ''The referee must accept the decision of the two neutral touch judges he has sent behind." THE CLUB COMPETITIONS. Club competitions will b e resumed next Saturday, and though it was generally thought that the departure of the Xew Zealand team would knock the bottom out of more than one club team, the chances are that few teams will be weakened to any extent. Auckland has only lost three forwards, and as ther*e are plenty left held to be every bit as good as those now en route for England the packs arc not going to suffer any. Several of our best backs are away, and the two teams which will be most affected are City and .Marist Bros. On Saturday City will meet Marist Bros., Newton opposes Richmond, and Grafton meets Devonnort. ALL SETTLED. Well-wishers of the League code will be pleased to learn that the differences which the Referees' Association held against the A.R.L. were satisfactorily, settled last evening when a deputation," headed by Mr. W. J. Hammill, waited upon the association. The referees considered that they had at times not received the treatment they were entitled to and quoted cases where scant courtesy had been given. However, when all is said, it is the game that counts, and after some discussion the dispute was satisfactorily settled, and the deputation was informed that, the Referees' Association would continue to render loyal service to the League code.