RUGBY LEAGUE REVIEW.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 169, 20 July 1927, Page 16

RUGBY LEAGUE REVIEW.

PASSING OF A PIONEER.

THE GAME IN AUCKLAND. < abled advice was received in Auckland last week of the death at Hudderslield. England, of Mr. William Trevar•ilien, who was one of the pioneers of the League code as far as New Zealand is concerned. Ho was a member of the Newton Rugby Union senior team, and also an Auckland Rugby representative He joined the New Zealand League team that was organised in 1907 to tour England. and proved one of the best forwards in that historic combination. The 19(17 tourists knew nothing of the League code when they set out, but they soon learned it, added a few finer points of tlieir own, and achieved the extraordinary feat of winning the rubber from h norland as the outcome of three Test matches played.

'I lift chairman of the Auckland Rutrbv [Lea-rue (Mr. W. J. llammill) will pro- «.» a. holiday visit to England shortly, and is looking forward to meeting tlie administrators of the code there. Mv club wishes to place upon record its keen appreciation of the fine sporting spun. displayed by Kirwan and O'Brien When tli.y interceded on behalf of J. ') Hi ic>n (Nlrore) on the occasion of the latter being ordered off. The attitude taken up by the players mentioned calls forth our highest admiration." This is the t«x t of a letter sent bv the Devonport Club to the Marist Club anent an incident in the last game between Marist and 1 )i i \onpoi t at Carlaw Park, a communication that, has been very much appreciated by the recipients. 1 he want of dressing accommodation is evident at some of the Auckland suburban "rounds where League games are played. On the occasion of a recent match at Otahulm the players hung their clothes on a wire fence, and they were soaking wet at the end of the game. News of the atlluence of the Auckland Rugby League appears to have travelled afar. At, a recent meeting of the League an application for financial help was received from the Huntlv Brass Band. Thinking that the South Auckland Rugby League would like to assist such a good cause, the communication was referred to them.

On the occasion of the recent visit of Parnell Club teams to Rotorua, one of the players was injured, with the result that he had lost two weeks' work and his employment. Although under the League's jurisdiction, tho player does not come within the scope of the League's insurance scheme, as it does not apply to outside matches. The opinion is expressed that the scheme should be wider in its scope.

J lie Parnell Club have lost the ground they have been using at Campbell's Point in consequence of work in connection with a new road-outlet that has been put in hand. The club has an eye on a new playing area, and are hopeful of being able to secure it. Playing areas were never particularly plentiful in the eastern suburb. In tiie old days, long before the start of the reclamation work, there was a football ground at St. 'ieorge's Bay, but it was eventually built upon, the same fate falling to the old industrial homo site in the vicinity, which would have made an ideal football ground. Mason's gardens are now a memory, but it used to l>e a large open space in the vicinity of where the Jubilee Institute for the Blind is now established. The; outer Domain was always looked upon as Parncll's principal play area, but nowadays it is shared by a variety of sports.

The general opinion in Auckland appears to be that the kick out from the after a force, and the new play-the-ball rule arc to the advantage of the code. A good deal of controversy ha? raged round the new play-the-ball rule, and at. the last meeting of the Auckland Kuebv League there was a spirited dis-cus-iinii on the subject. Mr. E. V. Fox said that the new rule hampered back play, as the forwards scouted between the half and five-«iighth. He said if the inside men did not, move of! correctly, t lie movement had the tendency to go across country, that is, if a player could not cut in or side-step. He claimed that a forward should be a forward, and under the old rule forwards got round and played the ball. As it was the rule was ha filing to the spectators, and referees came in for abuse. He did not think that it had improved the game to any extent, although the Australians were flowery about it. There the forwards played the open game to the hilt. Knirland had turned the new rule down flat, and now there was a prospect of the North Island having one rule and the South Island another.

The contention of Mr. W. Mincham was. that if some of the seniors watched the juniors, they would know how to play it. The trouble was that the seniors knew too much and they could not be taught.

Mr. ('. Adam son said that the Junior Management Committee favoured the rule. Imt often it was not interpreted correct l v.

Mi. W. «T. Davidson said that passing oil tin- foot should be barred, and that it was never intended that it should be played that way.

Campbell. one of the best forwards in Auckland, lias been on the sideline for about a month, all for the reason that he cannot a transfer from the Eichmond senior team to play for Point Chevalier. As Kiclimond are prepared to offer Campbell a game, the management committee ■>f Ibe League lias no jurisdiction, and ib' • t vcr would have to stand down for t\v< i\c months before he could be automatically released from the club which claims the right to call on his services. The Kiclimond Club could solve the problem by giving Campbell the transfer that lie is keen to secure, and the Point Chevalier Club are still hopeful of that boinu done.

"Art- ilie senior referees drawn out of a lint," inquired a delegate at the last mooting of the Auckla.nd Rugby League management committee. The reply was that the senior referees are graded, and that the selector (Mr. C. McCowatt) would not appoint anybody that he did not have the fullest confidence in to take charge of a match. "What is the differonce between a referee taking a junior match and a senior match?" asked one delegate. "Ten thousand people," was the reply. "We have heard of players getting stage-struck," said the delegate. "Do referees?" "Yes," came the answer. A following suggestion was that only the most capable referees should be put in charge of the big matches, but the answer was that the competence of a referee could not be determined until he was tried out. One delegate said that it was alleged that one particular referee was not competent, and amid laughter, he added: "My club'a won every time that we have had him." It wag fully admitted that the management committoo had no jurisdiction in the matter, and just a? generously it was conceded that the referees' selector did his best to -ct the most competent officials. "Carlaw Park crowds are very critical," was ■h• ■ iinal remark in the discussion.