LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 179, 31 July 1928, Page 14

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

ENGLISH TEAM ARRIVES. FINE RECORD IN AUSTRALIA. FIRST MATCH TO-MORROW. VENUE AT TAUPFRT. With :1m T-'ii»l!kli tenm now on New Zealand <-oil. there i« quite a vintage fort 11itr;t( for League enthusiasts, fi tul very keen interest U being shown in tli,' pending big matches. There are no illp-ioiiM :i li<mt. tin- strength of the visitor*. Tliey are accomplished footh.illiTiJ :i-i they have shown bv defeating Ausl l iilin for the "ashes." they are lit, ami well, with the exception of two plavcr*. anil they intend to give tiieir very bof>t in New Zealand. Although quite, a modtwt lot. they make no secret of their intention to win tho Te-t. matches in Now Zealand, and it, remain* to he seen whether the rreme (le, la crenie of New Zealand League will be capable of lowering the colours of the redoubtable tourist*. In the touring *idc. New Zed lander* will welcome some old friends. 1 here is Sullivan, the Wigan stalwart, _perhaps the greatest exponent of positional plav New Zealand has known, Jonathan Parkin, a craek -half-back and born rdrategist, who is nursing an injured hand and will probably be a spectator, and Thompson, the Leeds Hercules, who believes in forward play pure and undeliled. The writer had a chat with Thompson on forward play and the Englishman was rightly insistent on the fact that the forward'* real job was scrumming and rucking, and that it was a fallacy for a vanguard man to be carried awav by the illusion that he had twinkling feet, and ought to be teaming with the three-quarter line. "The backs have their job and we have oum," declared the Englishman. Many a true word is spoken in earnest. To-morrow the tourist* will hie away to Taupiri to give a demonstration of tne code against South Auckland. The contest will probably be of the willing, solid nature, as the Lower Waikato can field a more hefty and virile pack than the metropolitan team. However, the main interest centre* on the first Test game, which will be played at Carlaw Park next Saturday, and these note* will be in print before the national eide i* chosen.

Difficulties of Selection. Tt cannot be said that the inter-island game last Saturday shod a great deal of light on the possible structure of the New Zealand side, beyond the fact that there arc a few players who are League exponents to their finger tips, a category which includes Wetherill, Dufty and Delgrosso. They, fit and well, are certainties for selection. The North v. South panic drew a splendid attendance and, with the admission charge at 2/, it resulted in a financial bouquet which the New Zealand League regarded with feeling* of tne liveliest satisfaction. Being a line day, the "world and liia wife" made for Carlaw Park, and the clustered banks and terraces were indicative of even greater gatherings when more delectable things on the League menu are served up next week. "Too bloomin' much," lamented one League follower, who put in an appearance. He bemoaned the fact that it was a florin gate, with the promise of more florin gates to come. The same enthusiast would probably gladly pay •V to see a picture show, and, probably, by the time he had had his tea, would realise that the old-time shilling admission charge of beloved memory was a thing of the past. It costs a lot to run a tour these times, ar.d although the measure of finance is not aa much as that required for shifting a primr. donna, scenerv and a grand opera company around,*it is certainly much more than in the times when charges ashore and afloat were relatively cheap. One-Sided Inter-Island Game. And» now to revert to the inter-island match. It was one-sided —painfully so —and in a lesser degree a repetition of the unkind treatment that Auckland accorded Canterbury but a week P 1 "®" viously. It could not be said that the North* forwards impressed. Burly James O'Brien, whom one hoped would find his best form before the games with England, faded gradually and perceptibly through ' want 'Of condition, and even Alfred Scott, whom one could Consistently praise in the earlier part of the season, was strangely colourless.

On the (lav, tlic North had no brace of forwards to compare with O'Brien and fJoodall. the particular Southerners who smashed into the fray with tigerish energy throughout, likewise O'Connor up to the time that he was hurt. That Stevenson, the Waikato forward, was not included in the North Island team, wae ft matter for general surprise. On his play in tho mid-week ma ten. he was the outstanding forward, and, being an accomplished hooker, he had a dual claim for inclusion. Perhaps Stevenson i* l>eing held in reserve for the first Test match. Otherwise liie non-selec-tion is inexplicable. Behind the pack, Delgrosso out-starred his vis-a-vis, yet Woods, the Christchurch lad, has n good conception of the pint. Ife gets the ball away cleanly, and is very clever at blind pide play. The real difference between the pair was that Delgrosso, now a veteran art players C o, lias had a much wider experience of the game. On Saturday, it must be mentioned, tho piny of the Auckland crack was hampered by the way the ball hung after it was heeled, a eoinething that* tho selectors should take every step to trv and remedy without delay. One confidently expect* that Prentice and Wetherill will be the New Zwlnild representative "for the first Teat, swing that they cpmbiMilperfectly, and can each play their respective partH to a nicety. There is nothing •howy about Prentice's play, but,he liaa • wonderful defence, and habitually•.r ,4o«i the right thine without trying to I

is the one real genius of the League stage at the moment. A player rich in resource, he is versatile in consummation. Spillane, the Christchurch player, confirmed the excellent impression which lie made a week previously, and for solo brilliance hie try was the gem of the match. Yet one would hesitate to break the Frentice-Wetherill partnership. It is a perfect combination, and more than that cannot be hoped for, no matter what claims a third player might have. Robins, in the South intermediate line, also caught the eye on occasions although in Auckland he has not lived up to the reputation which preceded him. As a matter of fart, he was nursing an injured leg, and played under a great disadvantage. Superiority of North Three-quarters. On the day tiie north three-quarter line was vastly superior, nmch for the reason that Brisbane rose to it, ran delightfully straight, drew the defence always, and in catering for his wings gave a glorious exhibition of unselfish play. It gave Hardgrave some great

chances, which the Newton speed merchant made the beet of. Likewise Raynor, the Waikato man, got excellent chances, but he had not the pace nee?ssarv to turn chanccs to account —chances that would have been a god-send to a flyer like Wilson, of Mangere, or a good all-round hard finishing exponent of wing play like L. Scott, of Devonport. Eckhoff, of Otago, played very soundly in the south three-quarter line, while Mason, the West Coaster, was quite impressive, running with splendid dash on the few occasions that a rea! chance came his way. Dufty took the full-back honours with a faultless display, Although Blazey captured the fancy of the crowd with kicking of a wonderful length and brilliant tackling.' In brief, the match was largely a light between the South forwards —a more even lot than the opposing sextet on the day—and the North backs. The latter, in possession, were the dominant force. Tliey knew too many tricks of the League trade for the seven that opposed them. Probables v. Possibles. Two strong teams have been picked for the Probables v. Possibles match to-morrow, the selector* having left out several players who are sure of a place in the Test side. In addition a very capable set of reserves has been listed. The underlying idea of the match i 9 to have a final try out of players who are likely to be candidates for a place in the teams which will meet the Englishmen. Then it does not matter one iota which team wins. The real thing is to see that every claimant for a place gets a fair chance. If the teams take the field as selected, there is not much possibility of the reserves getting a chance. So here is a suggestion. At half time change a few of the players, and give the reserve men a chance to show what they can do!

"GO HARD AND LOW ' L.J.S., a good critic, sends the writer the following interesting comments on the final Test match played in Australia: "A point that the New Zealanders want putting up to is in connection with the tactics displayed by the Englishmen. When the ball goes to Sullivan, the English full-back, three or four of the English forwards chase up the field to the fringe of the five yards' mark off the opposing full-back. Mark you, they are by the rules of the game on side. Tljey signal to Sullivan by waving their arms. The latter "is an r.rtist with his boot, and kicks the ball to his vis-a-vis. The Englishmen deliberately wait for the opposing full-back to either fumble of take the ball. If he takes it they are on to him like a flash, and if he fumbles the position for England's opponents is worse. In the final test here the Aussies tried to play the same game, although they did not have a man with the same placing skill as Sullivan. It is a tactic which spoils the play, and the only way to counter it is for the opposing team to do the same. Now Dufty can kick

the same great range as Sullivan, and tliat fact should he stressed." L.J.S. gives it as his personal opinion that Sullivan is the present-day champion as a goal kicker, and will land points from distances far beyond the range of the average League player. The writer adds: "The Englishmen are big chaps, always dangerous, and the New Zealand players want to make no mistake about going for them hard and 'ow. Tf they don't it will be good-bye. Fairclough is a 'hummer.' quick as lightning, and always seekin ; an opening. The outstanding wing is Ellabv. He takes a lot of stopping, once in his stride, and a sound tackier must be played against him. The Englishmen are very vigorous in their methods, know every point of the game, and play great football. They have a wonderful pack, and that is where their real strength lies."

POSSIBLES V. PROBABLES. "Fan Sport" writes: "Lookinjr through the 'Star,' 1 saw the two teams picked an Possibles and Probables to plav at Cnrlaw Park on Wednesday, with a view to picking a toani to meet the English team next Saturday. Now, sir, as a keen follower of the code, I would like to ask why, on last Saturday's play, is (■oodall, the outstanding forward on the lay (No. 14), for the South Island, uot included m thp team. I think that the majority of tho crowd at the match last Saturday will Agree with me that this forward ought to l>e included in the| thirteen pickwi to play against the Engli*h tcairt, ai ho is a fast and afo» a weighty player, who is always on the ball, and a real battler from start to