LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 91, 22 April 1929, Page 16

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

PLAYERS GET GOING

PRELIMINARY MATCHES

ORGANISED PRACTICE GAMES

Under the canopy of a blue sky ami sunshine, with an invigorating breeze, contests preliminary to the official opening of the Rugby League 192!) season, were staged at Carlaw Park on Saturday. The players entered eagerly into the fray, and generally showed good form, albeit there was a lack of cohesion usually associated with the

code. It was an innovation on the part of the League management to promote organised practice games, for the teams were given try-outs under the supervision of referees who were able to correct faults in connection with rule interpretations. Of the matches the Newton and Richmond and Devonport and EUerslie contests produced the titbits of the day, and at times there were glimpses of real brilliancy. On No. 2 ground, reserved mainly for senior B matches, the newly-promoted Kingsland Athletic thirteen, that has emerged from the amalgamation of Grafton Athletics and Kingsland, showed promise and justification for their elevation to the senior A division. The appearance of the new Mount \Y cllington side was a new feature indicative of the growth of the game. Newton defeated Richmond by 10 points to nil. EUerslie made a draw with North Shore. 5 points each. Marist:oeat City by 5 to nil, and KingslandAthletic beat Northeote bv J.l to 8. 1 arnell and Mount Wellington played i draw, neither side scoring The Xeague season will open officially next .Saturday. The draw lor the first round of the Senior A and Senior B divisions is as follows: - SENIOR A. April 27:—-Newton v. Marlst Old r.ovs D e^n^. v ß t^rl rd ort ' K,nssland v - ««*•: May 4.—Newton v. Pongonby, Marist Old ! ;i' s I Richmond. Kingsland v. Devonport, tllcrslie v. City. Ia »» U " cwton v. Kingsland. Marist Old l»oys r. Ponsouby. Kllerslie v. Devonport, t.ity v. Richmond. May 18 : — Newton v. EUerslie, Marist Old JT?/ 8 v - Kingsland, Ponsouby v. Richmond City v. I»evonport. n/V. ay , -V;;r X r; vto " v - Marist Old Bo.\s v. EUerslie. Ponsonby v. Kingsland Devonport v. Richmond. rt ,' u " e —Newton v. Devonport. Marist Old Boys v. t.ity. Ponsouby v. EUerslie Kingsland v. Richmond. 7 - —Newton v. Richmond. Marist Old Boys v. Devonport, Ponsonbv v. C 1 tv Kingsland v. EUerslie. SENIOR B. April 27. —Ofnhtlhu v. Mangere. Richmond v. Northeote, Point Chevalier y Parncll. May 4.—Otaliuliu v. Richmond, Mangere r. Parncil, Point rhevalier v. Northeote. May 11. —Otahuhu v. Point Chevalier, Mangere v. Richmond. Northeote ▼. Parnell. May 18. —Otahuhu v. Northeote, Mangere r. Point Chevalier. Richmond r. Parnell. May 25.—Otahuhu v. Parnell, Mangere v. Northeote. Richmond v. Point Chevalier. NEWTON IN FORM. In the best display of the day. Newton ilefeate.l Richmond by 10 points to nil. Newton were first to attack through the instrumentality of Hnrdgrave, who gathered the ball on the left wing, and was in hia s'rlde In a twinkling. When obstructed, after an electric dash of twenty yards, he short-punted. The bounce was against him. however, and a try went begging. Just before the spell, which ended in honours being even. Richmond livened np considerably, and were nearly In from a concerted movement. In which Long, Harris, Lennie and Colelirooke were prominent.

Immediately after the change over, Hardgrave drew first blood for Newton with a penalty goal from thirty yards out. McLeod worked Hanlgrave Into position, and the winger srwung in field to score wide 6ut. Shortly afterwards the scort was augmented by a try by W. Johnstone, a promising forward from .Ygaruawahla. Hardgrave adding the extra points. The game ended without further score.

SHORE SHOCKED

Devonport did not have matters all their own way when they encountcrt*! Kllerslie, last, season's "wooden-spoon" winners. After several solo bursts that had the crowd on their feet, the tri-colours knocked bard at the door. Scrambling play resulted, and Littlewood dived across for an unconverted try. A. Scott wiped two points of the deficit off with a penalty. A moment later the ball was shot away from the scrum to A. Scott, who passed It on through the chain to his brother on the right wing. Len accepted a perfect pass from Seattle, and finalised one of the prettiest movements of the dav by scoring wide out. A. Scott failed with the shot, and the half-time score was: Devonport 5. Kllerslie 3. In the second spell Kllerslie did particularly well in all departments, and gave promise of better things as the Season progresses. Their defence was sound, and there were no beg-pardons about their tackling. Shore tired towards the end under the strain of the tri colours' bustling tactics, but managed to keep the opposition out. .Tust on time, however, they Were penalised, And Ollirte made a draw of it with a neat kick from easy range. Final scores:— EUerslie 5 Devonport 5

TYKES START WELL

Both Marists and City gave good accounts of themselves when they appeared on Xo. 1 ground, and, after a keenly contested game, honours rested with Tykes by 5 points to 0.

After fortunes had fluctuated considerably Marist came with a rattle and Cronln came within an ace of crowning a passing bout. There was no score at the Interval.

The Roope Rooster winners wer« forced to defend on resumption, but Infringement by the opposition gave Moisley a ehance to transfer operations to the opposite end of the paddock. Batchelor and Moisley guTe the spectators a thrill with a criss-cross passing bout along the right flank, but the defence withheld the siege. Tm> wearers of the green wero not to be dtnled, and from a melee on City's last line, Dnane slipped across. N. Campbell converted. Marista 5, City 0. There was no further score.

KINGSLAND WINS.

The amalgamation team, Kingsland-Ath-lotic, took the field a smart-looking thirteen, with all but five of the members from the ronks of Athletic side of last year. Both sides endeavoured to make it open, but faulty handling nullified efforts. Kingsland kept petrging away, and from a scrum the ball went out to List, who went across between the posts for Herring to convert. Kingsland came back and Angelo made a deflecting run and passed to Allen, who scored. Herring converted. KingslandAthletic 10, Northcote 0. Profiting by opposition mistakes near their own line, Keymer and Carter broke away for Northcote, and, running we'll, the - former managed to touch down. Simpson gosled nicely. After some general midfleld play the maroon backs moved into position, where List gave to Angelo, who transferred to Lucas. The latter landed a pretty try wide out. the kick missing. Northcote was not downhearted, and a good interception by Heaps, who came on in the second half, brought out the fleet-footed-new of Carter, who gathered the hall and scored near the corner. Simpson failed to convert. Kiniesland Athletle It Nortlicotu ....Til s

A POINTLESS DRAW

ThP game betwen Mount Wellington and Parnell attracted interest because the Wcsttield tram wjs making it debut in the civic mh a junior team. Mount Wellington. with the sun and cross-wind In their favour, took ilie initiative from Parnell's kick-off. A penalty against them was resultless. and shortly afterwards Jacob (Mount Wellington) made a.good run to the corner, following a period of desultory play. r.j rncli forced dowu before the change-over, hut with Keane, Hoskinp and Kerr got dangerous until stopped by Marerofr. Pa me it waf storming the citadel when the bell sounded a pointless draw.

GAMES IN THE SOUTH

CIIRISTCIIURCH. Sydenham. 11, beat Walmalri 0. Addington 19, beat Marist 17. Hornby 16, beat Woolston 2.