BACK FROM "BLIGHTY."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 149, 26 June 1931, Page 8

BACK FROM "BLIGHTY."

LOU HUTT'S EXPERIENCE. CONDITIONS AND THE GAME. Full of vim, and obviously happy, to.be I back in Now Zealand, is tlie tall, fail ; and doughty' Lou Hutt, ' the Ponsonby United player, who, besides becoming a prominent member of the St. Helens I Club in Lancashire, was classed the best breakaway forward in England. ! Chatting with a "Star" representative to-dav, Hutt mentioned that they take their football in the North of England with profound seriousness, and on his arrival two years ago he soon realised that conditions and play were vastly different from what he had been accustomed to. 'Til the first four matches I had to stand up to the greatest hammering I have ever had in my life. To deal with this attention I had to adopt .their methods, and I had to get fitter. ."'Unfortunately, I did not strike form quickly as Hall, who, in the first season, made a great name for himself, while I endecTin hospital with appendicitis..; However, the team performed brilliantly, winning the Lancashire League but being beaten by Widnes in the Cup at Wembley by 10 to 3. ;r . /.

"There is a thing I have noticed; in England. Once a team has started with a goal or a try, the crowd thinks thai; is the finish-. They cannot get over that undaunted spirit of colonials, who never give* up, .no matter what .the odds are, until the end of the game. When the spectators see a couple of goals or tries on in the Homeland they think that all is over. This natural tenacity is a spirit which helps colonial players over there. They don't cave in. 1 may mention that different ..clubs in the Homeland play different' styles. Some have great forward team's and some great backs. The past, season was somewhat against St. Helens because, the club plays the. fast and opeii method. They have the two best wingers in the wevld—Ellaby first and Hardgraye second. The former has greatly developed since he was last seen in New Zealand' and Australia, and. I think he is a certainty for next year's English touring side. We played ankle deep or more in mud practically the whole of this last year, during which I had determined to make a thorough success of myself or give up the game. I am thankful to think that I was able to succeed. All . the clubs have been feeling the effects of the general depression, and their financial position has been rendered worse by an- unusually wet season." Hutt spoke of the performances and ability shown by others of his countrymen in England' Fahvasser, he says, "is playing pretty well for Wigan, and Spillane (after having recovered from a broken leg) is now recognised to be a clever scrum half with the same club. Lou Brown is still the great scoring winger of Halifax. Wilson Hall, the scrum half of Castleford, is showing better form than when he was with Hull. Though not brilliant, Buckingham has turned out to be a very reliable wing three-quarter for Swinton, who won the major championship and the Lancashire League honours. Len Mason is still amongst the best of Wigan's forwards, and they were glad to be able to retain him. The Wellington player Desmond has been a great figure for Batley, but Hutt thinks he would do better with some other club. "All I have to say as the result of playing abroad," added the genial Lou, "is that in New Zealand we have the goods to convince the public with the best of Rugby League. It needs dressing up a bit; and by that I mean that our clubs must concentrate on training and the science of the game. When a man can run 130 yards at full pace ten times in an evening, and do it with ease,'he may be said to be ready to see out a fast match. There are, of course, the finer points or technique to be acquired, but these come with coaching." ' The returned player said he had not decided to play for any particular club, but hoped to confer the benefits of his' knowledge on any team "he became associated with, and thus assist the code geneiallv. \ou know I have been plaving senior since I was sixteen, and that's eleven years ago," he concluded, "so I think I have done my part."