LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 152, 29 June 1934, Page 13

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

INTERPROVINCIAL MATCH. TAKAIfAKI AN3> AUCKLAND. TO-MORROW'S REP. PROGRAMME. The first representative fixture of the season in Auckland will take place at Carlaw Park to-morrow, when the Taranaki team will meet the elect of this centre in what promises to prove an intei-esting contest, preceded by a special curtainraiser, the return match between the first thirteen of the new Lower Waikato (Tuakau) League and the Mangere team. With pleasant recollections of the attractive performance of the Taranaki side on June 10 last year, when the code had only been revived for two months after a lapse of eighteen y.cars, enthusiasts will be keen to see the extent to which the Southerners have progressed in tactical play and other directions. The visitors, who will arrive in the city this evening with officials and a number of keen supporters, include eleven of their last year's players. Their leader is the capable representative exponent in both codes,

Cliff Hunt, who is captain of the Inglewood Club. Priar, the full-back, will reappear, and, with the exception of R. Thomas (Western Suburbs), the right winger, the personnel cf the backs is the pa me as last season, Cowley, Arnold and Moorhcad being inside backs of the best calibre. In view of their previous display hero there need be 110 question about the Taranaki forwards, and, if they obtain a fair share of the ball from the scrums, the home team will be fully extended. The reserves are the Waitara Club back Mnschamp, who is considered the coming full-back of his province, and two forwards, Conroy (Opunake) and Francis (Stratford). International Frank Delgrosso lias been at New Plymouth for over a week putting the finishing touches to the team, and a confidential report to hand is that he is more than pleased with the quality of the team and its ability to reproduce coaching points. Tho selection of the Auckland combination is some compliment to the visitors for it is strong in the vanguard, and in the rear division, containing players of international repute. The side is so good that the selectors have felt at liberty to experiment in two cases, with Wayne (City), a centre-three-quarter of last season, and Cooke (Richmond) as winger and second five-eighths respectively. The latter, however, is in fine fettle and is no stranger to the inside position, and it is hoped that Wayne will justify the confidence reposed in f him. The Auckland pack is a very solid one, and the forwards should be qualified to combine well in the open play. The match will commence at 3 p.m. and the curtain-raiser at 1.30 p.m. The teams will face as follows:— Auckland. Full-back.—Campbell (Marist). Three-quarters.—Wayne (City), Mincbam (Richmond), Stephens (Newton). Five-eighths.—Cooke (Richmond), Prentice (Richmond). Half-back—Powell (Richmond). Forwards. — Clarke , (City), Stevens (Devonport), Telford (Richmond), Satherley (Richmond), Lawless (Richmond), Hutt (Ponsonby). Reserves. —Backs: McNeil (Richmond), Kay (Ponsonby), Axeman (City). Forwards: Leatherbarrow (Devonport), Blacklaws (Newton). Taranaki. Full-back.—R. Priar (Western Suburbs : New Plymouth). Three-quarters. —R. Thomas (W.S.), L Hunt (Inglewood) captain, H. McLaggai: iuve-eigliths.—-K. Arnold (X.) first, G Moorhead (Eastern Suburbs).

Half-back. —J. Cowley (Lj. Forwards, —Front row: R. McDonald (W.S.), R- Coles (I.), L. Lewis (W.S.). Second row: J. Fraser (E.S.), R. Patterson (I.), J. McLeod (W.S.). Emergencies: R. Muschamp (Waitara) back, and Francis (Stratford) and Conroy (Opunake). Mr. M. Wetherill will be referee. As a • curtain-raiser the newly-formed Tuakau Club will play Mangere at 1.30 p.m. The following team has been selected by Mr. G. Asher to represent Tuakau: — Pull-back, R. Nepia; three-quarters, R. Cooper, J. Cooper, J. Para; five-eighths, D. Peters, J. Hapi (captain); half-back, C. Anderson; forwards, I. Rauwhero, C. Moses, M. Ngataki, G. Piggott, P. Hapi, W. Warbrick. Emergencies: A. Wade, O. T. Cooper, P. Kirkwood, P. Mahu. Mangere. — Backs: Johnson, Roberts, Wilson, Haslett, Jacobs, Rau, Harvey. Forwards: H. Roberts, Grubb, W. Roberts, Heri, Paul, Nightingale. Emergencies: B. Rau, Rickards (backs); Jones and Marshall (forwards). UTTER-I sxand game. MOVE BY N.Z. COUNCIL. As a result of encouraging reports received from affiliated centres the Council of the New Zealand Rugby League, which met last evening, with Mr. Cyril Snedden presiding, decided, with, a view to staging the inter-Island match, to request South Island Leagues to submit nominations -with a view to the appointment of a sole selector of the South Island team, and to require the North Island team to be chosen by a selector yet to be appointed. The second nominee of the Hawke's Bay League, Mr. W. Liversidge, an earlier member of the administration, •was accorded a hearty welcome in succession to Mr. W. J. Hindman. A resolution of sympathy was passed •to Mr. A. J. Ferguson, the Otago delegate, -who had met with an accident near Henderson, and hopes were expressed for lis speedy recovery. The West Coast League advised that ihe first representative match between it And its Northern Sub-League had resulted in a brilliant match, which was narrowly -won by the West Coast. The Canterbury League advised having entered a challenge for the Union Cup, now held t>y "West Coast/ the challenge being in order. , In reply to a suggestion from Hawke s Bay League it was decided to ask that the Rules Committee'should prepare rules providing that matches for the Wait an gi Shield should be framed on the same lines as the Northern Union Challenge Shield. These rules will be of club interest and will be presented at next meeting. . . . .. i i In response to an inquiry it was ruled that R. Hardgrave was a member of the Newton Rangers Club within the New Zealand League, and therefore qualified to resume play m New Zealand, havin 0 not received a clearance before going to Pl |Ltters D fffecting Australian teams were deferred pending a reply from the Queensland Rugby League, from which preliminary reports were very favourable. A cablegram from the Western Suburbs Club in the New South Wales competition, desiring to negotiate ■for a New Zealand tour, was referred for consideration to the Auckland League. A similar decision was arrived at m, con Son with an enthusiastic letter from the Eastern Suburbs Club. • RonT , pH Reinstatements granted: R. G. Bennett (Manurewa) to Richmond . Rovers. West Coast: S. Lewis, C. Etlieridge, G. Ale Manri, R. Buckman, J. Warren and H Mills. , '