LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 135, 10 June 1935, Page 13

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

THIRD DRAWN CONTEST.

MABISTS AND MOUNT ALBERT.

WINS TO NEWTON AND SHORE

A clash by two powerful, fast and wellmatched vanguards provided the main fare in the feature attraction at Carlaw Park on Saturday, when Marist Old Boys were forced by Mount Albert to a draw before .mother good, attendance. It was not the ideal Eugby Leagtle ftliiy, although there were occasional bright' flashes, culminating in a whirlwind finish. In the curtainraiser Newton Rangers accounted for City Hovers through their cleverer supporting methods, while across tlie way Devonport revealed quality in : their victory over Ponsonby. The games completed the first round of the championship. Ladder Positions. The position of teams is as follows':— ~ Points. . Ch. P. W. li. D. For. Aff.- Pts. Richmond .. 6 .5 1 — 106 08' 10 Marists , G 3 1 2 83 87 "8 Mount Albert G 3 1 2 97 92 8 Newton C 3 2 1 115 S2 7 Ponsonby .. 0 2 4 — 104 122 4 Devonport .. (J 1 4 1 S2 82 3 City 0 1.0 — 08 111 2 MARIST CONCEDE A DRAW. . The first meeting between Marist : and Mount Albert provided a different of Rugby League football to what has Been the order in. the championship bo far this season and. the final tally, "11 points fill, ;!«st about reflects the respective merits of the teams at 'this stage. If anything, the run of play was slightly in favour of Marist, who were still minus a couple of their best members. It was a hard rucking game, in which the thrust and pace of the Marist pack in the loose was noticeable. With a two-man front rank, the serums continually twisted, and the dividing of the ball in the process was slow and uncertain, tending to make the play tight. The Marist backs showed finer combination and assertiveness and Mount Albert relied chiefly on long kicking. This giving away of possession repeatedly also gave Marist a preponderance of territorial advantage, because they did not so frequently resort to similar method of progression. It was a good game spoiled by the faults mentioned, coloured in the fading stages by. the equalising opportunist try* - which ,Glover conceded by a slow clearance, at the goal mouth. The Mount Albert full-back, Morrissey, liad every chance to put his team the goal points ahead, but took the' kick really too far out and missed. The game also had blemishes as regards positional play. A young player, O'Shannassey, made a worthy debut on promotion as Marist last liner, • and was frequently in the picture with his saves, but the occasion wag a little too much for him at times. The threequarter line should have gone better with McGreal showing so much improvement at second live-eightlis to. Glover, who also did well in patches. Connelly improved on his previous showing behind the scrum. Laird Was the outstanding forward, with Gunn, Woods and Keane always to the fore. Keane's pace and good handling gained him handsome reward in tries. Spiro, J Gunning, •■'l Sliadbolt and Herring were valuable Mount Albert packmen. Martin let the ball away : : smartly, but Hassan seems to /have got f ;into old-fashioned habits of fiye-eighths play and kicked with tiring monotony, so that J. Schultz was .not seen at his best. .Dunn was the king pin of "the rearguard *• -on defence ancf attack. McNeil "made "the impost of the - chances that went his way, v'&ut'B. Sclinltz was unimpressive, though it was his one dash that contributed to a tell ins try. Morrlssey was generally sound it full-back, but he made several bad mistakes, one of which might easily have losl- - game for his side. He'is inclined to Stake things too easy, when danger looms. A full-back cannot 'affo.rd risks when on the Mount Albert .will have, to- be at their best to Ward Off City starting 'the second found. | NEWTON FINESSE TELLS. = If they had ■ been able'' to fully "utilise itlieir chances, City Rovers might have foeaten Newton, but they lacked linish. It :'was a fast, open and keen struggle,- and ■the Rangers deserved their 15—5 victory, fit only for their splendid team cohesion. .(.The forward sets had -u. tough .battle, and/ : :;ravhilep»ty egfbyed of the ' : : ball fiom, th&, scrums,. ..the • R&hgers' forwards combination hi the loose and broke down opposition by thielr ability to fan out and handle at any stage. Kerr .agaiq acquitted himself. .creditably at - fullback and invariably opened up rearguard moves. Franich, Dempsey and Brady were ;a' concerted three-quarter line, and P. Toung took chief honours at five-eighth. K. Brimble thus cleverly diverted attention. At half-back W. Brimble starred as usual, and the try he scored was a gem, 'after a dazzling storming handling effort ::by the Newton team. Nathan and Johnstone were two' great forwards, the' former .Surprising at his fine development of the handling art in the loose or from the, ruck. Mlddleton arid Lunn also were solid work- , ers. Wlberg played a splendid full-back game for City, whose covering defence ■was all at sea. Brown, at centre, made ; '.great efforts to get his supports away. , Turei was far too easily flustered, and, , ■on the other wing, Thompson wa's safe on • defence rather thnn dangerous on attack. - 'Johnson was erratic at live-eighth, although : at times lie and Wntene, who had been • indisposed during the week, combined well. , Hira Is a good little half-back and defended ; well. Dye was the outstanding forward , artd.Jias possibilities. Herring, McLaughlin ] and,,Clarke were also useful. McLaughlin , of Speed, but still retains-tthe bad tripping habit. Newton, who are now a point less than Mount Albert and J\far.ist, sho'lifd; bo.-at, thejr best for their fixture With Richmond; "V NORTH SHORE) THREATEN. ; The scoring .of Dev6nport In' the; match against Ponsonby—3o poitits to 10~fairly indicates the.rur^-of the game, and the better side' dn the day emerged victorious;, Whether a sliriilar result would occur on another meeting of the same teams is open ;: to doubt. The scores in a sense suggest ' that. "Ag. a..matter Of fact, the Devonport scoring machine was the better on the day and possibly might De better oh another . day, but Ponsonby would have its turn. To be quite candid, neither side played^superb or even great football. They were just two fairly well-riiat'ched teams with the great Ideas of the game propelling them, and they did their best. Incidentally, it wa9. not a bad best for club football. Occasionally the Devonport backs . would stage a movement worthy of-the best in the game, but the defence was not pierced as it should have been. Similarly, the Ponsonby backs .would inaugurate a movement that'should have ended in a score, but the attack broke down. All this is no doubt a tribute to the defence of the opposing team,' but as all good footballers know the acme of play in attack is to leave the flnal recipient with a clear run— unless a brilliant defender comes to light. $rhis was not the case on Saturday. Opportunity came and was snatched, and scores resulted. Only occasionally was the machine in working order, and even then it was mainly used to make ground. However,, it was an exciting game, and if Devonport had not gained such a grip on the game in the first spell the finish might have been much closer. In team work Devonport were superior. The full-back, Tier (a recent arrival from Wellington), played a good game, and the three-quarters all played well, with Hall standing out both in attack and defence.' • The forwards, contributed their share, and all did well both in attack and defence. For Ponsonby, Murray was a tower .of strength in the last line, and Holland, Bright, arid Riley -. in the three-quarter line, did their work well. Among the forwards Hutt and Stockley were prominent for Ponsonby, nnd Sowter. Donald, and Miliclch for Devonport. who are now due to meet Marists, with whom they previously drew. GRADE GAMES. SENIOR RESERVE. City 13. beat Newton 9. Marist 19, beat Mount Albert 11. Devonport 33, beat Ponsonby 11. SENIOR B. Point Chevalier 38. beat Waiuku 2. SECOND GRADE. Richmond 26. beat R.V. 2. Ponsonby 7, beat Glenora 2. THIRD GRADE. Richmond 10. drew will) Ponsonby 10. Akarana A 51,- beat Green Lane 5, Mauukan B 4, beat Northcote 2. FOURTH GRADE. City beat Green" Dane by default. Papakura 16, beat Pt. Chevalier S 2. - FIFTH GRADE.; Akarana 5, beat Devonport 2. Newton 2, beat Richmond B 0. Richmond A 12, 'beat Ellerslie 10.

SIXTH GRADE. City 20, beat Point Chevalier 2. Richmond bent Devonport by default. SEVENTH GRADE. Richmond 2, beat Avondale 0. SCHOOLBOYS' GAMES. Devonport 9, beat Northcote 3. Richmond 3, beat Akarana 0. Marxst 10, beat Avondale Convent 3 Otahuhu 7, beat City .0. SEVEN-A-SIDE. Richmond B 3, beat Akarana 0 ven^O 11 Lane °* dl " eW With Avonaale Con-Richmond-A 0, drew with Otahuhu 0. GAMES IN THE PROVINCE. Richmond 19, beat Huntly 0. Junior.—Huntly 8, beat Pukemiro 0. GAMES IN THE SOUTH. CH'RIiSTCI IURCH. Brighton 7, beat Sydenham 3. Ruru 8, beat Hornby 0. Addington 29, beat Lin wood S. BIG WIN FOR N.S.W. SYDNEY, June 0.. In a Rug-by League match yesterday New South Wales defeated Queensland by E>l points to S. • H. Sedgley, formerly of Chrlstcliurch, New Zealand,- is now playing wing for Northern Suburbs' senior Rugby Union team.