LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 149, 26 June 1935, Page 16

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

JUNIOR MANAGEMENT.

CONTROL MADE STRICTER.

THIRD GRADE TEAM SUSPENDED.

After a lengtliy inquiry into the misconduct of a third grade team on two successive Saturdays, the junior management committee of the Auckland Rugby League last evening, with Mr. 15. Wilkie presiding, suspended the Manukau A team at the pleasure of the "ooard, with a rider that any player of the team wishing to play again would have to first appear before his club before applying to the management. The chairman said that for the sake of the prestige of the code strong action was licecssary. It was decided that in the case of, a player of any weighted grade team found over weight by the special weighing committee, his team shall forfeit championship [joints won on that day. Nominations were called for the senior 13 grade and seventh grade knock-outs, which are to close next Tuesday. The fourth grade second round is to count as the knock-out. The Green Lane Club's colours were approved for registration. It was reported that New;ton fourth grade team would play at Waiuku at the week-end. A Richmond third grade player attended and weighed in at correct weight, which had been challenged by Manukau Club, whose protest, in any case, was out of order, not being in by 7 p.m. The protest fee was refunded. A fourth grade complaint against a referee for playing a match short time was held over for report. It was also decided meanwhile to draw the attention, to the rule governing the point. Transfer. — H. Coneliie, Richmond sevenths to City sixths.

ONLOOKER'S VIEWPOINT

MR. MILLER'S VISIT.

A correspondent, Mr. P. J. Sheehan, writes: — Once more we welcome a Rugby League pundit from across the Tasman to our shores, and once more he runs true to form, and explains to the complete satisfaction of himself how bankrupt these unfortunate isles are in Rugby players of class. Five minutes off the boat, and he knows all about it. In Sydney, of course, things are different, with the supermen playing League there; no ancients, the grandad of the game being 26 years of age, husky young giants between 22 and 24 being the right grade. Quite true. I some of them here last year with the St. George team. My Rugby League programme told me all about them —the" dazzling height their star fiveeighth reached, the phenomenal speed of their wings, the verve, abandon and action of their team play. It was all there in black and white, or was it pink? So I waited to see the massacre of Richmond. The five-eighth certainly rose to a great height once. True, he was assisted for-the" first six feet in his flight towards the stratosphere by the enthusiastic cooperation of the exuberant Mr. Prentice, but lie certainly went up. It is equally true that he also came down, and attempted no more aviation feats that afternoon. . In the meantime, Mr. Lawless and his merry band were, with > a total disregard for the nicety of things, playing the very deuce with the speed, verve and abandon. Then old man Mr. Cooke (he is over 26); becoming bored and lonely leaning against his goal post, went forward to mingle with the boys, and that was that. I must grant that the St. George lads took their "licking" like gentlemen, but explained in extenuation that the brand of football Richmond played was not the true League. Mr. Miller's advent reminds me of Mr. Mair. Mr. Mair was the Australian gentleman who came here to tell the local League folk where, they were all wrong. Did he not take the credit of introducing that charming movement, the "scissors" pass? To the uninitiated, may I explain that this is not a wrestling hold. The cssence of the whole thing is that you seize the ball and hasten with all speed away from your supporting backs and into the arms of a highly gratified opposing forward. It is greatly improved if done to the accompaniment of a jazz band, strong on side drums and saxophones, with a resounding thump on the big drum as a finale. Well did Mr. Mair's "scissors" make a hit? I'll say it did. The local League cognoscenti were all agog. They called Mr. Mair "the wizard from the north" (I fancy lie owned a pub in Queensland). They got him to give lectures to their players, their referees, their officials; which he delighted to do. His i very appearance at Carlaw Park was the signal for resounding cheers, and when, during the course of the game, the "scissors" came off the air throbbed and rethrobbed as the patriots on bank and stand expressed their glee. Of course, there was only one way gratitude could be expressed. "Make Mr. Mair manager of the League team about to invade England. What a team he will our boys into," became the | insistent cry. True, there were quite a number of New Zealand officials who had! borne for many years the heat and burden j of the League day, and no doubt had the ■ capacity and the desire for the job. But the scissorites prevailed, and Mr. Mair got the appointment. Then we saw our hero in a new role. Prom football coach he changed to the efficiency expert The evening o£ the day on which the team sailed the "Auckland Star's" eight o'clock edition printed his "rules governing players on tour." It is the finest piece of light prose I have read since Uncle \Toby. Principals of Plunket ' and Karitane homes should get it as a model text book. No mother should be without a copy. One clause was particularly brilliant: "When eating meat the . players must chew it at least 29 or 32 times." I forget exactly which. I often visualise that team's meal time. The spectacle of a band of New Zealand footballers attacking their daily sausage and champing away to the beat of their mentor's baton, while he intoned his "One, two-00, three-ee," etc., etc., has remained with me as a most enchanting memory. Of course, the show blew up. New Zealanders are very patient folk. Some people even 1 say they are very docile, but apparently they have some red blood about them somewhere. In any case a riot or a - strike or a mutiny occurred while the team was in England, and this country has Mr. Mair no more. Then we had the Australian gentleman who accompanied the English League team, who, after playing in Auckland, went south on missionary work amongst the uncultured natives who would not drink League milk with their porridge. That was the yeiir "the battle of Dunedin occurred. Our trans-Tasman friend occupied the non-honorary post of baggage man, masseur, general adviser and factotum in chief and excelsis. This Admirable Crichton was the essence of discreetness itself while here, but on his return to Sydney his indignation got vent. According to him, the New .Zealanders hit the Englishmen with everything but the goal posts during the course of the games, while the attitude of the victims in turning the other cheek was a thing that made him feel proud he was of British stock. We have had them till. We had the coach especially exported to brighten the game up "over there." "Action boys, we must have action. Plenty of fast stuff, and we'll be packing them in," seemed to be the chief keynote. But probably the memory of a sitnposed national New Zealand side providing the curtain-raiser to a Sydney club game cramped his style, and he went back home. However, Mr. Miller is our guest. We j wish him a pleasant and very enjoyable holiday. He may have trouble in making we obtuse people change our recreational

outlook on Rugby to his industrial viewpoint, but his failure in that direction SMll/ hot be without precedent. I would, however, advise him to be warmly clad Eoea south. It will be very, verv down, there.