LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 170, 20 July 1936, Page 13

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

SENIOR MATCHES. PLAY IN THE RAIN. MOUNT ALBERT STILL LEADING. ; In rain and on very heavy grounds the Auckland Rugby League's senior championship was continued at Carlaw Park 011 Saturday, when there was the smallest, attendance of the season. Mount Albert carried the day against Ponsonb.v, and maintained their place at the head of the competition. Manukau defeated City, while Devonport proved too good for Newton in a fairly higli-scoring match. Richmond was lucky to get a deciding try in their contest with Marist. Saturday's results: — Mount Albert 10, beat Ponsonby 4. Manukau 10, beat City 6. Richmond 3. beat Mar-icst o. Devonport 21, beat Newton 10. Competition ladder:- ch IV W. 1.. D. 1-;.. A- lit-S"1 i t - S " Mount Albert 11 1 ;> 1 Ji Richmond ... ii « ;; i Devonport -.11 •; •> •> } 1 ), Manukau ... 11 <► 4 1 IJ>- 170 j Marist U g 5 1 1-il " Ponsonby ... 11 o J> o ! ruv 11 4 7 — 108 j!'- » New ton 11 - '•> — 144 IGS 4 MOUNT ALBERT TOO GOOD. Adapting themselves the bo.tter to wetday conditions. Mount Albert accounted for Ponsonby by the margin of 10 points to 4 in the principal attraction of the day. The scores gave a fairly true indication ot the merits of the teams on the day, lor territorially the game favoured Mount Albert, and they were superior to tliur opponents in practically every department, l'onies became more accustomed to the conditions as the game progressed, and teamed better, but in the first half it was on rare occasions that they managed to work their wav to the attack. It speaks much lor their defence, however, when it is realised that despite the early battering they received they held their opponents so effectively that the latter led by only five points to two at the interval. Had the conditions not been so atrocious tliere might have been a different tale to tell, but as it was I'onsonby just could not foot it with the championship leaders, and were outplayed and out-generalleil. Mount Albert right from (he jump realised that concerted play was practically out of the question, and set about the task ot' e-xploiting kick-hard and follow-up tactics. Getting good service from the scrum, the result was that Ponsonby had a torrid time on defence and were repeatedly bustled Into making errors with the distinctly elusive ball. The Mount Albert half-back, Watkins, played a rattling good game behind the pack, while Halliwell, the first live-eighth, was in his clement. The lattei handled well, showed up for some smart runs, and kickcvd with excellent judgment. Dunne nnnSe the most of the rare opportunities that came his way on the wing, while B. Schultz and L. Schultss combined well 011 occasions in fast moving flank movements. Halloran worked hard throughout behind the Ponsonby pack, while W. Stoekley played soundly mostly in a defensive role in the five-eighths line. Riley was never at home, and Kay played just as well as the opposition would allow him to play. Jones and Shalfoon saw little »f the ball and usually did all that was asked of them. Caked with mud from head to foot, it was difficult to distinguish the forwards and anyone could be excused for wrongly sorting thoin out. Men who looked like Petersen, Herring and Flanagan were always in the thick of the mud for Mount Albert, while brown masses of humanity who might have been Morgan, Middleton and Carter were constantly in the picture and morass for Ponsonby.

CITY EXTEND MANUKAU.

The margin ot difference betwien City and Manukau was two conversions, for each side scored two tries, but judged oil the run of the play Watene's men would have been unlucky to lose. They were the masters of the situation in the forwards although the opposition sextet worked with a will and kept them busy throughout. Having the first use of the No. 1 ground, the -teams were not as badly handicapped by the conditions as the players in the later fixture, and there were several flashes of concerted play on both sides. Everything taken into account it was a good game, evenly contested all the way, with the decision in the balance rigiit up to the end. Munukau led ut the interval and wont on to win by 10 points to 0.

Gault played a splendid game for Manukau and was conspicuous for fast following up and hard work in the loose and tight. I'iekrang and Whye- also were never far away from the scene of activities, while Wateno played another of his heady games. The captain was always going great guns, and at times unleashed dribbling efforts that swept all before him. His play stamped him as a forward who lias all requirements. Watene once more piloted his side to victory, for it was actually his kicking which meant all the difference between a win and a draw. The City pack wor!:.-d strenuously throughout to hold their heavier opponents. Clarke was constantly in the picture, while others who gave him good support were Johnson, Raymond and Herring. Mahima was sound behind the pack for the winners, and good all-round games were played by Trevatlian, Broughton and Mason. Murray rose above tho atrocious conditions, and his fielding of the ball ut-full-back was excellent. Rata in the five-eighths line for City, was always dangerous, while the wingers, Lou Brown and McLaughlin, in possession usually had the opposition guessing. Dufty, tho Citv custodian, had plenty to do and though a trifle on the slow side at times, he usually got through his work Tvith honours.

NEWTON'S LUCK STILL OUT.

Beaten 23—5 on the same ground bv! Newton Rangers iu the first round, Devonport United got their revenge on Saturday by winning 21—16. It was a creditable game for the conditions, seeing that heavy rain fell for most of the first half and the ground surface became very sloppy. The Shore representatives made the most of early opportunities, ljut Newton made a fine recovery to equal the tallies—B all—at the interval. With the backs swinging well into stride and handling the greasy hall well, the Rangers threatened to take charge, but Dcvonport forwards turned the tallies, and their collaboration in the open told its tale iu the end. Kerr played well as fullhack until he had to retire, to he replaced by Rogers. The Dcvonport three-quarter line was not always Impressive on defence, hut L. Scott was fine on attack. Cowan is still showing up as a half-back. Sowter and Hollows were the best forwards. Johnston, Nathan, Wall and Ginders were steady for Newton, and Qulrke was a successful hooker. Deinpsey was a tower of strength in the back line and had a heavy day, but Sissons was the most enterprising hack. For a forward, Clemm proved a useful winger. On its performances Newton is in a false position on the ladder, as future engagements may demonstrate.

MARRED BY MUD,

On a ground that had been badly cut up by an earlier senior match and which soon c'liurned up into a sea of soft mud, Richmond "were lucky to defeat Marist by an , unconverted try to nil, for there was nothing between the two teams on one of those impossible days of driving rain. | The players saw it out to the end, but long before it finished it was almost impossible to identify some of them, and even the referee was nearly as mud splashed as the rest. The correct game for the day was forward play, and both teams soon realised that fact. The best means of progression was to kick the ball and follow it, as tlie man who tried to take it on dcf?nee had the hardest part of the lot. In the quagmire; which got more and more widely extended as the game went on, the plajers had the greatest difficulty in keeping a foothold, mistakes on both sides were many and happenings were occasionally ludicrous. Yet in it all there was occasional good and constructive individual effort, and there were a few who made a creditable showing when It came to handling a ball that was just about as elusive as an eel. It was a game in whicli the word brilliancy did not apply, but some of the play was distinctly worthy of praise, and as for those who did not revel In the water-logged going, tliey were more entitled to sympathy than criticism. Richmond were lucky for the reason that they got the only score of the day, although thev went close to it on other occasions. And Marist went just as close. Once Haslum threw a long pass to gi v e Reeves a chance The wing veered out fast with three Richmond backs converging. Then he swung in to pass them on the lateral move The line was open three yards ahead, but Reeves had by that time waded into an extra deep mud patch and could not keep his feSt;~ On another ocw-ion Bakalicli was over; but could not gffund the ball.

Glover played as soundly as ever at full-hack for Marist, with unwavering defence, and Loader, Haslam and Aro all did well, the latter showing great skill in handling the ball. Marist had a fine forward quartet in Kcaue, Anderson, i lnlayson and Breed, and the latter oil his consistently good form this justly earned a place iu the team to play England. Wilkie's pace was occasionally in evidence for Richmond. G. Tittleton played soundly on the wing, while Powell showed that in heavy going he had those rare qualities needed for a first-class defensive lialf-back. The Richmond forwards p-ayeit evenly, one of the best being C. Satherley, who made his reappearance after an absence from the game through being injured earlier in the season.