"GO OFF."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 186, 7 August 1936, Page 9

"GO OFF."

FOOTBALL DELAYED.

LEAGUE MATCH INCIDENT.

ALLEGATION OF THREAT.

' There was an extraordinary incident in the Rugby League match between the English touring team and the South Auckland representatives at Huntly yesterday atternoon, the game being held up for some minutes until one of the English forwards, M. Hodgson, who had been ordered off by the referee, Mr. A. Harlock, left the field. Jt was a day of misfortune for the Englishmen, as in addition to losing Hodgson, three players went off injured, and they had to finish the match with nine men,, which necessitated the strange formation of three men in the scrums. It was a hard and open game, but not rough, as might be suggested by the number of casualties. Exlev, the big English forward, who was playing in the backs, injured his shoulder while diving for a try. Beverley's injury was stranger still. He crossed the South Auckland line with the nearest defender five yards away. Then ljiis leg gave way, and he collapsed in a heap. Later on Ellerington limped off after being tackled. i The South Auckland backs played to instructions, and concentrated 011 defence. In that respect one man stood out for South Auckland —E. Tukere, at ' wing three-quarter, who ran his opponents out towards the side line, and then dived in low behind them. At other I times Tukere allowed his opponents to I pass and then gave chase and dived on I their heels. From the South Auckland I viewpoint it was Tukere's day, and his 1 deadly method of felling big men earned him the deep respect of his opponents, i The Englishmen again struck trouble with the play-the-ball rule. Mr. Harlock stopped the game several times to explain matters to them, a,nd then he began to penalise them. It was obvious that the Englishmen did not appreciate some of the decisions, and by their gestures they showed it. And then came the Hodgson incident. The spectators saw the game stopped, and wondered what it was all about. Then they saw Hodgson walk off, waving his hands as if inprotest. When Mr. Harlock was seen after the match he said: "I saw Hodgson trying to upper-cut one of the iSouth Auckland forwards, and I told . Aim to go off. Brough, the English captain, then came up and threatened to take his team off. I replied, 'You can please yourself about that, but Hodgson lias to go off.'" There was very little interest in' the game after that, a,s there would have been little merit in a win for South Auckland against such a depleted side . The team manager for the Englishmen. Mr. W. Popple well, said "that he was surprised to hear that there had been any ill-feeling shown in the match. The statement that Brough had said he would take his team off the field was absurd, as in England both the captain and the team would be suspended if they walked off the field. The English captain, J. Brough, denied that he threatened to take the English team off the field. "I asked the referorto reserve his decision," he added, ar.d then said "If- lie goes off the field there ['will be nobody left."