BRIGHT LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 103, 3 May 1937, Page 16

BRIGHT LEAGUE.

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. RICHMOND BEAT MT. ALBERT. MANUKAU IN MERRY MOOD. The Auckland Rugby League's senior championship opened brightly at Carlaw Park on Saturday afternoon, when a large crowd was treated to some splendid football. While the Richmond-Mount Albeit encounter was the featured attraction, the highlight of the day was the meeting of Manukau and North Shore, the teams serving up football which was both rugged and attractive. The seasiders established an early lead, but, despite gallant efforts to stem the rally of last year's champions in the second spell, went under by a margin of seven' points. In the main game of the day Richmond gained the ascendancy over Mount Albert only in the second spell and ran out the victors by 13 points to 10. On No. 2 ground Marist had a comfortable win over Newton, while Ponsonby eclipsed City rather more easily than anticipated. The results of senior matches were as follows:— Richmond 13, Mount Albert 10. Manukau 19, North Shore 12. Marist 27, Newton 10. Ponsonby 21, City 9. RICHMOND SUPERIOR. While as a spectacle it suffered in comparison with the curtain-raiser between Manukau and North Shore, the RichmondMount Albert game was interesting for the reason that the teams were fairly evenly matched, and Richmond had to battle every inch of th& -way to overhaul an early lead established by their opponents. Richmond's early difficulty was that they were largely beaten for the ball, bnt, once they had surmounted this, they showed up to better advantage and were able to clinch a victory by 13 points to 10. The outstanding back on the ground was A. E. Cookc, who gave a superlative display as full-back for Aichmond. Time and' again he stemmed invasions by scooping up the ball from the feet of onrushing forwards and nipping out of danger with a spurt at the right moment. In addition his positional play was uncanny, and he added thrust to the backs by running them into position or chiming into passing bouts. Without Cooke, the game might have had a different result for Richmond. Mincham, the captain, and W. Tittleton, were also in form among the backs. G. Mitchell, a newcomer to the forwards, was outstanding, and in scoring two tries repealed that he has football brains as well as determination when near the line. Telford and H. Hadley were the pick of the remainder of the Richmond forwards. The Mount Albert forwards were a hard working lot, with Gunning, Shadbolt, Hansen and C. Satherley being constantly in the picture.' The two Mount Albert wingers, Stewart and McCallum, impressed for their speed and dash in scoring a try aplce, while Craneh played soundly at full-back. Watkins, L. Schultz and Hassan gave their side good service, particularly in nipping Richmond passing bouts in the bud before they could develop dangerously. HEMPS GOAL POINTS. Superlative goal-kicking by Jack Heml, the brilliance of the Manukau first fiveeighth, Brimble, and of North Shore custodian, Kerr, were just a few individual features of the No. 1 ground curtain-raiser, wherein the strong Albion defence was thwarted in the last ten minutes. Theo, with football fit to grace any ground, Mannkau rode on the crest of the wave to victory by 19—12. In a fast, rugged and fascinating contest, the raiding opportunism of the trans-harbour team was matched *y the attacking resonnces of the western port representatives, whose constructiveness was always evident.

Shore led 12—4 at half-time, but Manukau dominated the second half when Brodrldt, playing on the wing, scored from a clever blind'side move engineered by Mahima, and then came the glorious passing bout which ended with Broughton's try. A similar wingward advance perfectly initiated by Brimble was capped by Murton. Kawe was in grand form, and another of George Nepia's 1935 Australian tourists, Ricket, revelled in the open forays. Sowter, Simpson and Hollows were keen -forwards for Shore, who missed Cowan early, though sterling did well. Hollows retired late in the second half. Hemi's four goals included a fine "pot" from the field.