LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 114, 17 May 1938, Page 15

LEAGUE CODE.

TO-MORROW'S TRIAL.

NORTH AND SOUTH ISLANDS NEXT SATURDAY. PLAYERS FOR AUSTRALIAN TOUR. With a trial match to-morrow between an Auckland team and a team selected from the rest of the North Island, and the North and South Island fixture and an A and B trial next Saturday, as a prelude to the choosing of the New Zealand team to tour Australia, a busy week ie ahead for the League code.

The match to-morrow is for the express purpose of giving the selectors an opportunity of seeing players of promise, and it is not necessarily the two strongest teams which could have been put in the field.

Consistently good play and marked gonlkicking ability has resulted in J. Smith, the North Shore player, getting the place of full-back in the Auckland team. McNeil 1, of Mount Albert, R. Chase, of Manukau, and Riley should make a speedy and effective threequarter line. W. Tittleton's all-round play has justified his choice ae the second five-eighth, Walter Brimble, of Manukau, is inside him, and his brother Wilfred Brimble, who has been the outstanding scrum half in Auckland this season, is behind the pack. Satherley, of Richmond, is the selectors' choice as hooker, and hie supports in the front row will be Gault, of Manukau, and Herring, of Mount Albert. Anderson (Marist), Brodrick (Manukau) and Tetley (Richmond) make up the balance of the pack, the latter two being amongst the best loose forwards in the game.

The Rest of the North Island team comprises in the main players who are not familiar to the Auckland public, and they may- have the disability that they have not played together previously. O'Connor, of Wellington, the full-back, has been playing, well this season, also Mulhojland, the Wellington centre. Four Bay of Plenty players are getting a trial in the backs. McGarvey, wing-three-quarter, and Nntiiku, McCready and Blarkie, the latter three being associated in the intermediate line. Tarplett is the only South Auckland representative m the backs.

Guide To Form.! The forwards will include Mustchen and Rogers from the King Country, Taylor, a last forward from North Auckland. Lewis, the outstanding Taranaki forward, Brooks, of South Auckland, and J. Coutta, of Wellington, who has previously represented New Zealand. The match will be a guide to the selectors for choosing the INorth Island team to play the South Island, and it ie probable t'»at some of them who do not get a game in the inter-island match will have a further trial in the curtain-raiser game next Saturday. . Some well-known names appear in the South Island team which will come north. Davidson, the fast and heavy Canterbury win" three-quarter, has previously played here, while R. Brown, the centre, has played in England. Kiely, the West Coaet five-eighth, has previously played m the inter-island match in Auckland In the forwards, Glynn. of West Coast, is a New Zealand League representative, and in Oram they will bring north a player recently joined up with League, who is reported to be a hooker of outstanding quality. . Reports from the South indicate that their forwards will be heavy and fast, and they should be able to hold their own with the six northerners opposing them. There is an indication that some endeavours have been made to induce players of note to appear in the trial matches with a view of inclusion in the Dominion

team, but it would be better for the future of the game were preference given to young players who have ehown consistent form throughout the eeaeon, and have been trying earneetly to juetify their choice.

Return Of Nepia. Reputation ie a difficult thing to live up to. In the 1924 season George Nepia was hailed ae the greatest full-back in the world. Now in the veteran, stage ae players go, he is still an active footballer. In making his first appearance in Auckland last Saturday, ae full-back for Manukau in the match against Richmond, he added interest to the contest. But if spectators were expecting fireworks from the veteran Maori full-back they were disappointed. Nepia has scarcely seen a football eince last season, when he gave a wonderful display against the touring Australian, team, and he travelled continuously from Thursday to reach Auckland an hour before the match started. Under those circumstances too much could not be expected, and the beet he showed wae glimpses of all his old strategy, and some .of the extraordinary defence which ha« always marked hie play. It now remains to be seen whether he can get the necessary form to justify inclusion in the NewZealand team. He is faced with the fact that there are some young and talented competitors clamouring at the gate, and League is a game in which the prize often goes to youth

Best of the Season. The Manukau-Riehmond game proved the beet draw for spectators that the Auckland Rugby League has put on this season. Richmond played a brilliant open game all the way, and it was only Manukau endeavour and ability to turn scoring chances to the beet account that pulled them through. Hemi's incisive work was a fine feature, and R. Chase in the centre showed an adroitness in cutting in which gave him two tries which Mannkau badly needed. Walter Brimble's constructive play was good.

The brilliance of Furnell wae the outstanding feature of the Richmond back play. He fielded faultlessly, showed great speed, and repeatedly got hie supporte into position. McLeod continues to show great form in the Richmond forwards, and in Tetley and Devine there is a very accomplished pair for off th« scrum work.

There wae little between Ponsonby and Newton, but the former's win was full of merit. The return of Kay, after injury, and hie association with Riley, added a lot of sparkle to the Ponsonby backs, and the Brimble pair gave their usual good display of combined vork for Newton.

AUCKLAND V. THE REST. Two strong teams have been- chosen for the trial match between Auckland and The Rest of North Island, * which will be played at Carlaw Park to-morrow afternoon. Devine, of Richmond, was injured last Saturday, and has been replaced in the reserves of the Auckland team by E. Morgan, of Ponsonby. The teams are:— REST OP NORTH ISLANEf. Full-back: F. O'Connor (Wellington). Three-quarters: P. MeGarvey (Bay of Plenty), C. Mulholland (Wellington), M. Tarplett (South Auckland). Five-eijrhths : B. Xatuku (Bay of Plenty), Ij. McCready (Bay of Plenty). Half-back: B. Blackie (Bay of Plenty). Forwards: J. Coutts (Wellington). W. Brooks (South Auckland), L. Lewis (Taranaki), E. Mustchen, H. Rodgers (King Country), E. Taylor (North Auckland). Reserves—Back: R. McOfenl (South Auckland). Forward: P. Howe (Wellington). AUCKLAND. Fnll-back : J. Smith (North Shore). Three-quarters: C. McNeill (Mount Albert), R. Chase (Manukan), B. Riley (Ponsonby). Five-eighths: W. Brimble (Manukau), W. Tittleton (Richmond). Half-back: W. Brimble (Newton). Forwards: D. Herring (Mount Albert), J. Satherlcy (Richmond), A. Gault (Manukau), ,T. Anderson (Marist), J. Brodriek (Manukan), H. Tetley (Richmond). Reserves —Back: T. Chase (Manukau). Forwards: W. McNeight (Newton), E. E. Morgan (Ponaonby). The referee will be Mr. M. Wetitcrill.