LEAGUE TOUR IN REVIEW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 162, 12 July 1938, Page 15

LEAGUE TOUR IN REVIEW.

POSSESSION OF BALIMATCH WITH AUCKLAND. CALIBRE OF LOCAL SIDE. The members of the New Zealand Rugby League team are home again, and Aucklanders who were in the touring combination will be welcomed by their clubs in view of the matches which are ahead. The tour showed that the New Zealand standard has improved, the open back play appealed very much to the Australian' critics, but there were indications that in some phases of forward play NewZealand still has room for improvement. In the League game possession of the bail is almost everything, and successful possession from set scrummages means much to a side.

Ihe tour revealed the fact that some players fully came up to what was expected of them, but there were others who either fell away in form or else quite failed to reproduce the form which they showed before leaving New Zealand. For that there may be many reasons. Hard travelling, short intervals between matches, climatic conditions and hard grounds are all likely contributing circumstances. Still, loss of foi m is always a puzzle with a touring team and one that cannot be got over.

The success of J. Hemi, who proved to be the outstanding New Zealand back on the tour, draws attention to the fact that he was not originally in the team, and his inclusion was a last-minute choice when it was found that George Nepia was unable to go. It was Hemi's good fortune to get the trip, ahd it was the team's good fortune to have him with them. Hemi's superlative kicking greatly impressed the Australia!) critics, and his defensive plav, particularly in the match at Newcastle, was of a very high order.

Players in the touring team commented on the hard grounds and great liveliness of the ball in Australia, and their opinion was that on the heavier New Zealand grounds a Dominion team would have more than a fair share of success against any team that Australia could send across. Hard Matehes. The high League standard of country teams in Australia meant that the New Zealanders had all hard matches, and none were of the picnic order. New Zealand gave one of their best .displays to win at Newcastle, and the team they met there was up to State standard. Next Saturday's Attraction. And now that the team is back, Aucklanders will have the opportunity of seeing the tourists in action when next Saturday they will meet the Auckland representatives at Carlaw Park. The Auckland team is a strong combination. Glover, at fullback, has been showing splendid form. In the three-quarter line is Riley (who was not available for the Australian tour), T. Chase, the mercurial Manukau wing, who is deserving of a place in any New Zealand team, and Verdun Scott, the Shore centre, who will have Haslam, the Marist centre, allied with him. Banham, the player-coach, will be the stand-off half, and with Mahima at half-back the Auckland back division should get a good service for attacking work.

The Auckland forwards chosen reflect the- evenness of forward play in Auckland at the moment. In the front row Broadhead, of Richmond, will have Leather-

barrow and Shadbult for companions, and the six will be made up with the inclusion of Morgan, of Ponsonby, Gunning, of Mount Albert, and Petersen, of Ponsonby.

It might be that the New Zealand side will find the Auckland thirteen just as hard a proposition as the State teams they met in Australia, for on paper at least the home thirteen does not have the appearance of being an inferior side. Why Not E. Brimble? Yet one is tempted to wonder and regret the non-inclusion of E. Brimble in the Auckland backs, for his penetrative play thia season has been on a very high plane. H« got a try on Saturday that was the outcome of a remarkable double wide swerve. Had the selectors been standing where the writer was, right at the corner flag, as Brimble cut through, they would have appreciated the way that his opponents were caught on the wrong foot and baffled. Brimble has been paid the compliment of being chosen as a reserve. A similar compliment has been paid to Hansen, the Mount Albert forward; whose form in. recent matches has not been surpassed by any .other Auckland player in the game. -• / '

Still, even selectors have their troubles, and when the standard of' play is high there must always be eome good players left out.

Continuation of the club matches on Saturday resulted in Marist defeating Mount Albeit, tlie leading team, with the result, that both those teams are now level. kven jiiay marked most of the game, but in the final stage Marist definitely went into the lead. Forward, they had 110 real ascendancy over Mount Albert, but the Marist backs teamed better than their opponents, there was more rhythm in their play, and more directed purpose in their attacking movements.

With Donovan, Cahners and Murdock, Marist have built up an inside combination which makes for collaboration, and in the centre Hiislam consistently plays good football that is marked by a fine sense of positional play in attack, and a wonderful defence. It was that combination which made Marist so effective once they got the ball. In comparison, the Mount Albert back play was on the unit basis, some of it excellent, but lacking in the concentration and effectiveness which combined thrust gives. Three Marist forwards who stood out were Binlayson, Bakalieh and Woods, the latter showing surprising pace and determination when scoring chances came his way.

The general evenness of the Mount Albert forwards was again a feature, and on his form at the moment there is no better forward in Auckland than Hansen.

Crop of Mishaps. A big crop of mishaps marked the match between Richmond and North Shore, and robbed a game, which easily went in Richmond s favour, of much of its interest. The transfer of Furnell to Wellington, resulted in Richmond playing Bramley at full-back, and the colt gave quite a good exhibition in a new role. The presence of Fletcher in the Richmond three-quarter line gave the Richmond attack a lot of impetus, and generally they were far too good for the Shore backs. Broadliead stood out in the Richmond forwards for fine all-round plav, and Mcintosh and Jones showed up all the way in the Shore six.

Ponsonby played just well enough to defeat Papakura, after leading by a single point at half-time. The Papakura play was bright, and in the loose their forwards broke even with their opponents. Ponsonby do not experiment to a great extent, but they are not afraid to try out a young player, and Martin, who played his first senior game in the full-back position, made a decided success of it. Riley's skill was as much in evidence in the Ponsonby back play, and Morgan stood out in the forwards. Two of the Papakura backs who came up to standard were Crocker and Cooke.

A much-improved City side made Newton play all out to win, and they rose to it with splendid combination on occasions. E. Brimble got the most brilliant try in the match, a run in which pace and crisp wide swerving gave his opponents no chance. MEYER NOT BEYER. Papakura's full-back in their match on Saturday against Ponsonby was Meyer, not the former Auckland Rugby Union representative A. Beyer, as stated in the "Sports Edition." I

"CREDIT TO NEW ZEALAND."

THE KIWIS' TOUR. OFFICIAL RECEPTION. Congratulations oh their success, and their conduct on and off the field, were extended to the members of the touring League team by the deputy-chairman of the New Zealand Rugby League, Mr. H. Wilson, at a reception tendered the players at the Commercial Hotel last evening. Mr. G. Grey Campbell, chairman of the Auckland Control Board, said that from all reports the players had been a credit to the Dominion and to the code. Auckland enthusiasts had been pleased at the fine reports that had been cabled from Australia during the tour. He hoped that

the players would return to their own clubs and give them the benefit of the experience they had gained.

The tour, generally speaking, had been successful, said Mr. J. A. Redwood, comanager, in thanking the New Zealand League for the welcome home. Every man had done his best, and he was pleased to say that the conduct of the men, both on and off the field, had been excellent. "The players were a credit to the Dominion and made me proud to be a New Zealander," he added.

No side in the future could uphold better traditions, said Mr. W. 0. Carlaw, comanager. The tour was undoubtedly a forerunner to other tours, which would be the making of the game in New Zealand. He had been extremely proud of the conduct of the players.

The captain of the team, W. McNeight, 6aid all the players felt that they had given of their best in Australia. The tour had taught them a lot, and the players would undoubtedly pass on , the ..experience they had gained.

The coach, Mr. A. T. McClymont, said that at no time did he have reason to complain at the attitude of the team to training, "To win matches in Australia is a. different proposition to winning in New Zealand," he said. "Our football is in the building, and the lessons we have learnt will be put to the fullest use."

PROFITS ON TOUR. SYDNEY TEAM'S VISIT. THE GUARANTEE QUESTION. SYDNEY, July 11. The "Sun's" Rugby League writer warns Sydney and country League clubs who received an invitation to tour New Zealand, that it would be unwise to expect New Zealand to provide financial guarantees for such tours.

The writer adds that the profit on the New Zealand team's recent tour of Australia, after making weekly allowances to the players, was only about £300. "~*

Mr. J. A. Redwood, co-manager of the iSew Zealand touring team, stated to-day that the profits on the tour would exceed the amount of £300 mentioned by the Sydney writer, but the exact sum was not yet known. While he was in Australia some of the country clubs had stated that they would require a guarantee it a tour were undertaken. He had replied that such a practice had not been followed in the past, and he did not think that the New Zealand League could do it. However, he had given an assurance that the matter would be fully considered on his return, and it would be discussed at a meeting to-morrow*night.

AFFAIRS OF REFEREES.

At the meeting of the Rugby League referees last evening two members, Messrs. G. Kelly and O. Chalmers, were promoted to senior rank. In relation to the "sliding try" the New Zealand Referees' Association dealt with the ruling a« laid down by the English Rugby League. It stated that a player was presumed to be tackled three or four yards from the line, both players falling to the ground. The ball touched the ground, which, being greasy, both players, still locked together, slid over the line —the ball touching the ground all the way. The rule was that a "try must be allowed. The New Zealand Association advised that this cancelled all previoue interpretations.