AUCKLAND LEAGUE'S ANSWER TO SOUTH AUCKLAND CHALLENGE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 157, 5 July 1941, Page 6 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND LEAGUE'S ANSWER TO SOUTH AUCKLAND CHALLENGE

League football standards are always a matter of comparison and. more important still, *~sting. The standard of the game in I South Auckland is admittedly t ood. League officials there aver ' that it is equal to that of the city and they have sought an opportunity to prove it. On King's Birthday they sent a team to Auckland which defeated the Maori representatives; then they askec! for a maldi against Auckland. Their request has been an*we»fcd. Saturday week at Carlaw Park the test between Auckland and South Auckland will be played.

•THE Auckland selectors have responded by choosing a team which, in their opinion, is truly representative of the city. It is a selection which has aroused some criticism; opinions differ, and always will. In the Auckland selection are players who absolutely command their places on proven ability. There are others who may, or who may not, come up to expectations. Everything depends how they play on the day.

J. Hemi, who has been chosen as full-back for Auckland, is the Manukau player, who was a member of the New Zealand League team which went to England in the 1939 season. Hemi has been playing in the fiveeighth line for his club in recent matches, where his form has been variable. On occasions his goal-kick-ing has been excellent, but it has not been marked by the extraordinary accuracy which he showed when he first turned out in Auckland football. As a full-back Hemi is rather inrtunate to get the position, as there are other players with claims. For instance the outstanding fullback this season has been W. S. Clarke, of City, whose play has had the hallmark of real class.

The chosen centre, W. Tittleton. of Richmond, is the well known representative player, and lias been showing great form. He is regarded as the best defensive back in League football, and this season his attacking play ■ has been marked with determination and real thrust.

One of the wings is B. Riley, of Ponsonby, a skilful and polished player, who has been one of the best Auckland backs for several seasons. The other wing is J. Butler, a former North Auckland player and Maori representative, who has all round ability. He came to the League game last season, and has now mastered the finer points of the code.

There could be no criticism of the five-eighths, A. Kay, of Ponsonby, and D. Solomon, of Richmond. Kay's play is marked by cleverness and real speed, and Solomon is the best constructive player in the game.

McArthur, of North Shore, is, like Butler, of Manukau, new to rep. honours and has won his place by reason of ability to give sharp, welldirected passes from the base of the scrum and get attack going whenever a chance offers. McArthur is a football product of the Stanley Bay School, where he was a contemporary of V. J. Scott. In those days they both played Soccer. lie then went to Ellerslie and rose through the Ellerslie League grades. This season he returned to North Shore and has replaced, in the Shore team at halfback, R. Sterling, the New Zealand representative player who is now overseas with the New Zealand forces. In the Auckland forwards there are four New Zealand representative players in B. Leatherbarrow, of Mount Albert, G. Mitchell, of Richmond, P. Ririnui, of Manukau, and H. Mataira, of City, and all have shown good form this season. The other places will be filled by L. Davis, of Richmond, and C. S. Petersen, of North Shore. Last season Davis was regarded as the forward find of Auckland League football, but he has riot been as conspicuous this season. Petersen, on the other hand, has been playing at the top of his form, and with speed and opportunism, is the ideal player for the last man down position, where liaison work with the backs is a necessary i'actor.

For selection of forwards the selectors had wide scope to work on, as is shown by the fact that a front row man as good as R. Sljadbolt, of Mount Albert, and Graham, of North Shore, are listed with the reserves, while a young and promising forward like M. Hogan, of Papakura, has not been chosen.

It is also a matter of comment that in the reserves for the backs are three New Zealand representatives in J. Smith and V. J. Scott, of North Shore, and A. Mclnnarney, of Mount Albert. Smith and Scott are both playing just as well as they were in the 1939 season when chosen to go to England. In the same season Mclnnarney was regarded as a promising wing with youth on his side, and there was general satisfaction when he won Dominion honours. He has made steady improvement since then in his all-round play. Since the team was selected, however, both Scott and Mclnnarney have gone to camp, the former to Trentham and Mclnnarney to Papakura.