RUGBY LEAGUE SERIES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 9

RUGBY LEAGUE SERIES

SATURDAY’S PLAY REVIEWED trial matches this week Saturday’s Rugby League matches went according to form, and practically assure Hornby of the championship. There seems no chance of any other club beating the country team, though Addington is reported to have two new men who will bring its backs up to a very high standard, and C. H, Davison will be ready to play on Saturday. Tlje next meeting of these teams should be very interesting. If E. Logie and F. Ayres could reproduce the form that won them representative honours in past seasons they would make Linwood a very fine side, as the forwards are going very strongly at present, and Fairmau, Young, Whitley, and Stevens are producing high-class football. With a little more finish to their midfield dash they would in all probability have turned their 12-point loss against Addington into a win. Two Trials Messrs R. A. Drury, J. E. A. Amos, and W. L. Desmond are to have two trials from which to select the Canterbury team. On Saturday probables and possibles will play and on the following Tuesday Hornby will play a combined team. This is a much more satisfactory method than selecting players on club form, as often a good man next to an indifferent one is passed over. The Wellington representative team to play Auckland next week contains two players well known in Christchurch, L. Merson, who formerly played for Linwood, and A. O’Connor, formerly of Waimairi. R. Sneddon, the big, fast hooker of the Waimairi team, is in good form at present, but the second-row mdn are, nullifying his efforts by blocking the bait Sneddon is a very hard worker, who is developing very fast. A former New Zealand representative forward is of the opinion that at present too many forwards are inclined to “shine,” when hard, vigorous, tight forwards are the type required. He also says that the second-row mon break too quickly from the scrums and the practice of headlocks for tackles makes him angry.