Rugby League TEAM TO PLAY AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28314, 27 June 1957, Page 14

Rugby League TEAM TO PLAY AUSTRALIA

Strong Criticism Of Selectors

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 26. Sydney Rugby League writers were critical today of the selection of the "Rest” team to play Australia, instead of the scheduled final of the World Cup series. Australia won outright in three matches and no final was necessary, so a team composed of six' New Zealanders, four Frenchmen, and three Englishmen was chosen instead to play Australia.

In the “Daily Telegraph” George Crawford described the "Rest” team as laughable and said the visiting League managers had made a joke of Saturday’s tnatch. "They chose a ridiculous rest-of-the-world team,” he said. "It is studded with men out of position. England, which has only three players in the team, seemingly is not interested in the match. Probably it is more interested in reserving its best players for a match against Queensland in Brisbane on Monday." Crawford said the visiting team managers chose the English centre, Lewis Jones, as full-back, the New Zealand five-eighth, Menzies, on the left wing, and the New Zealand hooker, J. Butterfield, as a prop forward. “In yesterday’s match against New Zealand, Jones was England’s worst player, and Gunney its poorest forward,” he said. Tom Goodman, in the "Sydney Morning Herald,” said that as a result of the selection, Saturday’s match would not how be a true trial of Cup winner v. The Rest. He said that England had not pressed for more players in the “Rest" team. Goodman quoted a leading Australian Rugby League official as saying, “The selection is a tragedy.” Another newspaper critic, Ernie Christensen, of the “Sydney Sun,” said: “The English team obviously boycotted the match by keeping its star players out of the combined side.”

“The Rest” team is:— Full-back: L. Jones (England). Three-quarters: M. Voron (France), J. Merquey (France, captain), W. Sorensen (N.Z.), G. Menzies (N.Z.‘). Five-eighth: G. Benaudfce (France). Half-back: S. Belsham (N.Z.). Forwards: J. Whitley (England). G. Gunney (England), C. Johnson (N.Z.), J. Butterfield (N.Z.),. N. Appelian (France). H. Maxwell (N.Z.). Reserves: A. Rives (France), A. Rhodes (England), T. Harris (England), J. Riddell (N.Z.).