Rugby League Prospects

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29179, 13 April 1960, Page 15

Rugby League Prospects

WITH the Canterbury Rugby League season beginning on April 23, clubs have been in solid training for several weeks, and most teams should take the field for the first games in good physical condition.

Several of last season’s players will not be available through transfers or retirement, but most clubs are in the happy position of having young, promising replacements for them. Perhaps the hardest-hit side will be last year’s champion, Papanui. R. Clarke, E. Anderson, J. Rossiter, John Bond, J. Jones, G. Cooper and G. Ibbotson, all top players, will be missing this season and will be replaced mostly by young and improving players from the lower grades. K. Roberts, Jim Bond, and W. Jones will again turn out in the back line, with K. Pearce, G. Turner, G. Bond, and R. Grant again available in the pack. Sydenham Sydenham is in the happy position of having almost all of last season’s side again available. The only two definite losses will be J. Muirhead and B. T. Barron, with P. Stephens an unlikely starter until later in the season. K. Grut, from Christchurch, is a newcomer and D. Gardiner, who has had a spell for the last couple of seasons through illness, has been out training again. Several players from last season’s good third grade side will be hard to keep out of the senior team. Hornby’s greatest loss will be its very promising five-eighths, E. McNichol, who has been transferred to Wellington. J. Withers and R. Pont will be missing from the pack. M. Cooke, F. Tinning, and R. Woodgate will again be leaders of the forwards, with W. Truscott D. Robinson, P. Tongue, P. Skerton, and G. Neiman out again in the back line. The Linwood back line should be almost the same as last season, with A. Smith, R. Pounsford, P. White, R. Donaldson, G. Maloney, B. Tewnion, and P. Manderson again available. The Linwood forwards should be much stronger, with some new players available. R. Chandler and P. Dayhew are newcomers who have shown excellent form in their training and other contenders for places in the pack are J. White from the juniors R. McLean from the West Coast, ’and J. Fisher, a former member of the club and former New Zealand schoolboy captain. Addington showed great Improvement in the latter part of last season and should be much stronger this year. There is plenty

of talent available and with the exception of J. Raxworthy, who will not be available until later in the season, all of last season’s side will be out to make the team again. New players to the club are, in the forwards, R. Moore from Hornby, T. Smith from Christchuch, and W. Flavell, a West Coast Union representative. N. Carter, a Buller union representative and J. Pate are newcomers available for the back line. G. Blackler from the third grade and K. Shirley, a five-eighths, are other contenders for places in the side. A former Kiwis player, F. Mulcare, will be doing the coaching of a reorganised Marist side. He will be assisted by other former Kiwis, P. Smith and P. Creedy. Last year’s players again available are K. Cunneen, M. Shaw, D. O’Flaherty, C. Worters, B. Curtain, and J. McVicar. Others turning out again will be J. Thoms, E. Heenan, R. Ayson and K. Gallagher. They will be joined by J. O’Halloran from Wellington, J. Brailey, J. Phelan and J. Kelly (Auckland), all of whom are forwards. J. Jones from Papanui, has also joined the club.