League Training School To Begin Today

Press, Volume C, Issue 29539, 14 June 1961, Page 13

League Training School To Begin Today

'T'HE fourth national Rugby ; * League coaching school : will begin at the Show i Grounds today with a game i between two teams selected i from the 30 attending players. On June 20, the training school XIII to play the touring Australian team will be announced. Probably the greatest work achieved by the schools over the last three seasons, has been preparing players on the brink of international class, to become definite test match and touring team prospects. This was evident after the 1959 school at Palmerston North, where 12 of the' players who attended the school, were among the 26 who toured Australia with the New Zealand team later that year. Last year however, only one from the school made the World Cup team. As in 1959, a full-scale international tour is to be made this year. With this in mind, the selectors have, oddly enough, omitted players who appeared to have good prospects of making the coming tour of England and France. It can only be assumed that they are regarded as certain-t’.-s. and have no need to attend the school, or have been completely disregarded. Names that spring to mind are D. Nathan, J. Constable

and R. W. Harrison (Auck- < land) and the Canterbury f five-eighths, J. Bond. Harrl- ; son was a Auckland Rugby ■ representative in 1958. I Of this year's squad, only i R. S. Cooke and B. T. Reidy, ( both of Auckland, have pre- i viously played for New Zealand. Reidy toured Australia , in 1959 as a full-back but . an injury kept him out of , the three tests. Cooke, as a Waikato representative, was in the 1960 World Cup team. The 1959 New Zealand representative and West Coast fiveeighths, G. M. Kennedy, was not available for selection for the school.

Nine members of test years school at Rotorua have again been included. They are J. Fagnn, J. Patterson and Cooke (Auckland), G. Smith and C. McMastens (West Coast), A. Amer and J. Fisher (Canterbury), G. Farrar (Waikato), and S. Edwards (Rotorua). An interesting selection is that of the former New Zealand Maori Rugby representative. H. K. Emery, who changed to the League code last year. Emery played at Lancaster Park in 1956 and 1959 for Auckland Rugby sides, but as yet has not represented his province in the new code. A pleasing feature of the selection is that all of the Rugby League playing provinces are represented. Minor Leagues, such as Waikato. Rotorua, Manawatu. and Otago, have one player each, “whil<, Taranaki and Wellington each has twc. These weaker provinces need the most assistance in raising their standards, but unfortunately have the smallest representation. It would be too much to expect that on their return from the school, one cr even two players would be able to lift the level of the game in their own centres, to that of Auckland's, Canterbury's and West Coast's. At present New Zealand is still about last in the four

main League-playing nations, and allthough the training school grooms players for test matches, it does not necessarily raise the standard of League throughout the whole country. Tt seems that of all the League ptayers in New Zealand, only 30, tor seven or so days, are able to receive the benefits of extensive training under the guidance of New Zealand's leading coaches. If the New Zealand League was to appoint a full-time professional coach, to coach coaches, as has been the practice in soccer. League in New Zealand would be the better. , The training school will be in the hands of Mr W. Telford, who is one of the national and training school selectors. Mr Telford coached the 1857 World Cup team in Australia and will coach the New Zealand team in England and France later this year. He will be assisted by the well-known West Coast and New Zealand five-eighths, G. Menzies. Also present for the 10 days of training will be one of the other selectors, Mr T. F. McKenzie. Omissions Although Canterbury has six players in the school. . there will be general disappointment over the omission of others. Four forwards, J. Fisher, M. Mohi, E Tavendale. and N. Diggs, is a good quota, but the inclusion of only one back is disappointing. R. Billington is named as a Canterbury player, but since coming from Auckland has played only two games in Christchurch. This leaves A. Amer as the only regular Canterbury i back in the squad. After some very convincing displays, Amer fully deserves the honour. The backs who can be , deemed unlucky are J. Bond. R. Carey, and A. Smith. Bond is now almost back to his best form of 1859, when only an injury prevented him from touring Australia with the New Zealand team. It appears that he may have , lost favour with the New Zealand selectors. Carey is improving all the ■ time and the training he would have received at the ’ school could have put him into the tflp bracket The omission of Smith at , full-back will be a dis- > appointment to his many ad- , mirers. It is apparently con- . sidered that he lacks the t speed required from a league full-back. However, the , main essential is to be a re- , liable last line of defence and , Smith is certainly in that , category. His goal-kicking is probably the best in New r Zeeland. But it is difficult j to criticise the selection when so many of the players , have not appeared in Christ- . church before.