MOHI SUCCEEDS COOKE AS FORWARD LEADER

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31077, 4 June 1966, Page 15

MOHI SUCCEEDS COOKE AS FORWARD LEADER

'J'HE most heartening feature of the Canterbury Rugby League season has been the outstanding form of the South Island secondrow forward, M. H. Mohi (Marist). The New South Wales Country team which played Canterbury at the Show

Grounds on Sunday had several fine young forwards but it was Mohi who stood out as the player of the match. In possession he charged into the defence, turned in the tackle and sent the ball on to his supporting forwards. In the first half this worked wonderfully well with W. A. Flavell usually present to take the pass. However, after the interval Flavell was there only part of the time, and others very seldom. Over the last 40 minutes Canterbury saw little of the ball and consequently the forwards were kept on the defence. The added responsibility of the vice-captaincy and forward leader was taken lightly by the big, strong locomotive driver. He tackled well in the second half and was still going strongly at the finish. He has a reputation of being a 50-minute footballer, but that has been changed by his outstanding play at the end of last season and again this year.

The national selectors (Messrs E. Butts, M. W, Church and W. Telford) must have been soundly impressed on Sunday. Mohi must now be a strong candidate for Kiwi honours, if not against Britain this season

then surely for the tour of Australia in 1967.

Mohi has played 23 matches for his province in the last six years but has never made the last hurdle when Kiwi teams have been selected. The 1961 and 1963 national coaching schools moulded him into an accomplished player and the South Island selectors have chosen him on four occasions, including the match against South Africa in 1963. In 1962 he played for the New Zealand Maoris against Great Britain and he was considered unfortunate to miss the tour of Australia in 1963. The following year his form fell away and he played only one match for Canterbury.

Last season he came back to his best in the New Zealand trial at Auckland and in the inter-island match at Greymouth. The latter game was described as a final trial for the 1965 Kiwi team to tour Britain and France but being rated as one of the best forwards in the match was not sufficient to win Mohi a place in the touring team.

If his current form continues he should be in the Kiwis in a season or two. Mohi promises to become Canterbury’s most accomplished forward leader since M. L. Cooke.