LEAGUE SELECTION POLICIES CONFUSING

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31086, 15 June 1966, Page 19

LEAGUE SELECTION POLICIES CONFUSING

(By Our Rugby League Reporter.) Some of the policies adopted by the Canterbury Rugby League selectors (Messrs R. K. Andrews, D. L. Blanchard and E. Butts) this season have been, to say the very least, unusual.

Players have been changed from their club positions and ele* vated to representative status; others have been shuttled from place to place in the team itself and the relationship between the selectors and the players has become strained. The selectors took a big

gamble on Sunday when Canterbury met West Coast in the final of the Rothmans southern zone tournament by naming only one reserve, P. V. Smith (Marist). Had two players been hurt in the first five minutes Canterbury would have played most of the game with only 12 men—unless the selectors intended to approach a player in the crowd. It is rather odd, also, that the Canterbury team was not released before the team took the field. Changing Positions The positional changes have upset any team-work that has been built up. Even in the first match—against West Coast at Greymouth in April—a centre, J. B. Kennedy (Marist), was put into the second row and expected to reach provincial standard in a strange position after only a few training runs. He has seldom played since. In the same game Smith, the soundest inside back in the province, was moved to full-back where he stayed for two matches. He was moved to stand-off half against Auckland, played an excellent game on defence to contain J. D. Ellwood, then he was promptly dropped. Against Manawatu the Kaiapoi centre, B. Williams, was named as Smith’s replacement—again failure. E. Kereopa (Linwood), who now plays prop forward for his club, has played the last two matches on the wing. He made a break against West Coast but was caught from behind by F. Kennedy, the West Coast hooker and possibly its slowest forward. Clearly Kereopa does not have the speed for a wing.

The captain, P. M. V. White (Addington), and A. N. Amer (Papanui) have both played on the wing and in the centres. White was expected to captain his team from the most distant position. The vice-captain and forward leader for the first three matches, M. H. Mohi (Marist), was replaced by J. H. Fisher (Addington) after the Auckland game. For the matches against New South Wales Country and Auckland Canterbury’s two reserves were both Linwood forwards, G. J. Rosanowski and Kereopa. Another milestone was reached against Manawatu when both reserves were backs, Smith and R. A. Neiman—both primarily inside backs. Late For Training It is no secret that the players are not happy with the training sessions. They have shown their lack of interest by late arrival at training. This, it is said, stems from the methods used by the coach (Mr Butts), who sometimes concentrates on one or two positions, leaving other players with nothing to do. Officials of some clubs have expressed displeasure at the selection and coaching methods. A suggestion that a forward and a back selector and coach be elected by the clubs with a board of control member to act as arbitor has been put forward for next season. This would improve the balance for all three present selectors played in the forwards.

Obviously something must, be done if Canterbury is ever to defeat another province other than Manawatu, and this suggestion may be the answer.