COAST SHOULD GAIN LEAGUE HAT-TRICK

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31124, 29 July 1966, Page 15

COAST SHOULD GAIN LEAGUE HAT-TRICK

(By Our Rugby League Reporter.)

The West Coast must be strongly favoured to complete its first hat-trick of Rugby League wins over Canterbury in one season since the Second World War when the provinces meet at the Show Grounds tomorrow.

West Coast has already beaten Canterbury 28-13 at Greymouth and 20-11 in the southern Rothmans final at Christchurch this season. Only good goal-kicking by P. M. V. White in the first

match and by I. T. Drayton in the second kept the margins down to a respectable proportion while West Coast scored 10 tries to two. The only other post-war occasion that one province has won three matches was in 1954 when Canterbury did the hat-trick. In recent years only two matches have been played annually. Last Saturday West Coast post, 4-5, to Wellington: a much more favourable result than Canterbury’s 5-32 humiliation. Dixon’s Withdrawal

The withdrawal of J. K. Dixon from the West Coast pack is a blow to the visitors but in C. W. Clark it has a replacement with 10 years’ first-class experience and an able ball distributor. A. P. Dennehy is in magnificent form at present and will be the fastest forward on the field. He requires only a little more polish in his handling and international honours could soon be his. J. L. Weir and L. Mahuika are strong, hard-running props and will be backed up by the determination of J. F. Hibbs and F. Kennedy. G. M. Kennedy is expected to be the pivot of West Coast’s back attacks and he is an able director of play for his youthful centres, L. P. Brown and W. Johnsen, and the speedy wings, R. J. Rochford and M. P. Brereton. Behind them is the sure handling and fine running of B. J. Mann.

The Canterbury pack is vastly changed from its predecessors this season. L. Mui-

care, R. H. Turton and N. M. Diggs have played first-class football for several years— Mulcare and Turton first played for Canterbury more than a decade ago—and will add to the pack’s experience and defence. Diggs could move into hooker should W. P. Noonan have difficulty winning the scrums from F. Kennedy. The goal kicking of Drayton will once more be needed to keep Canterbury within range but the back-line will need more penetration to give the wings, A. N. Amer and C. C. Worters, the opportunities t score tries.