Few changes likely in league team

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 11

Few changes likely in league team

ONLY two changes are expected in the Canterbury Rugby League team to play West Coast in the return Northern Union Cup challenge at the Show Grounds on July 20. M. R. Napier (Papanui) greatly assisted his claims for inclusion with a fine performance on the wing against Addington on Saturday: this, combined with B. Jager’s disappointing play at Greymouth last month and a leg injury which prevented him from playing for Hornby on Saturday, may be sufficient to enable Napier to regain his position.

On several occasions in the first half at Greymouth Jager was unable to stop M. P. Brereton from taking play deep into Canterbury’s territory and his handling of R. F. Nelson’s line kicks was most suspect in the greasy conditions. J. A. Flanagan (Linwood), selected as the ball distributor at Greymouth, seldom allowed the fast Canterbury centres, L. P. J. Brown (Marist - Western Suburbs) and S. Dunn (Papanui), possession from the rucks. He regularly turned the ball back into the forwards, stifling Canterbury’s attempts to attack. Two props included in the squad, B. Gillman (Addington) and E. Bennett (Eastern Suburbs), and a revitalised M. H. Mohi (Marist-Westem Suburbs) all have claims for inclusion. Bennett is a strong tight forward, but lacks the speed of Gillman, while Mohi has been guilty of playing only “part-time” football in some of his more important games. When moving fast Mohi is one of the most difficult players in Canterbury to stop and there is no doubt that he would be good value to the provincial team if he

Our results last week were such that we are clutching at draws. Unashamedly, we claim half a point for each of the draws last week. That gives us four points out of seven, but does not greatly increase our average. We feel at present that our progress is something like that of Philip August —“Bom in a basement and now living in a garrett.” Our relative lack of success has brought its comments, but we feel about criticism in the same manner as Robert Burns. "Critics. Appall’d I venture on the name. Those cut-throat bandits on the path of fame.”

could repeat the sustained running he showed against Linwood on Saturday. If Flanagan is to be given another chance it could be at the expense of the hooker, K. Neiman (Hornby), with W. P. Noonan (Linwood) moving from prop to hooker. However, Neiman won the scrums in the Auckland match and recovered from being down 14-8 at half-

time to shade C. D. Smith 11-10 in the second half at Greymouth. The team could be:— C. R. Schwass (Papanui); Napier, Brown, Dunn, B. W. Langton (Hornby); G. H. Clarke (Papanui), G. R. Cooksley (Eastern Suburbs); J. L. White (Addington, captain); A. W. Thompson (Papanui), A. F. McNaughtan (Addington); Noonan, Neiman, Gillman.