RUGBY LEAGUE CUP Cooksley Danger Man To Coast Team

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31983, 9 May 1969, Page 13

RUGBY LEAGUE CUP Cooksley Danger Man To Coast Team

(By Our Rugby League Reporter) The attacking brilliance shown by the 20-year-old scrumhalf, G. R. Cooksley, during the New Zealand under-23 team’s short tour of New South Wales may prove to be Canterbury’s greatest asset when it defends the Rugby League Cup against West Coast at the Show Grounds tomorrow.

Cooksley achieved the potential during the tour that he had promised when he was a schoolboy Kiwi in 1962 and 1963. His acceleration, deceptive running and efficient tackling may win him full Kiwi honours before the end of this year.

The absence of Cooksley, R. S. Walker, B. Jager and W. P. Noonan at the under-23 trials and during the tour has restricted the efforts of the coach (Mr W. F. McNaughtan) to achieve team combination. Walker originally named as the reserve forward, will play in the. second row as A. W. Thompson has had to withdraw because of injury. Although Canterbury will be favoured to win if none of its young internationals returns nursing an injury, West Coast has a potential match-

winner in its full-back, G. C. Ladner. Ladner’s goal-kicking in the undei>23 trials was rated the equal Of any seen at Carlaw Park in the last decade. He displayed a combination of his usual accuracy with unexpected length. Ladner's nine goals in Australia provided 18 of the 27 points scored by the under-23 tourists.

His experience in the centres should' also enable Ladper to add thrust to the West Coast backs by joining the line between, or outside his centres, W. K. Johnsen and N. E. Keily. Kelly, who has progressed to the centres via scrumhalf and stand-off half, has

proved an elusive runner in past matches. If Keily can make the initial break, the speed of Johnsen and M. P. BreretOn’s strength and determination on the wing will give the new Canterbury fullback, T. Williams, a fiercesome debut*.

Speed In Opposition Canterbury, too, has pace and penetration in its threequarters. B. W. Langton and Jager have combined well for Hornby this season, and M. R. Napier and R. L. Lanaure, the wings, have scored 10 tries between them in seven club appearances. J. J>. Hibbs, A. P. Dennehy and E. B. Mann, a late replacement for M. H. Newton, form a Yrio of experienced West Coast forwards, but their team-mates, J. R. Dalzell, R. Davits and W. Hargreaves have played only a handful of representative games between them. J. L. White, A;' F. Naughtan and Walker will be expected to provide I the penetration in the Can-

terbury pack. J. H. Fisher and Noonan should be capable of providing the opportunities to pierce the West Coast defence and K. M. Neiman has the potential to win a majority of the scrums. Teams:— Canterbury: Williams: Napier, Langton, Jager. Lanauze: J. G. Clarke. Cooksley; Fisher, Neiman. Noonan; Thompson, McNaughtan: While. Reserves; J. A. Flanagan. S. Wilkes. West Coast: Ladner: Brereton, Johnson. Kelly. 1. Fagan; B. Sweetman. D. J. Monk; Hibbs, Davies. Hargreaves; Mann. Dalzell: Dennehy. Reserves: B. O'Connell. B. Sweetman. The referee will be Mr J. Percival (Auckland).