League transfer forms signed

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33077, 18 November 1972, Page 48

League transfer forms signed

(By J. O. COFFEY)

Formal applications to transfer from the Papanui club to Marist-Westem Suburbs were signed last evening by two New Zea-

land junior Rugby league internationals— G. R. Findlay and S. N. Hatipov.

Findlay and Hatipov were t second-row forward partners s at club, provincial, and 1 national levels in grades up i to 19 years, and appear destined to have bright i futures in the code.

Late last season they played together for a Canterbury premier XIII against the Sydney club, Western Suburbs, and impressed with their maturity and potential. Ironically, they were members of the Papanui squad which won its second consecutive major championship title by beating Marist-West-em Suburbs in the grand final. But in choosing his team

for that match, the retiring Papanui captain-coach, J. G. Clarke, positioned himself!

and K. G. Walker in the second-row and relegated Hatipov and Findlay to the reserves. Hatipov was required as a replacement — after having

proven his versatility as a three-quarter in his former club’s Thacker Shield success at Greymouth a week earlier. It was regrettable that Findlay, who had performed so well at Greymouth, was not required by Papanui in its most important club fixture of the season. Last month Findlay and Hatipov announced their intentions to change clubs. They said yesterday that their prime reason for transferring .was still to broaden their football development and break away from the style I adopted by Papanui.