Eastern has few alterations to title-winning squad

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34104, 17 March 1976, Page 18

Eastern has few alterations to title-winning squad

(By

JOHN COFFEY)

Christchurch-Eastern Suburbs will have its youthful championshipwinning squad from last year almost intact when the 1976 Canterbury rugby league inter-club competitions begin next month. But, while keen interest will be taken in gauging Eastern’s prospects of further prosperity even more attention will be centred on Hornby, one of the teams in the qualifying round, during the early stages of the season.

The Hornby committee did not take a summer vacation from football, and its bold bid to attract prominent players from other provinces has succeeded beyond perhaps even its own expectations. There s good reason for optimism that the club will soon relive the palmy days of the 1960 s when it relinquished the Canterbury title only once in six years.

The array of talent on show at Hornby’s opening day must have made an impression on the observers from other clubs. Trial matches are seldom an accurate guide, but Hornby will be an odds-on favourite to gain a place in the premiership alongside those already assured of that status — Eastern, Papanui, Linwood, Kaiapoi, Addington, and Sydenham. Hornby has a powerful forward unit, with the Auckland quartet of Wayne Robertson. Wayne Bunn, Murray Wright and Richard Popata being joined by Dave Wakefield, from the West Coast. Frank Endacott, who coached Adding-

ton a year ago, Barry Owens, who previously showed promise with Halswell, and Gary .Moore, another West Coast product who has recoved from the leg injury which restricted him last season. Such is Hornby’s wealth of .talent, it is likely that the strong prop, Steve Brewster, will be used in its second XIII for the six weeks that he will be in Christchurch. Brewster has played for the Kiwi Colts and Auckland and was added to the New Zealand test squad when John Greengrass was injured before the 1975 Welsh match. The oack-line might not

have tne same imposing appearance, especially now that the former Kiwi, Fred Schuster, is unlikely to be available. However, Bob Jarvis went about his work on opening day with the dedication which has made him this country’s highestranked stand-off half and he is certain to be an inspiring general behind the pack. Brian Langton, Warren Wright, Hillman Hornbrook, and Neil Lewis are available again. Lex Clarke has transferred from Halswell. to dispute the scrum-

half role with Mery Manson, Robin Alfeld has been promoted from the 19years grade, and Tom Jones and the big-kicking Trevor Williams are vying for the full-back berth. A confrontation between this emerging challenger and the champion, Eastern, is much-awaited, but patience is required. Eastern’s first priority is the Tavendale Cup series against the other premier qualifiers, and its supporters have reason to expect the club’s run of successes to continue.

The only newcomers to the squad announced by the captain-coach, Graeme Cookslev, are David Honey, an outside back who previously impressed with Marist before spending two years in Australia, and Rob Griffin, a centre who earned West Coast, senior honours at the age of 17 in 1968 and who has shaken off injuries which hav.e kept hirn in the lower grades.

Dean Harris, now in Timaru, and Trevor Philpott (overseas) are missing from the backs, and John Maguiness is in charge of the senior second division squad. There is speed and penetration provided by Bruce Dickison, Bruce Murphy, Leon Paskell, Cooksley, Murray French and Noel Turner of the established backs, and Alan Rushton leads a pack which includes Kip Winika, Kerry Corkran, Terry Gillman. Stewart McLauchlan, Jim Churcher, Wayne Jeffs, and Barrv Edkins.

Papanui, the 1971-74 champion, should benefit from the return of Eddie Kerrigan to its threequarters line, although the prospect of losing its

rugged young second-row forward, Mark Broadhurst. in mid-season is not a happy one. In the Kelly brothers, Michael and Kelvin, Gary Taie and Russell Seaward, Papanui had plenty of thrust near the flanks of its back-line last year, and they have been joined by Kerrigan, Graeme Waite — who scored six tries in seven appearances for Taranaki in 1975 — and Peter Tuaine, from Marist. Gains from Marist in the forwards are Grant Findlay. Frank Millward (both making a return trip down Harewood Road to their old club) and Ray Rankin. Robert Schwass and Phil Blackler are likely to confine their football to lower graded teams, but Rod Walker, Kevin Williams, Kevin Walker, Angus McGregor, Ken Tait, Mike Godinet, David Field and John Hines have been trained enthusiastically. The new Linwood coach, Mr Bill Godfrey, faces the prospect of embarking on a rebuilding programme. Greengrass has been lost to Kaiapoi and although his club commitments were restricted by representative duties and injuries last season, his experience would have been invaluable now that lan Dalzell (living in Rangiora), Peter Hall (in Auckland), Paul Jones (to wear the hat of manager,

rather than captain) and Murray Barker (coaching the senior third side) have dropped out, and Roger Syme and Robin Turner were doubtful starters.

The captain of the Canterbury 19-years representatives, Mark Vincent, has stepped up to premier status, Lester Wilson and Brian Drabble will be back in the forwards, and Oscar Mossman, a rugby union prop from Auckland, has linked with Linwood.

Kaiapoi’s ranks have been swelled by the addition of Greengrass, RayGibbons (from Sydenham), and Kelvin Kennett, a former schoolboy Kiwi centre. Brian Heemi has switched to Woolston and Charlie Paki will be another absentee.

Among the regulars are Francis Lawrence, Charlie Smith, Jack Clarke, Mark Fuller, Dale Brown, Danny Millward, Dick Ngataki, Dennis Neylon, Paul Mairu, and Graham Eaton.

One of the teams to suffer most from inter-club movements has been Addington, with Charlie Black and Alan Mather transferring to Woolston, and Endacott joining Hornby. Robert Straight is in Dunedin, and the gaps will be filled by Wayne Green, from Sydenham, and lowei grade players. Addington should stil give a reasonable account of itself under the guidanc of George Te Aho, an through the skills of Mut> Stone, Rod Kirk, Andrex Bailey, Eric William: Steve Wilkes, Kevi) Monkman, Paul Hayward lan Mcßeath, and Georgt Forster. While Sydenham will be without Gibbons and Bruct Burns (now at Halswell), it has been bolstered by' the return of Steve Holden, and the acquisition of two Australians, Bob Douglas (stand-off half) and Greg Provest (a rugby union prop).

The present coach, Stewart Hogg, and his predecessor, Barry Bigwood

will be there to lead the forwards and backs, respectively, and Steve Schultz has joined his brothers. Les and Dave. Tai Mene, Fred Arneson, Reynold Andrews, Rex Raistrick, and Noel Bowden are also playing. Woolston’s eagerness to escape the relegation zone has been surpassed only by that of Hornby. Black. Mather, Neil Grant (formerly of Papanui), Heemi, and Hugh McManus (from University) have signed on, but the club’s fortunes in the qualifying round will be dictated to some extent by whether free clearances of four-week stand-down periods are imposed by their former clubs.

There is no such problem concerning the former Kiwi forward, Angus Thompson, who has been out of action for two years, or the rugby union front-row man, Ken Sharplin, who has impressed in practice games. Bruce Turner, Bill Morrison. Stu Boyle, and Ray Tait should be more promin’ent with greater support than in the past.

Perhaps the biggest question mark hovers over the future of Marist, a regular grand finalist in recent years before falling on hard times. As well as the quartet which has changed to Papanui’s colours, Wayne O’Donnell is furthering his experience with St Helens in England, and Gerard Stokes faces six weeks on the side-lines because of a wrist injury. Mocky Brereton and Michael O’Donnell are the only survivors from the club’s heyday, but another, Dennis Menzies, is back after a spell. Two 18-year-old backs, Hal October and Chris Charlton, are in the premier squad, and Ken Norton and William Pirini have left rugby union behind them. Roger Hutton, a former Eastern prop, lends his weight to an inexperienced forward pack. While University has lost Don Allomes (to Auckland) and McManus, it should be more than recompensed by the return to full fitness of its captaincoach, John Rosanowski. A few new recruits have arrived from other universities, including Colin Barber (Otago), who represented South Island Universities as a wing a season ago.

The Halswell coach, John Bergman, is quite confident of completing successful negotiations with several rugby union players, and has Burns and Brian McDonald, from Marist, to compensate for the absence of Owens and Clarke. Mita Mohi has retired from the Riccarton line-up, which will once more be captained and coached by the seemingly ageless Randal Turton. Dave Fraser, a former Marist inside back, is a new recruit, but the club will largely rely on players who have shown out at senior first division level.