Rocky passage for league team

Press, 20 July 1977, Page 22

Rocky passage for league team

By

JOHN COFFEY

The severe buffeting which Canterbury’s rugby league reputation has suffered this season has been in direct contrast to the confidence of a smooth passage which was evident when the squad assembled for its first flight, to Brisbane, in May. After its fine efforts in winning the 1975 national inter-provincial tournament and stretching Auckland’s resources to the limit last year, there was the promise of an even more effective combination being fielded in 1977.

Rod Walker was back after two seasons of selfimposed retirement, Wayne Robertson was available for all games in this country, Steve Brewster had transferred from Auckland, Wayne Bunn had decided to return to Hornby, and Bob Jarvis was keen to extend his claims for World Cup selection.

All was indeed rosy, particularly as Canterbury had drawn only a reasonably strong Brisbane club, Southern Suburbs, in the opening round of the $250,000 Amco Cup series. But the province’s challenge was nipped in the bud under the lights at Lang Park and the first doubts began to emerge. The subsequent opponents which Canterbury has met have been far more familiar, and the results achieved have done nothing to suggest that a Rothmans tournament

triumph is well within the side’s capabilities. Wellington was a far more decisive winner over Canterbury than the 26-18 scoreline at Wellington in May would indicate, and

unless that outcome can be reversed in the return fixture at the Show Grounds on Saturday, then further Amco Cup participation can hardly be expected.

Last month Canterbury gained some comfort from a 29-10 beating of West Coast at the Show Grounds. As well as most of the Canterbury players performed that afternoon, it was obvious that the youthful visiting team was finding its way in representative football. West Coast will be decidedly more formidable at Greymouth when the South Island Rothmans semi-final is held on August 14. The responsibility for the decline of Canterbury’s aspirations cannot be levelled at any one sphere of the code in Christchurch. The selectors (Messrs Trevor Bisman, Gary Clarke and Mel Clinton) have perplexed observers by naming some players in their squads and then discarding them without so much as a trial.

Perhaps losses of form at club level persuaded them to look elsewhere. But there can be no such reasoning for the ignoring of one of New Zealand’s finest outside backs, Mocky Brereton, who, in the words of one of his rivals, “still scares hell out of you whenever he gets the ball.” It is unlikely whether one of the present members of the Canterbury three-quarters line can undermine an opponent’s confidence simply by his presence, and none of them even approach Brereton’s average of having scored 39 tries in his 43 appearances. Canterbury’s biggest problem, though, has been the steady loss of prominent players. Robertson,

troubled by a thigh injury and disillusioned by an apparent lack of communication between various selection panels, retreated into retirement and with him went Canterbury’s chance of having a frontrow forward with known ball-distribution skills. Others have followed: Jarvis wisely decided not to wait until he was inflicted with one head injury too many; Mark Broadhurst has not been regularly available for the last two seasons; and Bruce Dickison set off on an extensive working holiday overseas. All had been an integral part of Canterbury’s pre-season blueprint for success. Happily, there has not been a rash of injuries comparable with those which have plagued Canterbury in some years. The mishaps to Bunn and Ken Tait were unfortunate, but adequate substitutes have filled their places; of more concern has been the failure of such potentially fine players as Brewster and Eddie Kerrigan to justify their ratings.

The selectors are keen to retain the present squad for the Rothmans semi-final at Greymouth next month. However, only a reasonably convincing margin of victory against Wellington will allow them the luxury of not having to recast their thoughts on the composition, and positioning, of the team and its reserves.