Papanui has many challengers

Press, 15 March 1978, Page 11

Papanui has many challengers

5 Bob Jarvis reflected the feelings of all eight premier grade rugby league coaches when he said earlier this week that the 1978 club competition in Canterbury had the potential to be the most interesting and intriguing for quite a number of seasons. There will be a decidedly new look about many of the teams, both in personnel and tactics. Oniy Sydenham (which again has Gary Clarke directing operations) and Papanui (with Rod Walker at the helm) have the same coaches from last year, and might have an early advantage in settling to a pattern of play. The other sides are under new management. Grant Findlay, who has transferred from Papanui to Eastern suburbs, and Jarvis, now the mentor of Addington after injuries cut short an illustrious caree-. face their first

i major coaching assignments. , Mel Cooke (Hornby), Graeme Cooksley (Kaiapoi), John Flanagan ■ (Marist-Western Suburbs) and Russell Ward (Linwood) have all earned deserved praise in the past for their abilities to achieve pleasing results. Cooke was guiding Hornby when it last won the Canterbury' championship ir 1969, Cooksley led Eastern to its title triumph in 1975, Flanagan had a series of successes during his long association with Linwood, and Ward made his mark at club and provincial levels in the years division. It is nothing new for Walker to find a few familiar faces missing at the start of a club programme, and once again Papanui will have to look to its reservoir of youngsters to fill the gaps. This time, its recent challengers. Eastern and Hornby, have also had

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their ranks reduced by transfers and retirements, hence Jarvis’s comment that the premiership should be more evenly contested. The Papanui pack needs some recasting because of the losses of Mark Broad-

hurst (to Marist), Findlay, and two other former representatives, Angus McGregor and Athol Clarke, who are now liv-

JOHN COFFEY

ing away from Christchurch. Even without them, a solid nucleus remains. Rod Walker will pack down with his brother, Kevin, Mike Godinet and Jeff Rowe. Back after a term witl) Kaiapoi is the sturdy prop, Danny Millward, while Doug Thompson and John Cole are likely to step up from the Papanui 19-years team which won its championship last September. Two backs, Jim Stokes (centre) and Greg Roberts (half), are also ready for promotion, and the presence of Roberts will compensate for the absence of Donald Ambrose, who is spending at least this season on the side-lines because of injury. Otherwise, Papanui has the comfort of a virtually unchanged back-line. Kevin Williams has been a sturdy pillar as full-back and goal-kicker, and the tiny but talented Ken Tait ; can be expected to serve ' the scrums with his usual i efficiency. Between them I is the trusted mid-field | combination of Peter Tairi, Eddie Kerrigan and Gary Taie, with the prolificscoring Russell Seaward on one wing. Eastern has suffered heavily from summer movements. Three forwards, Terry Gillman, Paul Radonovich and Glen Borrie, have joined Marist, i while Cooksley’s general- [ ship will be missing from the inside backs. Kevin Murphy, who made his representative debut as a centre last year, will be a late starter after injuring an ankle in a motor-cycl- ■ ing accident. The mini-migration is not troubling Findlay too much, though, and he was satisfied with Eastern’s pre-season display against Linwood. He acknowledges that Eastern has too few experienced front-row men and is likely to switch the Kiwi hooker, Alan Rushton, to prop. Findlay’s problem in this area will be accentuated if, as expected, Rushton spends June and July with the New Zealand team in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The loose forward roles will be capably handled by Barry Edkins, Wayne Jeffs, Jim Churcher, and a newcomer from the 19years squad, Derek McLaughlin. Murray French, Dean Harris, Bruce Murphy, Noel Turner, Trevor Philpott and John Wesley are logical choices in the backline. A _ wealth of rugby league knowledge left Hornby with Wayne Robertson, Wayne Bunn, Jarvis and Brian Langton. The contributor of 87 tries in his long club career and the scorer of 195 points in his last season, Langton has retired and will coach a lower grade side. They can be content that they had an important influence on the development of such emerging footballers as Robin- AL feld, Stewart Wells, Wayne Wallace, Dean Taylor, Alan Rutherford and Greg Hunter. Stability will be provided by the continuing presence of Warren Wright, Steve Brewster, Murray Wright, Merv Manson and Lex Clarke. Trevor Williams, whose versatility and goal-kick-ing prowess are part of the folklore of Hornby rugby league, has relaced his boots, and another utility, Mel Tehore —who was a wing in Wellington’s Rothmans tournament win over Canterbury last season — has signed on. Linwood, quite remarkably, has all of last season’s squad available, and Lewis Hudson, Wally Wilson, Paul Truscott, Paul McCone, Trevor Wong, Rex Dalzell, Alan McNaughtan and Cliff Leney — who is suffering no lingering effects of his serious wrist injury — should again be prominent. Lester Wilson,. Peter Hall, Chris Miller and Fred Williams have rejoined while Dougal Adams and Stu Boyle are challenging - for places in the first XIII. Charlie Black, previously a strong centre with Addington and Woolston, Ross Tarawhiti, who -has returned to rugby league

— he was captain and prop for Rest of New Zealand in his schoolboy days and led his high school first XV, — and a number of 19-years grade graduates add to the depth in the Linwood camp. Sydenham has lost three of its most seasoned backs, Steve Holden, Reynold Andrews and Rex Raistrick, but Clarke has no qualms about the attacking potential of its line-up. David Field, a brilliant stand-off half who did not play at all last winter, has the verve to ensure that Mark Vincent, Barry Bigwood, Francis Lawrence and Andrew Bailey have every opportunity to penetrate. The debut of the former New Zealand under-21 rugby union scrum-half. Bob Grant, is awaited with interest, and Bruce Burns has transferred back from Halswe.ll to take over from Holden at full-back. Now' that Stewart Hogg has recovered from injury and Peter Sturgeon is fully fit, Sydenham’s forwards should present a more formidable front to their opponents. Kerry Corkran, Paul Atkinson and Dave Schultz also have the mobility to test, most defences. The only major alterations in the Kaiapoi squad are provided by Cooksley’s arrival and the departure of Millward. Wayne Stanley is back from overseas. Kevin Steel should continue to progress at fullback, along with the consistent Jack Clarke, and Charlie Paki. John Greengrass, the biggest man in the side, and Ray Howard, the smallest in physique but not in courage, are others whose contrasting styles will pose problems for the more highly-re-garded clubs. Similarly, Addington has few changes. Pat Lagrosse has left to coach Woolston in the premier B section, and the availability of Wayne Clements is in doubt. On the credit side, John Forster has renewed enthusiasm after resting for a season, and an inside back, Dave McKenzie, has transferred from Syden-

ham. Grant Stocker and M u t u Stone were frequently outstanding for Addington last year, and Rod Kirk and Steve Wilks will be back in action. Marist must be conceded an excellent chance of climbing from the bottom rung. Its forward power will be boosted by the return of Gerard Stokes and the acquisition of Broadhurst, Giliman, Radonvich, Borrie, Kevin Franklin (a West Coast representative, equally useful at second-row or centre), and the inclusion of the youngsters, Michael Mclntyre and Carl Wild. Michael O’Donnell, Mocky Brereton, Wayne O’Donnell and Chris Charlton will lead the way for the youthful backs, John McGougan, Graham Frew, Hal October, Phil Golding and Jeff Atkinson.