Reserves called up

Press, 12 July 1979, Page 30

Reserves called up

By

JOHN COFFEY

Seldom have two premier rugby league coaches paid such close attention to their reserve strength as John Flanagan (Marist-Western Suburbs) and Russell Ward (Linwood) over the last few weeks.

Their concern was caused by the drawing of their clubs in a vital premiership fixture when five players from each squad had a prior commitment for Canterbury against West Coast at Greymouth on Sunday. The code’s by-laws have ruled out the representative players from appearing in club football on Saturday and both Flanagan and Ward have been keeping a keen look-out for suitable replacemehts.

Although Linwood eventually withdrew from a planned joint delegation to

the Canterbury board of control to protest against its decision not to defer the match until next Tuesday evening, the two coaches considered that the board’s reasoning was far from strong. Ward said that the only valid point not to hold over the fixture was in protecting the playing field from over-use.

Flanagan had hoped for a deferment, even though Mark Broadhurst is required to be in Auckland with the Kiwi squad on Monday. On the other hand, Linwood has been fortunate that its second XIII — which is in the senior first division — has been given a bye. Marist’s back-up side is in the premier B grade and has an early kick-off. But the Marist premier team will take the field without any reserves in the grandstand and with the knowledge that

injuries would leave it short if they occurred in the opening quarter.

Two veterans of the. sport, Paul Costigan (Marist) and Eric Williams (Linwood), who were opponents in the 1970 grand final, have suddenly found theselves back in the spotlight. Linwood has a newcomer to the grade, the second-row forward, Owen Thomas, while Ken Norton, Marist’s standoff half, is also inexperienced. The other replacements have varying backgrounds in premier football.

Marist, two points ahead of Linwood on the competition table, won their first round encounter, 18-3. It is sure to be much closer on this occasion as the clubs seek to consolidate their championship semi-final positions.