LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 234, 1 July 1939, Page 15

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Wellington Meets South

Auckland Today

PLAYERS REVIEWED 'Wellington’s Rugby League representative match against South Auckland, at Newtown Park today, is keenly awaited by local enthusiasts. Wellington has formed reasonable expectations, based on the greatly improved playing standards, and the general opinion that the Wellington thirteen is one of the. best fiver to represent the province at Rugby League football. George Bradley, a regular spectator at local club, games, supports this opinion, and he should know. Bradley, a New Zealand football, personality of the prewar period, was one of the most brilliant centres Wellington Rugby football, of both League and Union, lifts produced, and represented New Zealand at home and abroad on numerous occasions. Reports from the north indicate that South Auckland has a strong side, and particularly is this the case in the forwards. Heavy, virile men and solid scrutnmagers, the forwards have outplayed all opposition encountered this season. Several Auckland club combinations, Taranaki, and the New Zealand Maori Rugby League team, on two occasions, have been defeated bv the South Aurklanders. N. Gunn. J. Brooks a.nd G. Beadle are three of the forwards tipped for Kiwi honours. Beadle, a 15st. man, is consldered by Auckland former internationals, who have seen him in action, a player with a great future. Everything points to the probability of today’s match being won and lost in the forward play. In the Cootes brothers, Leahy. O Halloran, Herkt, -Berry, Mustchin and Stanaway, Wellington has forwards who will provide the South Aucklanders with plenty of opposition. Away from the scrummages and rucks the local players should attain ascendancy. , Under the watchful eyes of the North Island selectors, who will be seeking talent for the New Zealand team to tour England and France, the battle between the rival packs will be a stirring struggle. Wellington’s backline gives confidence and with a reasonable share of the ball, should function in solid try-getting efforts. . . J. Coman, in the scrum-half position, can be relied upon to open up the play. His South Auckland vis-a-vis, R. Shaw, has a reputation and a host of admirers who claim he is a Kiwi possibility. This season Coman has revealed his best form in Rugby League football. C. Mulholland is the sole five-eighth, and should be a very effective link. He is an all-round solid type of player and good team man. The local three-quarter line is exceptionally fast, with J. Cooper, in the outer centre position,' a grand maker of openings for the wing men, H. Edie and D. Evans.

M. Patrick, Cooper's co-centre, is a weighty, hard-running player. R. PerkinBon, full-back, was injured in club football last Saturday, but has made a good recovery. L. Duff, chos'en as a three-quar-ter, was also injured but not seriously. The North Island selectors, Messrs. G. Hooker and H. Brisbane, will leave for Auckland on Sunday, where they will confer with the third North Island selector, Mr. A. T. McClymbnt, who is also a member of New Zealand selection committee. The North Island, South Island, and special possible and probable teams to play in the final series of trials at Carlaw Park, Auckland, next Saturday will be announced on Monday. It is likely, however, that in regard to any Wellington players required to go north for the big test, an announcement will be made during the weekend.