LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVIII, Issue 70, 3 September 1937, Page 6

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ELLESMERE REPRESENTATIVE

TEAM.

Sir, —It is with feelings of dismay and disgust that one opens Tuesday's Guardian and views the Ellesmere team to meet North Canterbury at Lancaster Park next Saturday. The selectors have made it quite clear that they witnessed the McClelland Cup match last Saturday and that they regarded this match more in the nature of a trial game, for of the 19 players chosen, 13 of them are from Southbridge and Waihora. Surely, in fairness to all the other teams in the sub-union, the selectors should not have attended this match. Is it not significant that 15 of the 19 chosen are from Southbridge, Waihora and College? Other clubs are apparently neglected, yet in the second round of the competition this season Leeston beat both Southbridge and Waihora, and Southbridge could but beat Irwell by one point, yet these two clubs have only one representative each. The selectors would do well to remember that it is not necessarily the top teams which have the best players, as it is combination and general soundness that win matches, although some of the bottom teams may have really good individual players.

Again, if Southbridge and Waihora are so good as to warrant the inclusion of so many men, why did they not fight out the seven-a-side between them? It is a great pity the selectors could not have done without McLachlan, Watkins and Baylis, as these players seem to spoil the harmony of their little scheme. In conclusion, it seems that the only way of getting satisfactory selections is for each club to have its own representative on the selection committee, as it seems to be a case of every man for himself.—l am, etc.,

FAIR PLAY