LEAGUE RUGBY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1914, Page 18

LEAGUE RUGBY

NOTES OF THE WEEK (By "Goalpost.") CLEANING UP THE GAME. The Auckland League has got tho following motion under consideration:-— "That, in tho interests of clean football and with tho object of putting down rough play, a players' black list be compiled, the rules governing tho compilation of which shall bo drawn Up by the j executive of the league." Mr. O'Brien, who originated the motion, eaid that such a system was adopted with success in England, and he expressed the opinion that to bo black listed would do more good to an offending player^ than a warning. _ Tho motion arose out of the determination of the management committee of the League to put an end to rough play, tho incident attending a match between City. Rpvert- and Grafton Athletic on the Victoria Park being tho subject of discussion. Reporting on tho circumstances under which ''Onai" Asher, of City, and Mitchell, of Grafton, a former City player, were ordered off the field, Mr. W. T. Wynyard, the referee, wrote : — "As to whom the fault lay with, I do not know. After awarding the try. I came back to the field of play, and saw tho two players fighting, or, to be moro explicit, strangling one another on tho ground. In fairness to the players I must say that it was as much the fault of the barrackers as anything that caused the trouble. They practically look charge of the field, being fully ten yards on tho . field of play on each sido of the ground, as well as directly on the goal line." Several members who were present at tho match concurred in the -opinion that the incident was largely the result of tho conduct of tho crowd, while the referee ! stated that when he appealed to the bari rackers to get back ho was greeted with filthy and obscene expressions. Both players were severely censured ; and the motion already quoted was submitted to bo dealt with later, Mr. O'Brien explaining that his idea was to first place a foul player on tho list, and on the second offence to bring him beforo tho dommittee, and forthwith suspend him without further warning. A LEAGUE FOR PALMERSTON? There seems to be a good prospeo't of 1 a League being formed, either separately or under tho aegis of the Wellington League, ' at Palmerston North. A large number of players aro reported to be anxious to take up the N.U. game, and the Wellington League has been asked to send up a representative to give the movement a -lift. A cup ha 6 been presented for competition in the Manawatu district, but so far, 4 of course, nothing has been done with it beyond placing it on exhibition. The Wellington League has now asked the New Zealand Council either to send an emissary to Palmorston or to pay the expenses of a Wellington delegate to make the trip ; and it is likely that a team may be. sent up to teach the new disciples the way of the Open Game. A DISAPPOINTING DAY. Wellington League players are in hopes that they, will never strike a worse day than lnst Saturday, for even the atrocious weather which was served up at the c^act time to have the most .pernicious effect upon tho afternoon's fun' was not the full extent of their trouble. Tho match at Newtown Park was nut off because the ground was unplayable. That was in* ovitable. The match at Petone /as persisted in with the pertinacity that in a I nobler cause would have been' heroic, and upon a ground which certainly was not strictly "playable." At Hutt Park, where two junior matches were to^have been I played, the Suburbs men turned out in ' fair force to meet Petone, and put in a dismal ben minutes. With the assistance of some moro Petone men they scored a try. But the Hutt-Petone match did not come off, because the Pelone players were disappointed through their bus not being on hand to take them to the Park. They were' late, and lost the match by default. The committee of the League very wisely decided that in the, circumstances the Petone team was not to be blamed, and considering that Suburbs win from tho other Petone team was not of a kind to worry about, ordered that both matches should be regarded as unplayed, and set them down again for to"lho senior match between Suburbs and Athletio has been postponed till tho end of tho competition, bo as not to Upset tho next round. PLAYING IN THE MUD. The Petone-Newtown matoh at Petone on Saturday was a miserable failure, owing to tho shocking weather. It was, of course, impossible to lorcsea tho conditions that I were to follow upon tho fino morning, or the match would have been postponed with astonishing unanimity. That it was continued for a spell and a half eaad volumes for "the willingness ol tho majority of the players. It is no doubt exhilarating as a spectacle, and at times refreshing as a personal experionce, when a player dives headlong into five or, six inches of water to get a try ; but ,it is scarcely football. Spirits that would have rejoiced at tho sight of gladiators ■ waiting for the coup do grace might have revelled in tho cohtomplation of twenty men slowly dissolving, while a rofereo floundered in tho mud and a huge surtout ; but again* it was not football. And when the last try was scored, and a. rush had been made for i shelter, it was no doubt glorious to see 1 tho scorer of the try making a lonely shot at goal, without an official observer. Still, it was not football. The only thing that justifies official recognition of tho match at all is that it registered a win for Newtown. PERSONALITIES. Everybody was heartily sorry last week to see that J. Barber, of Petone, was not in his togs. Ho got badly hit m the buck on the two preceding Saturdays, lhe nrst knock would havo justified Ins staying off for a week, and tho second mado matters Worse; and on top of the two he caught a bad cold. Consequently he came on to tho ground wearing good clothes and a lor*' fauo, and hia team went in lacking its brightest and cleverest player. ±sarbor plays such a clover and generally good gamb that his absence was bound to bo felt very severely. ... „ Ono of Pctoncrs fastest men, Wading, . camo out of his shell on Saturday, tic has been criticised on occasions for failing to tako advantage of his opportunities, because, although ho is very fast on his legs, possession of the hall sectns to havo had the effect of switching his attention off his motor. On this occasion, however, ho did particularly well, sprinting and dodging through opposition very cleverly, and landing as gipod a try as anyone would desire. With Ashton s conversion, its was tho .only score 1 his sido managed to acquire in tho match. Lcpper, who played in the senior ranks for Petono last Saturday and the proceding ono, continued on his secohd appeavanco to justify his inclusion, playing a sound game, and being just where ho was wanted when tho proper time came. SELECTING REFEREES. It is at present a rule of the Wellington League that referees shall be drawn by lot for the various games. At last Monday's meeting the rule threatened to be a nuisance, becauso Mr. W. Kerr and Mr. S. Brice, two of tho referees, are the selectors for the representative , team, and the system of lots left it open for them to bo chosen to govern jumor matches just when their eyes ought to ,be on the seniors. The rule was intend' led to ' operato until a referees' association was found, but the only attempt !so far to form tho association, three weeks ago, fell through. Notice of motion to abolish tho lottery system in tho picking of referees has been tabled, ahd will be dealt with on MonUay evening.