LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1922, Page 14

LEAGUE

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By "Half-back.") The League championships were . advanced another stage on Saturday. The weather was fine and some good expositions of the cods-, were ■ forthcoming. The Central Club sprang a further surprise in the. competitions—both, the senior and junior teams defeating their opponents. This club deserves great credit for the manner in which it has- progressed since the commencement of the season, and especially during _the last two or three weeks, as at one time it looked as. though it were going to remain at thebottom of the competitions—in both the senior and junior grades—for all time. Hickling (from Rugby) turned out for Newtown on Saturday, and although still suffering from a bad shoulder knock, received while playing- the other code, gave a good exhibition of football. It could bo seen he wts .caring for his shoulder,but nevertheless, he. played a good game. He will bo a big help to the Newtown seniors. . ; : -

Wilson received a transfei from the Central Club and turned out for.City seniors against Central "on Saturday, and played a good game. He is a bustler, and has plenty of weight. ■ ■-..-' '.-'■' :

. Irving, Aamodt, and Salisbury played well for the City seniors on Saturday, and saved that, olub on several occasions." Salisbury scored a pretty try after side-step-ping a number of opponents. The Nowtown juniors would like to see some of the condition taken off the Central junior forwards. The flatter had the Newtown pack well under control on Sa* urday, arid did as they liked with them. The new City, third-grade team suffered defeat by Petone on Saturday by ■. the. small margin of 2 points—tlio scores being 14-12. Thie new team of the City Club went out several men short, but ./played. a rattling good game. < The City Club and Linwood ' Club (Christchurch).' are to play tho curtainraiser to the Canterbury-N.S.W. match, to ba played at Christehuroh. The MriwoodClub defeated City at Emerson-street, on 3rd June, but the latter has. considerably strengthened sine* then, and should put |up a big fight to reverse the scores at Christchurch.. . . , ' . , ,■ : j ,F. Wilkins played on tho wing 'for Central .seniors on Saturday, and deserved tho large ambunt of; praise showered upon, him for.the fine gams he played.: This is undoubtedly hi? right position on the field. It-was quite pleading on Saturday to see so many of the fair sex watching tho game ai: Emerson-street. Even the lady golfers tarried in their journeys round the links for a few minutes to view the game ?.nd at half-time- the ladies threw the players orang-es! Big Bob Andereon seemed quite embarrassed when he missed a goal from a kick just-a few.yards from, where tho ladies were sitting. .■ , and Mummery, two new players for Central seniors, \ gave good exhibitions on Saturday, the former working the dummy" successfully on severaj occasions. ; , Waaka, the big City forward played » good game, and put up one or two good M He is' fairly fast and, a bustler; _The Petone seniors had a, day out on Saturday, when they ran up a oricket score against Newtown, who are runnersup in the senior competition. The game ended 37-8. '/ ■ Bob Craig, who is looking after tho coaching of the Maori 'League team in Australia, is full of humour, and ;tells a Zunnyi jtorj' o£ a ona P who was *"B °i the glad-hand and othet things, meeting : one of the Maori team. He put up all the stunts he knew, interpolating such things m leu-ar-quaake-ake," etc., but whenthe Maori remarked. quietly that he did not understand "pidgin" English, and was a_ University stident, well—there's tone wiser man in Sydney to-day. ■'■■ At Monday night's meeting of the Management Committee, Mr. Buckingham (from Rugby) made his appearance as ar delegate from the N©,vto,vn Club on the above committee, and ■■ was heartily -■ received by the delegates. ■.-■■: • rh© game between West (Rovere) and' houth juniors on Saturday was a very close one, and ended in a win for South by 10 points to" 5." The South' backs Played good football, Tongo, Ryan, Hedin, Brown, and the Ward brothers handling the ball in great style.. Cavell played ! a good game at half for .the South team and the pick of the forwards were' Hannon and Gought. The West team must jba given due. credit for the hard- game it fought, and it has' some very . fine ' material. Manning and the Love brothers played well, and Jack Ryan played a good heady g»nw>.- Harding and Jack Hareman were the pick of the forward*. With a httlo practice tlio West team will be a hard proposition before the season closes. .'. ''..-'

The Auckland Star (sporting edition) has the following to say about'the League code in the Home country:—"The League clubs of football have decided to reduce the wages, of the players. Whilst the best paid men are to lose a pound a week during the playing season, the deduction being from £9 a week to'£B all ■ drawing ; over £6 will be, brought down to , this amount during the three Summer months when they are on holiday. It is said that the finances of some of the clubs compel these reductions. The decision came as a great surprise, not only to the players but to the public, and it is very significant that there are a considerable number of clubs who are willing and anxious to continue paying the old scale of wages. , It is not intended to reduce the admission charges to the matches, and though during the season whfch is now practically at an end there has been a slump in the : gates-m certain districts owing to trade depression, it is difficult to understand how there can be poverty now when a year ago there was prosperity almost everywhere. The players have not only made a vigorous protest against the lower scale of pay, but they have declared that they will not accept it. Meanwhile, whilst there is angry talk of a strike, the Players' Union have asked the League authorities to receive them in conference to see if the matter cannot be amicably settled. The League management committees hold the wnip hand, as they havo chosen I their own time jn which to act. It is now that the clubs enter, into-fresh contracts with players and these will'include the new terms. • But if the men do -not sign before the ■ end of tho season they will rob themselves of their summer wages, and, of course,. they cannot strike when there are no matches to play. And if they , sign the new contracts, can they strike at the beginning. of next season'? Legally they cannot, but whilst it would be possible for the clubs to seek their remedy in a Court of law, they would never go so far. The reductions are very drastic. The highest'paid men will now forfeit £84- a year, and inasmuch as they are for the most Dart connected with the senior clubs,, who are best able to pay, they have naturally taken the matter greatly to heart. For instance take the members of the Tottenham Hotspurs. Last seaso.i. a. profit .of over 515,000 was made, and ,this season no match has produced less ttiaii£2ooo.. Indeed, Tottenham Hotspurs at the present time must have, over, £30,0C0 •in the bank, and they also own theii-. ground. And Tottenham are not the wealthiest club in. the country. .' The players • say that they, draw the crowds just as tho actor fills the. theatre, and that their present wages are .not excessive. This, too, is the view of the football public."

At a certain country town in .New Zealand, a football match was in progress, and it; was. very keen, while" on the side-line,- holding the coat of one of the players, was a reverend ■■ gentleman anxiously watching tbe ebb and How of the fortunes of his side (reports ,»n exchange). Looking round, he spied a funeral making its way along- the road, and, throwing the coat into the hands of 'a friend, he exclaimed :. "Oh, goodness/ I've^got to bury that man." I'acing ovfisv«ho paddock and jumping on his bicycle., the .clergyman hurried down a ba<:k .street, and arrived at.the eetietevy just in time, to_perform his task.- Arriving back at the football ground later, he remarked: "That' was a close shave!"