LEAGUE CODE

Evening Post, Issue 88, 12 April 1924, Page 19

LEAGUE CODE

tBY "HAUp BACrV'I

SEASON'S PROSPECTS

VISIT OF AN ENGLISH TEAM

PLAYERS AND PLAY,

(By "Half-back.")

Exit Summer games; enter' Winter. With the opening of the 1924 Rugby League season in Wellington come numi erous new players and new teams to take the field. Ail clubs are very much stronger than in previous years, especially the new suburban - club—Hutt. Last year, its first under the jurisdiction of Rugby League rules, the Hutt Club could only muster onp team—senior. For 1924 they have entered three. • Although all clubs have not entered new teams as yet, they " are considerably stronger in regard to numbers of players, and, given a good season, insofar as weather arid grounds are concerned, local patrons of the code caii look forward with confidence Ito good football.. Outside the support of extra players there is a growing increase in public patronage of the code, stimulated by the interest manifested in the visit of the 1924 English Rugby League team, which left England yesterday, and is composed of excellent players from all parts of England and Wales, and among whom is Van Heerden, who, it must be remembered, toured this country with the famous Springbok Rugby Union tea-m- a couple of seasons, back. Van Heerden's speed is much more suited to League than Rugby, and he has played some wonderful games during the last two years in English League. The other Springboks, who are playing League in England, are not included in the 1924 touring team; but, nevertheless, the inclusion of Van Heerden is sure to be a further big attraction to the code games in New Zealand during the team's visit.- The programme provides for a fixture in Wellington with the English tuam and a local representative team, and, providing the team is able to leave by boat from Wellingt&n, a Test-match will be played here. | A University team from the New South Wales .Rugby League will also visit the Dominion this season and play a series of fixtures. The local representatives must visit and play the West Coast representatives this season, thereby returning the visit oi the Coast to Wellington last season. Auckland and Canterbury representatives play in Wellington this year. Mr. H. Daniatt, chairman of the English League, and Mr. E. Osborne, of Warrmgton, a member of the' English Executive, will be co-managers of the English team during their visit to Australia and the Dominion. The Auckland League is in for a bumper" season, according to reports from that city. The establishment of a reserve grade in that city was recently advocated by Mr. J. Carlaw, who said it would be as great a success in Auckland as it was in Sydney. If a reserve grade .were introduced the best juniors would graduate to it, and teams of senior standard, which Were excluded from the SH"or competition, could be included. . The interest shown at the anhuaf meetings of the Hutt and Petone Clubs augurs well for the success of the code in the district, and officials cannot help bein°pleased with the prospects. ° At the last meeting of the- Wellington Management Committee, Riddell, who playecl sterling football last season for the Petone Rugby Club, was granted reinstatement to Rugby League, and is this year playing for the Petone League Club. Ho will be a very valuable asset to the suburbun team. Dick Eyan; also late of the Petone Kugby Club, and. who played for their senior team last year, is this-vear turning out for the- Central League Club Ryan is now a very keen enthusiast of tue .League. ' * Reports from Christchurch indicate that there is going to be a record season i in that province this year, and only this week wo have official information that the Canterbury Old Boys1 Marist Rugby Uub has applied for affiliation underthe Canterbury Rugby League Football rules thereby in future intending to play league in preference to Rugby. ! This is one of the greatest assets tho' code could wish for, as, besides the lar^e increase in players and teams turning to League, it will mean a big increasi in public support for the thirteen-aside code. New clubs are being formed in Christchurch, but at the present moment this i scribe, is not able to officially give the names of same. Nevertheless, such new | dubs are an indication of the growingpopularity of the League code. ° The West .Coast League are also in a position to report a further advancement, and .as in Christchurch, the Rugby' Mansts having intimated their intention lof turning in a body to League. League last year held the premier position in j outdoor games on the Coast, and now ; with the inclusion of Marist, the code should never look back, but go ahead to the forefront of football. ■ Hawkos Bay are entering the League f, e/^,. aSain this year. In Napier, as in Wellington, the opposition code controls the grounds, and it was only on account of no playing areas last season that the League had to withdraw temporarily in Napiei-, although at the end of the football season a knock-out competition was held for the various trophies, ■■ when a large number of teams entered. The South Auckland League! holders' of the Northern Union Cup, -are on a very fine footing, and the Lower Waikato League are also progressing. Tho game- has started in the -Tauranga 'district, and also at Waihi and' Cambridge. The King Country League, as usual, reports good prospects for the ensuiii" season. The Rotorua people are desirous of starting the League game again, and the New Zealand Rugby League Council are now working to this end. There is rumour of the code starting in Ashburton. During last season four Ohnstchurch teams visited and played in Ashburton, and, despite the' weather which wa3 unfavourable, the games p),iyied were of a good, standard, and were I much appreciated by a large attendance Of the public. Jim O'Brien, an Auckland representative, j s playing for - p etoll6 this year . and other new players in the suburban club include H. Ross (late Maritime Auckland); "Alex. Gordon (late Ponsonby, Auckland); and S. Townsend Hate of bydney). W. Fargar is donning, the League jersey again this year, and will play" in the ranks of the Central Club. He has been out of the game for a couple of years. G. and R. Dutch, who played for Poneke Rugby. Club last season, havejoined up with the Central Club, and will this .year play under the new code. They are both the makings of top- ' riotchefti. • , The Mackenzie Brothel's are turning out for the Newtown League Club this year, after having previously played for the Uerhampore Rugby Club. Playing at Miramar last Saturday they showed fine dash and plenty of speed, but. as yet lack litneas. They are sure to improve, as they are very keen. i i?l'Ohic, of tho Swifts Soccer Club tost y«ar, Its Miles Btnuoil flay ins for iho [ Central League Club.

The City Club is going to have a- very bright season, and they have a big influx of new players. The City thirds hold the championship of that grade, but will have to go all out this year to ward off the new Hutt third-graders. Dave Rigby is donning the jersey for the Black and Yellows (City) this Season. Dave is well known in League circles locally, and will be sure to do a lot of' good. ■ ' ' George Pringle, professional boxer, who meets Can- at Millerton on Easter Saturday, is playing in the senior ranks for Central this year. His sparring partner, Freddy Smith, also intends to don the Red and Black. Bill Taylor will play in the senior ranks for Central this year. Bill has played rattling good football for the juniors of late years, and well deserves a place in first-grade football. Bill Dawe and "Sanko" Green won't grow too old to play. They are fighting for Newtown again this year, donning the blue and black. They are both true i Leaguers, and Bill gained representative honours last season, as he has done in seasons past..

The Rugby League Council, Manchester, has selected twenty of the -twenty-six players who will tour the 'Dominions in the coming English summer. The players selected were: Fullback, Sullivan (Wigan); wing, three-quarter-backs, , Ring (Wigan) and Bentham . (Broughton Rangers); centre three-quarter-backs, Howley fWigan), Bacon (Leeds), and Carr (Barrow); scrum-half, Parkin' (Wakefield); stand-off halves, Hurcombe (Wigan) and Whitty (Hull); forwards, hookers—rßennett (Rochdale) and Gronpy (Huddersfield); loose forwards—Gallagher (Bailey) and I rice (Wigan); other forwards, Burgess (Barrow), W. Cunliffe (Warrington), Bowman (Hull), Thompson (Leeds), Darwell (Leigh), . Brogh (Oldharu), and Slomati (Oldham).