FOOTBALL.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 292, 15 June 1907, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

MANAWATU REP. TEAM. "Scrum" writes in the Manawatu Times : — Footballers are speculating as to who is likely to be picked for the representative team, and even the alert Selection Committee will have a hard nut to crack before the numbers go up. The following may interest them: — Full-backs there are none. Hughes is the pick, but is ; not up to rep. form. in my opin- ! ion Dick Waldegrave, with careful ! tuition, w ill make an ideal fulli back. He is a sure collar, kicks , splendidly, and fields fairly well. Of i the three-quarters Walsh, Martis, I Carrol, and Price are the cream ; but they have not yet reached the expert stage. Russell is said to be fair, but the writer has not seen him plaj'. Stalker must be selected as I the five-eights. I like him better as i | a wing three-quarter, but with the ' material we have at hand he would • bo useless in that position. Pirani, I Anslow, and Rout have shown the best form as five-eights, but only j ; the former strikes me as being the j | nearest to fit for the reps. Ongley I excels in the half-backs. Vallance be- j ing a good second. To-day's game j will settle the question as to whether j he can approach Joe. Archie McMinn, Munro, and Boon are the ; choice in wings. Boon has improved wonderfully, and to my mind is a certainty. There will be no diffi- : culty in selecting forwards, although . the backs are not too good. McNae, Kelly, Smith, M. Waldegrave, Bel- ! fit, Kyle, Taylor, Whisker, and G. McMinn are the pick of our i scrutnmagers. Dick Waldegrave j should have a place in the pack if he is not fullback. Wingate, Ward, McCarty. Allan, Vincent, are the prime or the hookers. ' Wingate is the best, and Ward must be con- j sidered tor his place-kicking. Pos- | sibly the writer may have overlooked some player, but I may venture to say that the selection will be ; somewhere near the mark when Manawatu play Foxton: — Full, Dick Waldegrave; three quarters, Walsh, ; ' Martis, Carroll; five-eights, Stalker, 1 Pirani; half, Ongley; front row, . Wingate, Ward; lock, McNae; sides, \ Smith, Whisker; back row, Taylor, M. Waldegrave; wing, Boon. The most important matter of all is the selection of a captain. It has been stated that Stalker is the only pebble j on the beach, but the writer begs to differ. I would make the selection J out of either Ongley or Boon. The Manawatu forwards will require an earthquake to shake them up, and ', Bron is the best to shift them about I the field when a good old leather • hunt is required.