LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1929, Page 6

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

COAST CENTRE MEETING The executive of the West Coast Rugby League Centre met last evening when, in the absence of Mr. J. D. Wingham, Mr. L. Hunter presided over an attendance of the following members: Messrs W. Kells, P. Betts, A. Nelson, C. Hall, C. Chamley, F. O’Neill, H. Moore, R. Harrington, L. Jackson, A. Warwick and the secretary, Mr. W. J. Larcombe. Messrs W. Robertson and A. Sharpe formed a deputation from the Soccer code and asked that they should have use of the Recreation ground on August 31 for a Peter Dawson Cup match, with Canterbury. The Rugby Union had declined use of Victoria Park on that date and the League had the Recreation Ground reserved. Mr. Robertson said that a special train was to be run and it was expected that 500 people would comprise the visitors from Canterbury to witness the match.

Mr. Warwick pointed out that it had been arranged that the primary schools match for, the Norman Cox Cup should be played on that day. After a brief discussion it was decided to allow the Association use of the ground in return for a small donation, and the Norman Cox game will be played as a curtain-raiser to the Soccer game. Mr. A. Galbraith, at the head of a deputation from Nelson Creek, said that it was thought by members of that Club that consideration had not been given to country clubs in regard to the fixtures, the town teams having an advantage. They thought that in finals, when, in accordance with the rules laid down by the Centre Nelson Creek had to go to town something should be paid towards their travelling expenses and the cost of assembling the team, the latter being a particularly heavy item as far as the particular Club was concerned. In the League Cup competition Nelson Creek travelled five times, while only twice had games been played there. In the knock-out they were supposed to have played at Runanga. Had they done so, and won they would then have had to travel again to Greymouth for the final. The crux of the difficulty was the expense incurred, plus the fact that- there was • dissatisfaction because there was so little playing on the Nelson Creek ground. There had not been a game there for six weeks, and the club’s players and supporters were getting tired of it. The Chairman pointed out that there had been four consecutive postponements owing to bad weather. As for the draw, the Centre could not control that.

Mr. Kells stated that, prior to the postponements, one draw for a junior match resulted that Runanga and Nelson Creek shoulud have been played at Nelson Creek, but the Centre had decided in favour of Runanga, despite the protest he made at the time. As a delegate for Nelson Creek, Mr. Herb. Moore said that he had previously warned the Centre that it was making rules and was not abiding by them and he had objected to the way in which the draw for the knock-out competition had been made. He had felt inclined to resign over the matter.

In reply to Mr. Galbraith it was stated that the proposition of the Nelson Creek Club last year that if the ground of the holders of the Challenge Cup was not available the game should be on the ground of the challengers had not been acted upon, as the Centre could not alter the conditions of the cup and at the time the season was late and all were inclined to close down. Mr. Moore maintained that all the difficulty was created by the Centre making rules and not abiding by them. In reply to a question the Chairman said that if it could be shown that the Centre was wrong in drawing between three instead of five teams for the Knock-out competition then the Nelson Creek versus Runanga game would have to be played. Mr. Galbraith contended that either Marist oi’ Runanga should visit Nelson Creek and play before the final was played at Cobden. Mr. Chamley moved that the Centre should adhere to the results as they had panned out. Mr. Moore moved as an amendment that the Knock-out competition be declared void, be redrawn and replayed. Mr. Galbraith declared that only three players at Nelson Creek avoided incurring travelling expenses when games were played on that ground and he maintained that special provision could be made to assist country clubs, as had been done in regard to finals being played at Cobden. Messrs Warwick and Hunter both thought that the country clubs, especially Nelson Creek, should be financed when visiting town to play finals.

When the amendment to declare the Knock-out competition void and to redraw it had been defeated, Mr. Hall moved, as a further amendment, that the three clubs remaining in the competition should be put in a hat and drawn, so as to give Nelson Creek a chance to have a game there. He asked whether the Nelson Creek delegates would agree to abide by the result.

Mr. Galbraith said that the position was that when the Nelson Creek Club saw the draw for the Knock-out competition requiring it to travel to Runanga and then, if it won, to go to Grey, it went on strike, and declined to travel. Mr. Hall then added to the further amendment that the matter be left in abeyance to get an assurance from the three clubs concerned that they would abide by the draw. The second amendment was approved and as a motion was carried. With reference to the Marist third grade team having played one lad who was over weight and over age against Blackball, the New Zealand Council wrote that, in view of Blackball not having lodged a protest it was not entitled to claim the match, that decision being reached principally on the assumption that Marist had been unaware that the player in question was ineligible to play. The player concerned should be severely reprimand ed.

Mr. Warwick and Mr. Chamley said that that was not so, as the Marist player had been asked to attend to be weighed prior to the match but had not done so, and consequently the Marist Club knew that his eligibility to play was questioned. Two junior Union players who wished to play third grade for Brunner were admitted to the code. H. Wilson was granted a transfer from Ngahere to Brunner, subject to the former Club consenting.

WEEK-END FIXTURES Fixtures for Saturday and Sunday next are as follow: Saturday, at the Recreation Ground —Senior representatives, West Coast v. Inangahua, 2.45 pan. Herb. Moore Challenge Cup, Marist v. Runanga at 10.30 a.m. Referee Mr. W. Henderson. Third grade, Coast reps. v. Woolston at 1.15 pan. Referee, Mr. J. McTaggart. Sunday, at Cobden —Junior Knockout Cup Competition. Marist v. Runanga, at 2.45 pan. Referee, Mr. Syd. Smith. Fourth grade: Marist v. Runanga at 1.15 p.m. Referee, Mr. C. Dewar. At Brunner at 2.45 p.m.: Junior Knock-out Cup, Blackball v. Brunner. Referee, Mr. L. Hunter. REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS The West Coast representative team chosen by Messrs L. Hunter, C. Hall and H. Moore to play the Inangahua League representative team at the Recreation Ground next Saturday afternoon at 2.45 o’clock is as follows: Full-back, Lamberton (Blackball).' Three-quarters: Mossop (Runanga), B. Cust (Runanga), H. Lynch (Grey). Five-eighths: B. Kennedy (Nelson Creek) and S. Finn (Runanga). Half: L. Kinsella (Blackball). Forwards: J. Murphy (Marist), Gordon (Grey), Clark (Blackball), Long (Grey), Molloy (Nelson Creek), and Currie (Runanga). Emergencies: Back, Butterworth (Nelson Creek); forwards, Hardie (Runanga). Mr. C. Hall was appointed manager. The team is to meet at the Club Hotel at 2 o’clock.

The West Coast representative League team to play Woolston fourth grade on Saturday August 3, at the Recreation Ground at 1.15 p.m. was chosen as follows: —Full-back: J. Brown (Runanga), captain; threequarters, Naisbett (Runanga), Malpass (Runanga), Kennedy (Marist); fiveeighths: Higgins (Marist), O’Leary (Marist); half, J. O’Neill (Runanga); forwards: Weir (Marist); W. Brown (Runanga), Mathieson (Runanga); Atkinson (Marist), Williams (Marist), Fisher (Runanga). The emergencies were: M. Anisy (Marist), and Maddison (Runanga) as backs and Restieaux (Marist) and Newton (Runanga) for the vanguard. The team is to assemble at the Recreation Hotel at 1 p.m. and the kick-off will take place a quarter of an hour later.

TRIP TO CHRISTCHURCH The West Coast teams to play Canterbury will leave by the express to-mort’ow, the country players selected joining the train en route. Mr. J. D. Wingham will accompany the seniors as manager, and Mr. W. Ryan will act in the .same capacity in regard to the juniors. CANTERBURY TEAM. CHRISTCHURCH, July 31. The Canterbury Rugby League team to play against the West Coast on Saturday, at Monica Park, will be: — T. Davidson, R. Bond, J. Sanders, R. Mackie, J. Amos, E. Spillane, A. O’Connor, W. Woodgate, A. Green, E. Spencer, C. Dobbs, N. Vivian and S. Minnard.