SEASONABLE SPORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 August 1933, Page 12

SEASONABLE SPORTS

SOCCER. NOTES AND COMMENTS There was little football played locally on Saturday on account of the representative match for the Peter Dawson Cup at Westport. Though the Westland team was defeated by a margin of three goals, they were by no means disgraced and, with the exclusion of two or three players, fully justified their selection. In spite of a greasy ground the game was bright, with thrills in plenty, and it was only in the concluding stages, when Buller .were definitely on top, that the interest began to wane. Buller fully deserved their win for there was not a weakness in their eleven and they played as a team. Their speed and ball control backed up by a strong half-line were the deciding factors in their victory.

Players’ Form: Timlin had a busy afternoon and though he brought off several fine saves was not as reliable as usual. Now, selectors, when looking for a team against Auckland why not give White a trial. S. Marley was the best back on the field and gave a grand display. He not only kicked cleanly and well but never let up the whole game, and it was a treat to watch his recoveries. Wick also played quite soundly, but was overshadowed by his partner. Glen of Taylorville would probably be his equal.

M YVCdKHCOb. Now to come to the weakness of the team —the halves. As stated before, this was where the Coast team was •likely to fail and so it proved. The halves not functioning well meant that the forwards did not get their i share of the ball with the result that all the backs had a heavy day’s work. Cowe was the pick and played a sound game but Pattinson was below his Club form. Then the knock he received did not improve matters. Marshall was up /against a wonderful wing and was not in the hunt all day. Scott and Trotter were far too speedy for him. Coutts at outside-right fully justified his inclusion and was always dangerous, but once again he did not get the ball as much as he should have done through the ineffectiveness of his halves. A winger of his calibre must be well supplied with the ball to be made the most use of. Anderson inside-right was the best forward and played his best game to date. He played a vigorous game and was a constant source of danger, tackling well and shooting well. Even when he took Pattinson’s place in the halves he was outstanding. Malpass was practically starved throughout. He showed some good touches but still had the tendency not to shoot. Shortt did not plav as well as usual and proved far too' slow for the speedy Buller team He scored a good goal but otherwise his play was unimpressive. Crowe at outside-left played well and fully justified his inclusion. He was not givena great number of opportunities but played hard and keenly arid crossed the' ball with accuracy.

A Great Half-line: The strength of the Buller team was undoubtedly their half-backs. There was not a weakness and Orman was the outstanding one. Their positional play was excellent and they gave their speedy forwards every opportunity. Not only did they shine on attack but their defence also was excellent. Scott and Trotter 011 the left proved a brilliant wing, and they gave Marshall a gruelling time. They played an ideal wing game and used the short pass to perfection. As soon as Marshall went for one he passed to the other and vice-versa.

One Enthusiast’s Opinion: A well known follower of the Code in Greymouth, who has seen the best football played in New Zealand was enthusiastic in his praise of the Buller team. He stated without any hesitation whatsoever that he was confident that they would beat any Provincial team in New Zealand. We are to have a visit from Auckland who are one of the best sides in the country. From the result of their game with Westland, we shall be able to form some idea of the strength of the Buller team.

A Word to the Selectors: Against Auckland we need not only good defensive halves, but halves that know their position, and that know how to feed their forwards. Have the selectors ever given Rutherford of Taylorville a thought? He is not conspicuous but is always sound, and always does his job most effectively. Then if you are going to play players who have not played all the season as Marshall, how about Bennett of Cobden? But be wise and do not again pass over Anderson of Greymouth.

A Suggestion: Crowe is a fast and vigorous forward and a great shot. In the RunangaDobson game he clearly demonstrated that he is quite at home in the inside position. Why not play Winstanley outside-right, Crowe inside-left and Coutts outside-left?

Third Grade 5-aside: This proved a. most successful and most enjoyable tournament and some good games were staged in spite of the heavy ground. One can gather’ how enthusiastic this grade is when it is realised that over 50 boys participated. Tech A. who won, were the outstanding combination and showed some promising football. The Tech, team was Lee, Skeats, Armstrong, Vaughan and Pattinson. In the Grey A team Eatwell and Grogan combined most effectively, while Swinburn in goal was outstanding. There is some talk of holding another tournament later.

Tours: This coming week we have the outstanding event in the schools’ lootball, the tournament at Christchurch. Two well-balanced teams have been selected io represent the Coast and should do well. All followers of the Code wish them every success. On Thursday the Greymouth Junior team leave for Christchurch where they will nlav matches with the Western and the' Marist Juniors. Next Monday the combined secondary teams leare to Dunedin where they will play the annual matches with the Otago Boys High School. Though not as strong as usual they are expected to give a good account of themselves On retuinthe seniors will play the Canterbury Fifth Grade reps, and the Juniorsi the Sixth Grade reps. In connection with this, a game which should prove most entertaining will be staged as the CUI- - a in-raiser lo the Groymouth-Rttnanga

game on Saturday. The A. Secondary team will try conclusions with a team selected from the rest of the Third Grade.

RUGBY FOOTBALL. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Seddon Shield Play: The West Coast team have reason to feel satisfied with their Seddon Shield play this season. Their victory over Golden Bay could not have been more pronounced, and their test last Saturday, with Nelson, could not have been much harder. It was as well that the two games were in direct contrast, for the first match placed the West Coast team in such a favourable light, that many of its supporters were inclined to arrive at the conclusion that the Shield was secure from all challengers. Nelson showed that had the holders been anything but the strong and able side that they proved themselves, the Shield would have changed hands. Coast had to play a high standard of football throughout, and it was not until the final three minutes, when the holders scored and converted the try that placed the result beyond all doubt, that Nelson were beaten. Kirkland Was Invaluable:

Apart from the good game that he played in other departments, Kirkland was invaluable to his team, because of his ability to secure the ball from the scrums. He kept it almost entirely away from the Nelson backs, and so gave the holders a big advantage. Had Kirkland been hooking for Nelson, the visiting backs would have been a dengerous combination, for they proved that they could handle, and' attack with good effect. Kirk land is keen on his game, and his play never fails to reach a. high standard.

A Worthy Pack: The Coast forwards played sterling football, against a pack that were hard to hold off. The Nelson forwards were adept at close packing, and thej r hunted together in splendid fashion. They provided a very sound defence, and worked like Trojans, especially in the second spell, when the Coast forwards had them penned down near their line for fully fifteen minutes. They were two fine packs, and it was their almost continual clashing, and hard rucking that made the p’ay so interesting. Every man did his duty, and played up in the way that is expected of representative forwards. There appeared to be a little leniency granted to both packs, by the referee, but in such a spirited game, Mr Crawford was entitled to apply the advantage rule generously, for in so doing ho increased the interest, and lessened the stoppages, without being unjust to either team. Nothing belter than the forward play witnessed last Saturday is wanted by the onlookers, and nothing any harder is likely to be seen. The Coast pack, however, showed that they are capable of standing up to hard knocks, and giving as good as they receive in strenuous play. No Weak Link:

The Coast backs proved themselves on attack and defence. There'was not a weak link in the team. Any mistakes that were made, were excusable. Fong on occasions dropped his pass, and on others sent illdirected transfers. These mistakes were due chiefly to the . strict attention he was paid by the Nelson backs and forwards. He had little time in which to act. He appeared to be concerned unduly with his responsibilities as captain of the team. His defence was absolutely sound, but his stab-kicking was a. little overdone, especially with Taaffe playing soundly beside him. Taking a general view of his play, however, his clever work outweighed his mistakes. He should place greater confidence in his backs, for his colleagues are equal to doing their work well.

At His Best: B. Scandrett was seen at his best behind the West Coast pack.. He sent the ball away smartly to his backs, and when prevented from doing this, because of the smart breaking-up of the Nelson forwards, he gained ground by accurate line-kicking. He never failed in this respect, and his work was heart-breaking to the opposing forwards. Scandrett had a thorough gruelling at the hands of Nelson, but he stood up to it in magnificent style. He was the best back on the field, and his greatest asset was his sound judgment, for he never failed to think quickly, and act with results that brought the best to his team. High-class Exhibition: A feature of the match was the splendid long line-kicking demonstrated by the Nelson captain, Watson, and the Coast full-back, Gilbert. These two players gained fully sixty yards with the majority of their kicks, and each was consistent. With practically all the players, the line-kicking was good, and frequently an attacking side was sent back deep into their own. territory, because of the kicking. Another Test: On Saturday next, West Coast will be required to withstand a challenge from Buller. Buller can be depended upon to field a strong team, and another great match should result. Past matches with Buller have taught West Coast to give the fullest respect to these old rivals, and Buller’s victory this week over Nelson, will serve to place the Shield holders on their mettle. Buller had rather an easy victory over Nelson, but Nelson did not have the team that met Coast. It was more in the nature of a friendly match, and Coast should not be greatly perturbed by what at first appeared Io be evidence that Buller were about to lift the Seddon Shield. They must be respected, but not in any way feared.

LEAGUE FOOTBALL. PLAY AND PLAYERS.. To-day, the West Coast touring team opened' their North Island itinerary, with a match against the Wellington League representatives. Wellington is not regarded as being strong in the code this year, and a victory is expected for the Coast. It is the most extensive tour undertaken by the West Coast Centre, and it is expected that much good will result from the venture. It is necessary to have such tours, if the game is to receive the public interest that is necessary before it can make any advancement. A Strong Team: It is generally considered that the touring team is sufficiently strong to give a good account of itself. The match with South Auckland, at Huntley next Saturday, will be keenly awaited on the West Coast, for South Auckland are holders of the Northern Union Cup, a trophy that Coast hopes to lift. From inter-provincial matches played this season, South Auckland appears to be the strongest League team in the North Island. Auckland met defeat at their hands, by 14 points to nil. The success of the tour will depend to a great extent oan the showing that West Coast can make against South Auckland. If they can lift the trophy, or meet only a narrow defeat, then good attendances at the subsequent matches at Whangarei and Auckland will await them.

Mighty Pack: The principal strength of the Coast team is in the forward division. The eight men selected have speed, height, and weight to help them withstand whatever opposition they meet. Each is possessed of more than usual ability, and the teams they meet will quickly come to respect their play. The difficuplty will be to decide which two men will stand down in the match against South Auckland, for they are a very even eight. It will not be due to weakness in the pack if Coast meet defeat. Fast But Light:

The backs in the Coast team are fast, clever, but light. They will very likely meet bigger men, and as fast, on the tour, yet they have proved themselves capable of a high standard of football. With inside backs of the ability of Dodds, Masters, and Hart, the defence will be sound, and the wing three-quarters should be given plenty of opportunities to attack, as the inside backs are sure handlers. What small disadvantage, if any, that the team might be placed at through meeting superior backs, should' be balanced in its favour, by the prowess of the forwards. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEET. Present at last evening’s meeting of the Management Committee of the West Coast Rugby League Centre were, Messrs A. H. McKane (Chairman), J. Anisy, W. Barlow, J. Stokes, P. Blanchfield, and R. J. Harrington (secretary). Accounts amounting to £26 6/10 were passed for payment. The Canterbury League advised that the Addington senior team would be entering a challenge for the Thacker Shield. The Chairman remarked that the challenge could not be entertained until the Centre’s senior competition and knock-out contests were decided. It was resolved that no restriction be placed on lower grade players taking part in senior matches during the absence of the touring team. It was resolved to continue with the main senior competition and Sunday next will provide the final matches in the final round. FIXTURES. Senior Championship.—Marist v. Blackball at Blackball, 2.45 p.m. (Mr D. Faris); Runanga v. Pirates at Wingham Park, 2.45 p.m. (Mr C. Currie). Juniors (final K.O. Cup).—Runanga v. Ngahere at Wingham Park, 1.15 p.m. (Mr J. O’Neill). Third grade.—Marist v. Brunner at Wingham Park, 2.45 p.m. (Mr C. Purnell); Pirates a bye. Fourth grade.—Pirate v. Runanga at Wingham Park, 1.15 p.m. (Mr Stan Smith); Marist a bye. All school games are postponed for a fortnight.

The third grade competition points are: Pirates 7, Brunner 6, Marist 3. .Marist have to play Brunner in the last round.

In the fourth grade competition, Marist have 6 points, Pirates 6, and Runanga 4. Pirates and Runanga are to play to finish the final round. AUSTRALIANS IN ENGLAND. RUGBY, August 15. Th Australian Rugby League team received a warm reception this morning on landing at Southampton. The team, whose headquarters will be at llkley, will tour northern England, and wall play twrn matches in London. They are to place a wreath on the Cenotaph to-morrow. BOXING. NOTES AND COMMENTS The first amateur tournament of the year, held last Saturday evening, did not create a great deal of interest, but some of the bouts were good. The novice lightweight class produced the hardest-fought battles, and the winner, Colin Bell, must be congratulated on his exceptionally plucky performance. In his first round w’ith the hard-hitting M. Sw’ift, Bell sustained a fractured jawbone, from a heavy right hand punch, that put him on the canvas for nine seconds. Though dropped again on tw'o more occasions, he fought so desperately, that in the last round, he had Swift smothering to avoid his onslaught, and won a close decision. T. Mclvor (Brunner) .put up a game battle with P. Zambesi, a strong hard-hitting lightweight, but Mclvor’s condition ran out in the third round. The referee called the bout to a halt after Mclvor had been down twice. I he final between Bell and Zambesi, was very evenly contested, and the

margin in Bell’s favour could not have been very great. These four lightweight contestants are all promising boys, and will be seen in action again at the next tournament. Lightweight Championship:

Both Hawes and McPhee timed their punches very poorly, but Hawes placed a snappy right which put McPhee out of action. Atkinson struck a snag in E. Swift, who revels in shortrange fighting. Wilkinson took a bad beating for a round and a-half when the referee stopped the bout after he had been floored three times.

Lightweight: J. Cox, who was fighting his first ring battle, put up a very good performance against E. Swift. Cox is a very pleasing type of fighter, but reducing his weight to lightweight poundage evidently weakened him. Swift gave a good exhibition of twohanded fighting, and is certainly a much improved boy. Cox would be wise to fight welter-weight, at his natural weight.

“Mick” Howson’s Record: Howson put up an unusual performance in stopping' two opponents in the first round without getting out of the ring. Howson is in a class on his own as a middleweight, on the West Coast, and will certainly make his presence felt in Blenheim next month, at the New Zealand championships. Not only is he a heavy puncher, with either hand, but he is becoming crafty, and is fast and snappy in all his movements. Light-heavy and Heavy Novice:

J. Rose’s two stone advantage was too much of a handicap for H. Dowling, who put up a plucky resistance till the referee stopped the bout in the third round. Both boys are new to the game, but should improve with experience. O. Howson and E. Collins gave a very poor exhibition of boxing. Collins had little inclination to fight, and made himself an awkward opponent. Rushing in with one arm extended, he would push Howson against the ropes and hold him. Howson was also inclined to hold. It was a very poor scrambling brawl.

Flyweight: Bouterey was outclassed by Comerford, but put up a plucky resistance, till the referee called a halt in the third round. Bouterey is too short in the reach, to compete with much success.

The open welter-weight, light-heavy, and heavy, were uncontested, neither G. Gillingham nor F. Bell getting a fight. This Year’s Champions:

The champions for 1933 are: —Feather, W. Hawes (Westport) ; light, E. Swift; welter, G. Gillingham; middle, M. Howson; light-heavy and heavv, F. Bell.