RUGBY LEAGUE Would Strengthen Team

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 9

RUGBY LEAGUE Would Strengthen Team

New Zealand Stars Already In England In an article in an English paper Eddie Waring, a journalist who accompanied the English Rugby team on its recent tour of Australia and New Zealand, sympathises with New Zealand in the loss of two such fine players as Brian Nordgren (Auckland) and Cecil Mountford (West Coast), particularly in view of New -Zealand’s tour of England and France this season. He suggests it would be a fine gesture if these two players were released from their conti acts and allowed to join the New Zealand team on its arrival. He finishes his small article by saying, “How about it, Wigan?” Proposed Rule Changes “It is sincerely to be hoped that there is going to be no half-hearted-ness or lock of enthusiasm shout the experimental games to be played for trying out changes of rules, writes E. G. Blackwell in an English paper. “The dates should be fixed as early as possible and the experiments to be made widely circulated. The Press and Publicity Committee should do something. A lot of people are not ciuite clear about the proposals but there will be general agreement with the efforts to improve the play the ball rule which Mr R. E. Anderton a t the last annual meeting described as ‘a blot on the game’ and Mr Frank Devonland, the Lancashire secretary after the recent match at Barra, referred to as ‘a bigger nuisance than

ever. “The new proposals should be explained in greater detail. It is the public as cash customers who. matter most in this connection. 1 shall be greatly disappointed if the throw-in experiment is not a success as it is to abolish scrummaging, but a reduction of the number of scrums by about 50 per cent, would be welcomed. The energy expended in sternly fought scrums could be more intelligently applied to open play methods.”

Bia Crowds in Britain More than ordinary interest was taken in the first round draw of the Rugby League ‘Cup made at Leeds. More club parties than ever are being organised for the final at Wembley on May 3, and if two attractive teams fight their way through the 60 00 gate may be topped at this «ame Odsal Stadium, Bradford, is temporarily out of action so far as housing big matches is concerned. The 66,000 there in. April, 1939, gave promise of bigger things to come. The war however, held up further improvements to a ground" very far from being fully'developed.