RUGBY LEAGUE Change In Grade System Hus Proved A Success

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1947, Page 10

RUGBY LEAGUE Change In Grade System Hus Proved A Success

Although the introduction of a senior reserve competition this season, in place of the former junior grade did not work out entirely to plan, it must be conceded that the new scheme has been of benefit to West Coast Rugby League.

The senior reserve competition has been directly responsible for encouraging three new clubs, all of which have made progress during the season, and has provided good, keen football every Sunday. 'lt is for the remaining weeks of the season, however, that the new grade will really prove its worth. An instance was given at Blackball last Sunday when the ehampion lenin had to call on three reserve players to fill gaps. All of them acquitted themselves well and’proved that the step to senior grade is not now as great as it used to be.' ; '(

Judged by his display against Runanga on Sunday, W. McLennan', the Ngahere forward, can consider himself unlucky that an injury (not suffered on the football field) kept him out of the game for many weeks. If his game on Sunday was a fair indication, he must have had a great chance of being in the team for the northern tour as he was more impressive than several of those included. With Blackball last season McLennan showed considerable promise and since then he has developed into a really big forward, but he is mobile and has definite possibilities. His chief fault on Sunday was a tendency to retain possession 100 long, but he made a number of good openings.

Gcod Dribbling The slippery ground made conditions difficult for both senior teams at Wingham Park on Sunday, but there was one player who made full use of the opportunity presented to show his prowess as a dribbler. It often appears that dribbling with real ball control is a lost art these days, but T. Dudley (Ngahere) can teach a lot to most of the forwards. On several occasions on Sunday he covered over 20 yards with the ball at toe and Runanga found him a difficult man to stop once he got into the open. Dudley is lightly built, but he has been a valuable asset to Ngahere this season. Good Forward Lost

L. Morgan, who was one of the Ngahere pack early this season and who was regarded as a prospect, for higher honours when a hand injury put him out of the game for six weeks, was present at Wingham Park on Sunday, but merely as a spectator. He has been permanently lost to the game in this district as he has received a transfer in his employment to the North Island. Not Successful

N. Sweetman, the Runanga half back, was definitely below his best I'orrn in Sunday’s game and appeared to allow himself to be rattled by the fast-breaking Ngahere forwards. In. an attempt to beat them he employed his “dive” pass even more than usual but it was generally ineffective. It put him on the ground on each occasion just as surely as a tackle, and with the same effect, as he was not available to back up when he was urgently required.

Curragh In Form The Runanga three-quarter, J. Curragh, has been patchy this season, which is unfortunate, as, at his best, he is well up to representative standard. He made mistakes on Sunday,, but was one of the most enterprising backs on the field. He again proved his quickness to seize an opportunity by scoring the two tries which put Runanga in a position to win the game and no team can afford to take a risk with him when he is within striking distance of the line.

Hooking Surprise One of the surprising features of Sunday’s game at Wingham Park was the fact that the representative hooker, Mel Ord, did not secure his usual feast of the ball from the set scrums. In facf, the honours were with the Runanga hooker, T. Merriman, who is one of the most experienced hookers in the game on the West Coast. The fault, however, may not have been Ord’s, as Ngahere did not pack a good scrum. Too many of the forwards were “rovers” and did not pay sufficient attention to the scrummaging, which was poor on both sides.

An Improver Although he lost an almost certain try in the early stages by knocking on a ball which he should have dribbled over the line, H. Reid gave a sound display as centre threequarter for Ngahere on Sunday and there is no doubt that this player has shown considerable - improvement since joining up with Ngahere. In the early stages, when the Ngahere backs really looked like taking control of the game, Reid was a good /link, if inclined to show overanxiousness near the line.

Magnificent Trophy . . Seldom has a football trophy created more interest at Wingham Park than the Amalgamated Theatres’ Shield, which was displayed last Sunday. The shield, which is for competition at the annual Dominion schoolboys’ tournament to be held in Christchurch this month is a really magnificent trophy and all followers of the code will hope that the West Coast team will be able to improve on its Itist season’s performance, when it was Joint - runner-up with Canterbury, to the Auckland team.