LEAGUE.

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1927, Page 2 (Supplement)

LEAGUE.

(By

"Spectator.”)

The senior game at Dunollie was not productive of very good football, the state of the ground being all against fast ope i ] ay, added to this the number of emergencies taking the place of senior absentees, and it will be readily understood that the class of play was below the average. Sammy Finn played a great game for Kunanga. fielding and si zle-stepping the oncoming forwards, and usually finding the open spaces with the ball. His tackling was very effective, the way he lifted heavier men Mid bundled them into touch being an «ye opener to the crowd. Buff Cust was easily the most dangerous back in the game, liis wriggling runs being a continual source of worry to tjie defence. His couple of tries were fine efforts.

Connelly scored the other beating at least four would-be tack ers and going over near the corner. This try showed up the weak defence of the green backs.

N. Griffiths played second five-eighth and did well in the position, the said? applying to Bill 'Henderson at first five-eighth, whose handling -was supx> ior to his former displays. Both these backs tackled well, the Marist inside backs having few opportunities to get the ball to the wings.

Stevens seems to be the utility back of the Runanga team, for after playing five-eighth and wing in previousgames, he has done well in the hrlfback position in the last coupl* of matches.

Isherwpod, Timlin and Butler wero •romoted from the junior ranks, and 11 played well in the home pack. Timin is a fine cut of a player and once he leeomes familiar with the nibs, can >e expected to go a good way in the code.

Barney Hands was the best forward m view, breaking through several imes and feeding his backs on every •ccasion. Next rep team should i_ilude Barney in the pack.

Joe Garvey and Waka Armstrong completed a pack that always had the better of tVir lighter opponents, and laid the foundation of their team's victory.

For the losing team, Stormy Quinn at full-back was in no way to blame, saving his side on numerous occasions. It would have been no disgrace to him had the black and whites added a couple of extra tries, some of his saves being as unexpected as they 'were brilliant, getting the ball from forward rushes when the odds could not be named on a score. “Stormy” did well.

Griffiths on the wing had one royal chance of being in a scoring movement, but with Quinn outside him and a clear field he allowed Pinn to bustle both himself and ball into touch. This was Marists’ best chance of scoring during the whole game. Griffiths has never properly mastered the fundamentals of the game. When he does he will be some good, as his gameness is undoubted, giving it a go on every occasion. His pace also is an asset to any team.

Billy Kennedy was Marists’ best back but being behind a #et of beaten for wards, he did not have much chance, but one at the very commencement of the game would have yielded a score with better backing up.

Hughio Brown was tried at second five-eighth, but had little chance to do anything, the same applying to the other backs who were mostly engaged in stopping rushes or catching high dropping balls with, the Magpies pack coming at them. The third grade boys O’Connor and Kiely, certainly played good football against weightier opponents.

Forward Delaney got more of tin ball than usually comes his way “Sailor” Quinn was easily the best:

and shared with Hands the distinction of being best on the ground. Quinn had hard luck on a couple of occasions as after backing up well, the back in possession hung on when a pass seemed likely to bring about a score. Malloy was next best but the muddy ground militated against his play, seeming to affect him more than most others.

Tallentyre was resting an injured leg, but should be right for next game against Blackball.

Runanga have a very promising back coming on in Marshall, a third grade boy. He has good physique, speed, and handles well, showing a good knowledge of the game in regard to scoring opportunities, and is no mean place kick, putting the greasy ball over from a good distance.. Maybe we will see him in senior football before very long.

To my view there has been a falling off in the class of senior football, some of our best forwards not getting any better with age, and we do not seem

to have any better coming on. The pack we had against Otago, Hansen, Tallentyre and Skinner, Griffiths, Wright and Mouatt, were a good pack and granted we have lost the services of three of them, I contend that the other three are not up to last year’s standard, and that we have no equals to the men lost.

. The same applies to the backs—we simply have not got them— not a decent wing man to choose from, and only one reliable five-eighth. Let us hope for improvement before any further rep. games come along.

As no senior games were billed for the local grounds last week-end, all interest among followers of the code was centred on the juniors, in which they were provided with two fairlv good games at Cobden. Despite the bleakness of the afternoon, there was a good crowd present, and although the second game did not finish till nearly dark, they stuck it out to the end. In the first junior game, Kotuku again proved their superiority over Marists and ran out winners by 13 points to 3. The hitter team had a good few of their third grade players in their team, and they all performed well, and it was only in the concluding stages of the game that they were overwhelmed by superior weight and strength.

Kotuku did not produce the form shown by them earlier in the season, and a continual practice of kicking did not seem to get them anywhere. They will have to improve somewhat if their ambition of taking on the seniors in the knock-out is to materialise. -They possess three or four very good players,

who should be seen to greater advantage later on. C. Kennedy, Southern, Taylor and Rochford in the backs all shaped well, but Taylor, who played half, would be better advised not to run with the leather too much. Undoubtedly he played well on Sunday, but to my mind the best half is the one who gets it a\Vay from the scrum the quickest. This brings the fiveeighths into action far better.

Priest ib & fine type of forward, and if he was playing in a good senior team he would certainly shine out, his backing up and looking for his supports being worthy of the best forward. Wilson was another in the Kotuku team who made every post a trygetting one. His two tries on Sunday were beauties, the result of good handling and backing up. Calder is a type of forward of the hard working sort without being brilliant, his best work being in the tight, whilst Olsen spoils his play by too much off-siclo, although he gets away with quite a good deal of it.

On the Marist side none played bettor in the backs than the third grade boy Jackson, who seemed to be everywhere, and got his side out of innumerable difficulties, and also got the only try of the match for his side after a nice run.

N. Kiely was the pick of the others, whilst O’Loughlin gave promise of something better when in form, as he has only just come over to the code, and was playing his second match.

In the Marist forwards, Fraser was easily the pick, and was going aU the time. The, second junior game, that between Nelson Creek' and Giey, created more interest and turned out one of the hardest and keenest tussles of the season so far. A glance at the two teams gave one the impression that the Crock would swamp the green and blacks,

so well did they look on taking the field; all fine, big, upstanding players, both back and forward, and it was the general opinion of the spectators that they would be bettor in the ‘senior grade. As another proof that weight does not always tell was the fact that the Creek team had to strike their colours for the first time this season, to the young and lighter Grey team, who played a surprisingly good game, considering the nature of the ground and the fact that they had to finish with ten men, two having been sent to the side line, wl’.ilst one was injured and had to retire. The town boys are to be congratulated on the fight they put up against overwhelming odds, and the honours of the game was easily theirs.

“Rat” McHirus behind the Grey pack gave a fine display, and has improved wonderfully since last season. He generally got the ball away smartly when it came his way, and went down to the big Creek forwards like a trojan. He had good support from his other backs. J. Gordon, M. Mason, Bond and Johnson all getting through a tremendous amount of work, Bond’s two goals being fine efforts. B. Gordon and J. Harris were outstanding in the jack, whilst Lee was tackling well ah day.

“Spectator”* is at a loss to under stand the Creek form after their brilliant exploits earlier in the season. Never once did their back machine seem to combine. Tn nearly every case the first five-eighth would be caught with the ball, and he would kick, the consequence being that a good scoring man like P. Tobin had few opportunities. Tobin was easily th,c most dangerous man among the Creek backs, and it was just as well for Grey he had so little of the ball. As it was he scored the only try of the match.

Mayne also played a good game, and handled the greasy ball, very finely. This is another who has improved since last year.

Greer, who showed such promise in previous games, did not seem to be at home, and as previously stated, was more than often caught with the ball, lie had every chance to win the game for his side with goal kicking, but evidently left his boots behind, as several easy ones were missed. Mick O ’Brien was easily outstanding in the Creek pack, and is playing as good as ever. What a pity to see players of this calibre sticking to the junior ranks, when the Ki:l, i° r clubs could do with

The brilliant New Zealand and Canterbury rep, Wilson-Hall, played his final game for Hornby last Saturday, and in future he will be found assisting one of the Auckland clubs. He will be greatly missed in Christchurch League, where he had no superior as a half-back. Hall previously played in Auckland before coming to Christchurch. All League followers will regret the loss to the code in New Zealand of Brown and Davidson, who were looked upon as the finest players 5n the game. i>. Davidson will be remembered on the Coast, where he represented Auckland in 1921 and 1925.

Len Mason, who also has received an offer from Home, was a member of the last Auckland team which visited here.

It is rumoured that J. Sanders, the New Zealand ami Canterbury fiveeighth, has been transferred to Dunedin. Should this be so, he should be a great acquisition to the League game in those parts, as throughout his brilliant career. Sanders has been associated with the League game. His loss will be severely felt by tl’,e Addington Club, of which he has been one of the staimchest members. Jimmy is well-

known on ijie Coast, having made sev oral trips here.

Joe McCabe, the ex-Blackball hack, has -again donned the jersey for the City club in Dunedin. There are not inanv better than Joe when in form.

Ponsonby (Auckland) received their first defeat for the reason last Saturday at the hands of Devonport, who won a closely-contested game by nine points to six. There were 7000 specta-

tors present in a dour and gloomy afternoon, which shows that the League ,;code still retains its popularity in the • northern city. The game was. played in a sea of mud. Delgrosso, the Ponsonby captain, was ordered off for hav ,ing words with referee. Biely, the other Ponsonby star, received a knock •early in the game which sickened him for the remainder of the match. The ’defeat of Ponsonby leaves Marist at ithe top of the scale with S points, they .having run over City by 33 points to 8, ‘after giving a fine display.

■Devonport’s Mascot. Out of a flock of over two hundred iseagul.ist which was put to flight ar. ■Carlaw Park on Saturday by the arrival of the players in the Devonport-Pon-isonby match, one old fellow refused to take refuge in the ignomnious flight cf his fellow scavengers from the sea. Perched on an electric light standard, he gave vent to a series of dismal cries just at the moment when Ponsonby was getting up a hot attack on the sea'siders’ line. “That’s Devonport ’.s mascot,” jocularly observed one of the ■bankers ta a frend. “lie’s flown over ’.from the Shore to help them to win.” >Wheh thq game had finished, the gull -had gone, and so had Ponsonby’e un beaten record.

It’s a retrograde step, said Mr W. J. •Hammill,' Chairman of the Auckland ‘Bugby League, Av hen questioned re‘•garding the recent transfers. The English. League' have flagrantly broke faith (with us, said lie, by deleting the two years’ residential qualification. Brown land Davidson would probably be leaving about July 5, said Ahi- Hammill.

. WEEK-END GAMES. ' This week’s' games will include two ■’senior games. Blackball and’ Bunanga kind Grey and Marist. The former will be played at Dunollie, where a record crowd should witness it. Bunanga have reorganised their team, and with Purnell back again behind the scrum, is bound to strengthen them. Blackball arc very confident of success, and will rely chiefly on their fine back machine.

Grey and Marist meet at Cobden, where a repetition of the form shown by Marist in their late encounter may quite possibly land them a winner. Anyhow, the form of the Grey team of late has shown a vast improvement, and they can be relied upon to go all the way.

There will be several junior games. Blackball will moot Bunanga at Dunollie at 1.30 p.m. Marist go to Nelson Creek and Grey go to Kotuku. In all these followTh’^. of the code should get their money’s worth. There will be two third grade fixtures--Marist and Kotuku play at Cobden at 1.30 p.m., where early patrons should not miss seeing these boys in action; and Grey will try out Blackball at Omoto, where the green and blacks might reverse their previous result.

Grey and Bunan o fourths meet at Cobden at 10 a.m. Sunday, and Marist and Brunner will meet at Omoto at 1.30 p'.m.

The school games will be the same as last week.