LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Grey River Argus, 23 May 1936, Page 10

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

NOTES AND COMMENTS. Alarisi were hard pressed to maintain their unbeaten first round record when they met. Blackball on Sunday. 'l'lie. latter, always tough on their home ground, gave Marist a run for their money,' but could not quite get there. Certain for Rep. Honours?: Perrin, the brilliant Blackball forward. has only to retain form to be certain of tilling a posse in the rep. pack against Inangaliua on June 23rd. lie played a game ‘‘out of the box” on Sunday, and was in the fight all the. way. ****** Dodds and Pascoe: Dodds was in good form and certainly put up a much better showing than at Runanga. Pascoe also did a great deal of good work for Blackball and should be under the selectors’ eyes this vear. " *******

O’Connor at Last!: After playing mediocre football this season. Tom O’Connor was his old self a.miiu behind the Marist pack at Blackball. He showed that he is still capable of great efforts and should be in the limelight again this season. ****** Williams Hooks Well: Om-e again Williams hooked well for Marist, getting more limn his share ol the bail. c ******* Bailey Shows Up: The ex-Inangaliua rep. converted one nf Perrin’s tries with a magnificent kick from the side-line. It was the most thrilling incident in a great game. He took his part in many movements and confirmed the high opinion critics had of him. ****** Successful Cut-in: O'Donnell, whose specialty is e,ut-ins pulled one off on Sunday and scored a splendid try under the posts. He is improving with each game. ******* Grafting Forwards: To J. Beban, W. McNeight, and G. Scott, fell the brunt of the forward work for Marist, and the three wet© towers of strength to their side. All are prospective reps., and still have tons of energy to spare. * * 5: * * * * Scrappy Game: The Pirat’es-Brunner clash at the i Park did not excite admiration. Little was seen of Pirates’ back movements, which won their match against Ngaliere. The forwards, ably led by Calder, did most, of the work. ******* Broome Shines: liriHiine, who was custodian for Pirates, did some useful line, kicking, was good on defence,, and not afraid to make openings. In Calder and Broome, Pirates depemleil mainly lor their win. * * * * * * Reorganised Pack: Brunner deserve warm congratulations for a splendid tight in spite of adversity. They were unlucky enough to Jose several promising players and then Croft', but. their team now is young and above all keen and enthusiastic. The pack contained five new players, who will rapidly acquire a good knowledge of the game. * * * * * * * Safe Custodian: V. Lee gave a good exhibition at full back for Brunner and has all the attributes of a fine player. He missed no opportunities with his kicks, and most of them had length, but at. rhe same time were not excessive. ****** Brilliant Try: To Buckman goes the honour of providing the brightest patch in a dull match. Snapping up r'he ball at his own 25, he made a great dash, for the line, passing seven or eight men to score the best try of the day. It was too much to expect him lb convert his own try but the kick was a good effort. I’.iunner have in him a sound second five-eighth and he appears to be very til.. ******* No Replacements: Probably because of a high standard of keen play, the non-replacement rule which came into force on Sunday, did not make its presence felt. In only one case, did players leave the field, and that, was two minutes before the end of Hie Park match. ******* Among the Juniors: Marist have a fine team this year. S. Knapp, is playing surprisingly good football, as second five-eighth. He would probably shine out as centre, as he would have more space 'to work in. | Hopkins still shows good form belli nd the serum, and follows the ball all over the field. On defem-o and attack he is equal Io any oilier half in the competition. P. Beban is tin all rounder, who is developing into a fine player. His tackling is certain and sure. On attack and defence, P. O’Brien is one of the best in Hie team. As first five-eighth, he gets plenty of work and does it well. Power, Malone and Gough should endeavour to tackle their man. Their defence is weak. * * 5F * * * * Pirate Juniors; Fisher would do well to take a more serious view of the game, and do a little training. De Freatus is the best back in flic team, tackles well and handles excellently. Jacobs, on the wing, has plenty of dash, which he uses to advantage. Gallop is inclined to like the rough stuff. Tie will find that it doesn’t pay. GaHardie, Barlow ami Williams are the workers in the forwards, and play consistently throughout. 'l’he speed of MeQuillian and Carter makes them more suitable for the forward division. ******* Tit-Bits: It is not' such a. long time since the late Mr Galbraith, chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union, said that any player who went over to Rugby League would never get an opport unitv to return!

'By defeating last year’s ehampion, Tak'ahiwai. at Jubilee Park. Whangarei, Kensington took the lead in the Northland Rugby League championship, which promises to be very interos’ in#.

Frank O’Connor, the South Sydney and Australian forward, is at present convalescing from an operation—the removal of a knee cartilage. He will now miss the tests against llie Englishmen for which ho. must have been a foremost candidate. 'l’he Glenora suburban club which was established five years ago in Auckland, and now lias four grade teams, is jubilating at its second grade I'eain’s success over Richmond seconds. Glenora has the districts of Avondale,

Glen Eden and New Lynn to draw upon for talent. ******

Bigger Crowds and Grounds: Aggregate attendance for the four rounds of the English Rugby League challenge cup matches topped the half million mark, being 53,000 over 1935 figures. The Council is notv looking around for larger grounds and new grounds to meet the needs of the growth of the game. ******* Makes for Fitness:

In accordance with the wishes of the New Zealand Rugby League, the Auckland centre is putting the non-replace-ment rule into force as from Saturday week. The Canterbury League appears to have been agitated about the enforcement of the law, but there is no doubt about it that the effect of the rule will be to compel greater allround attention to training. A Rugby League team should be composed of thirteen fit players. Clever team play, and not merely recreation, is the code’s strong recommendation. ******* Trevathan for 1 Manukau: Tom Trevathan, the new livc’-eighths acquired from Dunedin by Manukau, which is fielding a team of prominent converts attracted from various parts of the Dominion, is a brother of Dave Trevathan, who toured with the Otago team last year. A junior of Pirates, Dunedin, he became a senior in the Waitaki Hydro champion fifteen and represented North Otago for three years. He was picked for a combined team against •tlie 1S»3O Englishmen and for the South Island, but did not play. On returning to Dunedin he joined up with Southern, and, when he played in the All Black trial last.’ year, he was wearing a guard over a broken nose He is a professional runner and a fine fellow. He was a strong link in the Manukau inside back chain against Richmond last week. ******* English Colours: The English Rugby League team’s jersey for the Australian and New Zealand tour will be white with a red and blue V and a badge on the left breast, the badge including the Crown, Rose, Lion, Thistle, Daffodil, and Shamrock. The team will have black knickers. ******* Nepia Going Strong: In recent letters home George Nepia, the former ex-All Black footballer, says he is feeling well and under the League code, which is nor’ strenuous on a full-back, he should be able to play football up to 40 years of age. At the same time he will be glad when the season is over for he finds it hard play ing two matches a 'week. “ Although,” continues Nepia, ‘‘our club, Slrentham-Miehaiii, is still yet young and green, their fixtures always draw big crowds, owing probably to Hie inclusion of Mauris in Hie team.” He mentions that although Holder did not start, very well, he is now playing great football; in fact, he is regarded as a star. The greatest weakness in their team, in the opinion of Nepia, is in the inside backs. “I wish,” comments Nepia, ‘‘l had Horangi Harrison with us.” He is very much impressed wiih the facilities provided for the comfort of the players. Every

ground provides a dressing-room, shower, and a warm swimming pool. George Harrison, McDonald, and Charlie Smith are living in a rented house with Airs Harrison ns their housekeeper, lint Nepia. himsell' stays aJ :i boarding house. ******* Tori Reid for League: Already several well-kuowu Maori Rugby Union representatives have changed -their code of football, among those to go over to League since the fanius full-back, G. Nepia, took the step, being C. Smith, G. Harrison, J. McDonald and J. Ilemi It was just lately that' Hemi and others joined up with the League code in Auckland, and it is now reported that the New Zealand ami Hawke’s Bay Rugby representative, T. Reid, is likely to join them there. Reid was the only Maori member of the New Zealand team which went, on the tour of the Home countries last year. Hemi was the leading light in a big League football surprise in Auckland recently. His side (Manukau), which had .fared badly on -the previous Saturday, defeated the champions (Richmond) by 14 points to 8, and the win was due largely to Ilemi’s kicking. The exWairarapa representative gave a great display. He kicked two penalty goals and converted t'wo tries. ****** Tact' and Control: It is generally recognised by public and players alike, that a referee’s job is in many respects a thankless one, particularly when the occasion arises to criticise his rulings, but it is fairly safe to say that even the most “onecved’’ supporter of either Pirates or Brunner must, admit that. Air. J. Alathews gave an impartial interpretation of the rules and possesses tact which gives him complete control of a game from bell to hell. ****** “Dally” Messenger: Douglas Clark, the former Huddersfield and England i’onvard an touring wrestler recently in Now Zealand, considers that. 11. 'll. (“Dally”) Messenger the greatest match-winner in the history of the code. ..Im a match between New Zealand “All-Golds’’ and Cumberland, the latter were leading 4 to nil with only a few minutes to go. Spectators were wondering what the noted Australian player with the visitors would do to justify his reputation. The ball went over the Now Zealand line and it was taken as a foregone conclusion that Messenger would force- down, but lie gathered calmly and with deceptive changes ol pace beat close tacklers and before the opposition or onlookers realised it. he was in full stride, straightened up and ran the whole length of the field to score. The try was converted and another victory was credited to that, pioneer New Zealand baud of tourists of 1907-8. ****** Hawke’s Bay Possibility: Information reached Auckland on Saturday that all is not well with tho Hastings Rugby Sub-Union as the, result of a match between AI.A.C. and Celtic, the outcome, of which was that the latter club entered a protest against th ( . Maori Club for allegedly playing a player, who had played Rugby League and had not'been reinstated. A counter protest is likely. It has been asserted that if the matter is not satisfacorily settled the.- AI.A.C. club- may embrace the modern game.