HOCKEY

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1937, Page 7

HOCKEY

SEASON OPENS TO-DAY. ’fhe Wes! Coast Hockey season which opens to-day promises to provide players witli a series of interest, ing- games. Six teams will lieid in the comjjetition for the'*Burnett White Cup which the .Association has wisely decided iv. 11 open the season. ****** Hokitika’s Inclusion: Tahua (Hokitika) which provided good hockey until the change of ba t holidays, will again be included in the competition this year, and although they might not be as strong as previously, the southern playets always produce an attractive game. ****** Pacific: Last year's winners appear t 0 have a great team again thi s season and have lost no notable players. Except] for the forwards, the team did not function too sueees fully as a unit on Saturday, lint this should be capable of easy remedial measures. ifc * * * 4. * * Wesley: Likely to develop into a winning team this year, Wesley turned out with a good team on .Saturday. Their players go in for a good deal of coaching and do not seem’ to regard jiraetiee as the bore some other clubs consider it. ****** Seasonal Awkwttrdsess: The usual early seasonal awkwardness was noticed in the manner it. which several jilayers—not all of them new to the game.—handled their slick. Success depends gieatly ujion the facility with which the stick is handled and controlled and players should watch experienced exponents careiully

New Team: The new team which has entered ■ this season is largely the work of Jim Tinman, who took a proraine.it part in the game both here and in ll* kitika, during former seasons. Most of the players are new t 0 the game, but their youth suggests great future po’sibilities. ******* M'awhera: Although Perrin has decided to call it a day from the player’s viewpoint, he donned the jeisey in Saturday’s practice game and gave a good exhibition. His leadershijt will be a great loss to Mawhera if he drops out, but it seems that he will not do so for at least this season. Mawhera team •is much the same as last year. but. the more experienced players should give a good account of themselves, ****** Cobclfsn: Cobden players did riot display iiiu’-h enthusiasm’ last Saturday, only six turning out. The team' could be welded

nto a good combination if the players nade uj; their minds to practise more frequently. They have a few new playets this year and should have no difficulty in putting a good team itdot the field. Science Needed: The science of hockey seems to be jtcoming lost by unneceessarily hard itting, which is regrettable. For a orward, except a winger, t 0 do any itting that could lie called hard is unpardonable. Shore snappy taps are ail that the modem game require*, and the ait can only be learned by iltor. ough concentration. ****** Replacements: A vexed question at last year’s con ference <n Wellington was the replace went of players, several remits on the question occupying much attention. The New Zealand Association ha s adopted the conference’s recommendation for injured players to be replaced right throughout all matches, j| has also beer, decided that match play must not be suspended for more than two minnte.s in ease of injury. Whlen? Claiming t 0 have been an old player, a lady member of a sceondaiy school board the other day opposed the introduction of fhe game fee girls—and piesumably for boys too—into school on the ground that it was too rough. She may have been right but one could ask whether she played i:i il:.. dim and distant days when long skirts and high boots were worn, and whether any injuries shp received were partly or wholly due fc 'her o"'n atci. tude to the other players. Australian Tour: Plenty of stamina will be needed if New Zealand players to tour Australia in July arc to remain at all fit

towards the eml of the tour. The team’.* itinerary is a conprehensi. .one, matches being played in Victoria New South Wales, and Queensland, as wi ll as at the Interstate Carnival in Sydney. ■>****« Interstate Carnival: The b.g event in Australia Hockey is the annual Interstate Carnival at which every State is represented by the cream of its players. New Zealand ha? a wonderful chance of winning this year's event if a good team is available for the trip. ♦ ♦ * Rep. Games: Early rep games are likely to be the older this year in view of the Aus.j tral.an trip. The selectors wish to sie as many provincial sides a.-' possible, end Associations have been ordered to get as many fixtures as possible dur. iug Mav. ****** Amateur Games: Hockej' has always been thoroughly, I amateur’in that player* travelling pay] their own expenses, unless of courselong tours are planned. Even then the p’ayers themselves almost invariably raise the greater part of the necessary But the Federation Internationale de Hockey (Paris), matted the Indian Federation for -[laying the fare.-* of the team which visited New Zealand! One ean imagine how gracefully (?) Mr Gupta slid out of that tight corner in Paris on liis way to the Olympic Games for the fact lemains that hi* ex- : p'anation was accepted and the • remain amateurs after all! TO-DAY’S TEAMS. Cobden team to play Wesley, 2.45 "..in.—Eea.w; 11, Burn. Hardie, De Flatus, J. S.’craiM. P. Clarke, Sli'uttlewo tn, Carter, Aynsley (2) vid pivter- m. Mawhera v. Te Rama. —Perrin, Brown, Walker, Ellis, Taylor, Williams, Bergin, Cullen, Wright, Quinlan, Raleigh and Sloss.