FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8300, 3 June 1907, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

SATURDAY'S GAMES. (By '' Spectatok. ") The first round of the senior and junior competitions was completed on Saturday afternoon. Two senior and two junior games were played, as well as a couple of third-class fixtures. Grounds were in use at the Show Grounds (2), Feilding racecourse, Ashhurst and High School. Following are the resslts of the several matches as far as obtainable: — SENIOR FIXTURES. Old Boys (8) beat Kia Toa (3). Feilding (16) beat Hui Mai (6). OLD BOYS—KIA TOA. This game, which was played on the Oval, was about the dreariest display of senior football seen in Palm-erst-on for some considerable time, and merits very little description. Kia Toa kicked off, and the first spell saw play of an even nature, but devoid of incident. In the second spell Monro put in a strong run down the line until tackled by Lowe, and from an ensuing scrum Hing passed out to Stalker, who scored near the posts. A. McMinn failed with a somewhat easy kick at. goal. On play being removed to Kia Toa territory, the outcome of a forward rush was a penalty try avvarded against Kia Toa for obstruction on t 1 line. Smith took the kick and pi~ a fine goal. This reverse stirred Kia Toa into action, and for a while play was somewhat spirited. However, this was not lasting, and W. Smith getting away, and on being collared by Stalker, passed out to G. McMinn, who had no difficulty in crossing the line. The kick at goal was a failure, and the game ended: Old Boys 8 points against Kia Toa 3 points.

The Old Boy 3 backs were superior to- Kia Toa; however, as the forwards seldom secured the ball from the scrum, they did little attacking work. Puki was fair at full-back, and of the other backs Walsh was the most prominent, although Hall, Anslow and Low were very safe. O'Conncll did not impress one as a likely half-back. On paper the Old Boys have a strong forward team, but so far this season their form has been very disappointing. On Saturday they seldom secured the ball from the scrum, and on the line-out they were nowise superior to Kia Toa. One naturally expects better results from a pack that comprises seasoned and experienced players like W. Smith, G. McMinn, Bclfit, Teuton and McCarthy. Wood showed some ipmrovement at full-back. Stalker showed poor form, probably on account of his ankle not being in a fit state to play on. Morley shaped well, but had little to do. R. Waldegrave was safe, but W. Webb was very uncertain and has very little idea of back play. Considering that the forwards, were getting the ball from the scrum fairly often, Hing failed to make the most of his chances. Of the forwards, Monro, Ward and Allen were the pick. A. McMinn, who showed up at times, did not appear to be over-exerting himself. Rev. Mr Harper refereed, and the decision that awarded the penalty try to Old Boys met with the approval of the spectators.

FEILDING v. HUI MAI. Playing 011 the Feilding Racecourse, the Feilding and Hui Mai seniors met to decide which team was to win the first round. A capital game resulted; in fact, one of the best witnessed for some time. Feilding won by 16 to 6. Their opponents' forwards, however, were a long way the best, and it was the back-rankers whom Feilding had to thank for the win. Feilding lost three almost certain chances to score. Mr Evans was the referee. JUNIOR MATCHES. Kia Toa (16) beat Old Boys (0). Hui Mai forfeited to Palmerston. Feilding beat Ashhurst. KIA TOA—OLD BOYS. » The Kia Toa and Old Boys juniors met on No. 2 allotment 011 the Show Grounds, and provided an interesting struggle, especially in the first half. Old Boys kicked off and soon worked up to the Kia Toa end. A free kick relieved, however, and play centred for a while. Kia Toas then lost a good chance to score which presented itself as the result of a free kick by Hardie. Play, which was willing right from the jump, became even more so, Kia Toa pressing hard. A shot at goal from a mark by Sheerin failed, after which play found its way to mid-field, with occasional excursions into Kia Toa territory. A free kick for Old Boys, when the leather was in close proximity to their opponents' line, relieved the-pressure, while soon after Kia Toa looked much like scoring—only they didn't. After travelling up and down the field; the leather brought up near the Old Boys' goal, where a couple of scrums gave Kia Toas another chance, which, however, was not fully availed or. Half-time found no score and the ball up in the Kia Toa twenty-five. On changing ends Ivia Toa, who then had the sun . in their eyes, at- , tacked strongly, and within a couple of minutes Baigent got a good try right between the posts. Sheerin successfully attempted the kick. Kia t Toas continued to extend their opponents, and a free kick given them for Old Boys' off-side play only missed the post by about a foot. Their j second try followed soon after, being scored by Govan, the skipper, near the corner flag. Sheerin failed to; convert. Play got down to the other end for a time, but a splendid fvia Toa rush, in which Newman and Kennall were prominent, brought it back again. The latter player, however, knocked forward and. a scrum ■was ordered. The leather continued on the Old Boys' side of the centre line and, before long, Hodgins seized an opportunity for a good though ineffectual pot at goal. Once again Govan got a good try near the posts and Sheerin had 110 difficulty in adding the major points. _ Old Boys had by this time perceptibly weakened and their play was entirely confined to defensive work. Kia Toa, on the other hand, got a bit reckless, and had sevez-al free kicks given against them. Just before the game ended Woodhead got a splendid try, but Sheerin failed to put it over. The match concluded: Kia Toa, 16; Old Boys, nil. Mr Foote refereed.

FEILDING v. ASHHURST. The Feilding juniors journeyed to Ashhurst and defeated the local team. Mr Payne refereed. Unfortunately, details of the play were unobtainable. THIRD CLASS. High School (6) beat Old Boys (0). Kia Toa (6) beat Feilding (3). HIGH SCHOOL—OLD BOYS. High School met Old Boys 111. on the former's grounds, and succeeded in inflicting defeat by 6 points to nil. The score (two tries) was compiled by Faire, who played a particularly good game throughout, 111-

der's attempts at conversion failed. Mr Mundy was in charge of the game. Playing on the same ground subsequently, the Kia Toa thirds defeated Feilding by 6to 3. Mr Greathead refereed. PASSING NOTES. For the first time this season footballers on Saturday had a really beautiful afternoon for their games. There was only the lightest of Ireezes, while the sun shone out biightly. Though perfect weather from the spectator's point of view, it was at first a little bit on the warm side for players. The beautiful afternoon caused a perceptible increase in the attendance, a number of ladies being among the spectators. The junior match, Kia Toa v. Olu Boys, was started by Referee Foote with commendable promptitude. He blew his whistle just before three o'clock, and had the g»me going within about five minutes. The senior game, Kia Toa v. Old Boys, vas somewhat delayed, though Refeiee Harper blew his whistle just after th; hour had struck It was ten minutes past before operations wero started. Hui Mai jurJors forfeited t-h'ur match, which was to have been played at Awahuri. to Palmerston. It is understood that "hey were unable to get a team, together, one or twj players being required to strengthen the senior ranks. In the second spell of the Kia ToaOld Boys junior match, Referee Foote was heard to warn the men that he considered that a lot of unnecessarily rough play was going on. He said he did not want to order anyone off the field, but would do so unless notice were taken of his warning. The Kia Toa Club wishes to acknowledge receipt of a donation of 10s fro .1 Mr G. Hollier, one of the honorary members. Mr T. Humphreys has had to resign the secretaryship of the Kia Toa Club owing to his removal to War.ganui. Messrs H. .furies av J B. Webb are now acting as joint secretaries in his stead.

Until the Old Boys and Kia Toa senior teams adopt a more setUcl policy as regards the placing of the players, theie will be little improvement in the sti-ndard of their pla/. The Old Boys have played a different half-back in cach of their games this season, and Puki has occupied positions ranging frcm front rank t<? full-back. The same thing applies to several of the other players, and in the Kia Toa team, Stalker plays anywhere in the five-eighths and three-quarter line It is a great pity that R. Waldegrave has been converted into a stop-gap and placsd amongst the backs, as on his form during the earlier games of the season he was a certainty for the representative team, and was developing into a top-notcner. Players that are, shifted from pillar to post have little inclination or time to acquire the finer points of the game. In the Old Boys-Kia Toa senior game there was a large amount cf unnecessary talking. The Old Boys were the chief offenders, the most prominent of these being Walsh and Low, the wing three-quarters, who kept up a continual clatter from start to finish. The Kia Toa orator, W. Webb, also worthily upheld his reputation. A match is being arranged between the Lincoln College team and the Palmerston juniors. The game is to be played during Show week, and under the ausjjices of the A. an 1 P. Association '

It is said that the Rev. Stephenson is contemplating giving fhe gam» best. If this is correct, his retirement will be a great loss to local football, he being a most popular and improving player. Prior to the commence of the games on Saturday some amount cf dk&ensioi occurred between the K*a Toa seniors and juniors. The juniors resisted a claim put in by the seniors for the services of Harc'ie and Brown. a good deal ;>* talk and persuasion, Brown elected to assist, the seniors, and while so doing he played a real good game, being continually on the ball. It is stated that the captain of ci e of the p nior teams has constituted himself sole selector, so as to ensure his keeping a place in the team. To aioid all appearance cf unfairness, selection committees should be properly elected and, if possible, contain at least one nonplayer, as i J . tries a jdajer all his time to look after his own plav, without watching other men.

The appended table shows the position of the various teams at the conclusion of the first round, which was reached on Saturday: — SENIOR. ia• i ~ %§ 2 3 O P? Q H Feilding ... 4 4 — — 8 Hui Mai ... 4 2 2 — 4 Old Boys ... 4 2 2 —- 4 Palmer&ton . . 4 1 3 ■— 2 Kia Toa .413 — 2 JUNIOR. Palmerston* ... 5 4 — 1 9 Feilding ... 5 3 1 1 7 Old Boys ... 5 3 2 — 6 Kia Toa ... 5 3 2 — 6 Ashhurst . . 5 1 4 — 2 Hui Mai* ... 5 — 5 — 0 * The fifth game was won by Palmerston by default..

THE PROFESSIONAL TEAM. Owing to rumours being afloat that some signatories to the New Zealand Rugby Union's declaration concerning the professional tour rely on the invalidity of the document to escape its liabilities, a prominent Wellington lawyer was asked whether a selected player signing and breaking the declaration would incur criminal liability. He replied as follows: —"The declaration as drawn covers more than pure questions of fact. It covers questions of fact plus an undertaking. Each player is asked to declare that ho is not interested in the professional team, that is a question of fact. But he is also asked to give an undertaking to do certain things, including the | divulging of all information respect- j ing the professional team that may come into his possession. The declaration as to fact is binding under the criminal law, but the undertaking is not worth the paper it is written on. The undertaking is quite void of legal effect, and should not have been the subject of a declaration at all, but should, if possible, have been made a subject of contract, although it is hard to conceive how a legally enforcible contract of the nature oould be made. In so far, however, as the declaration deals with pure questions of fact, any player who signs a declaration containing untrue statements of fact is liable to be prosecuted under Section 116 of the Criminal Code Act, 1893, which renders him lieble to two years' imprisonment

with hard labour. The declaration in this case is in the usual form of declaration under the Justices of the Peace Act, 1882. Under these sections, in so far as it relates to questions of fact, the declaration is valid and binding, but if a player were to refuse or omit to carry out that part of the declaration which amounts to an undertaking he would not render himself liable to any legal penalty, criminal or civil, even though he take part in the Australian tour at some cost to the Union. There will be 110 redress, in short, so far as the declaration deals with the future. It is not worth the paper it is written on. Of course, the Union has a means of punishing under its own rules as to disqualification, and these punishments, legal or illegal, could be inflicted. That, however, is the Union's law; it is their whip. I am concerned only with the statutory law in regard to the declaration. If, as is suggested, some of the players have signed the declaration intending to break it in regard to the undertaking for the future, they can do so quite legally, but if they have already been approached and swear they have not been .approached, they have made a false statement of fact, and are liable. With regard to withdrawing the declaration, that would not cancel the offence. The offence is already complete, and no amount of withdrawing will alter that. It will rest with the Union whether to prosecute or not in regard to the undertaking. However, no withdrawal is necessary, because it is void already. You wish to know whether the players excluded from the representative teams for refusal to sign the declaration have any remedy at law? I say. No. The law only recognises pecuniary loss. No doubt the players by their efforts may have become entitled to inclusion in the team, but the law recognises no damage in the loss of a game of football, nor even in the loss of an Australian tour. There is, therefore, no remedy." <JBy Electric Telegraph—Copyright./ Per Press Association. LONDON, June 1. The Northern Rugby Union has completed arrangements for twentyseven matches against the New Zealanders and has banked £3000 to meet expenses.