WALLABY LAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 133, 8 June 1935, Page 11

WALLABY LAND

TOPICAL ITEMS FROM MANY FIELDS OF PLAY Weight Trouble for Road-r^cer. The Tour do France rider, lv. W. Lamb, is faced with a serious weight problem. Before conunoncing a preparation for the coming road season in Victoria lie was weighed a fortnight ago and the scales recorded lost. 41bs. His natural racing weight, is in the vicinity of 11.10. Ho will have a severe task to reduce for the importand open events in about six weeks. Occasional Turkish baths and a long distance walking and riding schedule, together with much roller riding, lias been prescribed for Lamb by his trainer. Lamb will commence, club racing early this month, but ho is not likely to compete in an open race until lato in July. Historic Golf Trophy. The Cadogan Cup was played on the Australian Club’s course at Kensington on May 25, for the fifty-first time, the winner being E. J. Roberts, who returned a card of S2 16 66. The original Cadogan Cup was presented to the Australian Club by C. H. Cadogan in ISS4, the conditions providing it should be won twice iu succession before it became the property of tho holder. When the old Australian Club ceased to exist, Hr. Fairfax Ross was tho holder, and it remained in his possession until tho new club was formed, when ho handed it back for further competition. The first winner under the new conditions was C. R. Burnside. When the Australian Club shifted to the Kensington site, in 1905, tho first winner was Norman Pope, who is still a regular player at Royal Sydney,, but no longer takes part in competitions. The cup won on May 25 is a replica of the original one. The cup presented by Mr. Cadogan was lost in the fire which destroyed the old clubhouse a few years back.

Australian Billiards. Tho 1935 Australian amateur billiards championship will bo played in Sydney, iu place of Adelaide. The reason is to permit Adelaide to hold the event in 1936, during tho centenary festivities. Competitors for the Australian title will be decided by tho various Stato events. Thus tho personnel is purely a matter of conjecture. In N.S.W., present champion Los. Hayes will start a firm favourite, as usual, and Ills supporters will not hear of his defeat. A newcomer into this competition will be (“Blucy”) Thomas, of Bondi School of Arts. Thomas, next to Hayes, is probably the most accomplished player in the State. Ho is a great stylist, and proficient in every phase of the game. Thomas aud Hayes will most likely contest the final. Other starters will bo Arthur Bull, A. V. Miller, Hans Robertson and Jim Collins, of Litligow. Collins is quite young, but gifted. Ho has been well coached by his father, and has several big runs to his credit, one, so it is stated, of 500 odd.

Long League Careers. At present there are only two men playing League football in Melbourne who have taken part in 200 or more matches, aud it is rather a coincidence that each of them, Gordon Coventry and CharJio Bibbs, should belong to tho same club —Collingwood. There must be something in the atmosphere of the famous Magpie club that prolongs the usefulness of players beyond the time at which they might reasonably bo cxp. -ted to have seen their best days. At one time tlio record for the greatest number of games played by any membe- of a League club was held by Jock McHale, who at tho time he retired from active participation in the game as a player to become coach, a position he still holds, and is likely to hold for a considerable period, had figured in 260 matches. That record was broken by Vic. Thorpe, the great Richmond full-back, who remained a regular member of tho team until he completed his 261st game. Then he announced his retirement, and is now a well-to-do tea merchant in the suburb in which he was the idol of football followers for nearly 15 years. That fine New South Wales forward, R. B. Loudon, has established ."omething of a record for tho, number of games ho has played in the Rugby Union code. He has turned out ou no fewer than 161 occasions.

Brilliant Cycling. Tho brilliant victory of Jos Powell, iu tho 25 miles Malvern Star graded road cycling championship of Queensland, at Brisbane on May Day, was pleasing in more ways than one, as it supplied a definite answer to the critics, many of them previous admirers, who considered that he was “burnt out.” Powell never rode or sprinted more brilliantly than he did iu winning this event, arid in his present form will bo particularly hard to beat in this season ’s big events.