Northland Sports Diary

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1947, Page 3

Northland Sports Diary

JOE MURRAY BEST IN YEARS Joe Murray as second five-eighths against North Hokianga last Saturday infused the Mangonui rearguard with a sting the like of which was not seen in any of the Harding Shield games last year when Mangonui successfully beat Northern Wairoa, Otamatea and Whangarei, and lost to Bay of Islands. Murray’s generalship, penetration, backing-up and ability to seize and create openings was an inspiration to his fellows and imbued them with the confidence which was lacking last year. A pleasing feature was the manner in which the unpredictable Lloyd McCann support'd Murray when playing as centre, wnile R. Maddock, playing his first county game in place of R. Franich, who was not available, filled the first five-eighth position admirably. He made few mistakes, gathered in ?a number of difficult passes from Hemi, and fired ont consistently to Murray for the latter to slip through time and again.

WHANGAREI GOALIES Good goalies are a very rare occurrence in hockey and representative selectors often have a hard job to find suitable custodians.

Many older players will remember seeing Norman Challenger in action in the game against the visiting Indian team some years ago. He was perhaps the most outstanding goalie Whangarei ever had and he certainly made some miraculous saves.

Today most Whangarei country teams play J;hree fullbacks as a result of the goalie difficulty. Of course, one of the fullbacks is allowed to kick in the circle, but in cases such as a penalty , corner a goalie without pads is at a decided disadvantage. The two present representative custodians are E. Pearson and R. Jones No one will deny their right to these positions as both / have considerable ability in the net.

I. Parsons, the High School goalie, at his first year in goal, shows considerable promise. T. Schon, the Rovers B goalie, also is playing well this season. One of the most energetic goalies is J. Howie, Otaika. Besides doing some good work in the circle he often comes right down to the halfway line to spur his team on. * * * * KAWAKAWA’S “MUTT” Fielding a much better team than it did last year, Kawakawa this year has a particularly promising winger in Tom Smith, who rejoices locally in the universally-applied agnomen oi “Mutt.” He has become acknowledged as Kawakawa’s principal scoring machine.

Last year, he was a mainstay in a similar capacity for Moerewa. He went as far as the rep. trials last year but was unlucky not to make the last hurdle.

He is a good handler, fast and hard to bring down, with a useful fend and a strange but extremely formidable manner of running, knees almost hitting his chin. “Mutt” may belie his name this year when the rep. lists go up in the Bay.

* * “THE FLYER”

Hemara the Flyer they call him in the Hokianga, and if it comes to the point ,he certainly can scamper. He’s a menace to Chick Pearson and Finey Sigley, Bay of Islands sprint stars, any day of the week. Harry Hemara is Waima’s and South Hokianga’s established centre three-quarter. In that position, also as wing threequarter, where he has played of date weeks, he is a prolific scoring man. In football, Hemara depends rather too much on his terrific speed and is not inclined to get rid of the ball enough. He-has an injured leg but this season will still see his name in representative Rugby billings. He is about 23 or 24 ' and may yet go far in the game. * * • • AUCKLAND VETERAN A good share of the credit for the success of the Waimamaku team’s successes last season and this in the South Hokianga club games must go to Matthew Hadfield, a 27-28-year-old veteran of Auckland club football just before the war.

Hadfield missed 1946 selection in the Hokianga reps through a rib injury, but local enthusiasts have no doubt that he will at least prove a headache for selectors if they have any other dashing front-row men in mind.

MAY GO TO MANGONUI Looked upon as one of the most promising footballers in the improving Kerikeri seniors, 20-year-old Ron Whalen already has something of a reputation in Rugby. He played on the wing for Rodney in that memorable draw fought ou; at Moerewa last year, when the Harding Shield stayed with the holders but the credit went to the visitors. Whalen was a great help in that game. His football in Kerikeri this year has hardly been of the calibre seen that day, but the season is young and the backs running with him are not all of the Rodney class. In Kerikeri, Whalen has gone in to second fiveeighths and has shaped well there. He is certainly material to be considered for rep. selection —but he expects to go on transfer (he is in the Post Office) to Awanui at any time.

ROVERS HOCKEY CLUB Both the Rovers A and B teams came to light on Saturday by winning their respective games against Springfield and Maungatapere. They got off to a bad start this season. Rovers A had not won a game, and Rovers B had only won one—against Old Boys B. As a result of practising and of changes in their teams, the club has at last made a start on the upward ladder. The A team seems greatly improved by placing N. Johnson at centre forward and R. Pierce on the right wing. Both players have gone better as a result of the change. A. Kelly and L. Whisker on the left have developed a good combination which was especially evident last Saturday. The half line (B. McKenzie, B. Wells and H. Boswell) has also improved. B. McKenzie who has proved himself by bis inclusion in one of the representative sides is a good type of player and is very keen. In the B team A. Jessup at centre forward is a promising player and saved four goals on Saturday. There are many other young players in the B team who are improving fast. Altogether, the club has shown a good spirit in spite of defects and thoroughly deserves further successes. • * • TRUE COLLEGE FOOTBALL Fulfilling the ambitions stated by the principal of the Northland College (Mr N. P. Pitcaithly) at the Bay of Islands Rugby Union meeting in April, college teams have been presenting something slightly different by way of school football in the Bay. Playing in the regular competitions, the three College teams (one junior two thirds) have played with the spirit of Rugby, not the victory, as their principal purpose. Mr Pitcaithly declared that his aim was to establish “true college football” as distinct from club football, in which other purposes become unvoidable.

He is succeeding, it may be said now, in giving a definite uplift to the game which .must sooner or later benefit the senior-representative plane of Rugby.

It is worthy of note that, although the two third-grade teams from the college are down at the bottom of the points ladder, the juniors are doing well and, considering that they are new material, will shape better in the future.

CHARGED, AND FOUND GUILTY The importance of Rugby players knowing the rules was rather ex.*pensively proved to the Central team in its match with Mid-Western a 1 Maungakaramea on Saturday. The score was 6—all and Mid-Western was awarded a penalty. Ellis Child placed the ball for a shot at goal and as he did no, a sideliner shouted to the visiting team to charge the kick. One Central player did this and when the shot missed, the referee had no option but to award Child another shot. With his second attempt he raised the flags and those points proved to be the ones that robbed Central of a victory. • m • • POWERFUL BREAKAWAY Although he had played through the South Hokianga club competitions as one of Rawene’s wingers, Jack Loza made last year’s reps as a breakaway and has stuck to that position since then. This season he has consolidate! his play in that position and has made quite an impression locally., He is a powerful yet speedy man, weighing just under the 15st., and is a logical consideration for high Rugby honours this season.

WAXMATE NORTH BOYS A former junior rep., Waimate North’s George Sullivan, was expected to have made a mark in Bay ol Islands football this season, but he has been prevented from showing up to the best advantage through having been twice injured. He has played only three matches, and although sound in his work, has not been able to give outstanding performances. However, he is a useful, heady and grafting player, always into the thick and working hard in tne line-outs and the loose. He is a lock to be picked, perhaps, at a later date Promoted from junior, Jack Wells is a young and promising wing threequarter on the Waimate North line. A forceful player with plenty of pace, more will certainly be heard of him particularly as he gains in experience..

TWEEDIE AS WINGER The return of Des Codling to the Hikurangi Rugby team should give the club an excellent opportunity of patching up one or two weaknesses. The side is not well served on one wing and at fullback and improvements in these departments would make it the best-balanced XV in the competition. Kewpie James, who has been filling the halfback berth, is in fine form, and, with Codling going behind the scrum, he might well be tried as a five-eighth. Tweedie, who has been at second five-eighth this season, was a fine type of loose forward last year -but proved on the King’s Birthday that he is a splendid winger. He is fast, a determined runner and a resolute tackier. With Cunningham, who appears to be systematically playing himself into the Norhland Ranfurly Shield team, showing commendable powers of penetration and firstclass constructive football at centre, Tweedie would probably make a good scoring man for the Red and Blacks.

KEEN CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE With the first round of matches completed, the battle for the Whangarei senior Rugby championship is at a very interesting stage. Mid-Western, the only unbeaten team, leads by one point from City, with Hikurangi a point lower in third place. Mid-Western has had two draws, City a loss and a draw, and Hikurangi two losses in six games. The improving Central are fourth on the list with six points, four less than the leaders. Next come Hora Hora with four, Whangaruru with three, and Old Boys with two. Last year’s champions, Old Boys, head the table in the north zone ol the junior competition with an unblemished record. Central are next with one loss. In the south zone. Manaia are three points ahead of Hora Hora and Portland. Manaia have had five wins and two draws.

The Old Boys third-graders are unbeaten and are two points ahead of Hora Hora, who have had one loss

ALLEN, ARGUS, HOBBS, LINWOOD PRODUCTS An interesting sidelight on the All Black team now in Australia is the fact that three of the most prominent members are the products of one club The captain, F. R. Allen, the vicecaptain, F. G. Hobbs, and the star winger, W. G. Argus, all made their debut in first-class Rugby as members of the Linwood Club, Christchurch. The three served in the Middle East, and Hobbs and Argus are still members of the Linwood club. Allen and Argus toured the United Kingdom and France with the Kiwis, but Hobbs returned home before the trials were held. This big forward was a prominent runner in his ’teens —hence his speed on the football field today. At 25 Argus is New Zealand’s outstanding wing threequarter.

The three Northlanders who took part in the North Island trials, John and Peter Smith and Stan Young, are all members of the Kaikohe Club. Two of them are now All Blacks and two were in the famous Kiwis.

WIIAU VALLEY TO LOSE CURTIS The departure of Gerry Curtis for Hawke’s Bay within the next few weeks will be a severe blow to the playing strength of the Whau Valley Golf Club. This popular player has been playing consistently good golf this season and won the Black and White Cup at Mt Denby over King’s Birthday week-end. Curtis should be an acquisition to the Valley with the good wishes of all members.

TRAVELLING PROBLEMS Te Hapua’s hopes of entertaining last year’s Mangonui senior Rugby champions on their home ground only a few miles from North Cape were not fulfilled last Saturday, the eagerlyawaited fixture with Herekino United being played at Te Kao before the biggest crowd ever seen in the district. Previously Te Kao and Te Hapua clubs have participated in Mangonui championships as a separate northern zone, the stronger team meeting the best of southern clubs only in the finals. Discarding the zone arrangement this year has led to much greater interest in competition play, but likewise has created somewhat formidable travelling problems. Accessible by road only in dry weather, Te Hapua is over 65 miles north of Kaitaia and the last stage is usually covered by launch. The Te Hapua senior team has this season twice made the journey south, once to Kaitaia and once to Awanui. For some of the Herekino players last Saturday the trek to Te Kao, 45 miles north of, Kaitaia, involved a round trip* of over 130 miles—rather much, it might be said, for a game of football. It will be Te Hapua’s turn to visit Herekino in August—a total return journey of 160 miles. Any possible arrangements to play this game at an intermediate point will be watched with interest.

LOWER GRADES With ten teams participating, the Mangonui Rugby Union’s junior competition this season is the best in Far Northern history. These teams represent practically every part of the county, including both Te Kao and Te Hapua in the further north. One upset last Saturday was the defeat by Ranganui Bay of Kiwi United, previously unbeaten and with only one drawn game, which still leads the competition. Another unbeaten team which, however, had previously drawn three games was defeated when Peria went under 6—o to Rarawa. Kaitaia Greyhounds, unbeaten and only once seriously challenged this season, have established a big lead in the third-grade department. These boys . noted for the fast open type of play which made them popular with Far North Rugby crowds, are to travel to Auckland on August 2 to play the Auckland fourth-grade reps in a cur-tain-raiser to the Auckland v. North Auckland match at Eden Park on that date.