ENGLISH LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 August 1928, Page 5

ENGLISH LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS

FURTHER COMMENT ON AUCKLAND INCIDENT

(By Telegraph.—Special to "The Mail")

AUCKLAND, This Day. The sensational remarks of J> J. Sullivan, English captain, in regard to the referee in last Saturday's Rugby League test match, are being freely commented on by enthusiasts of the code in Auckland. The general opinion is that the referee was fully justified in clearing himself of the allegations made against him. ' A prominent English player stated that the reason why the visitors lost the game was that they "argued the point instead of playing the game." He, said no team which adopted this attitude could hope for success.

A prominent Rugby League official, when questioned on the subject yesterday, said he considered the referee's remarks were justified, more on the grounds that the official was compelled to defend himself * after the English captain had thrown out a challenge. He thought the game had been played in a friendly spirit, although it could be seen that one or two Englishmen continually disputed the referee's decisions, which in tho majority of cases were correctly interpreted. The referee was quite right when he said he could have penalised the visitors' half-back more frequently when he did not retire after placing "the ball in the scrum. After all, it was only a game of football, and it was to be regretted that at the complimentary dinner the evening was marred by suggestions of unsatisfactory refereeing. Mr Sullivan could easily* have expressed his opinion through another source. This procedure woidd have been much more in keeping with the sporting spirit of the game. Air Jonathan Parkin (official English captain, who is out of the tour with injury), asked what he thought of Sullivan's outburst, decljned to comment, but shrugged his shotflders siginficantlv. The chief English manager, Mr E. Osborne, also made a- statement on Saturday night's sensation when the English captain, Sullivan, in toasting the referee, Mr Bull, attacked that official. Mr Osborne concluded that New Zealand's failure to follow Australia's lead in conforming with the English interpretations might easily give rise to other incidents.