FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18235, 31 October 1922, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

UNDER LEAGUE RULES.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The City players are to be congratulated on retaining the honour of being the champion club team of the Dominion after three hard-fought contests with challenging clubs. In each of the challenge games the City men won through combined team work, but it was left to the-second spell of the final game to see them at their best. The Huntly S.ayers: kept .them extended to the utmost uring the first spell through dashing forward work and sure tackling. In the second spoil the City players developed pace and combination of a high order, and when the dash of. the Huntly men showed signs of slackening the attacks of the local men completely overwhelmed the visitors. It was noticeable that the City backs lost no opportunity of Bending the ball out to Q-. David.son. . and the soundness of this plan of campaign was quickly demonstrated. The flying threequarter was '-well marked, but ho never tailed to. use his opportunities to advantage, and besides scoring two tries through sheer pace, his play led to two or three other scores Of the other individual players for City, Harley, at fullback, did not have a great deal to do. He tackled soundly, and his returns were, well made. Crowther, at wing threequarter, played a sound game, particularly* in defence. B. Davidson, at centre threequarter, gave a fine-exhibition both in attack and defence. The pace he developed at times in dashing for the Huntly line must have astonished his opponents. Wetherall and Wilson, at five-eighths, were good in all departments They were well fed by Mitchell, at halfback, and displayed cleverness and resource both in attack and defence. Tha forwards held their own well against a heavier pack, and Townsend hooked better than usual. Mackie and Hawkea

were very prominent in the open, the f««J r /' m particular opening up the game in fol^ For Hiintly. A. Raynor. at fullback L,'' '•# a sound display. He tackled in fine-,©».. and got his side oat of many a' tisht'Ss ner. In the threequartor line G ftl showed fine dash, and was hard' t<i J?** He gave a fine all round exhibition $?' - other threequarters had less to do W i? proved solid in defence. Sullivan' »t «* U eighths played well. 'He was Si the of every movement and showed en>»t a. F in attack. Peckham, at halfback d d get a great deal of the ball from the, but made the most of his opportunitiesw' played a fine game. The forwards wen. very willing lot. At one period it seem.*as though they might dominate the" Bam so persistent and powerful were iheir rn«S ' They played doggedly til! the enTbutnEi early efforts compelled them to slacken • pace in the latter portion of the aorJS l& and the CUy kS then OU W

The League football season has n ' closed, and a start will be made forthwUk to carry out the scheme of improvement* ,*' Carlaw Park.. The work should be ££ pleted early in the summer, and by tS. opening of next football season the accommn dation at the park should be greatlv vm proved. J ' IW ' The Sydney Referee, commenting on th. management of the Lenguo game in Ant tralia. compared with its control in EnT land, writes as follows:—It will be l«i„" that the Rugby League of England is man aged on different principles from those in this country. And England's svstem is m/-* in accord with the control of a cation'n.l game than that observed in IVew Rwl Wales. The professional players herbal; masters of the situation, not alone in the<r clubs but through their voting powers in electing officials to the League itself Tut Rugby League in England is controlled on a bisis very similar to that which governs in cricket in this country. Of course, thern are differences, because the conditions 'are so different, but in each game it is recognised that professional players are not en titled to a voice in the mana?ement. Xhe permanent success of the game is thus assured under ordinary conditions. The Rugby League in England, as the official estract points out, is a professional body in ens senso under purely amateur control and management; If the same could be said of in • u;'guy League in Australia there would never be any question as to its retaining & permanent hold on the public in New South Wales and Queensland as the national win. ter sport. As it is, many people become' dubious. In the, course of the season justclosed the pessimists were very active. They have seen things to criticise, whether these' existed or not. They have been suspicious" and very hard to please sometimes with the clacs of football provided. It would cm a • groat thing if the Rugby League here couldadopt the principles of amateur ci.nln>< enunciated by the parent body in and so persistently advocated year in and. year out by the writer, who has seen sport dominated by the professional in this cotiutry rise and fall like a tidal wave, and in some cases eventually to disappear.