LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20055, 19 September 1928, Page 18

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

| THE REPRESENTATIVE MATCH | AUCKLAND VERSUS OTAGO. j IMPROVING SENIOR STANDARD. I j \ The match between Auckland and Otago I last Saturday, for the Noithern Union | Challenge Cup. did not produce tho high | standard of football expected. A tew | Auckland players who did not take the game too seriously can be partially blamed for failure in this respect. There was no excuse for the wild passing indulged in by some local representatives I and this was not a good object lesson to ' tho young Otago players, who naturally ! do not yet know as much about the game as tho more experienced Aucklanders. The most, pleasing feature of the match was the improvement shown by the visiting team during the progress of tho play. They executed some very clever movements, in which tho reverse pass was freely used to advantage. There good understanding between tho halfback and two five-eighths, and once or twice these players brought off good thrusts from the base of the scrum, clearly showing they had benefited by watching the Englishmen in action. It will be remembered tho combination of tho halves was the strongest point in the English team's attack. There wero two changes in the Auckland team from tho original selection. List, played at centre and Brisbane came into five-eighth in place of Prentice. Payne went into tho scrum instc n d of Clarke. Delgrosso and Brisbane combined well, both making good openings. As usual Hardgrave thrilled the crowd with his brilliant side-stepping. L. Scott, on tho cither wing, and Duffy, at fullback, played spasmodically. Hall was the best of the forwards and Ruby was also prominent in ihe open, although he had one or two let-offs with regard to off-side. A Promising Player. Woodhouse was easily the best Otago player, and in a more experienced team would make a name for himself. Tho veteran Watson, although above the usual span of years for a footballer, still uses h:s head well. Eckhoff was much too slow to bo effective as an attacking fiveeighth. The second round of the Iloope Rooster competition will he played next Saturday, when Newton will meet Ponsonbv and Devonport will play Marist. Both games should provide good football, as there is little to choose between the teams on present form. Devonport. which won the senior grade championship, has failed to reveal the good form shown in the early part of the season and Marist has excellent prospects of winning. The Stormont Shield match between the champion club team and the winners of ihe Roopc Pooster competition will he played after the final of the charity matches. Should Devonport win both trophies, Richmond, runners up in the club competition, will be Devonport's opponents. Tho Parnell team was strongly reinforced for its visit to Hikurangi on Saturday and at least six prominent senior grade players Kim other clubs made (ho visit North, 'file local men, however, were beaten badly by Hikurangi, whose football on Saturday showed improvement. It is intended to send an Auckland team j of colts to give an exhibition game against Hikurangi at Wharigarei at an early date. A and B Sections. An attempt to raise the standard of plnv in the senior grade is being made by the Auckland Rugby League, which will' hold a special meeting to-morrow evening to discuss the matter. For many weeks past the management committee has discussed the strength of tho B section with the idea of impioving tho playing strength of A section clubs. At present both sections occupy equal status as iar as representation and grade is concerned, and the B section can refuse transfers to A feams. Altogether there are 14' clubs with senior j teams and this u claimed to be too many, j Views ha\e been expressed that it is too easy to secure senior grade* honours. Scveial members of the 1 committee have advocated for some time, a limitation of senior teams, together with reserve grades being established A striking example of the strength of senior teams was in evidence when 12 players left Auckland with the New Zealand team. The; vacancies were filled bv juniors and substitutes, whose ability was in most cases far below the standard required. With fewer club teams and a strong reserve grade such a state of affairs would not exist. It is recognised that the standard of play in tho B section falls considerably below that of the senior grade "A, but there are three or four players in each club in the former competition who would considerably strengthen each of the A section teams. tinder present conditions the J best of the players in tho B section have no goal in ' 1 ew, and their football gradually falls away. The question is one of vital importance to the code, and a solution will bo difficult to arrive at. However, Ihe prosperity and success of the code depends upon the class of football' seen in club contests, and it will not be surprising to see a complete change m the control of future competitions. A Good Record. A particularly good- record for a junior was made at Carlaw Park on Saturday, when P Median, playing for tho Newmarket thud grade team, scored eight tries and kicked two goals, 23 points, out of 51 gained by his team. 'J he Auckland Rugby League has had to deal with an extraordinary large number of claims for insurance this season Already about £SOO have been paid to senior players, each of whom is insured for £3 weekly. The gigantic proportions the free insurance scheme has assumed lias caused the committee sortie consternation and twice recently the chairman, Mr. G. Rhodes, has hinted that next season, may see a change. COMING CRICKET TESTS. BIG SCORING PREDICTED. Commenting on the bowling shortage which has made itself apparent in international cricket, Waiter Brearlcy, the famous England and Lancashire fartfc bowler of pre-war days, who has retained a closo interest in tho game, declared to an Athletic News representative:—"l think England will gain a thousand runs iri one innings m Australia!" Walter Brearley has generally been emphatic in his views, and the opinion may or may not be a figure of speech, but if anticipates not. merely mammoth but sensational scoring. In view of the bowling slump howevei, these questions are worth pondering:— 1 li. Australia scored 600 runs in 1924-25 and England 593 in 1911-12. what figuro Wl 'l in a season of weaker bowling? If 1703 runs were scored for tho full 40 wickets in 1920-21 (at Adelaide), now what will the harvest be ?