THE LEAGUE CODE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23082, 6 July 1938, Page 22

THE LEAGUE CODE

MOUNT ALBERT LEADS CHAMPIONSHIP STILL OPEN RETURN OF NEW ZEALANDERS Mount Albert has now taken a lead of two points in the Auckland Rugby League's championship, which promises to ho watched with more interest when the New Zealand team returns from Australia. It is expected that all the touring players will be available next Saturday week. With the clubs up to full strength the remaining five matches are sure to be well contested and the issue is very open. Mount Albert deserves its position as it has played consistently, since the start of the season. It has a fine forward division, but tho rearguard has taken a long time to settle down. The backs, however, were in form against North Shore last Saturday. There was much more enterprise by Wilson behind the scrum, with the result that Pitt and Marshall had better opportunities on attack. A. Melnnarney "was well suited to the centre-threequarter position, although he was inclined to go too far. Jt appears as though the back lino has developed better combination and still further improvement is expected. Marist is second in the championship and its clear-cut victory over Manukau shows the team to be in splendid form. The Marist backs are a little better than those of Mount Albert, and considerable interest will be taken in the meeting of /these teams next Saturday. The third position in the championship is shared equally by Manukau, Richmond and Newton. Manukau has boon the greatest sufferer by the absence in Australia of five players. It will be no easy task to beat the side, which is to play Mount Albert a week after the return of the New Zealand touring team. .Richmond has disappointed of late and its chances in the championship are not too bright, even allowing for a strengthened thirteen by the inclusion of McLeod, Tetley and Tittleton.

NEWTON IN FORM DEFEAT OF RICHMOND Newton showed a welcome return to form after several defeats in which luck sometimes did not favour the early championship leaders. Against Richmond 011 Saturday, Newtou settled down quickly and half-way through the first spell victorv looked assured Good combination by Brimble and Sissons was a feature of the game. The pair sent out well-directed passes and used their speed once an opening presented itself. The honours of the game go to Brimble, whose first try, after an elusive run, gave the (fcani more confidence and surprised the Richmond backs. Tlie appearance for the first time this season of Lee, tlie coach, had much to do with the vigour infused by the forwards. The Newton vanguard able to handle the heavy, ground conditions better than the opposition, and its control of the ball was excellent. No excuse could be offered by Richmond, which was beaten in every department. The backs tailed badly on attack, while some of the tackling was very weak. This, however, is not Richmond's true form, and a better standard can be expected on a firm ground. The City forwards can be credited with a really good game against Ponsonby and their superiority in this department carried the day. With perhaps Pickering excepted, the Ponsonby forwards failed in the loose scrums, and were not at home in the conditions. This, however, was mostly due to the fast raiding tactics of the City pack, which confined its activities to a small radius. The ball was kept on the ground and always well controlled at the feet of the willing City vanguard. Ponsonby was often penalised for what appeared incorrect playing of the hall. Seventeen penalties against the forwards in the first half resulted in the pack standing out of loose rucks. The Ponsonby backs, usually a smart set, did not get many chances and were handicapped by the ground. After the curtain-raiser the area was badly cut up and was a sea of mud in places. City was the better team on the day and deserved its success.

PLAY-THE-BALL RULE

QUEENSLAND INTER PR KTATION

The play-the-ball rule as interpreted by the referee in both matches against. (Queensland appears to have confounded the New Zealand players and no fewer than 32 penalties were given against the visitors in the two games. Nowhere in Australia or New Zealand is the rule so interpreted. The following paragraph on the rule is taken from the programme for the recent English Rugby League final played at Wembley and won by the Salford Club: "The play-the-ball rule is one of the most important differences between the two codes. In tho Rugby League game, when a player is tackled and brought down he must immediately get up. and put the hall on the ground. (Inly one player from each side may take part in the playing of the ball, and only one player from each side is to stand one yard behind. All other players within a radius of 10 yards must stand at least three yards behind the player acting as halfback." This is the correct English interpretation of the rule. A letter from, one of the Auckland backs, stated that in the Queensland games the forwards were allowed to stand right up on the New Zealanders and in most cases within a radius of three yards. The 10 yards' radius was not observed, ft meant that each time a player was tackled four or five Queensland forwards would rush in the moment the ball touched the ground. It was not surprising that the New Zealand team was puzzled by the rule. A conference with the referees and the team did not appear to have made much difference as the Quecnslanders were given the same latitude in the second game.