HAWKES BAY HAPPENINGS.

NZ Truth, Issue 910, 5 May 1923, Page 8

HAWKES BAY HAPPENINGS.

The annual meeting of the H.B. Union was very tame. Apparently delegates were all satisfied with the annual report and balance-sheet. The loss on the year's working was about; £350, but this was accounted for by the Southern tour. Mr. Pikl. presided in the absence of Mr. J. W. Callaghan. The election of officers resulted in Mr. Morry E. Wood being elected president. - Mr. Callaghan is now resident in Wellington. Messrs. J. M. Brown and C. I. Findlay were reelected hon secretary and treasurer respectively. Mr. Piki was elected chairman of the- Management Committee and the following the committee:, Messrs Seed, Newton, Hewitt, Knowlee, Aldridge. Messrs Norrle, O'Neill, Mllburn and H. Brown represent Dannevirke, East Coast, Waipawa and Hastings Sub-unions. Mr. N. McKenzie was unanimously re-elected sole selector. The season opened on April 14, and for the first games some good football was witnessed. Results were: Pirates 8. Celtic, nil; M.A.C. 20, Marists 6; Hav.eloek IS, Taradale 6; Hastings IS, Te Aute College 12. The next round was played in miserable weather, rain falling in torrents In spite of these conditions excellent form was shown. Results: Hastings 18, Marists nil; Pirates 15, High School Old Boys 5; Havelock North 8, M.A.C. S; Te-Aute 19, Taradale 11. A long felt want, grandstand accommodation, will soon be a thing of the past. The ;City Council has decided to proceed with the erection of a suitable building. 1 . ; The first rqatch for the Te Mori Rose Bowl win be played in Napier on May 26. , The team to tour New. South , Wales wjll be picked after the match. The Maori boys are extremely enthusiastic and with Mr. Parata at the holm, no doubt a very fine side will be available to give the Sydney public a feast of fine, open and spectacular football, for which they are noted. |i , Later. j\ The third series of the first round in the Hawkes ,Bay championship competition was completed on Saturday. Last year's champions (Hastings) and the runners-up (Pirates) so far have not been defeated. Altogether nine teams entered for the senior competition, a most unfortunate number, one team having to iitfind down every Saturday. Juniors, third, fourth and jlfth ftnu^s have drawn his intrlos. Altogether, nover bi'forc have no many loams existed previously in HsiwUps Bay. Tho llawkcH Hay C'J>> Mwtlnj* did nut afiVc-t the prau> on Saturday. Mr. Norman JrlcKonxio, our r.fh'ctor. V.iiH ample material to Ht-U'i-t a great team from, and tho team that puts It over us will need to be Home Rood. Hastings, last year's winners, have not yet their full strength, but on Saturday next will* have. They have been strengthened In their backs considerably by Eckhold. half (West Coast). and Stevens, five-eighths (Otago 'Varsity B), The former is a good half, having been coached by Stoele (N.Z. three-quartor rep.).

■M.' Brownlie onjy missed the opening match, and ulread-y* is at the top of his form. He, together with bis brother Cyril, are a power of strength to their cfaib. Cyril twice in the one ! match dribbled the ball from one end of .the ground to the other. Result: I Two tries. Some of the other forwards should watch, this man and emnj late him. | Kirkpatrick, who skippered the .Hawkes Bay team last season, occupying the position of hooker, will have to look after his laurels this season. Will have to improve on. form already shown to keep his place. j Pirates take the field every Saturi day the fittest, thanks to their skipper, Les. Dine. For the Bay's sake it is a great pity we have not more men like Dine. Pirates have practically the same team as last year. Their backs are considerably strengthened by Watty Barclay, the Maori crack wing ! three-quarter. I Pirates are making a mistake in playing Barclay five-eighths instead of in his own position. Barclay Is a great scoring man, and being kept in his new position is robbing him of his greatest asset. J Tates, who on tour last year created ..a favorable impression wherever he went as a full-back, missed the last match through a kick received playing against High School Old* Boys. Yates is a player above the average, but ho does not want to think he Is the best/ : ever. Should he continue wearing the same size hat as in past seasons he will hold his place; otherwise he will have to be looked over. / Celtic so far have not got into their stride, but when they do they are going to be a. hard problem. Honi McNab, as his friends call him, .dons the jersey on Saturday for the first time. What a difference he will make to Celtic's pack. "No better forward here than . McNab. Without doubt Celtic possess a rare lot of backs, with four Blakes (Bill, Morry, Jack and Roily), O'Donoghue, Tate and Potham. All, with the exception of Tate, are old boys of St. Pat's College, while Tate last year was a boarder at Scots College. R. Blake (Huck) was at school last season, and his debut here created- ■' a favorable impression, many saying he was a better tackier than his brothers; but that is going a little too far, as to tackle better is nigh on impossible. Jack Blake, who last year bid high for N.Z. rep. honors, has not yet quite struck form, but once Celtic's pack strengthens .up then Master Jack will be the same as of yore. Havejock, a new team, so far have done well, but have had a, little of the luck. On Saturday they put up a good fight against -heavy odds in Pirates, but 14 points was the least they could prevent their opponents from scoring. Macken, a King Country rep. last season, skippers this team. He Is a toweV of strength, and. will have to be considered when a fUB. team is to be selected. Marist Brothers so far have not won a match. With three- or four exceptions this team is no,t up to senior form. All being young players, improvement with coaching can be made. Jimmy Mills, who played for the Maori team last year as half, played for Marists on Saturday and did well. On one occasion when he came around" from behind the scrum* and scored he made Bill Blake look a' dunce. Could not state what Bill said. Sam Gemmell, another member of the Maori team, also plays .for this club. He has fully recovered from his many injuries of last season. He and McNab are the two headiest forwards up this way.