Picking 'Em

NZ Truth, Issue 979, 30 August 1924, Page 8

Picking 'Em

SELECTORS' SHODDY SELECTION. Misfits, Has-Beens and Vampers. (By "Tackier.") The Wellington team to play Tai*anaki at Athletic Park vtoday was announced last Wednesday, and it caused a lot of gasping. When men of the wisdom of Messrs. Wallace, Buck and Wilson. put their heads together one expects to see something decent as the outcome, but if the team to play today is the best t possible the three wise birds can get; —well local football is at a lower ebb than I thought. The men to play, and the six emergencies, are a most variegated lot. There is a. fair sprinkling of good'men but the misfit, has-been and vamper is also m evidence. How the selectors have managed to imagine some of those selected are worthy of rep. honors, they (the selectors) aiqne know. The Man m the. stand and on the bank doesn't. Malcolm is full back. What's the matter with Walters? He will be back m ample time to take the field. 3V^istake number one. With Hickey and McKay no fault can be found (though Doc, Nicholls could be m the latter's place), butwhatl is Bedell, a centre, doing m the other, wing position? Are we short of wingers? With players of the calibre of Taylor, Mathiespn and Riggs filling the wing berth the selectors pass on and shove m a centre. Mistake number two. It was not hard to find the five eighths —they were like finding the winner of a race with Gloaming engaged! Warwick^ is 'the best half available, according to the Big Three. McCleary and Hall are not m the hunt. Hall was dumped for not attending a practice when riot m a condition'to do so. Mistake number three. Fitzgerald is the wing forward, and as the men in'i the position are of much the muchness this season he cannot be criticised. . , Hookers: Shearer and Swain.' The latter is the champion vamper of New Zealand. Osborne should be In his place, but the writer believes that owing to Osborne's inability to" get to practice, (he-lives across tho Bay),he was blacklisted and dropped. Anyhow, had Osborne gone iri, Swain would still have, had his place; Shearer would have been the one'pitched but. And say, what has Sam Stande'n done? March up your hookers, this fellow will do me. ■ ' ■ ; .:• ' ■ '.'.! ■■'■"' '' -:- ■'..:... Jim Moffitt is a light of other days. He can still lock a scrum, but - that ends his usefulness. What's wrong with Duncan? Mistake number five. The two men on the sides pass muster, though Prlngle has not played up to form for some time. , Thomas is a' good second to Swain for dodging the heavy stuff, yet he is m the back row with Preston. His club mate, Haddock, or Jack Shearer, should have the place. Mistake number six. .'.-,'

Of the emergencies the Icbs said the better. In the published list Wogan is given at the head of those for the backs, but it does not necessarily follow that that is the order. I hope not.

If "Tackier" had been asked to pick a team it would have been as follows: -

■■■-,•<■•. Walters. Hickey \ Nicholls Riggs Corner Johnston McCleary Haddock Preston ... Shearer, J. Brown Duncan Osborne Standen , Fitzgerald Emergencies: backs; McKay, Math - ieson and Lang; forwards; Shearer, S., McCartney and Hopkins.