FOOTBALL PROSPECTS

NZ Truth, Issue 1062, 1 April 1926, Page 15

FOOTBALL PROSPECTS

Clubs Ready For New Season TARANAKI'S RIVAL CLAIMS (From "Truth's" New Plymouth Representative.) Football clubs are losing no time this year m preparing for the season's activities and the enthusiasm that Is being"" displayed augurs well for the coming season, ,

•THE Taranaki Rugby Union has to 1 face a fairly substantial loss over 'the past season's operations, but /this will not trouble delegates much. " The chief bone of contention will be the scheme of play and the selectors. A strong- move will be made to revert to the north , and south divisional schemes, especially m South Taranaki, where what is known as ihe Malone scheme is objected to on the score of travelling. > The Malone scheme provides for the division of the 14 teams of the province into two groups of as near "as possible of equal strength, the travelling also being equalised as mush as possible. The 70-mile trip from Patea to New Plymouth is, however, the chief objection. So/nfi strong comments have .been made by clubs regarding the method of selection and a move will be made to have the system of a sole selector re-introduced instead of three selectors. > m

In the days of George Syne and Dan Malone the sole selector was a. success, so that provided the right man is appointed it should again prove successful, especially as there is plenty of young, football material available. The trouble is to get the right man. Still, it is more difficult to \ get three right men. \ Unfortunately m Taranaki the north v. so:.ith spirit is not yet quite dead and the location of the selector is considered to count for a great deal. Football pi-actice started last weekend, tnough hosts of players have been m Lruining for some time. New Plymouth Old Boys have ! been going strong m view of their trip to: Gisbbrne and Napier at Easter. Sev>;n-a-side tourneys will be all the go during April, starting with the. Kaponga fixture on Easter Saturday. It is probable/ the competition games will start on Saturday, April 24. . .Han die y Brown is m active training. He should go well this season. \Last year he was stale after so much riootbail. Gus Hart is on the Tukapa man-'

I agement, committee. It is not definite yet whether £he brilliant wing tin fee-quarter will don the jersey this year, but Tukapa are hopeful that' he may. Star look like being' very strong this year. They paid A. L. Humphries a well -deserved compliment m electing him a life member. ■ McA.uliffe, the Wanganui rep. fiveeighths, is iii Hawera-. He will probablyplay for the Hawera club. , . Athletic Club have not many new players, but with the young ones comtng on they hope fo "field a strong side. . W- B. Fearon, the Kaponga delegate for some years past,' has removed to Hawm-a, He should be a welcome acquisition there. Jas. McLeod will again; represent 1 Star at the. Union meeting, whilst Jas, Garcia and -F. M. Whyte will represent Okato and Old Boys respectively. George Loveridge will be Tukapa's delegate. He would .be a useful man on the management committee. iiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMMimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinmiiinmntmiiiiiiiintiiiiiiiiinnminiiiiiiriiiiiiiimitiiiiiniiii

W.aimate may bo unable to muster' a senior team this year. Eltham Club held an enthusiastic meeting. Several good players are reported to be m .the district, and with last year's pack to mould into form the "Magpies" should be a hard proposition. '...-.. - Dean, the Auckland rep. forward, is back m Inglewood and with him a Ponsonby club-mate m Me William. They will be a useful pair if they remain. ' Stratford Club will have all their last year's pack, including Walters. Kivel.l, Bond and Co. The position regarding backs is not too bright, but it is sarly yet. Tom Campbell will be on the job again as coach m New Plymouth this year. ' ' . ■ ... ... ' „„. .. Okaiawa, the home of Arthur Guy the New Zealand selector and . coming president pf-the T.R.U., should put m a powerful fifteen. M. Lynskey, late of Kaponga, will be with them this year. ■ < ' There is a probability that Ward, the brilliant Clifton- forward, may return from Australia m time for the football season. ,