Getting It Both Ways

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 449, 3 September 1928, Page 6

Getting It Both Ways

SHORE WINS LEAGUE PREMIERSHIP

Ellerslie and Richmond Defeated

THE Shore Leaguers had a decisive win over Ellerslie on Saturday by 33 points to 16, so gaining the senior club championship honours for this season. In spite of the importance of the game it was not exceptionally interesting and spectacular to watch, except in the early stages of the second half, when the Ellerslie score began to creep up; but before the game neared the end the seasiders again brought a lull in the cheering by scoring two successive tries without a great deal of trouble.

During the first half Shore produced plenty of dash and ran up a handy lead in the score by a margin of 16 points. At this stage it certainly appeared that the game was bound to result in a walk-away victory for the seasiders. Ellerslie’s chain of defence was chockful of weak links and was smashed beyond recognition on so many occasions. In the second half, however, Ellerslie seemed to come-to and play a much better class of football. Shore was not scoring and the thirteen wearing the red-white-and-blue jerseys began to gradually run up the points. It did reach a stage when it looked quite possible that the seasiders might under. But the champions had plenty of kick left, and Ruby and Webb both crossed as the game neared the end to give Shore a big lead. Of course, after the spell it gave the Shore thirteen much satisfaction to gaze at the score-board on the No. 2 area. Over there Richmond was receiving a surprised and severe trouncing at the much improved hand of City, vConsequently City was winning the championship honours for the Shore Leaguers who, needless to say, did not have much to worry about had Ellerslie put it over them. OUTSTANDING

One of the most outstanding players on the field was fullback L. Simons for Shore. At various games throughout the season he has been merely mediocre and otherwise, but on Saturday he rose to grefit heights and time after time made clever saves, while his kicking, although not up to the Dufty-Sullivan standard, was remarkably good and gave Ellerslie a deal of trouble throughout the game. Simons is a comparatively young Leaguer just yet and if he can show a little consistency from now on (no doubt that has been his trouble in the past), he is the makings of a good one. Davies, who took the back position for Ellerslie, let his side down badly in the open stages, with the result the skipper, Crewther, made a change for the rest of the game.

BACKS LACK COMBINATION Shore’s rearguard on paper appeared a very bright and useful set, but on the field it was inclined to be disappointing. Halfback Webb sent the ball out time and time again, but the passing was very sluggish and weak, and many easy scores went begging for the want of better combination. From the solo point of view, the backs were quite strong, although Seagar is not the Seagar of earlier in the season and is now lacking much vim in his play. Preston and Cleaver were solid, but not overwhelming with brilliance. The wing-threequarters, L Scott and O’Leary, both put in some clever work and no doubt would have done much better had they been given sufficient chances. The Ellerslie back line was certainly not playing up to senior grade standard. Littlewood on the wing proved that he was a useful speedster, but his chances to rush away were not numerous. In the five-eighth line the two Crewthers proved handy, although the one who skippered the team did not do the hard slogging work which his brother was seen to be continually mixed up in. AMONG THE FORWARDS J. O’Brien and Ruby were the two crack Shore forwards, while “Snowy” Dixon, generally a good, sound forward, could not do anything right on Saturday, and was continually off-side. The uncalled for, and unfair comment, from many of the fans in fhe stand did not help to improve “Snowy” either. For Ellerslie, Allen was undoubtedly the most prominent forward on the field. He played a great game from beginning to end and madß full use of his weight. The much improved showing made by Ellerslie in the second half was for the most part due to the hard graft put in by this useful and hefty forward. NEWTON DEFEATS TYKES AN UNIMPRESSIVE GAME Although merely a shadow of the Newton of reality, the wearers of the red-and-white jerseys were still capable of defeating Marist by 10 points to 2 at Carlaw Park on Saturday, in the curtain-raiser to the ShoreEllerslie game. Minus the services of Dufty, and with Somers and Clark also away, Newton’s chances were not too bright when the teams took the field. Right up till halfway through the second half, the game was evenly fought, with Newton leading by 3 points to 2. An electrical dash by Hardgravq from somewhere near halfway brought first blood to the champions of last season. Brisbane and Noble set up a hot pursuit, and, to do them credit, they did not get left in the distance, although of course they could not quite keep up with the speedy little Hard grave. Little, on the Newton right, wing, gave the spectators a taste of the form

which won him representative honours last season. A back capable of just as brilliant feats as Hardgrave, he has laboured through the season without seeming to get to the top of his form and keep there. He has given several fine displays, but somehow always

seemed to fall away again. His try was perhaps the best individual effort of the game. He zig-zagged his way right through the Marists backs, and scored under the posts. Cammick, at half, played his usual solid game, while Hall, Purdy, and* Rhodes were perhaps the best of the forwards. GREGORY INJURED Gregory played his usual' reliable game at fullback for Marist until he had to go off injured at half-time. He was replaced at the beginning of the second spell lby a derelict player, who, if he did nothing else, kept the crpwd amused for a time. Noble, usually a forward, played on

j the wing on Saturday—but, - for one j thing, he cannot handle a ball surely

enough for such a position. Moisley was -again a failure. It is hard to understand the Marist selectors continually playing him in the rear of the scrum when he is such a fine forward. Brisbane was back at

centre - three quarter, and on several occasions made dangerous breakaways. Sullivan, at half, although not an Owen Cronin, played a much better game than Brady did the week before. McKay, Petherick, and Keenan were the best of the green forwards, but the Newton pack was too much for them at the latter end of the game—which, although uninteresting to watch, was fought very keenly throughout. CITY’S WINNING WAY EVEN RICHMOND FALLS Striking proof of the rising tide of City football in Auckland League was afforded on Saturday at Carlaw Park, when the red-and-blacks, fresh from convincing victories over Newton and Marist, overwhelmed Richmond, the second team on the championship ladder by 17 points to 2. The earlier stages of the game were very evenly fought, and for part of the time the maroons asserted a decided superiority, but in the end it was combination that told, and for the last 20 minutes there was only one team in the picture, and that team wasn’t Richmond.

NEW ZEALAND REPS. BACK Prentice and Wetherill, the New Zealand representatives, made their first appearances since returning from the South for Richmond and City respectively. The former starred all the afternoon as a lone-hander, seldom receiving mLich support from his confreres, while Wetherill seemed to be holding himself in. For the first part of the game he played in the threequarter line, but after a time he exchanged places with Barchard at fullback.

RICHMOND FORWARDS FAIL That was practically the last that was seen of the Richmond forwards, that terrible six which, at the beginning of the season, ran rings round every other side in the competition. They faded out badly in that last half, and in the final stages the. City pack had them soundly beaten. Many of City’s points came as a result of weak defending by Leng, the Richmond fullback. He has got into a bad habit of waiting for the ball to bounce, and on Saturday that was usually the last he saw of it. Taylor did his best, but McKinnon, on one wing, was hardly a success, and Swift, on the other, shone up with one grave exception as a good defender. Taylor had several long shots at goal, but none went over, and in the dying stages of the game he dropped a field goal—Richmond’s only points. McLaughlin was about the best of the City forwards, although one of these days he will let himself in for more than he bargains for. The brothers Hadley (younger brothers of the All Black) both played good games, and scored a try apiece. W. Hadley, especially, impressed as a coming type of forward.