Early League Activity

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 942, 8 April 1930, Page 7

Early League Activity

PRACTICES WELL ATTENDED

Australian Trip An Incentive

TIIE forthcoming tour of A us will provide a powerful i this season. On all sides, pla; harness again, and even for sc have been remarkably well-at mary of club prospects:— LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONS Marist will make a bold bid to repeat its sweeping triumphs of last season. although the loss of its skipper, Moisley. will be felt. Dech has gone to Wellington, McDonald, too, will be an absentee, and Jim O’Brien is an unlikely starter, in the early part of the season at any rate. Nevertheless, the Tykes will have the' bulk of last year’s great side, with *ome promising material to draw on. The veterans, Gregory, Brisbane and Graham, will give the younger men a good lead. and the two Campbe'ls, Duane. Hassan, Batchelor and Brady, will make up a formidable side, which, however, will need attention in the pack to make up for the loss of two solid scrummagers like O’Brien and Moisley. Brady’s play this season will be watched with special interest in view of the Australian trip. He should have a great chance. PONSONBY’S GOOD START The keenness of the Ponsonby men •was indicated by the fact that- eight senior men were at practice on Saturday, viz.. Delgrosso. Riley, Stevens. Fagan. Thompson. P. Skelton, Schofield and Winters. Payne, the big forward, will probably not be able to play regularly this winter owing to having been transferred to the country. Mclntyre, the nuggety little halfback, is not certain jet whether he will be able to play. "Dooley” Moore and most of the other members of last season’s side are expected to be on hand again when the reason opens. The Blue and Blacks will be a tough proposition. LEN SCOTT AN ABSENTEE Devonport’s capable leader, Alf Scott, is a doubtful starter this season owing to business reasons. Len Scott, too, will be missing, the fust winger being away in Suva. “Snowy” Dixon, who was'married recently to a popular girl in sport. Miss Piri Page, is donning the jersey again; and Seager. Beattie and Rule will also help the younger men with their sound experience. Trevor O’Leary. who was one of the •‘finds” of last season, should do well this year. His brother, and McCarthney, Coglan, and Rhodes are also getting ready again. Incidentally, Simons, the young fullback, will be playing in Wellington this year. Devonport has a lot of promising junior talent to draw on, and the indications are that the Blacks will have a strong, well-balanced side. WETHERILL AND DAVIDSON? The possibility of having M. Wetherill and B. Davidson back in the team is a prime topic of conversation with City fans. Provided the team stiffens up its defence (and Wether ill would he a Godsend for that), and still retains its shattering attack, it will take a power of beating. Len Bavchard has filled out into a strapping big forward since last year, and it is expected that Pascoo. Hadley, Hamilton and Clark will all be back in the firing-line again. There is talk of McKay, a newcomer from Sydney who is said to be a first-class hooker, turnins: out. Of the backs, Watene, Shortland and McLaughlin were among the first out to practice this season. The two Perrys, Laurie. Barchard ard Iverson are also expected to be on hand when the season starts. RICHMOND BUSY Well organised and keen. Richmond always gets the most out of its players. This season it is rich in good material; the trouble will be to decide who to leave out. Jim Prentice will again lead a solid back division, lor which Peckham, Taylor, the fair-haired goallicker, Agnew, and Mincham, the dashing winger, are all available. Davis, who met with a motor accident last year, cannot play, but is so keen to help the old club that he is coaching one of the junior sides. Jenkinson, who is down at Opotiki. will be missed when the season starts, hut there are hopes that he may be available later on. Among the new men this year will be McCarthy, who played two years ago prior to going down to Coromandel. NEWTON’S UPHILL FIGHT Heavily hit last year by the loss of its five best men. Newton managed to last out a difficult season with credit to players and officials alike, who stood by the old club, and took the defeats which came their way, as all in the ups and downs of the game. Newton had some good backs last year. Little. McLeod, Brimble and Herewini being a quartette of keen battlers against odds. % Rhodes, Frances, Page and Middleton were all game, hard-work-ing forwards. In front, Frances was a brilliant success, making his way successively into the Auckland reps, and the North Island team. KINGSLAND KEEN Kingsland-Athletics is a young club. M *th a line lot of promising talent 'uming on. List, Lucas and the Carter

tralia by a New Zealand team nducement to League players rers are keen to get back into i early in tlie season, practices tended. Appended is a sumBrothers were prominent members of the team last year, and they are all expected to be playing again. Simms, the snowy-headed forward. McCleughan, who had the misfortune to oe hurt last year, Railey and York should also do well this year. ELLERSLIE LOOKS UP “No wooden spoon for us this year if we can help it,” is the determined motto of the Ellersliq. heads. With five teams entered in the A.R.L.’s competitions, Ellerslie is going ahead strongly. Among its new men are Grogan, the well-known North Auckland rep., and , l ewis, a Poneke man from Wellington. Most of last year’s senior men will be on deck once more, and there Is talk of “Wally” Somers giving it a Dufty’s presence in the backs should be a great help to the side, and Hemingway and Oliff should do well. IT. Crewther recently met with an accident, which will finish his football days, and S. Crewther is married, and is an unlikely starter. Ellerslie has some hefty forwards, cf whom Hobbs, Chapman, Dance and Quirke showed good form last year. The club had a big muster at practice last Saturday, and with new blood in the side, Ellerslie promises to be an improved team on last year. HON. J. B. DONALD PATRON OF RUGBY LEAGUE A.R.L.’S ANNUAL MEETING “I am interested in all sport, but especially in football. If there is anything I can do to help forward the game among the lads of the Dominion, I am only too pleased to do it.” The Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. J. B. Donald, as patron of the Auckland Rugby Football League presided at the League’s annual meeting held at the Chamber of Commerce last evening. The Minister, continuing" his opening remarks, said that he felt as though he had failed in his duty to the League during his year as patron. It was not because he had not wished to carry out his duties, but in the football season most Parliamentarians were detained in Wellington. He appreciated the honour the League had done him in electing him patron last year, and he would do his best to further the interests of the code during the coming year. Mr. Donald was unanimously reelected patron for the coming season tind announced that he would later be pleased to donate a suitable trophy for competition in one of the grades. A apology was received for the ab-

sence of the president of the League, Mr. James Carlaw, who was unavoidably absent, but Mr. Carlaw congratulated the management on the success which had attended its efforts during the past season. The chairman of the Management Committee, Mr. George Rhodes, moved the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, extracts of which have already been published by The Sun. SEASON OPENS EARLY The following officers were elected for the year:—Patron, the Hon. J. B. Donald: vice-patron, Mr. J. F. W. Dickson: president. Mr. James Carlaw; vicepresidents, Messrs. George Me Mil - lan. O. Blackwood, S. Briley, 11. Orange, ( . ’ -Wav \V. Wallace, C. Seagar, R. Benson, C. H. Drysdale, E. J. P.helan, \ E. Laird, J. A. Lee, R. II- oods: trustees, Messrs. J. Stormont, E. J. Phelan, George Rhodes: chairman, Mr. George Rhodes; lien, secretary, Mr. Ivan Culpan: lion, treasurer, Mr. F. Ellis: delegates to New Zealand Rugby League. Messrs. R. Doble and L. Binns; advisorv committee, Messrs. George Carr McConnell, W. Cloke. W. J. Frohert and G. Rhodes: judicial committee, Messrs George Carr. McConnell, W. Cloke W. J. Frobert and G. Rhodes: honorary solicitor. Mr. 11. M. Rogerson; timekeepers, Messrs. W. J. Gibbons and P. McCullough; chairman,

jLinior management committee, Air. Charles Adamson. After the annual meeting was over, the Management Committee held a meeting at which it was decided to open the season on April 26. nomination for the various grades to close on April 16. REFEREES’ APPOINTMENTS Some discussion followed the motion to appoint Mr. E. Stallworthy the representative of the Management Committee on the newly-constituted referees’ appointments board. Mr. W. J. Davidson (City) said that in appointing a man outside the committee, the League lost everything it had been fighting for. Mr. T. Gregory (Marist Brothers Old Boys) contended that the appointment of a club delegate to the board would be “confusion worse confounded.” Mr. W. Mincham (Referees’ Association) said he had thought that it was going to be easy for the board to function, bLit be ncAv found that it would not be easy. The chairman, Mr. G. Rhodes: We appoint our delegate, find that is the end of our duty. The committee then appointed Mr. Stallworthy to the referees’ appointment board. SOLE SELECTOR AGAIN? Mr. W. J. Davidson (City) gave notice of motion: “That the Auckland Rugby League revert to a sole selector.” Last season the representative teams were selected by a committee of three, consisting of Messrs. E. K. Asher, E. Fox and B. Avery.