League Rugby

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 983, 28 May 1930, Page 15

League Rugby

Notes and Comment.

Interest in Trials Quickens Interest throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion has now reached a high pitch, as the date for the final selection of the New Zealand team to go to Australia approaches. One trial match has been played at Auckland already, dnd on Saturday the second of the series will take place. Last Saturday a trial was staged at Wellington for the benefit of the North Island selector, and on Saturday the South Island Possibles v. Probables match will be played at Christchurch. South Auckland’s Chances Nominally, the match at Carlaw Park on Saturday is a challenge by South Auckland for the Northern LTnion Challenge Cup, but in effect its significance is much deeper. On the form displayed by the players will depend to a large extent the personnel of the North Island team to meet the South Island at Auckland on June 14 in the final trial for the New Zealand team. Players of both sides, therefore, will have a double incentive to play up to the mark. The Auckland Team From the list of 20 players announced to practise for the final selection of the Auckland team it is evident thaf the present holder of the Northern Union Cup can well be represented by a much stronger team than the one which staved off the challenge of Northland a fortnight ago. Five names which did not appear in the list of players for practice for the earlier match are down this time: C. Duftv, Batchelor, L. O’Leary, Prentice, Stevens and Len Barchard. Those who were included in the first list, and are missing this time are: List, Carter, Delgrosso, Riley, Brady, P. Skelton, Somers, Watene and Ruby. Absence of “Pope’* Gregory As this big change indicates, the selectors are evidently adopting the policy of trying ~

out as many players of representative or near representative calibre as possible, and the omission of any player may not mean that he has had his final chance. One case, however, which has caused some surprise in League circles is the ab-

sence of C. Gregory’s name. The brilliant Marist back was included in the players for practice for the Northland game, but he did not win a place in the final thirteen. This time he is not even in the preliminary selection. It is, however, perhaps the intention of the North Island selector to give him a chance when the final trial comes along, or maybe he is already regarded as an All Black certainty. There can be no doubt that he is in great form at the present time. Promising Newcomers Of the players who played last time, List, Ruby, Francis and Brady were disappointing. In addition Delgrosso, Riley and Pat Skelton were on the injured list, and are not yet back to playing condition. Of the newcomers to the 20, Duftv, of course, needs no introduction to representative football. Batchelor has merited inclusion and it will be no surprise to see lfim taking the field on Saturday. Les O’Leary, also, is a man who could not very well be passed over, and Prentice is a rocklike five-eighth who did yeoman service against the rugged Englishmen » two years ago.

South Auckland Stars The great majority of the South Auckland players need no introduc-

tion to the Auck--1 a n d League public. Such men as Timms, Stephenson, G. Raynor, Abbott, Jones and Trautvetter have appeared at Carlaw Park before, and they are expected to be the backbone of the challenging side on Saturday. The side gives every

indication of making Auckland go out all the way. The Wellington Trial Reporting that he had seen quite a lot of promising young material in action, the North Island selector, Mr. E. K. Asher, returned to Auckland on Monday from Wellington, where a special trial match was played on Saturday. Mr. Asher could not go farther than stating that there were few outstanding players in the capital city. The ex-Aucklanders, Moisley and Simons were playing in the trial game. Commenting on the trial, a Wellington exchange said that the great drawback to the match was the “putrid” conditions under which the players had to display their skill. The match was played at Petone. Saturday marked an important event in the history of the Otago Rugby Football League—the playing of the first match on the League’s new ground, Logan Park. The ground was in very fair condition. Ground Problem in Wellington There are indications, however, that Wellington Leaguers will not be willing to take a back seat at the discretion of the civic authorities in the matter of th© distribution of city playing areas. Councillor Semple brought the question up at the last council committee meeting, and more is expected to be heard of it at the next full meeting of the Wellington City Council. That League can hardly be refused an area is the opinion held by one member of Parliament.

How Huntly Heard the News Another feat of journalism is recorded by The Sun’s Huntly correspondent, who writes (commenting on the trial game which took place at the mining centre on Saturday): “Needless to say the selectors were present, and it was a commendable action on their part that immediately the game was over they made their selection available to a Sun man for publication. The result of this action was that the South Auckland rep. team was in cold print and read in Huntly at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday night, a feat never accomplished in League history previously,” concludes our correspondent. Rough Play Sterner measures are called for to deal with rough play in club matches. This is not a matter that is confined to the League code or to Carlaw Park only. All over the world there are reports of rough play in football matches. A Sydney Rugby writer advances three methods of dealing with the trouble— (l) club coaches and officials must instil into their players the facts that “rough-house” tactics i only bring discredit on the club; (2) I

referees must deal sternly with rougl I play, and (3) the governing body musi j firmly uphold its referees. Two mer I were ordered off in the big game a 1 : Carlaw Park on Saturday, but there j was a third man who was more deserving of punishment than either ol these two. and he escaped the referee's notice. This is a ease that might well be dealt with under No. 1 heading, and the club concerned would be doing a service to the game if it dealt with the offender itself. Incidentally line umpires are to be commended for at once pointing out to the referee cases of rough play that come under their notice. McDonald, the promising back who played for Marist last season, is reported to be playing Rugby in Wellington this season. South island Trial While Auckland is engaging South Auckland at Carlaw Park, the pick of the South Island players will be

battling in a possibles and probables match at Christchurch. G. Blazey, the Otago fullback who was injured recently, was not as badly hurt as was at first thought to be the case. He will be the last line of defence for the probables team. Three of the New Zea-

land selection committee, Messrs. A. Ferguson and W. O. Carlaw, of Auckland, and J. K. Worrall, Christchurch, the South Island selector will be in Christchurch for the game, and on Saturday evening the South Island team to play the North Island team at Auckland -will be announced. ■Managers for Big Tour As requested by the New Zealand Council, the various Leagues throughout the Dominion have sent in nominations for the position of managers of the New Zealand team in Australia. Auckland nominated Messrs. E. K. Asher and W. J. Hamill; Christchurch, Messrs. F. Sheahan and S. M. Richardson; West Coast, Mr. J. D. Wingham. The New Zealand Council, itself has nominated Messrs. A. Ferguson, W. Murray ajid W. Taylor. A final decision will be made by the council on Thursday week. Two managers, one a financial manager, and the other a team manager, will be sent with the team, and after the experiences with the last New Zealand team in England, the authorities are sparing no effort to select the two best men possible.

Strange Huntly Dialects Commenting on the expected exodus of Huntly people to Auckland next Saturday for the Northern Union Challenge Cup game The Sun’s correspondent in the mining? centre writes: “The fans at Carlaw Park need not worry if any strange dialects are i heard. They will come from Huntly. They may not be seasoned New Zealanders yet, but they are seasoned Leaguers, and make no mistake about their loyalty to League football.” Gardiner, the big Pony forward, who played his first game of the season on Saturday, tipped the scale at 16 stone. Hig Standard Maintained The high standard set during the opening matches of the senior competition was well miantained on Saturday. •The Marist match fulfilled the highest expectations, and if main attractions at headquarters of the same standard can be continued, the season will indeed bo a boom one. Another remarkable leature of the season so far has been the evenness of the scores. Generally, they have been low, and the points separating teams at the finish have been small in all but a few cases. Saturday was no exception to this. Next Club Matches The next series of club matches in the senior A grade will take place on v Saturday week, for which day the draw is: Ellersli© v. Kingsland, City v. Devonport, Ponsonby v. Marist, and Richmond v. Newton. At the present time, three teams, Devonport, Marist and Ponsonby. are level at the top of the table, with six points each. ?'wo of 1 these teams are drawn to meet on Saturday week, and will no doubt be played on the main area. Delgrosso’s Injury The injury which Delgrosso received at the Domain when Ponsonby played Ellersiie, broke out agai non Saturday, and thus has just about cooked ‘Delly’s” chances of getting a trip to Australia. The accident in the first place was the outcome of what appeared to be a deliberate trip by an Ellersiie player. “Delly” had to go off early in the Ponsonby - City game a fortnight ago. The Ponies’ i skipper will ease off now for a fort- | night, but will be ready to play against | Marist if his club calls upon him. Taylor, of Richmond, who has been missing from the maroon team list in recent weeks, has now returned from the country, and will be playing again next match. Ponsonby Injured List Other Ponsonby men on the injured list who are expected to be on deck again for the next match are Thompson and P. Skelton. The older hands. Gardiner. Ussher, K. Peckham and McIntyre. it is expected, will also be available for selection for coming matches. Riley’s injured knee is not progressing as well as was hoped. No Substitutes in Sydney The New South Wales League has decided to conform to the English practice of refusing to allow substitutes to replace injured players. For the first time in the history of the code in Sydney this was introduced this month. It is understood that the Australian authorities are keen to carry out the wishes of the English League, which usually has adverse comment on its policy of players not being replaced in test matches. In England no injured players are replaced, and this practice is observed on tour. The matter is one the New Zealand Rugby League might discuss, seeing a representative team will soon be playing in Sydney.