LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12407, 27 August 1918, Page 4

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

NOTES. The fixture arranged for nest Saturday between the Ponsonby Club, of Auckland, and the Sydenham Club is creating keen interest, and the match should produce a fine open exposition of the league code. The visitors, who have now won the championship of Auckland for two seasons, are very popular with the public in the northern city, and on three occasions this season their spectacular passing rushes have been witnessed by large crowds. In their semi-final fixture for the premiership, with Newton, for the Auckland League Cup, over 6000 people paid a shilling each for admission, so that on the score of popularity the visitors aro coming with a reputation of being a classy team. J. Minoquo, the is classed as one of the best players of recent years by the Auckland football critics. Ho ha« had a very successful season and is a fine 'all-round player, having scored several tries. The Ponsonby custodian is credited with being a very clever side-stopper and a sure field. The three-quarter liners, A. Rae, A. Matthews svn-d E. M’Gregor, are all speedy and show great dash, being keen exponents of the " get there quick game, ’’ and their in-passing and fielding are highly spoken of. Though <n the light side, the trio arc good on defence. A. M Clymont is the Auckland and New Zealand representative back, and has a great reputation as a speedy runner and swerves very fast when under way. His confrere, M. Maddison, at fiveis a very solid player, pulling the weight-beam at 13st. He is a fine place kick and a'dangerous scoring man, of the calibre of W. J. Mitchell. W. Walsh, at half, is the Auckland representative back, and plays a heady game. Amongst the forwards the best known locally is J. Clarke, who was a member of the last Now Zealand team to visit Australia. A. Cadmaii, W. Southerwood and W. Edwards are also credited by the Auckland football critics as clove! players. The visitors will arrive here by the boat train on Friday morning, and durtheir stay will be quartered at the City Hotel. Mr Ivan Oulpan, the popular club Secretary, accompanies the tea™, whose colours are black and blue. the local executive have been granted the sole use of Sydenham Parir, and have made complete arrange nonts for the accommodation of the public! There will be ample seating capacity, and those desirous to do so can reserve chairs along the touch-line. The shield to be competed for is a very fine sample of inlaid rare Now Zealand woods, -and is surmounted by silver shields and a centre-piece. The trophy was presented by Dr H. T. J. Thacker. M.P., in 1913 for competition, and open to challenge by any champion club team in the Dominion. Two North Island teams have unsuccessfully endeavoured to defeat the holders, Sydenham, for possession. A team from the North Shore Club, of Auckland, made a bold bid in 1913, but the solid training indulged in by the local players enabled them to last better than their opponents, and they won by 13 points to 8. In 1914 the! Athletic Club, of Wellington, were well beaten by the local team. Of the Sydenham members who took part in the last-mentioned game, E. Clements, P. Robertson, F. King, F. Matthews, T. Kirton (who was awarded the Military Medal), W. King, W. lirunsden and 8. Trudgeon are now with the Expeditionary Forces, and the late H. Bussell, who died on active service, and his brother, the late W. Bussell, who was lulled in action, were largely responsible for their team’s success.

Amongst others who have been away on active service, and who are playing this week, are W. Edwards, of Pousonby, and W. J. Smyths, the crack Sydenham three-quarter, and P. Kiddey, forward. The local team are training hard .to retain their unbeaten record, and they hare given some • dashing displays of the fast passing game in club fixtures.

In J. Young, B. Marshall and It. rrench Sydenham have three young backs who have shown fine form, and with Smytho they combine splendidly. The team always adopt the offensive movement and the scoring has been very prolific, W. Smythe having scored over one hundred points during the season.

For tho convenience of patrons a continuous car service will bo available, and a curtain-raiser has been arranged to commence at 1.40 between tho Linwood A team and the Woolston Club, the winner and runner-up respectively of the Third Grade competition.

All League supporters will learn with regret that Mr G. Griffith has sustained a family bereavement in the loss of his only child. Mr Griffith, who has recently gone to camp, will have the sympathy of the players and officials. Tho Sydenham Club held a very successful reunion last Saturday, the club president, Mr W. J. Putnam, presidium over a very largo attendance. In his remarks to the Sydenham payers at their reunion, Dr Thacker. M.P., stated that if the team defeated Pousonby this week he would give eacli player a gold medal. This should spur the local thirteen to success. The Auckland team will ’ probably consist oJ:-(15) J. Minogue, full-back, (M) A. Matthews, (10) E MGregor, three-quarters, (8) A. Clymonr*, (9j M. Maddisou. (7) W. Walsh, halves, and (0) L. Cadmnn, tl) W. boutherwood, (3) A. Cadmau, (-4)

W. Edwards, (3) J. Clarke, (5) I). M Ua-rthy, forwards. The Sydenham team will he selected from the following:—(1) W. T. Coomber full-back, (2) E. J. French, (3; W. J, Smythe, (4) J. Howison, threoqunrtersi (6) E. A. Gasson, (5) J. G. Young (7) 11. Marshall, halves, (9) S. G. Ayling, (10) IV. Lyes, (11) P. Kiddey, (12) F. J. Hill and (IS) T. King, forwards ;v reserves—(l4) M. Mackley, (15) O. Howe.

It will probably interest Leaguites to know that when Dr Thacker was in Sydney recently he ordered a die to be prepared for the manufacture of a medal which all League footballers of whatever grade will be entitled to wear. _ This medal will be exit in brass, but will be finished off with enamel. In the centre will he the figure of a kiwi and in the surrounding circle the words “Canterbury Rugby League.” The kiwi will be finished in gold enamel and for the rest of the medal the top half will he a rod enamel and the bottom half a black. The hack of the medal, will bo plain and may be used for engraving anything that the player may desire, such as dates or the teams ho has played in. It is not expected that the cost of the medals will be excessive. An attempt is to he made to secure the first batch before the representative team goes to Auckland, so that the representative players can wear them.

Another trial game between Sydenham and a team of Probables picked from the other clubs, was played at Sydenham Park on Saturday, and resulted in a very mediocre display of football. The Probables’ teain was not quite the same as on the previous Saturday, 0. Kruse and J. Kruse being in the five-eighth line. This ‘necessitated S. Smith, of Hornby, going further out, but, the Probables certainly made a mistake when they put him on the wing, for he w r as absolutely starved there, and further, he could not use hig undoubted ability as a five-eighth man. Sydenham again played four men in the three-quarter line, thus having eight in the backs and five in the forwards. During the first spell the Probables also tried this arrangement, taking B. Smith from the forwards into the three-quarter line. However, the arrangement did not prove too successful, and in the second spell Smith was transferred back to the forwards. But even then, with six men in th scrum, the Probables were not too successful at hooking. On the whole, however, the Probables’ forwards-were a much harder working lot, and packed round the ball a good deal faster than did their opponents. As for the bucks, neither side- was consistently good. 0. Kruse was about the most notable in the Probables’ division, and this was on account of his deadly tackling. Of the backs picked to play against Auckland, W- Smythe and j. Young were the only two Sydenham backs playing. E. A. Gasson, who has been selected to fill the full-back position, was an absentee, but that really made little difference, because there is not another full-back in the competition that can come anywhere near him- W. Mitchell (Federal) has also been selected. At present he i§ in camp, but efforts will bo made to secure special leave for him to travel to Auckland. It is to be hoped that this leave will be 1 granted, for Mitchell will undoubtedly be ’ a tower of strength to the Canterbury team. King,-of Sydenham, is amongst those picked, and he also is’ in camp. ~