LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 556, 12 September 1932, Page 11

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Bright Play by Greymouth' Marist. TOO SPEEDY FOR WELLINGTON.! (Special to the ” Star.”) WELLINGTON, September 12. j Sheer speed, allied to superior knowledge of the game, gave Greymouth Marist a narrow win over Wellington at the Winter Show Ground on Satur- j day by 21 points to 19. There was a good attendance of spectators. Among} the Wellington players were Mincham.i Potts and Wright, three prominent ex-j Rugby players. Mincham, who was a • sterling winger for Poneke, captained ■ the Wellington side. He was formerly | a star in the Richmond League team \ in Auckland. Potts has been playing I good football for Petone, while Wright j was one of the best forwards in St i Patrick’s Old Boys side, winners of the I senior B Rugby championship. Playing with the strong gale, Greymouth held a lead of five points at half-time, but Wellington pressed them) hard in the second spell and at one stage had a narrow lead. The clever; passing and understanding of the visit- J ing players turned the tide and in the j concluding stages of the game they . were definitely superior to the home side. The Greymouth forwards were the turning factor in the game. Led by J. Calder, the New Zealand representative, they always worried the home side, in spite of the fact that Wright j gained possession from most of the | scrummages. The result was that j Thompcn was bustled behind the pack j and his outside men were not exceptionally well served. However, in the j loose the home backs showed fine form and the three-quarter line, comprising , Mincham, Merson and Armstrong,) proved equal to the opposition. Simons was rather weak at full-back. Ilis play was good and bad in patches and j his bad patches spelt disaster to his j side on more than one occasion. j The Wellington inside backs, Foote | and Still, did not shine, and had they | been up to standard Marist would have i had a hard row to hoe. Merson made J some brilliant individual openings, i while his work in support of his wingers was inspiring. His attack was full of determination, while his defence left nothing to be desired. A Dangerous Man. Mincham did not shine in the Rugby game for Poneke for the simple reason that he was poorly served with the ball. He showed on Saturday that ' with plenty of the ball he is a dangerous man, and one try he scored down the side line with but a yard in which to work and with two opponents to beat, was a real masterpiece. He dummied his way through with body, sway where nothing else would have been effective. Potts, next to Calder, was the best forward on the ground, while Wright was little behind him. Wright found the art of hooking early and was very successful in this department. It was . rather hard to understand why Dutch replaced him half-way -through the ■ spell, as this was the turning point in J the game and Greymouth were again able to secure possession. The Marist three-quarter line had a superior understanding and proved a very dangerous attacking unit. Ken- a nedy, 6n the right wing, took the eye 'y tor determination and speed, and even «, the versatile Mincham could not hold t him. Gilbert, at centre, played most £ effectively on attack. He usually man- t aged to cut one man out by drawing o the opposition before passing the ball d out with a long, swift swing, and his ]- outside men had all the room they f wanted in which to work. Wellington will meet Canterbury at £ the Showgrounds on September 24, and a strong side is to l>e put into the t field. It is understood that negotia- n tions have been completed with pro- £ minent Rugby players to come over a and take part in this game, and even 1 on Saturday’s form Canterbury will \ need a strong side to hold Wellington, s The game is making strides and * prospects for next season are most * encouraging. With a strong adminis- : tration and good organisation League < can be expected to gain a fair share of the public patronage, and with at least j six senior sides in the field the < standard of play will be good. LEAGUE EXHIBITION. > i Fer Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, September 10. After a lapse of eighteen years the Rugby League game was re-introduced to Taranaki, when, in the presence of about five thousand spectators rein- ( forced Poftsonhv and Devon port teams r both of Auckland, played a drawn game,' , the scores being 28 each. The teams * contained a dozen All Blanks. * AUCKLAND, September 10. 1 Roope Rooster final—Marist 28. Citv , 8. ‘ ; N.S.W. PREMIERSHIP. ; United Press Assn.—By Electric - Telegraph—Copyright. l SYDNEY, September 11. ‘ Western Suburbs beat Balmain by 15 ? points to 7 in the semi-final of the New 1 South Wales Rugbv League competi- \ tion. ‘ - j WEST COAST MATCHES. '! t (Special to the "Star.”) GREYMOUTH, September 11. foliows:--Seniof'hina?\<nook-out cup) Ronanga 39. Blackball <>. Junior: Nga- ( hero 14, lt innnga 3, Third grade r (semi-final knock-out cup)—Pirates 16, » Marist 12. Final third grade champion- t ship—Brunner 35, Mawheraiti 0. Fourth ] grade—Runanga 15, Marist 10.