RUGBY LEAGUE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20332, 15 June 1934, Page 11

RUGBY LEAGUE.

Sydenham Park Game Should j be Interesting. lIOW WILL LINWOOD PLAY? j The second series of matches in the second round of the Canterbury Rugby f League’s senior grade competition, to! be played on Saturday, will provide an interesting displav in the main game. The draw is as follows: Linwood v. Addington, Svdenham Park. Svdenham v. Ruru, North Pari: No.' 1. Hombv v. New Brighten, Rawhiti Domain.' If Linwood play at the top of their form, bright League should be seen at Sydenham Park. for both sides know how to throw the ball about. I Addington play fine football, and the' result of the game should be in doubt until the last stages of the match. Sydenham have not shown good form this season, except in one of their earlier matches, and after their defeat by New Brighton last week it is possible that they may go down to Ruru on Satin-day. The new dul/s backs have improved, but on Sydenham’s day, they are a hard lot to beat. The result. of the Hornby-New Brighton game should almost certainly be a win for Hornby, so far unbeaten. 5-2 22 22 Affiliation has been granted the Causeway Athletic Club, and they are playing third grade on Saturday, meeting another new team. Whitcombe and Tombs. It js to be hoped that in time they will develop into another senior team. ( F. Beeban, Addington’s snappy half, was in the ph-ture last Saturday, making many openings for his backs. He lias nice pace and a good knowledge of how to beat the opposition round the scrum. It was unfortunate that It. Jackson got into trouble last Saturday. He placed his best game of the season, being moved from centre to full-hack. His kicking was good, and he did not have so much opportunity to indulge in futile individual movements. F. J. Stevens, who replaced him at centre, seemed out of tovvh, with the rest of the side, and made some bad mistakes. 25* 55 22 Had it not been for the good work of J. Raistrtck, Sydenham would not have scored last Saturday, when they were soundly beaten by New Brighton. Raistrick scored all his side’s nine points, playing an excellent game throughout. 25 55 3 Sheehy again played cleverly for Hornby, partnered by J. Howison. They were a formidable five-eighth combination, on one occasion getting away together for Howison to go right through the opposition to score. The Addingtn sehiors have shown a remarkable improvement this season. They are now being coached by Mr Perkie ” Bench, who for some years past has done good work for the club. He was a foundation member of the Hornby Club in 1914, and represented : Canterbury against Auckland in 1918. He then joined Addington, and on retirement from active participation in . the code, became a committeeman and was elected a life member. 22 55 25 Two seasons ago, Mr Bench was coach and sole selector of the Addington juniors, who won all their 16 games that year. This year, he has taken over the coaching of the seniors from Mr J. Sanders. The result has been obvious, and the Addington-Sydenham game recently was one of the finest displays of League seen here for years. 55 25 55 A correspondent writes offering the suggestion that the New Zealand Council should earnestly consider the possibility of sending an all-Maori team to Australia next season. The writer claims that with the rapid spread of Rugby League throughout the 'Dominion a thoroughly representative native team could be got together capable of upholding the best traditions of New Zealand. He maintains that the spectacular type of football peculiar to the Maori would have a strong appeal to the Australian public. Such a tour would undoubtedly be the means of many fresh adherents being won over to the code. Given the opportunity, the sponsor says Mr Rukutai could organise one of the strongest Maori teams yet assembled in the Dominion. There are many brilliant natives playing under the Rugby Leagi;*e banner fh New Zealand.