FOOTBALL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19365, 23 July 1925, Page 6

FOOTBALL

AN APPEAL WAS THE WRONG PLAYER ORDERED OFF? AN INCIDENT AT RATANA. At last week’s meeting of the Rugby Rub-Union, the referee in the AramohoKatana junior match, played at Ratana. reported ordering McCarthy, one of the home team, oft’ the field for allegedly kicking an opponent while he was on the ground. The player had been summoned before the Union, and he was to be supported by his club in the contention that it was a case of mistaken identity, but, unfortunatey, the deputation did not reach the meeting. At the same time the referee, who was in attendance, assured the management committee that he made no mistake, and his only apology alleged to have been made after the game was an expression of regret at being compelled to take the drastic step he did and order McCarthy off the field. This action was apparently construed by Katana Club that the referee admitted he hud put the wrong man off. but the referee absolutely denied this. He had gut the right man. Acting on their assumption. Ratana forwarded an appeal and asked for a replay (Aramoho had won the match by 11 to 9) on the grounds that the wrong man having been put off, they had to finish the game with fourteen mon, and enclosed the required ten shilling note as deposit. The Sub-Union accepted the referee’s statement, and suspended McCarthy until such time as he appeared before them to be dealt with, and also dismissed the appeal and order.<l the deposit to be forfeited, ruling that the . appeal was a frivolous one. A BREAK DOWN. Ratana Club were still dissatisfied • with the decision, and sent a request to j last Tuesday’s meeting for a rehear ing. Their letter was as follows: ‘ “ F herewith apply to the Wanganui | Rugby Sub-Union for a rehearing of the Aramoho v. Ratana junior match, hold at Katana on July 11. 1925/ Sir.! McCarthy, who was ordered off the field ! of play on that particular day. was ab-j solutely not the right man. and wo are ■ positively sure that the referee is quite 1 guilty ot the *'offence. ’’ To prove it. he, the referee, at the conclusion of the match, privately interviewed Mr l McCarthy, at the same time apologising on this simple reason, that he wa- ;

sorry for ordering McCarthy off the ground, being the wrong man. How •ver. let me know at your earliest of four next meeting, so that I can bring n before the Union the individual who lid the crime. I will also bring before you McCarthy, who will give you a full detail of the happening. Sir, we are in favour of a replay of the match, and if it can be granted, a deputation of this club will be detailed ready for your next meeting.” Immediately prior to the meeting a ’phone -all came through from Ratana. stating that the deputation had got is far as Wangaehu when the Ford stuck them up. and they had “padded the hoof” in the rain back to Ratana. When- th° application duly came before the Sub-Union the committee turned down the request for a rehearing. SATURDAY’S PROGRAMME REPKESENTATIV L M ATCHES AHEAD. The Sub Union representative team goes to Taihape on Saturday morning, and plays the Taihape team in the afternoon. Consequently there will be no senior football in Wanganui on that day. By the way. Cox is not available for this game, and Hurley takes his place. Nevertheless Rec. jAtrons are to be catered for. Wanganui Junior reps, are to meet Rangitikei juniors as tin 1 principal attraction, the curtain-raiser being played between two primary ichool teams. Next Wednesday. 29th inst., the first Maori Shield match of the season will be played, Wanganui being called on to defend the trophy 'against Rangitikei Maoris. No doubt the Ratana fifteen will provide the nucleus of the Wanganui side. '>n Saturday week. August 1. the annual Sub -Union match with Rangitikei takes place on the Re<-., and the Saturday after. August 8, the second big match of the season is due. This is the Waikato representative team's visit, and this falls on the same day as that on which the Wanganui representatives journey to New Plymouth to fulfil the return engagement with Taranaki, Nevertheless, a strong second team Ban be selected from the whole district, sufficiently to fully extend the north erners. The Waikato team leave on Uicir tour next Monday. INTER-ISLAND GAME, CHRISTCHURCH, July 22. Burrows and Gerard replace Dickson and Williams in the South Island team.

HAWKE’S BAY FEELING Many Hawke’s Bay Rugby followers view the impending match for the Ranfurly Shield with Wellington at Wellington with some trepidation, and even resentment. The following remarks on the situa- ' tions. made by a correspondent in | Hawke’s Bay. show a trend of opinion: I‘‘lt is about time Canterbury held the j shield. If Canterbury takes it. we will I congratulate the Red-and Blacks heari tily, and wish them luck, but if WelI lington secures the trophy, we will feel .asif we have been ‘had.’ Wellington is the one province which should not | have challenged us to play a shield match away from home, as we took the ■ shield from Wellington on its own ground. Of course, once Wellington lost the shield to Southland away from home, but it was so cocksure of winning , that it took the match on without eoin- ; pulsion. in order to get a ‘gate. ’ And ! it slipped badly. “The Wellington delegates were instrumental in the New Zealand Union’s adopting a condition that, after this year, shield matches must be played on the holder’s ground. In a straight-out test of strength we would beat Wellington anywhere, but wo will have to play the match with a (for us) secondrate team. The Test match between New Zealand and New South Wales ! will be played at Auckland on the day | of the Wellington game, and we will | lose th-’ backbone of our team on that account. Nepia. Blake, Mill. Irvine, and our leading forward, M. Brownlie, are certain to be called to Auckland. Their absence makes a tunnel in the team. True, we have as good men left, with the exception perhaps of Blake [and M. Brownlie, but the combination | will be upset. ” RUGBY LEAGUE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. FIRST MATCH AT SYDNEY. j i (Evening Post Correspondent). I SYDNEY. July 17. I The Sydney newspaper experts were almost unanimous in expressing the [opinion that the New Zealand Rugby I League team was unlucky to lose, its 'first match against N?w South Wales : last Saturday by 7 points to 4. The i visitors were highly praised for their play and sportsmanship. Claude Corbett, in the Sydney Sun. believes that Jhr team is the best that, has come ;across the Tasman under the League • ode, and was only beaten because the players lacked finish. “The New Zea ! landers,” he wrote, “were a 15-points I better side that New South Wales on [the actual play, but they threw several tries to the winds when it seemed that Only a miracle could stop them. Either the man with the ball was too eager to go over himself, or the support was not there at the psychological moment. I

. . .New Zealand have only themselves to blame for nut winning. They had many chances, particularly in the second half, of scoring, but after the defence had been repeatedly almost penetrated. they did not seem to know quite what to do with the ball. At least three tries were allowed to pass through failure to take the ball, cleanly. and at least one goal that should have been kicked was missed from a simple angle.” The writer concluded that if the New Zealand backs had been the equal of the forwards, New South Wales would have lost, but paid glowing tribute to Weatherall, whom he described as the best back on the ground. “Observer,“• of the Sunday Times, wrote that the New Zealanders possessed excellent talent, and with a match or two together should be a very difti- [ cult side to beat on the form in this countrv at times.

“Full-Back,” in the Sunday News, wrote: “The most extraordinary thing about the game was the fact that New South Wales won, for the New Zealanders had the better of the play, and dominated matters in the second half. But with all their dashing work, they lacked the- finish that would have seen them piling up the points. On the play. New Zealand should have won by a substantial margin, but try after try they missed. Considering that they had been only a few days off the boat, the New Zealanders performed splendidly. They arc a better team all-round than New Zealand sides that have played stronger New South Wales teams in the past. Their backs are sturdy and good [defenders, with a couple of brilliant I men; but their forwards are a really great pack, and took the honours of the ’match. New South Wales could not stand up to them. They simply poured through, often with the ball at top. [but, like the harks, they made mistakes lin handling.” This writer believed that Brown was the best bark, giving him [special praise for his “bottling-up" of [Wearing, the speedy New South Yales wing-three-quarter.