FOOTBALL NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 45, Issue 13854, 10 June 1919, Page 6

FOOTBALL NOTES.

(By "Blue and Gold.")

.Despite tho fact, that, the ground was heavy and the ball very greasy, J he match between the Red Star and Carte rtoii seniors was a very interesting one, in which the. Stars indulged in some good hack play —something quite pleasing and refreshing. Tho Star backs on Saturday threw- the ball about to a. greater degree than they had done since the memorable, occasion some years ago when the Stars downed Gladstone seniors by ~f> points to nil, which was due chiellv to tho way in which the Star backs opened up the play.

The inclusion of Clem Williams and Kennedy in the backs made a wonderful difference, while Fitzgerald on Saturday was the "Fit/." of three or four years ago. The Star backs ha.ye demonstrated very clearly, (hat they know the way to handle the ball, and one hopes to sec i hem continue in this direction. Tim writer trusts that the Star backs will not do as their predecessors did after the Gladstone match above referred to, and for the rest of the season forget that there is such a. thing as passing. If the. Stars were abb? to open up the play on Saturday, they should, in ordinary circumstances, be, competent to do so throughout (he season.

Fitzgerald may claim credit for having started the ball rolling in. 1 1)' , matter of passing. In tho lirst spell, on three or four occasions in succession, lie clevirlv cut, in, secured the ball, and opened* up play., excellent passing resulting. -It was good play on Fitzgerald's part, and gives one proof that ho knows the game that should bo played. The tries ho scored in the second spell wore very tine pieces of work, in which his speed and weight played a prominent part. On several occasions he also broke away, and was within an ace of scoring. Wilson was solid right through, and played with a judgment that was of tne greatest benefit, to the Stars. Kennedy was a tower of strength to the back division, and it is here that he should be played. He kicked, collared and ran and never made a mistake. .More than one dangerous Carterton rush was stopped by one of Koniit'd v 'st inielv kicks.

Clem Wiiliams was .sound at full i'ack, and time and a-ain relieved the pressure on the Stars. lie handled the wetball splendidly, and lucked well.

Sixithtiato played nnii-h bettor tnau ju- diit auainst Cindstone, l>iil he lost :i certain try by hanirini; on h> tin , . !>:i!l. With only one ;n:ui to boat, :i"«( Shaekleton ami three other Stars alonuside, Soi;lh-;i:e failed to ht the hall oil! to Shad; li'iii::, and a certain try was lost. Tin' fact that Stars liad a substantial I,'ad mi i ar:crtoi! may have account cd fur Southiiato •' liaii.u'ui.ii op." when within a v.-i--d or so of the lino. S,,uthy!,., ;i K.-uuedy a >.d Fif/-erahl should j.irip\'i.' a strong i hrerqiiu r'.e , - line \'iv Kia-.vs' played our of his usual da-liiiiu .ua.-no. Flaws is (m> , of the liiuist back.-, Maslernm lias ever produced. Thfi , ,. wen , oiii- or two new fa<-s am- ,;.)!,,■ the Star forwards inviji;; to rho miavoidable absence of tin- regular players. I'm the pack well and beat tli'- < 'art'.'floTi forwards during the ui-t-.-'.iiT part of ilii' ~ Tlif Star S'-nmi was spoiled through the J'act ihat tin.' iwii front row men wen- ununited to cad: other, tin , scrum .-ousetjuemly. lii}'-sidcil. .Mi-Kci- j.lavrd :;. li'ivat Liame in tin . Slur forwards, and tin- two trios lie notched w-T-r s'-ored in splendid .style. MγKγ, is a weighty and heady player, who knows something about the art of dnbbli !iu . The Star forwards emulate .MrKee "s dribbling work . Another Star forward who played a 111• -loi> imme was Wyher, a.ud his try was ;,' very .-.-editable effort. IVrry, too. played a capital lie pluiis away ' coiiHsteiitly, ;ind in never to be seen •• \ anipinii , rou.ud" iuokinu' jO!- uj.'i'.H-!!i!iitie> while the other members of i in- r-a'-k are Some of the other Star forwards mi.uht '.veil take :v k>-nn from luin in eonne.-tion with li.ose s.-niin work. i.Vny on tbes.j ui'ra>ions grasps the t'.Vu iiearc-r Star forwards finnlv rnund the body, thus making a solid nail. He then i:ccps ],is eve on the bail, triekiiy traps it with his foot, and sends it out to the backs. lie did this o" inoiv- than one oci'asion on Saturday, ami set the Star ba<:ks in motion . Diu-er Biil Sliackolton plumed away c-nnsistently. and was in the forefront of aJI the Star rushes. Two Star forwards who grafted well rinht through were .loJuiny I'iishoy and r'rWiioll—two rci-ciitly returned "l>iuTlie Carfcrioii pii'-k led the merry daive iov about 1-" n'.inutes in the ('arly part of the M-'uiid spell. Then FiczL;eral.i' noiehed a try from a splendid pas.sln- rush, and ."-tars put on 11 points in the next thre,;. miinitc^ —some-s.-oiiim. This wa< 100 mudi for jhCartcrton pad;, which faded away a-ain under the liammer blows of McKee. Shai-kh'ton, Wyber and I'erry. Carterton -(.-cured th'" ball tije u:ost times in the scrum, but this was mainly due to the iiiieveiinoss of the Star front rank.

Tin- Stars had the best of the game, and adopted the right tactics in thenplay exce-pr. during the brief period in tho" .second spell when the Carterton pack was making things merry. "How the mighty have fallen!" one might well exclaim* after Carterton "s display on Saturday. Tho day is not so far" distant when Cnrterton were invincible, and year after year won tho senior championship. Those were the days when tho late "Tiny" McMiun, "Lofty" Armstrong (both New Zealand repsi, \h>: redoubtable All: Johnston, the late "Art" Cadwalladcr, the late Harr;- Cadwallader, the late £id Mason, tho late George Masson, Jack MeKcnVio, Bort McKenzie (whose generalship alone was as good as two or three extra players), Ted McKeir/.ie (whoso mighty line punts broke the hearts of opponents), "Irvy" _ rm " strong, Norman McKen/.ie, "Ginger" Leviek, Cecil Groube, Hurley, Callister, F. Groube, Henderson, "Lcs"' .Smart, and other splendid players wore the Maroon jersey. What brilliant players Carterton had in those days. To-day the Carterton senior team b but a dim vision of those combinations which carried Carterton \s colours to victory during some fifteen years. "Tracker" Grcube is tho only one of the old veterans who was playing on Saturday. He was the mainstay of the team, and gave glimpses of his old time brilliancy. Carterton is to-day experiencing the same condition of things that Grevtown and Mastorton in their turn worn faced with. Grevfown was at one time the centre of , uroat player.s. There were first the Beard Brothers, Tod Udy, Hart Tdv, A. U<]y, Alick Webster, Terry, Hughie "Mitchell, Connolly, Amos, Harry Tully, C. T'dy, .and, later, Dan 'Udy, Jimmy Brunton, Teddy Raisen, Billy Jackson, .lack Workman, Paddy Mnguiro

'•Pontr>" Bockery, Ted TTdy, George Oliver, "Toby" 'Ross, Frank Faulkner, Archie McMaster, Neil Madscn, Tip -Tury, Percy Rogers, Ernip. Beard, Billy Cook, Ernie Cook, Tira McMaster, Olarrio Rogers and many others. The glory of Grcytown lias to-day departed, and

the southern town lias for some seasons been without a, .senior team. In the old days, at the head of nearly evry Wairarapa. forward rush were td be seen ' the great Greytown trio, Jackson, Kaisen and Workman. To-day tho Greon jersey knows not a Grey town senior player.

jMasterton, too, had its days of greatness in "Wairarapa football. What .splendid footballers Masterton had in the time of Charlie Perry, Harry Pony (whoso boy to-day is keeping up th 0 football prestige of tho Perry family in tho Star ranks), \V. Perry, K. M. D. Whatman, Billy Watson, Jack Ernniett, Rodv Gray, 0. Baunister, Archie l>'Any, Harry* Wrigley, Charlie l)e Jou-v, "Tyko" Hudson, Bob Thompson, •100 Perry, 1 ,, . Day, G. Day, George Welch, '''Os." Percy, Bob Malcolm, Jim Cochrane, Joe Morris, George Morris, Bert Wilsone, Bill Welch, Joe O'Loary, I'at O'Leary, Edgar Wrigley, Daw Logan, Bob Spackinan, Bob Todd, Mick McCarthy, Jack Adams, Jimmy tin Biois, Billy Fulton, Joe. Corbett, Percy Mi'Lachlan, Charlie, Don, George and Alick Ross, Alick Millar, Tucker Chapman, R. Welch, Dick Temploton, Alick Gray, Andy Millar, Billy Darvill, Charlie Gillespio, Jack. Duggan, Harry Hilton, licit Welch, Ivy O'Connor, Paddy Marry, Sammy Dawes, Bert Ktailkner, and scores of others.

The lted Star-Liberal junior match was a iiu'i'i! scramble, devoid of anything resembling decent football, hi the Jirst spell lUh\ Star had the best of the .name, hui in the second spell they faded right away . The forwards found the Liberal team too heavy, and were unable, to contend successfully against them in the second halt". Sonic of (he Liberals played very dirty, and two of. them should have been ordered off. One of the players was guilty of using , bad language, which the referee appeared not to hear. For the sake of the good uani ( . that the Liberals had in by-gone years, the Club should stand this player down for the rest of (lie season.

The Star backs were strengthened on Saturday by the inclusion of Billy ljeach and Bert Livingstone, two returned ' •diggers. ''

The Pukio juniors on Saturday defeated Carterton juniors by '22 points to nil.

A practice of the bed Star Club will be held in the C.M.C.O. Gymnasium Hall to-ni.uht. As Mr 1). K. will be present, overv mem.ber is requested to attend. Mr lengthy and. vai'ied e\p(-rienc t . a s n. footiialler will be at the service u f the. Club. As .Mr lioii.-ui lias agreed to ,i;ive his ser\ - iei's as instructor, members should avail themselves of his valuable offer.