NOT GONE BACK.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17585, 14 December 1928, Page 3

NOT GONE BACK.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL. JONATHAN PARKINS' VIEW. THE LATEST LEAGUE TOUR. Reviewing the recent tour of Australia by England's Rugby football team, Jonathan Parkin writes as follows in the Leeds Sports Post : After my third and probably my last visit as a Rugby League player to Australia I should like to comment somewhat on our game in Australia as I find it is at the present lime, particularly in view of the visit to England next year of an Australian Rugby League team. Landing in Australia last June, we were told that football in Australia has " gone back," which means that stars of former days have gone out of the game through old age in a football sense', and have not been replaced by young players of equal ability. Comparing the playing age of our footballers in England with those in Australia, I am compelled to state that a star player does not last so long in Australia as he does in England, a tribute nc doubt to our climate. However, our first match in Australia soon led us to realise that so far from having " gone back," Australian country football had gone ahead since my last visit in 1924, and this led us to wonder what the cities, such as Sydney, would serve up. Football In Sydney, however, and in other big oltles, had not gone ahead like tt had in the country. How could it when In the past these cities had produced players of the calibre of Harold Horder, Blinkhorn and Frank Burge, whose names to-day are remembered in England as amongst the finest Australia has ever sent us? It is our loss that these great players only visited us once. I Praise for Wearing. Therefore, I say, improvement on the past in' the cities could not bo looked for. Did we find deterioration then, it might be asked? To this question I can only say " No," though few players of to-day has reached the eminence and popularity of the ; former stars. They have, however, a brilliant player in Benny Wearing. We j knew of his ability before -we landed, I and. if. did not /Uua iiifl tide against I

t us into a debacle in our first match in Sydney, could you blame Benny? Give us some credit for his non-success that day, seeing he was faced by England's best. The dropping of Wearing was to our advantage. How glad we all were at his resurrection. First the crowd wanted to bury him, and then they were ready to laud him to the skies after the third Test. ' Their full-back, Kadsvell, is thought a lot of by our boys, and amongst their forwards George Treweeke, Steinohrt, and "Terrier" Justice are as good as any of the past. What therefore can I say?—-That jusv as in England it is said we shall never have another Wagstaffe or another Batten, the people in Australia think they will never have any more real giants of the game. It is a fallacy. They have got them now. Particularly do I commend Weissell and Iflaher, because country brawn and city finesse are going to make two players here a credit to football. Proceeding to Queensland we found the same slate of tilings prevailing. Countrv football gave us our most robust games, Toowoomba, in my opinion, had a Test team pack. Heroes of the Past. Ipswich are a good side; but nothing comparable to Toowoomba. In the sides still playing up there we find Norman Potter, J. Bennett, Paten ami Fraunheldnr, heroes of former visits. Still good, though they have to give way to the coming youth. We And, however, here that country footba I is still- able lo produce internationals— Dempsey and Stcinh'ort being as good as any of the past. Yet they have still to get their names familiarised with the hero worshippers of the stars of former days. \mongst the old players we are still pleased to see wonderful Jimmy Craig, a real footballer and a thorough gentleman. Tommy Gorman is as good as ever; but his reputation was known to us and therefore, we had to stop Tommy.' They have also Vic Armbruster, and all of those players-1 expect to see in England next year. i therefore say confidently that football in Australia has not gone back. Blending the experience of the old hands, who are still young in age, with the robust " countryman," who with proper coaching, will be a great asset, Australia will build up a side in time for the visit to England next year that w'ill be a credit to their country, and do well over hero. They will give us a hard game, and it will take us all our time to retain

the " Ashes." This Is nvj considered judgment. Before closing, may I pay a tribute to their wonderful people. I desire to express, on my own behalf in particular, and on behalf of the team I have captained on this visit of 1928, our heartfelt thanks. From landing in Australia to leaving they could not have been kinder. As primarily the duty of a touring team is to play football, it needed some strength of will to decline some of the generous hospitality offered us and keep fit. We felt they -were genuinely glad to see us, and -thai they were sorry when we left. England Fortunate. Wc, too, were sorry to leave them, and when the Australian side comes over to England, next year, 1 only hope that they will go away with as good an opinion of our hospitality as we have of theirs. We were favoured in the second Test match in Sydney with weather/ the like of which our players are familiar with in England, and which Australians arc in no way accustomed to. That enabled us to adapt ourselves to the conditions, and give them an exhibition of dribbling and forward play that will be remembered by the people of Sydney for many a long day. I must confess that the improveI ment shown by Australia in the third i Test led me think that the weather helped us greatly in the second Test. . A line day, I believe, might have rej suited in a win for Australia, and the " Ashes" would have now been in their possession. We were fortunate; Australia unlucky. But they have their chance of revenge next year.