NORTHERN UNION.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1155, 30 May 1912, Page 15

NORTHERN UNION.

Position of Clubs in the Senior Championship at the end of the third round.

The following is the draw for the Auckland Rugby League championship matches next week: — SENIOR GRADE. Ponsonby Uni teds v. Newton Rangers. City Rovers v. Manukau Rovers. North Shore Albions v. Eden Ramblers.

SECOND GRADE. Ponsonby Uniteds v. Ellerslie Uniteds. Northcote Ramblers v. Newton Rangers. North Shore Albions v. City Rovers. Hobsonville a bye.

The 'fine weather on Saturday attracted a good attendance at Eden Park for the Northern Union matches, and there was considerable interest shown by the onlookers, for the games were fast and keenly contested although the Ponsonby-Eden match was somewhat of a runaway victory for the former. The City team put up a great fight against Newton and won their first victory of the season.

At a meeting held at Wellington last week, at which about eight prominent footballers were present, it was unanimously resolved: “That the time has now arrived to establish a Wellington Provincial Rugby Football League, to be affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby League.”

George Gillett told the mating that he had been sent down from Auckland to set the ball rolling for the Northern Union code. The New Zealand League was prepared to assist financially and by advisory means. They hoped by obtaining grounds to provide sufficient inducement to players to take the game in hand. The game itself was a far better one for both players and for public than amateur Rugby. The - “brutal boot” element that had crept into the Rugby game was entirely absent from the League game.

Gillett went on to say that the player was the first person to be considered in football, and the spectator was decidedly the second. Very little was being done at present to benefit the spectator or provide for his comfort. As little consideration was extended to the player. Some of the best players whom New Zealand had sent on tour had been working rnen. Was it fair that they should have had to lose their wages while they were holding up an end for New Zealand? The Rugby Unions were amassing a great amount of money, but did nothing with it for the benefit of the game or for the benefit of players. The waj r in which old players, who had at one time played a distinguished part on the football field, and had later suffered misfortune, had been neglected, was a disgrace to the Union. V * * * .

Another thing to be considered, said Gillett, was the deterioration of Rugby. Nobody could say that the football of to-day was as good as that of 1905 or 1906. The League game was far better for the player and for the public. The Rugby Union preferred to shut the gates on a ground and leave it empty rather than let it to the League. This policy was due to an apprehension on the part of the Union that, if the League game were given a fair and square chance, it would draw away some of their supporters. .Money would be forthcoming to keep the League game going in Wellington. The New Zealand League would provide local players with grounds and with every, facility for carrying on the game as it should be carried on.

A member of the audience asked whether League members would be paid for playing in Saturday cup matches. Gillett replied that it was very clearly laid down in the rules of the League that no man should receive any remuneration for playing in his leisure time. Any man who was building on earning enough to keep him in this game would make the greatest mistake of his life. While men were away.on tour they got the equivalent of the wages which they lost, and nothing more.

Four clubs have already been formed in Wellington to play under the auspices of the newly-formed League.

They will hail from Wellington Central, Newton, Petone and Lower Hutt.

The prospects of the game in the Wellington district are distinctly encouraging, and an early start is to be made upon cup contests, and a series of representative matches will be played. Visiting teams would come from Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Wanganui, and Auckland. A match New South Wales v. Wellington was also in prospect, and in all probability a match New South Wales v. New Zealand would be played in Wellington. A New Zealand team would tour New South Wales before New South Wales came to New Zealand.

According to George Gillett, organiser of the New Zealand Rugby League, there are over 1000 players in Auckland. At a meeting of the Wellington Provincial Rugby League last week he said that shortly there would be the same number in Wellington. He was sure the game was going to stay.

The spectre of “Northern Union” is never long absent fom a Rugby gathering nowadays. It raised its head at Wellington at the conference at which Dominion Rugby Union delegates arranged the representative fixtures for the season. Some of the smaller unions put in a strong plea for visits from the more important teams, with a view to “popularising the game and extending its influence.” The strongest argument advanced was not the standing one of “financial

difficulties,” but an emphatic declaration of the necessity of resisting the encroachment, of the League. A Hawke’s Bay delegate stated bluntly that his province looked like becoming the stronghold of the League. “Good luck to it,” said another delegate, with somewhat unconvincing irony. Another delegate warned the bigger unions that if they abandoned their weaker brethren, the enemy would soon be knocking at their own gates. He made pointed reference to the fact that a strong effort is about to be made to establish the League game in Wellington.

In the second grade matches on Saturday, North Shore Albions (10) beat Otahuhu (3). For the winners McCarthy and Lowe each scored a try and both were conveted by Nicholson. Ponsonby Uniteds (23) defeated City Rovers (9).

The results in the third grade were as follows: —Eden (8) v. Shore (2); Ponsonby (9) v. Manukau (8); Ponsonby B (12) v. City Rovers (2).

The Thames and Hauraki teams, which play under League rules, met on Saturday, and Thames won by 25 points to 13. For Thames tries were scored by T. Brownlee (2), E. Hayward, M. Hayward, and Ganly, while Dufty kicked five goals. For Hauraki tries were scored by H. Hayward, D. Currie, and W. Coxhead. Merriman and Currie each kicked a goal.

Ponsonby United added another win last Saturday to their unbeaten record this season, by a runaway victory over the Eden Ramblers. The back division of Ponsonby were in good form and showed up to advantage

by their passing rushes which at times were very attractive. The forwards also worked hard and kept the Eden team on the defensive practically all through the game.

Although badly outclassed the Eden Ramblers worked gamely, but the odds against them were overpowerings and the forwards could not stand up against the opposing stalwarts. As a result Ponsonby beat Eden by 45 points to 9. Fir the winners tries were secured by Savoury (3), Carlaw (2), Riley (2), Dunning, Webb, Micham and Fricker, while goals were kicked by Savoury (3), Dunning (2) and Skeats. For Eden Don Kenealy scored two tries and Biggs one.

Don Kenealy played a good game for the Eden Ramblers, and had he been better supported the scores would have been very different. Biggs also played a plucky losing game for Eden.

Webb played a great game for Ponsonby on Saturday and was the real pivot of his side. He initiated most of the successful passing rushes which so disconcerted the Eden backs and although he did not score himself he was a tower of strength to his side.

Savoury played a brilliant game for the Uniteds and was responsible for no less than 15 out of the 45 points registered by his side.

On Saturday Ponsonby succeeded in notching the first century score for the season in the championship matches. (By an error 99 appears as the total points scored for. Ponsonby. This, however, should have read 100.)

The City Rovers secured a somewhat unexpected win over the Newton Rangers, for, although the play was fairly even throughout, the Rovers managed to secure six tries while Stanaway kicked three goals. The tries went to the credit of James, Childs, Denize, 'Mansell and Asher. For Newton, Mpki scored two tries and Dervan one while Francis and Dervan each kicked a goal. The game thus ended in a victory for the City Rovers by 24 to 13.

The match between the North Shore Albions and Manukau Rovers was a very keen one and was in doubt until the whistle blew at the end of the game; in fact Manukau were in the lead until the last five minutes. Early in the first spell, Hardgreaves, who played a dashing game, scored a try which was not converted. With three points to their credit Manukau finished up the first spell in the lead. Shortly after play resumed North Shore got a penalty goal which; still left them with a minority, and it was just on the call of time that the Albions captured, > try that gave them the game by 5 points to 3.

In the New iSouth Wales League championship competition, the Eastern Suburbs lead by. two points over Glebe, South Sydney and Newtown.

A charge regarding the administration of amateur Rugby football was made by George Gillett (Northern League organiser) in the course of a speech delivered at a meeting in Wellington last week, called for the purpose of forming a Provincial Rugby League in the Empire City. Gillett is known to most followers of football as a member of the celebrated Ail-'Black team, and a prominent Auckland player. “Most prominent players,” he said, in speaking of the amateur game, “have received money, and will go on receiving money underneath the table. I say if they are going to pay, why not do it on the top of the table, where everyone can see it and let all be treated alike. I have had my share, I had one season of it. When I set my foot down, and said that I was going tp have a certain amount or stop playing, an amount was sent along, perhaps not so much as I expected. I have nothing against the Rugby game or against the men who play it, but I have something against the people who legislate for it. When prominent men in the union say that they are not going to cater either for the public or the player, it is time that somebody should come along who will consider them. The league will consider the player and consider the public, and I don’t think it ever intends to carry forward a balancesheet of £15,000.” This is straight talk from one who should know.

When the last mails left Sydney the N.S.W. Rugby League were considering the amateur question with relation to their acceptance of the Northern Union code, and as a result the League has adopted a strict provision for amateurs to play the game alongside professionals. Referring to the new resolution, the ‘Sydney Referee” says:—“This is a forward step, and one on which the League is to be commended, but a good deal has yet to be done before the movement is completed. The control of the game must be removed from influence of professionals. Professionals may be as estimable men as the amateurs in the clubs, but it is universally admitted that it is not wise to allow professionals to have a voice in the control of such pastimes as football and cricket. The Northern Union does not permit professionals such a voice. In Sydney each club receives one-third of the gate-money at its matches, and in a majority of cases the club profits are divided between the players, and perhaps an official. Whether this is desirable or not need not be discussed just now. But it is not desirable that anyone so participating in the proceeds should have a voice in the control of the game. To arrange it so that the professional will be deprived of any official voice is the logical sequence to the adoption of an amateur definition.”

Striking though gloomy enough is the picture of Rugby prospects in New South Wales thus painted' by the “Sydney Bulletin”: —

“The New South Wales Metropolitan Rugby Union,” it remarks, “is not dead yet, neither doth it sleep, and it will struggle for the gate money and the glory during the coming winter with 10 first-grade teams, 14 second ditto, and 12 steerage. The union’s great trouble is the continual crossing over of its players to the League. They learn their game under the union, make good, and then streak over the line into the gates of the enemy before the union begins to make any profit on them. The result is that the average standard of union Rugby has a tendency to sink. Unless this leakage can be stopped somehow, the standard will plunge.

“The League, on the other hand, is swelling with proud hope. Last year it devoted its attention to wresting the metropolis from the nerveless hand of the union, and this season it will follow its fainting rival into the country, and assault it for possession of the football back-blocks. The position in the city will be maintained by the bringing over of Maoriland and Queensland teams, and interest will be aroused by the sending of teams to both those States. The League is out for glory and gore, and all other brands of football are requested to stand off the grass. The chief danger of the League is that it may burst through too rapid inflation.”

P. W. L. For Ag. Ponsonby Uniteds . 3 3 0 99 26 Newton Rangers 2 2 1 65 41 North Shore Albions . 2 2 1 26 36 City Rovers ■ 1 1 2 45 62 Manukau Rovers . . . 1 1 2 19 29 Eden Ramblers . 0 0 3 23 83