LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 239, 9 October 1928, Page 13

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

MARIST'S FINE W'N.

So near and yet so far. This can be written of Ponsonby, the team that had the jhard row to Hoe in the knockout competition ror the Rooster, and then missed annexing the coveted Silver Wyandotte In the final match with Marist by the slender margin of two points. A win, a draw, or a loss for Ponsonby hinged at a critical stage of the game on the kicking of the usually infallible Delgrosso, who was presented with two penalties at comparatively handy range. But for once he failed his side badly, with shots sailing wide of their objective. And yet Delgrosso had opened Ponies' scoring account a few minutes after the com mencement with a brilliant goal from the touchline, and at an acute angle! There is no accounting for goalkickers missing what, under ordinary circumstances, would mean certain points, but in Delgrosso's casfe it must be admitted that he was the most marked man on the field, and was severely shaken on several occasions. In every other department of the game he was one of the most outstanding figures on the field, rising to the heights at times that stamped him as a player of brilliant _ football a few seasons back and again, when he worked the New Zealand representative backs from behind the scrum during the recent games with the English tourists. He was the genius of Ponsonby's attack, and as solid as a rock on defence. Individually he sparkled, and had his supports been able to anticipate his meteoric manoeuvres—as incisive as any of the diminutive Billo Bees, the mercurial English five-eighths—the blues indubitably would have been to-day crowing over their opponents. But the fact that they are not leaves the honours, well deserved, on the crowns of MaristJ which have been a steadily improving side since the commencemnt of the round of the ladder'competition. Territorially Tykes had the better of the general run of .play, • and, in aggressive mood, showed V collaboration that eclipsed any concerted effort of the opposition. They concentrated on the weak spots —Kirwan in particular directing punts where the flaws in the defence lay—tackled like men possessed, and were tenacious when the goal line r tilttqaato victory was a veritable triumph for the Gregory • Kirwan • Brisbane combination—as brilliant an inside line as has ever graced the League stronghold —who were quick to take advantage of the opportunity dfceheduiTlSf their hard-working pack. Gregory, ;%*cool, collected and i ; -!|ffvery resourceful, ' .i' himself against Delgrosso, ind his reliability as a tackier time atid- again upset the efforts of that master to set his ■ scoring jiesmnf poitoqs ejj . ur auiqoeui to be an astute general in deciding to play cloirih. Kirwan was the Kirwan of _oJd» as crafty as a cat stalking a mouse—the pivot <#n which Tykes' attack f wung. , One had. but one fault; to. find with Brisbane—-his handling of the ball, but 'he' can be forgiven-for this for his clever cut through that paved the way for what proved to be the winning try, scored by Hansen.. Brady as scrum half played his part well, Hansen and Bachelor made the most of the few chances that came their way on the wings, and Petherick, who filled the fullback position, emerged from many tight corners with honours^. Of the green forwards, only one thing can be written —they played great football, with Moisley, Johnson, Graham and Noble being always in th? thick of the fray. O'Briten lent his weight to • the attack when he was not trying to impress the gallery of the reason for that very significant word, "offside," tha precedes his football title., Johnson was the one unfortunate player on the field to'be singled out by the referee for rough play, but it appeared to the writer, who watched the Moore incident and the heck-screw-ing exhibition, that he was somewhat harshly treated. A caution would have sufficed, as all the players were keyed up to a high pitch, and inclined to put a little too much energy into their frork.

Ken. Peckham, who set an example by his- fast following up that brought a try, Fagan, Payne and Gardiner were Ponsonby's big four in the, forwards, and worked witli a will from whistle to whistle. Tim Peckham got less of the ball at half than he is accustomed to, but, despite quick breaking up of Tykes' forwards, succeeded in • getting the ball away more often than not. His tendency to run with the ball, however, gave the opposing insides the chances they wanted to smother Delgrosso immediately he, got the ball. Schofield was patchy, while Revell at centre was not impressive. Crooks' style on the wing was cramped, for the simple reason that the ball rarely reached him, but, now and again, he exercised himself in a speedy solo run that threatened danger. Moore was the best of an inferior lot of full-backs tried, and Ponies would undoubtedly have done better if they had kept him in that position. The game provided a fitting finale to the Roope Booster competition, and, although it lacked .a good deal of the fascination of swift-moving passing bouts launched at all angles that so characterise the League code, the general standard of play was distinctly goOd. The vim and dash that the participants themselves put into the contest gave the lie direct to critics who declared that the season had been unnecessarily prolonged, with consequent evidence of staleness on the part of the players. ••

ELLERSLIE MOST FORTUNATE. Ellerslie should consider themselves the most fortunate team in the League competitions.-- They have remained in the senior A grade just by two' .points and bad Athletics had any luclc at all the men from the racecourse suburb' would have beat relegated to the B division for 1929; During the season Ellerslie iave played good football on occasion and they started their senior

career, well. Then came a slump in their stocks—members of the team did not or would not train. Later they commenced to win, but taking it on the whole their play was not impressive. There was a finish lacking. Had they gone in for systematis training there is no doubt that they would not have had to play off with Athletics to see who should be in the senior A grade. There were times during the season when the wearers of the tri-colour jerseys could have won had they paid more attention to mid-week practice. They would be well advised to pay particular attention to this department of the game next season. They a.o a sporting crowd, however, and are to be congratulated on the manner in which they have played the game in their first venture in senior A football this season. Athletics have a great team in the making, so it is perhaps just as well that they did not attain their goal on Saturday. Even their most ardent supporters, although they would have liked them to have won, held the opinion after the match that "perhaps it was just as well that the boys have to remain in the B grade for another season. It will do them no harm. They are young and keen and a bit light, but with another season in the grade they have won the team will have topped off with that experience which should make them a decided acquisition to the bigger football." That about sums up the position.

TOURING SCHOOL REPS.

TRIP TO HUNTLY.

The primary schools' rep. team, under the management of Mr. A. JV Coulam, travelled to Huntly on Saturday and defeated the South Auckland school reps, by 22 points to 3. The visitors were met on arrival by Mr. Harlock and taken to lunch. After the game they were banqueted and entertained.

A HUNTLY EXPERIMENT.

RUGBY VERSUS LEAGUE.

On Saturday at Huntly a Rugby match between the Rugby players and the League players of Huntly for the benefit of charity was played, 15 men aside r under the control of the Rev. Father Curley. The match resulted in a win for the League team by 53 points to 3. The attendance was large.