"GET SULLIVAN"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 13, 19 May 1939, Page 6

"GET SULLIVAN "

UNFAIR TACTICS AGAINST ALL BLACK PARTISAN CROW Do J. L. Sullivn.n, on his form in the past two seasons, is undoubtedly the finest back in New Zealand at che present 'time, and it would be a tragedy if he were to be injured or put out of the game. Yet in Taranaki 5 it appears, there arc a few contemptible creatures who greet with delight the discomfiture of this great player, and applaud efforts to check him by fair means or foul. Hear the views of an outspoken correspondent to tiie Taranaki Herald, writing aft. er the recent match between Tukapa and Star for the Dan O'B'.ien Shield: "It would appear that a great many of those present did not go to watch a< rugby match, but solely to incite their team to 'go him ' rr some) thing to that effect. "Now, we have here in Tarauaki a player (Jack Sullivan) who I am sure, every football fan throughout New Zealand (excepting those supporters of opposition clubs in our own province) recognises as one of the best that New Zeaalnd has turned out, and yet this same player, I think, has dealt °ut to him the roughest handling to be received by any player in this district. "These 'roughi house , tactics are appreciated and madly clapped by a great number of those spectators who do not support the Blue and Whites. Why should this be? I think I am quite safe in saying that there is no player in, Tarana.ki who goes on to a football Reid and piays football I (not obstruction, holding and various other illegalities that go hand in hand) more cleanly than .lack, and yet we hear thi s 'crowd' shouting such things as 'He can't take it, , when he (Sullivan.) walks a,vay in disgust from some player who is look ing for light. (There is a place for fight and I am sure Sullivan would oblige). "There is one other point I would like to make, and that is that the

referees endeavour to stop the obstruction, late tackling and holding of Jack Sullivan during games. I know it is a very difficult thing to detect, but still it is very obvious in many instances where this player is ! AND NOW DICK Sullivan is not ? of course;, the only outstanding footiballcr to- have received unsportsmanlike attention from both opponents and the crowds, says the "N.Z. Observer." It is strange that a player has only to achieve some distinction on the Jit'ld and he is at once singled oat for unfair barracking. Latest victim is the Aucklander, Johnny Dick. Never previously had any one ever accused Dick of an, unsportsmanlike action on the field, but when Grafton played Technical there was a cry of-''Play ■ the game, Dick,' , from the Terraces when Dick charged a Technical player. There was nothing in the least questionable about Dick's tactics either then or at any stage during tlie game, but because he is now an All Black he has apparently become the target of the hillside wits whose idea of clever barracking consists of raucous cries of "Play the game" or "Windy." BOXERS ARE SLUGGERS NOW The contention that the use of big gloves and protective headgear 1 for training purposes lias been bad for and lowered the standard of skill even among the world's leading performers, is made by a wellknown Australian boxer, Mevv Williams. Williams admits that he himself used big gloves —"as big a> pil». lows"—and protective head covering , to protect ears, eyes and skull from , injury during training; but his con- , sidered conclusion is that having this protection he was careless in dodging blows. Not only has the use of elaborate protective gear lowered the standard of defence in the ring, but . also tiie use of heavy gloves has at". , fected the speed of punching and the judgment of distance. As a re- ', suit modern boxing is beeomng mere defenceless slugging. A HEALTHY PEOPLE ; "It is a libel to say that the Pitcairn Islanders are a decaying people," said the surgeon of the Roto--1 rua, when the liner arrived at Well--1 ington from London. "They are ' strong and healthy and good looking, > particularly the women." People liked to say that the Pitcairn Island crs were a decaying race he said, I but this was an, absolute fallacy. i There were now 230 of them on the island, and they were looking very ■ fit. The Rotorua called at Pitcairn [on the way to New Zealand. She had a good trip out.