Districts league title to Auckland

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 64

Districts league title to Auckland

By

JOHN COFFEY

Auckland’s long wait to become the national interdistricts rugby league champion will end at Carlaw Park today. It has been one of the code’s recent oddities that Auckland has had to settle for minor positions since the district format was introduced in 1979. Although Auckland’s last match is against Central Districts, a team that it has never beaten, the outcome of the Sony-sponsored series has virtually been

decided. In its previous games against Northern Districts and South Island, Auckland accumulated 102 points while conceding 34. Auckland’s superior scoring percentage would see it safely through even if it was upset by Central today. Central is experiencing a thoroughly hapless season, having already lost to South and Northern and suffered a massive defeat in the KB Cup tournament in Australia. Its only consolation is the return of Graeme West A

to inject some leadership among the forwards. But the Auckland selector- coach, Bob Bailey, has increased the number of internationals in his squad to nine by calling upon the Kiwi centre, James Leuluai. Daryl Morrison continues to be preferred ahead of Shane Varley at scrum-half, but Leuluai links up with Nick Wright, Dean Bell, Joe Ropati and Ron O’Regan in the outside backs. The pack includes Owen Wright, lan Bell and Gary Prohm with

Hugh McGahan a reserve. The best that South can hope for is the runner-up position. To achieve that it must beat Northern at Huntlv today. Until last’season — when Northern was unfortunate to be headed off by South at Hamilton — that task would have been regarded as a formality. Since then Northern has gained its first inter-districts victory, at Central’s expense, and must be regarded as a formidable opponent.