FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1443, 18 May 1912, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

THE LEAGUE AT OUR GATES. [BT AniSIOBtILtTS ] Prowling and Waiting for the Body, Tangibly, the League has arrived. They' have talked finance quietly for months and now they are ready to start. Only the great grip on grounds by various Rugby Unions, has kept thein out bo long. No one has any real grudge against Rugby. If it had a new scrum, new line-out, new system of back play, new. nnifiber of men on the field, new rules, new control, new way of not being afraid of its bost friends—the public, new way of making its balance-sheet discernible to everyone, it would be a very good game indeed. But, as it has not got 6ome of these trifling ornaments, the League dog conceives that it is dying, and is prowl- ( ing round beneath the upper win- ( dow until tho body is cast forth. Meanwhile it is interesting to state what tho League is'doing. How the League Organiser Sees It. Mr. M. J. Reardon, who is acting for the League in Wellington, has supplied Borne facts. "The Auckland people, he explained, "were very anxious that a j branch _of the Leaguo should be estab- 1 lished in Wellington, as well as in Hawke's Bay and Taranaki. In Hawko's ; Bay the League is on a very good foot- ■ ing, though it suffered thcro for a time 1 under the same disabilities as we are suffering under in Wellington, mainly lack of grounds. In Hawko's Bay theso difficulties have been overcome. Six League clubs have, been formed and tho ] League game stands fairly well even as oom'pared with old-established Rugby." It may bo mentioned that the League [ had, three senior teams in. Hawke's Bay last year and five teams of juniors. This ] year third and fourth grade teams are being Taised as well. Launching the Torpedo. ' Two grounds have been leased at Petone' and arrangements havo practically 1 been completed to lease another in the city'.. Playing areas will thus bo provided 1 for six teams and Mr. Reardon is confident that, the teams can be raised with very; littlo trouble; Negotiations have been going on, for months past, under the very nose of a rather stolid Rugby control. Some ol tho prospective League players are now \ flaying the amateur game. Others are 1 late arrivals from the Old Country, men .who have nover bj'en taught to shun professional play as a thing unclean. Caro has been taken not "Commit any man . who at present enjoys amateur standing. Otherwise, no doubt, more would have 1 beon heard about tho League in Welling- ! ton during the last month or two. ! Help From Auckland. j Outside help has smoothed over many ] 'difficulties. ■ The Auckland League has ' guaranteed to meet expenses, for the first year of League football in Wellington and ' an attempt will be made, during tho first ' year, to Taise any revenue locally. , A ! smooth. and quiet start for tho gamo - that may at any time develop an attrac- 1 tion surpassing that of Kugby, seems thus j to bei assured. j ,Tha Beginning of the End. It is amusing, and a littlo tragic, to hear that the local Leajraers have approached the Wellington Rugby Union for the uao of the Athletic Park on the King's ' Birthday (June 3). Leaguers want to 1 start , off with a big event, nothing less 1 than an- Auckland-Wellington intorpro- 1 .vincial pime. They cheerfully disclaim any diflidcnce in approaching the ■ giiardiass of amateur standing. "The union has a vacant ground, and we are prepared to pay for its use," is a condensed expression of 'the League's attitude. It, is simply a matter of business. It is paid that if the interprovincial game comes off the licague selectors will be on hand with a viow to possible recruiting for the English tour which has already been decided upon. The Policy.. of Paying. The Leaguo decline to admit that they aim at setting up a professional game in place of amateur Rugby. Players, it is stated, will not be paid for playing in their own district, but whou they travel afield they will bo paid locomotion and living, expenses, and an "out of pocket" allowance of ten shillings a day. The rules of the League provide that, the expenses of a visiting team shall be a first charge upon "gate" at the places at which they visit. It is admitted that League teams may include one or two professional players in the same manner (it was remarked by a Leaguer) as paid professional coaohes are. permitted to play ' in amateur cricket. Of one thing the Leaguers are absolutely confident—that thoir game is a better one than Rugby under the present amateur Sules, and will please the public better. The Old Myth-"We do not Play for the ' Spectators." This tiresome style of argumout was raised at the New Zealand Union meeting by Mr. Curtayne. Well, to begin with it is not true. It should be retailed to- the marines. What Mr. Curtayne should have said was: "Quite a number of us are now such poor players that ira can't play for the spectators: we are not good enough." Still, Mr. Curtayne was humorous: If it were a matter of pleasing the public," he said, "why not enact that a player must turn two somersaults beforo scoring a try?" Just so. But Mr. Curtayne perhaps did not see that it is quite easy to be funny the other way about. Tho poor, tired, and thoroughly bored public feels that it must do something with itself on- Saturdays, and it goes to Rugby. And what a modest, long-suffering public it is! It asks no fireworks—nothing so grand as 1896 Rugby. It can manago to get along without tho "somersaults. •All that it asks is that the pace of the game should bo a little faster than two miles an hour, and that a player should -be able to run for 10 minutes at a time, 'without Tolling about liko a ship in ; distress. The Secession Debate was Interesting. On the whole tho debate to secede was interesting. It shows that somo of the delegates are beginning at last to think. The strongest contention against secession from' England was probably that put forward by Mr. Crombie when ho stated that the conservatism of the English Union had been a safeguard. If we seceded the gamo would be so rapidly altered that, in a fow seasons, we would not know where we stood. True. One dreads to think what the effect would bo if the gomo were driven up to tho mercy of a number of colonial legislators passing all sorts of enactments just as a colonial Parliament is never tired of doing. Wo should reach tho same jumblo as we have arrived nt in politics after twenty years of Liberalism. - On. the, other hand even the cor.servative English Union must pco that tho rules require attention. Thoy require simplification. So does the game. Do We Know What We Want? - Rut at present we ourselves hardly know what we v/aut. It would almost seem 'that the haunting menace of tho League has paralysed tho . faculties .of tlio°liugby control. The big discussion was mainiv an exposure of weakness and indecision." Manifestly it induced no confident declaration i,f policy or of war upon tlio League. flawkcs Bay is outright "for cutting tho pnmtor. Otngo fa- ' yours a lone-hand policy, but is at variance with Hawke's Bay in opposing the reinstatement of players who ha\o bsconic professionals Auckland wars secession and isolation above all tilings. Southland completes the tale oi the ma - contents who want to sccede, swl Duller,' if Mr. Curtayne correctly voiced the sentiments of that union, is convinced that pin vers are sali-liwl with the ynmo an,l thai' what the, public may think til u is -a secondary - consideration* Wclling'.t<m and Waii'gaiuii stand lor the idea thai:-' 'English conservatism constitutes an efficient shield and buckler.

Half .and Half.

It is quite unimportant, but of passing interest, that tho victorious teams in last Saturday's matches scored approximately the samo number of points in c.ich spoil. Behold: Petono—First spoil, 13; second spoil, 13. Southern —First spell, Id; tecond spell, 13. Melrose—First spell, 0; second spell, 5. Oriental—First spell, 8; second

spoil, !). Athletic—First spell, 1); second spell, 9. Southern Must Change.

Southern won" their first match this season last Saturday. They romped over Old Boys, and, in a sense, did fairly well; but this scribo is among those who are disappointed with Southern's showing this season. Last year the Maroons left the impression that a few alterations in the team would make them a combination whose colours would bo difficult to lower. Southern mnde some of tho cr.vik teams extend themselves last season.Take their two- matches with Athletic. Both these games, by tho way, were played at ICarori. In both, Athletic won, but only by very narrow margins; and in both Southern had the upper hand, and Athletic were lucky to emergo victorious. A team which could virtually beat AthJetic, tho champion team of tho year, was reckoned to have a good future. Encouraging rumours went about nt the commencement of this season to the efi'cct that Southern were a strong enough fifteen to make very good progress up tho championship stairs. However, th</y tumbled down instead of going up. Their three first matchos they have lost, and thcro is littlo prospect of their doing wt.'ll unless they change thoir mode of preparation. Bro. Vergilius Gone—Who Succeeds? Southern's chief trouble is the lack of a trainer. For their first match individuals went on tho field untr&insxl, and now the team goes on tho field untrained as a combination. Last year they had tho services of tho enthusiastic. Brother Vergilius, whose worth as a trainer is 6ummcd up in tho words of a Southern man: "Wo oould not possibly get a bettor trainer than the Brother." But this good sportsman, is not availabl* this season as trainer, and Southern have not filled the gap. The writer is given to undorstaiul that they are taking . c '<-ns to do so. Let us hope so. A team which murders its back play by the old-womanish passing which is common m cue tjoucneni rear division needs shaking up. There is no excuse for such shoddy, hopeless work. Lobbing is not pas-sing, and throwing the ball nowhere in particular is not combined back play. In such a team the absence of coaching sticks out all over like spikes on a porcupine. Oriental's Chances. After seeing Oriental in action again last woek against a by-no-means strong fifteen, ono could scarco dare to predict that they nre nt all likely to beat such hard-playing . teams as Athletic end Petono. Their weakness will in the end prove to be in tho forward division, and, as tho gamo is played nowadays, the best backs in tho world cannot save a side that is outclassed forward. The same Pomeko pack that were beaten by Melrose bent Oriental just as decisively, but it is a fact that, on the latter occasion, they played a great deal better. Late in the game last week tho Oriental pack simply could not steady tho Black and Reds, nnd more than once the Poneko forwards got through the first line of back defence. The Loss of M'Leod. The Oriental back division ie to b» weakened this year, ; as it was last. Then it was Roberts who was hurt, an injury solf : inflicte<l at the harmless pastime of chopping the household firewood. This season it is M'Leod, but he has had tho

doubtful honour of getting his wounds in battle.

It is hard to Bay which man can best bo spared. Roberts is the best Uicii playing the gamo in New Zealand, but M'Leod is the only man in Wellington who can follow him, and anticipate an occasional bit of ireakish strategy, which is often so much tnsre effoctivo than the stereotyped method i'he chances are that tho combination wIH bo broken up, and that the team will not bo such a dangerous attacking, sido as they usually are at their full strength. 'Probably the best redisposition that can now bo made is to move Murray up to first five-eighths, and to find someone to tako the vacant place in tho threequarter line. Murray has this requisite in a first five-eighths—ho can certainly boat a man. ICinvig, good as he is, is better ono place farthor away. Last week he was the bost back on the ground, excluding Roberts. His kicking was marvellously accurate and powerful, his tackling perfect, and his handling of tho bail faultless. Manning and Hale were disappointing. Paton—A "Now and Then" Player. The forwards did not look winners, ami they will'be beaten more times yet in later games. Paton was prominent now and then, but for the rest of tho time ho kept out of tho way of knocks and hard work. Ho. may, however, prove useful to the team as a long-rango place-kick. Many of his shots were only a few feot from the goal, and if his luck is in somo day he may do something really good. Does Not Call for Commont. The match between Wellington and Melrose, played at Athletic Park last Saturday, was not of a standard that calls for much comment. Wellington were unfortunate in not having tho services of Lambert, Cotter, M'Nab, and Thompson, otherwise they might have won, for Melrose did not play up to form, and but for a debatable decision of a line umpire may not have secured tho winning points. Wellington forwards, generally speaking, held tho upper hand, but the Wellington backs, with tho exception of M'Kenzie and Potaka, were decidedly weak. A special word is due to M'Kenzie, who played a good all-round game, and who is proving a decided acquisition to tho Yellow and Black team. Fallen on Evil Days. The decision of the Old Boys Club to withdraw its senior team from the championship scarcely comes as a Burpriso. for. soma time past tho club has been labouring under the disability of a small activo membership, and from several points of view it is better that tho senior team should withdraw from tho championship than struggle on under tho conditions that existed. It is to bo regretted, howevor, that a club which at different t-imos boasted such fine players as Dodd, Watkins, Johnson, Thomson, Avory, Blacklock, Dawson, and Grace should liavo fallen on evil days. Dawson and several other members of the team aro retiring, and will not sport other colours. Later on, Grace, Jacobson, Drake, and Fordham may bo seen in the field in coloured jerseys. The Tackling of 1912. Burnt in on the memory, tho nerveless tackling of College against Athletic comes back among Saturdays recollections. Thero was a particularly gaudy exposure when S. Wilson scored his try. Just before crossing the line ho parsed through tho hands of threo of tho Gollego backs. One after the other had a fair chance to

down him, but-well, lie wont through. No reproach of this kind rested on Athletic. Every man slew his adversary with a will, and made no mistake about it. "Ranji" Wilson was observed on one occasion to bring down two exponents at once, tho man with the ball and another. It was ono man too many, of course, but, it was Rugby tackling as we understand it in theso latitudes. The Game at Petone.

St. James lost by suoh a big score that tho man who was not there would .imagine a run over. This was hardly tue case, as St. James initiated several attacks that came within inches of a score, arid .moreover, had several chances with penalties, which, with a good place-kick, would have put on some points. They really lost tue gsnuo because I heir backs were mi very weak oi; defence, and their forwards did not have one atom of combination.' on th« othor hand, nevor played a hotter colloctlv* wuiw, : Th»ti forwwM

broke away in a bunoh, and their backs played liko a maohine. Certainly it waa necessary that the defence should be of the very best order to stop tho hefty Blues, but St. James did not feel inclined to bother about this. Thomas, tho full-back, was extremely lucky on many occasions, and whenever lie was hustled, his opponents invariably gained an advantago. His line-kicking was fair.

I Young, on the wing, had little to do in the first spell, but, in tho 6econd half, he made somo fine dashes, and eluded left-handed tacklers. Cook was iTio only back who showed signs of attacking in earnest, and he made some strong runs.. Hekota and Ufciku were very weak on defence, and noticeably shirked tho rushes

King wag the best forward on tho St. James sido. He was in the thick of everything (following up handed), and he is n fine tackier, "tofhtt, though a good second, was easy-going in tho first half, but warmed up towards the end. Leggatt is a very handy man to have in any team. Getting amongst the backs (as he did) to take some of tho high kicks had tho effect of putting confidence into his side. As a forward he has some points yet to learn, but football is in him, and will certainly come out of him. Of the rest of the pack little noed be said. The scheme of taking a man out of the scrum as extra winger was good, but most of Petone's attacks came from impromptu scrums. The suburban forwards showed great combination, and outstanding among their vanguard were Parker, Judd, Ready, and If'Farlano. The latter got eleven of the points with goal-kicks. E. "Ryan, Petone's full-back, came up from junior, and made no mistake. . J. Ryan was as resourceful as ever, whilst Itainsden and M'Kenzie again displayed clever work toircthor and individually. But, to hark back just a little, it still remains to be- said that tho chief man on the day was M'Fnrlane.