LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1527, 24 August 1912, Page 12

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

[Br "Fieetfoot."]

MEN WE WILL SEE TO-DAY, Only Messenger Absent—And Why. "This is the most brilliant team playing football that ever came from .New South "Wales to New Zealand. We'vo got a, real good lot, and I think wo will bo ablo to sliow you a bit of that quality on Saturday that your Kugby player used to show Sydney teu years ago." ■ So sjwko Mr. H. 1(. Miller, joint manager with Mr. J. E. Bhio (appropriate name), of the Australian League team. "i\'o, wo haven't got Dally Messenger. He couldn't bo spared. He's got a hotel now at tho corner of Elizabeth and Market Streets—married tho proprietress, Mrs. M'Caulay. Now, all the peoplo go there, just to have a look at Dally. Mrs. Messenger said it would meau a dead loss of about .£SOO to the house if it became known that Dally had gone to New Zealand. Tho lady told ine herself that two barmen used to bo enough before she married, but sinco the idol took a hand they had got eight. "I think, and many think with me, that Messenger has seen his best days. Ho does not go down to it as ho used to— he takes less risk than ho did in the days of liis great dash. He is still brilliant in patches—just *a bit theatrical. Tho crowd like it, so there you are. But in his lightning moods he used to run moredash through the pack liko a shot from a gun. A lot of that has departed. He is still a peerless kicker—a splendid placelifter. Better Than Messenger Now Here, "We've got a better man than Messenger' in Deane. Except as a kick he is Blightly more valuable than the Messenger of to-day. He went Home, and played centre-three-quarter for Oldham for three years. That was one of tho few [ clubs which Wat. tho Kangaroos, and they attributed their defeat to Deane. Lately we havo been playing Deane in the centra and Messenger on the wing. "Another brilliant player who is bound to catch the eye is Hallett, a wonderfully reliable full-back. Some of tho English papers dubbed him the finest full-back in tho world. He originally played the Australian game in Melbourne, and is a marvellous catch in consequence. If he can get the tip of a finger on tho ball he can gather it in. ■ "J. Davis, wing-three-quarter, is another good man, who is worth watching when things are moving. C. Eraser was fullback to the Kangaroos which toured England, and is a good solid player with' a resolute defenco. "Broomham won my medal for the most consistently good back in Sydney last seaBon.' Messenger came second.' 'Bloomy' is very smart and heady, and always ecems to be in good nick. He has a variety of kicks, and is a powerful fender. The three selectors awarded the medal, ■and they ought to know. The Fastest Man in the Visitors. "Erawley, also on the three-quarter line, Is the fastest man in the team. He was in the Kangaroos, and played one season for the Warrington Club (England). Besides being fast, he is pretty rough, in the sense that lie is hard to stop and quick to recover and get going again. "Qarlick, three-quarter, is a young player who has yet to ivin his spurs in big football. " 'Viv,' Farnsworth is a player who is worth watching—quick and resourceful, witJi a lot of football in'front of him. "Glecson is a tyro so far iu big football but shows good promise. Only One Five-eighths in the "Blues." "Wo only brought one five-eighths—R. Norman. , He is a nippy player, with a good side-step, and is a strong defender. A. E. Halloway played scrum-half against the League 'All-Blacks,' displacing 'M'Kivett. He can take all you can give him without,losing.his.smile. ,Kov Farnsworth is a brother of 'Viv's.J' and a real useful man. The All-Blue Forward Line. "In the forwards Courtenay and Con Sullivan are our stars. They did lion's work among the Kangaroos in England. Haddox is a fine 'rake' (or hook). Cummins is hefty and fast, and is the next best place-kick in New South Wales to . "Place-kicking has almost become a lost art with us owing to all of it being given to Messenger in 'rep.' games. Chris M'Cue 'wasi a 'Wallaby' forward, and a good one. Tho brainiest forward is \V. Carin. Williams represented the Kangaroos against England. C. Murtrie was a 'Wallaby.' Ho. is a forward of tho bullocky type, capable of' pushing worlds about. Curran is in the second line—a useful man, and Frank Burge—brother of A. B. and Peter Burge—is recognised as the best of that noted bunch. S' Numbers at Newtown Park To-day. i "All the players to-day," said Mr. Miller, "will be plainly numbered to correspond with the numbenof their names on the card, so there should be no stealing one another's thunder as far as the public Is concerned."