LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1539, 7 September 1912, Page 12

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

[Br ."Flektfoot."! AN ENEMY HATH DONE THIS, That Weird Press Association Message from Auckland. A ton of bombshells could not have hit good Leaguers harder than the weird Press Association message from Auckland did on Monday. Tho good cause of the Leaguo stood, as it were, disgraced for over. The League men had played tenth-rate football full of "disgraceful scenes"—so tho message implied. That message has been sifted since, is still )>eing sifted, and the sifting, it seems, will prove a pretty bad thing—not for tho League, but for tho Press Association. A more -highly-colour-ed report surely never was placed on tho wires. It is not the first time that Press Assooiation reports have been impugned. It has been tho case ere this in politics, for instance, and, in fact, in many situations where rival. feeling ranges ■ itself under distinct banners. In this case, the Press Association. message stated, or implied, as follows:— (a) That there were only 7000 people at the match. (b) That the game itself called far little description. (c) That the chief feature was the "disgraceful scenes." (d) That the referee was woefully weak. Now, perhaps, it is necessary to explain that these Press Association reports are supposed to be based on the reports appearing in one or more reputable journals in the city or district in which the event takes place. That being so, it became exceedingly interesting to Leaguers to turn up the Auckland files and nsoertain exactly what had been said. The following facts at once became apparent:— Both of the Auckland daily papers figured. out tho attendance at 10,000. Both journals agreed that tho match was fast and interesting from the start almost to the end. One journal stated thaj, heavy as the rain was, the spectators remained solid right to the end. Neither journal made any mention whatever of the "woeful weakness of the referee. Only one paper (the "Herald") features the alleged disgraceful scenes. The "Star" sees the ordering-off of Deane merely as a common incident (by no means unknown to Rugby), and dismisses it at that The pronounced bias of the Press Association report thereupon becomes undoubted, and, it is. very regrettable that tho brightnew League game must suffer all over New Zealand on account of the fact that someone who is apparently prejudiced against the League has been allowed an ungoverned hand at the Auckland end of the wire. Of course, all this is no excuse for Deane, who was ordered off, but there is, in his connection, a mighty pertinent word to add with respect to the Press Association. When a player named Calcinai had his jaw broken in a brutal encounter under Rugby rules at Athletic Park, very little (only a lino or two) was said by the Press Association about that. In the League case, however, a little "ruffing" is made to fill the whole bill. %It may, perhaps, be urged that the Calcinni case was sub judice at the time it wag handled by the Press Association. It was, as a matter of fact, nothing of tho sort. Come to think of it all—the Wellington Bugby v 'Union playing that cadet .match at Newtown Park when the League match was on, and the present painted Press Association message from Auckland—well, does it not seem all rather weird f An enomy, probably, has done both.

General League Gossip. Wellington plays Canterbury at Christchurch to-day. ■ The well-preserved young-old Leaguer H. Wright captained the Petone team against Hutt last Saturday, whom they defeated for the Sigal. Shield. A lgcal League player showing - much promise, is Wright—Petone's wing-three-quarter. Bnckland was the mainstay of the Hutt backs against Petone. Says a contributor:—The latest" comes from the secretary of the Marlborough UnioDj who wrote to the parent body informing them that, the "League's agent had been at work in Blenheim," and notifying them that the local union had informed intending players that, taking part in practice games under the League code would be looked upon by ihe union wit hdisfavour. In, answer, the New Zealand Union confirmed the Marlborough Union's action. I would suggest that tho New Zealand Rugby 'Union ehould go further and disqualify the ltotorua players who have played League for three years, and (because of a difference with the League authorities) have returned again to the fold. Referring to the Marlborough matter, the facts are these:—A communication was" first received from a prominent Eugby player in Blenheim by one of the Wellington League's members, asking for assistance in forming a League in Marlborough. The writer of the letter also stated that some twenty players were willing to take the game on. The Marlborough people are to be commended on their common sense. It shows that they are about "full up" of the present-day Rugby and management, and realise that the League game is the game both for the player and spectator. I do not think that tho threat of the union will deter these Marlborough boys from having a little practice, but, wait a week or two, and they will probably be playing something better than practice game. A representative match would be much more interesting. - Inquiries havo also been received from Wairarapa and Manawatu concerning the League game, and Leagues will , be formed in both places very shortly. It is said that the game is going to "go" in Christchurch, and that the representative match Wellington v. Canterbury will be well attended. Another Leaguer writes with battle in his eye. He says:—A peculiar remark was made by Mr. C. Lufferty at tho Eugby Union's meeting in Christchurch on August 27, called to consider the encroachment of League football in Canterbury. The remark made was this: Mr. Lafferty held that no -member of the executive of the union should be paid when they did not pay their players, who risked their limbs in the It looks as if our accusation against tho Rugby, people is true—after all—management first, public second, and the player nowherel Another delegate at the same meeting said that the League game would be welcomed in his district (North Canterbury Sub-Union) because of the lack of encouragement which players had received from' the Canterbury Union.