LEAGUE & LEAGUERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 12

LEAGUE & LEAGUERS.

[Bx "Fleetfoot."!

AUSTRALIA'S EXAMPLE. Record Attendances. Tliirty-fivo thousand spectators must have 'had an inspiring effect on tho New Zealand Leaguo team in Sydney. Such a gathering of people is seldom seen in New Zealand, particularly to witness a football match. But the amount taken at the gates—,£l7oo—is not a record byany means. The largest sum taken for a Northern Union match in any part ot the tforld was .£2551 10s., at the bydney Cricket Ground on Coronation Day. June 22 1911, when tho All Blues and tho AH Blacks met. Th© record gate for a club match in New South Wales was -CG4I 17s. Id., taken at tho Glebe-Eastern Suburbs match on August 3 last at the Sports Ground. T Twenty thousand to see tho Leaguers from Maoriland and thros thousand to see the Maoris. Comparing attendances, tho League would seem to be monarch ot all it surveys in tho Now South Wales football world. The Union still exists, but, being unable to star any attractions on the big city grounds, it is practically out of the running so far as the public is ooncGrncd. The Australian. Rules and other games somehow have never seemed to tako in New South Wales, though, to be just, there is a pood deal more football in them than there is in either of the Rugby codes. A Rapid Rise. When the League was first .mooted in. Sydney in 1907 the Rugby Union, was in the zenith of its success, play was ot high standard, and the public was generous as regards gate-money. .The Union refused to take the new game seriously, and tho League was dismissed by Union officials as a mushroom growth, cultivated by a coterie of malcontents. Its early failure was freely prophesied. But when the public, despite the advice of tho daily press and most of the weekly journals, rolled up in its thousands to see the hrst representative match between New South Wales and the professional All Blacks, nine days after the formation of the League, the fate of the Union wa3 sealed. Although .the matches .^ ai °jt the All Blacks were played 15-aside—the ldaside game was adopted at the beginning of the 190S season—enough of the merit of the new game was apparent to make spectators decid© fcliat it was tli© on© for their money. The first season was phenomenally successful, and ever since the fortunes of the League have been oil the up-grade, until to-dny it stands supreme.

Newtown on Top. Newtoivn, with six points to the good 11 the League championship, may bo safely considered the victors for this seaion's contest. . They have proved beyond loubt that they are the best team in Wellington, with the best combination md staying powers. This latter point ras shown in last Saturdays game with I'etone, for the ketone team, during many stages of the game, had the better or the ir»ument. They could 1 not last at the inish, when a determined effort might lave placed them on top. Individual Play. The Petone backs were inclined to rely too much on individual play during last Saturday's match. In fact, it got down to selfishness at times. This does not io in the Leaguo game, where quick team ivork tells. Especially bad was it when *xerci9ed against th© oombmatioii of .Newtown Whitley and House are two good backs, and the latter has a rare turn af speed, but they both failed to let the ball out on numerous occasions. Whitley is too fond of the cutting-in game. Not Speakers. On the arrival of the New Zealanders in Sydney a reception was given at which "Dan" Frawley, skipper of the J.ew South Wales team, and H. HaywaTd, who Mis the' same position for tho Maoriland team, wore called on for speeches. Inferring to this, a Svdney writer says: They must have'put their heads together, because they used exactly the same words: Wei, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I thank you all.' Frawley has mado some capital speeches at times, but as ho followed Hayward it is probable that Dan did not want 'Circus' to feel small by letting Pto a flow of oratory Lack of Knowledge. Wellington League men are not yet well- acquainted with all the playing rules. When the Wellington representatives with "the touring team Teturn from Australia it is expected that they will show the local men many points which will prove of great value. Mr. T. Cunningham, on© of the best League referefcs, realises that tho -players' are not oil thoroughly acquainted with the game, therefore he explains, many of his rulings as he goe3 along. He states that he will stop this when the men, get mora at home to the finer points of the game. Flnlayson's Kicking. Those watching the Newtown-Petono match on Saturday could not fail to remark on' tho splendid kicking of. Finla*son, playing full-back for Petone. Finlayson is one of the best backs in Wellington, and should have been in the three-quarter line, where he would have had an opportunity to utilise his speed. As it was, his long kicks sent play out of ketone's territory time after time. Hjs iropped goal was really splendid, being kicked from almost on the half-way line, nnd with no wind to assist the ball. Finlayson was responsible for "grassing many of his opponents, too, for he is a rare tackier. On one occasion he stopped iwo men, and then got possession of the oall. championship Table. The following is the position held by ;ha senior teams in the championship :ompeti,tion i . '$ isl 1 a +: ,g . C'S . S £ (§<2 (S<l o Newtown ...... 8 7 1 162 66 14 Petone 8 4 4 138 92 8 Ythletio 8 3 5 84 99 G Elutt 8 2 6 52 179 1 Some Stray Notes. The Newtown-Petono match, played last Saturday, should not have taken place till io-day. 'It was put oh last Saturday to jnable Mr. Cunningham to referee, as ho lontrolled the game a fortnight previ>usly. Should "Dally" Messenger and Dan Frawlev be induced to visit Now Zealand with, the Australian team, duo in July, some great play will bo witnessed. Slesionger is ono of the greatest players of his lay, and has made a name for himself as much through using his head as his feet. Wellington's first representative match this season will probably be against Canterbury. „ , „ . ' , _ Now that tho Sydney Cricket Ground lias been secured, along with the Agricultural Ground, and the other big ovals, this season - should see bigger gates than ever it tho international and inter-State matches in Sydney. The 85,000 who attended tho first match against our Zealand 'team was a good beginning. Wellington will probablv be playing Hawke's Bay at Lower Hntt next month. It is proposed to hold.a meeting oil Thursday evening, Jnpe 28, to form a Referees' Association. The secretary has already secured the names of twelve gentlemen willing to join. The Wellington League are endeavouring to arrange a junior trip to Napier this season.

Seven youths summoned at Dudley for firing Crimean cannon at Dudley Castle a month ago (for which Snftrngettes were wrongly blamed) apologised, and were ordered to pay damages and costs. One ot the accused had, as a grammar school student, received Lord Dudleys gold medal for the best all-round boy in the school. In the Appeal Court in England, it was held that a friendly society which refused to accept as evidence of illness certificates from doctors not on the Insurance panels had no right to limit beforehand the kind of evidence they would accopt, and that, as it was a case.of a, friendly society interfering with the rights of thoso who wore entitled to its boucrits the action was ultra vires. After the party take a sniff or two of "NAZOL." It ward 9 off tho very prospect of a cold. All chemists, eighteen- , pence. —Advti