LEAGUE FOOTBALL ATTRACTIVE GAMES ARRANGED FOR TO-MORROW

Grey River Argus, 10 April 1948, Page 6

LEAGUE FOOTBALL ATTRACTIVE GAMES ARRANGED FOR TO-MORROW

After a brilliant opening last Sunday, the West Coast Rugby-League competitions will be continued tomorrow with games in the senior grade at Wingham Park, Blackball, and Hokitika.

Wingham Park patrons will see the Cobden and Marist teams in action for the first time and indications are that a keenly contested game will result. Marist proved superior to Hokitika at Hokitika last week while Cobden went down to an improved Neaiiere team in the country. Blackball and Ngahere, who meet at Blackball, should provide a close game, with Blackball showing improvement after their first encounter of the season against the hard Runanga team. * Runanga should have no great difficulty in succeeding at Hokitika, although the latter team now gives promise of being one of the sides which might cause upsets; throughout the season.

Outstanding Player Three players impressed spectators last Sunday as likely to be strong contenders for representative honours this season. Boyd, the Blackball wingrar, promoted this season, was given fewer opportunities than he merited, but the few glimpses of his play seen at Wingham Park, stamped hirii as a winger of sound judgment and great ability. His form during coming matches will be watched with keen interest. Ho is speedy, and a good handler, who, given the opportunity. should make the grade this season. Outstanding player on the ground in the match at Hokitika was Neilson, the second row forward, _ who outshone A. Gillman, the Kiwi forward in all phases of the game. Well built, and with good football sense, Neilson should attract the attention of the selectors, and seems destined for the Coast side. The third player who impressed was the youthful Runanga winger, J. Curragh, who bore the lion’s .share of Runanga’s attack when it became apparent that J. Forest the Kiwi winger was too well marked by the opposing Blackball backs (and forwards as well). Curragh put in some nicely timed runs, and kicked with good distance.

The Breakdown Blackball’s backs saw little of the ball, and this was due mainly co the weakness of the inside backs —mostly promoted from the lower grade this season. They were up against a inucli more experienced set of backs in the Runanga team, and may, at times, have felt a little overawed bv their opposition. Critics, however, are inclined to the belief that, before the season advances far. Blackball will provide major surprises. Their forwards are a reasonably solid pack, and with more experience, the backs can be welded into a good combination.

Fine Form , Of the two backs seen at Wingham Park on Sunday, there was no question that J. Soster (Runanga) had the edge on R. Nuttall (Blackball) the ex-Kiwi, all the way. Soster was almost faultless in his positional play, whilst Nuttall was found out on several occasions. Soster’s kicking was more accurate than that of Nuttall, who, however was somewhat overworked because of the failure of his inside backs to handle. Soster had no such worries and he played enterprising football. Well Marked As if the magnetism of being a Kiwi vas all-important, players on both sides on Sunday seemed to regard the returned men as their special marks. Perhaps none came in for a better share of attention than J. Forrest, who had the attention of

seven of his opponents at one stage of the game. Thereafter, his brother R. Forrest at centre, probably decided that the best course was to keep play towards the other wing. C. McBride, in the Blackball forwards, played a solid game throughout, and K. Mountford came in for fairly close attention during the game. Disappointed For a hooker of R. Aynsley’s experience, particularly after his overseas tour, the many infringements he committed were not easy to understand. Possibly such infringe-' ments go unchecked in England, or even France, but they don’t pass the mustei’ at Wingham Park. Aynsley spoiled his game rather by not taking notice of the first two or three checks Referee Mathews administered, and following the rules more closely thereafter. Another who disappointed on Sunday was W. Mountford, the Blackball centre, who never gave his wings much of a chance. Mountford had the habit of hanging on too long and, on Sunday, with disastrous results. C. MacGougan, a prompted player was the most enterprising of the Blackball inside backs and round him the team ought to be able to mould a fairly strong set of backs. Not too Stern There might be some who consider that the refereeing in Sunday’s senior game was just too exact. Others think that there is no better time than at the opening games for the referees to show the players .that there are rules which must be observed. Whether, during the coming Australian tour, the referees on the other side of the Tasman stick hard and fast to the rule book, or whether they are followers of the English idea of 'letting the teams play more for the gates thev draw, is a problem which can only be solved when the team starts its tour. Suffice it to say however, that no harm can come to any players who find that the referees stick fast to the rules, for, if there is looseness, then those who have had to meet with difficulty should have no trouble in being able to play the tune of their opponents. Kiwis, Banquets, and Armagnac Commenting on the recent victory of the French team, gained at Bordeaux, over the Kiwis, the French newspaper “La Monde” writes: * Perhaps we shall be reproached with being impossibly hard to please, but

this result (25-7) gives us no thrill. A hard-fought victory, by a threepoint margin, we would have found much more convincing. As it is, one cannot >but have doubts of the Kiwis’ physical condition, following a tour punctuated by evening banquets, where ‘Cotes du Rhone’ and ‘Armagnac’ flower freely. What do the Kiwis think about it?

Taranaki’s Good Start ■Outside of Auckland itself, there is no place in the North Island where League has gained a firmer hold than in Taranaki, and last week no less than 16 senior and senior reserve teams took the field in the first ten-a-side tournament for the season played at Stratford. A couple of years ago, Taranaki could muster only four senior sides, and the fact that more than sufficient players were available to make up 16 full sides speaks volumes for the work done by the Taranaki League in fostering the game. This year, for the first time, South Taranaki (the Hav.era Area- where rugby has always been strongest) have entered the competitions, and Opunake, which is in the centre of the province has also entered a team. Some Taranaki representation in the New Zealand side for the Australian tour ought to be assured. TO-MORROW’S TEAMS Cobden seniors: Haddock, Reedy, Jordan, Watson, MhAav. M-o’-'ey, M Carthy, Herrick, O’Brien, Muir, Lee, Miller, Flint, Moth. Cobden Senior Reserve: Dyoming. Longly (2) Green, Stapleton, Scalmer, Richardston, Robb, Bromley, Jarvis, Gourdie, Rodden, Colville, Roche, Curtis, Livingston, Devonport, Harding.