LEAGUE FOOTBALL MARIST AND RUNANGA SHOULD PROVIDE THRILLING ENCOUNTER

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1948, Page 6

LEAGUE FOOTBALL MARIST AND RUNANGA SHOULD PROVIDE THRILLING ENCOUNTER

The meeting of no two rivals in the Rugby League game attracts more interest than when the contestants are Marist and Runanga. Both have shown themselves to be likely contenders for the final honours this season, and the quality of their play already this season suggests that the big crowd expected at Wingham Park to-morrow will be treated to a thrilling encounter. The meeting of the two teams already has strong support from the sideline, ...and to-mor-row’s qame should be no execution.

Cobden, who went down to Marist last week, will meet Blackball, at Blackball, and form suggests that the home side should win. However, it is well to remember that Blackball could just scrape home against Ngahere by a single point last week. The Hokitika side will play Ngahere on the latter’s ground, and a good match should result. NOT A RECORD:

Speculation as to whether Marist’s 61 points over Cobden on Sunday last made a scoring record for the West Coast has been keen this week, but the Cobden side can take consolation in the knowledge that Marist were at least 10 points behind the record for Wingham Park. In recent yeats. scores of 60 or more have fortunately been rare, but during the seasons 1943 to the end of 1945, with Blackball at the top of their form, and some of the other sides just hanging on, high scores were recorded every week. In one of these matches, Blackball put up a higher score against Marist, whose team comprised not a few of the players who figured in the scoring on Slmdav last. Most of them were then promoted players, and their subsequent rise to representative honours should-give heart to the Cobden players. They might be interested also in the fact that in the 1945 season (when Coast beat Canterbury 60 to 5), Runanga went down to Blackball by 70 points to 12. Runanga’s side included such wellknown players as Soster, J. and R. Forrest and Newton. P. MULCARE’S MOVE: Randwick will have a strong 13 again. Hemi will be turning out, and so, too, will Evans, Stenhouse, and Jamieson. Sutton, Onslow half last season, will take the place of Hawkins,’ who has retired. Bramley and Mollit will also be out of the game. The outstanding loss in the forwards is P. Mulcare, who will be with Auckland Marist. Newcomers in the pack will be Westerby ex-Cen-tral, Cairncross from Rugby, and Douche. The last-named has been away from Wellington for a couple of years. It will be recalled that he gained representative honours at 19. COACH’S VERSION

In a speech at Auckland, Mr. T. A. McClymont. coach of the Kiwi team, told his listeners that the success of the tour had been achieved by perfect harmony in the team and by the ability of the players to take accid-

ents and injuries in their stride and to keep playing the open, fast foot-

ball which made so great an impression on English crowds. The reception of the team had heen overwhelmingly kind, and at least 80 per cent- of the crowd of more than 30,000 at the first Test in England had barracked hard for New Zealand to win. It had been a hard tour, but a satisfying one. The team had travelled 35,000 miles altogether. 5.000 of them in bus trips from the base at Ilkley to various centres in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Wales. One of the ihost satisfying matches had been against Wigan, won by the Kiwis by 10 points to 8. C. Mountford, a ’ New Zealander playing for Wigan, was considered to be the finest stand-off half in the country, and the club had a wonderful record against overseas teams. N.Z. SECRETARY RETIRING

The retirement is pending of two senior officials of the New Zealand Rugby League, Mr. W. O. Carlaw, who 'lias been secretary since 1919, and Mr. E. B. Bennet, who has been treasurer since 1938. They will be succeeded at the annual meeting of the League on May 6 by Mr. E. J. Knowling, of Auckland, who will assume the two offices.

Mr Carlew played Rugby for the Ponsonby Club before the First World War and succeeded Mr. H. Oakley in the secretaryship. In his time as secretary, the game has grown substantially in membership and ramifications and his skill as an organiser has materially contributed to the improved fortunes of the League. Mr Carlaw announced a year ago that* he would retire as soon as possible after the completion of the tour of the Kiwis in England and France. He actually retired from the position in 1939 and was tendered a farewell dinner, but because of the changed circumstances caused b- the war he remained in the position. He has agreed, it is understood, to assist the council in an advisory capacity for 12 months. Mr. Bennet, like Mr. Carlaw, a great Enthusiast for the game, served as an officer of the North Shore club before his appointum"' as treasurer. He organised the public company formed to finance tlm illfated visit to England in 1939 of the Kiwi team which- played onlv one match before war was declared, and put a great deal of work m''-. the financial side of the recent tour, THE SABBATH

The announcement that two of the games to bp nlayed on the Australian tour by the New Zealand team, will occasion some surprise in some parts of New Zealand. It would be rather interesting to knovr* whether. _ if he should go with the team, the Kiwi coach, T. A. McClymont, will adopt the rale he followed in France, byrefusing to attend matches or prac-

tices on a Sunday. Mr. McClymont’s attitude has some support, as last week, he was the guest speaker for the Auckland Christian Businessmen’s Association, whose president, Mr. Victor Mackay, said that his Association had been proud to send Mr McClymont a cablegram of congratulation on his Christian stand. Mr. McClymont said that on the occasion of the first match in France when his refusal to attend had caused comment in the newspapers, he had spent the day trying to find the grave of his brother, who was killed in the First World War. He disagreed entirely, on religious grounds, with the playing of matches on Sunday.

KIWI CLARK’S TRANSFER

The North Shore, Auckland and New Zealand Rugby League representative Roy Clark may not be seen in action at Carlaw Park this season. He did not for his club last week' against Marist and reported that he was seeking a transfer from Shore to Ellerslie. It is understood that Shore club officials are not in favour of granting an immediate transfer, and Clark may have to stand down for a year before he can have his transfer approved by the Auckland League control board. Clark skippered the 1946 New Zealand team that beat England at Carlaw Park and was a member of the Kiwi touring team. Wellington Prospects The fact that Wellington won the Northern Union Cup last season will no doubt stimulate interest in Rugbv League here this season. Players will have the particular incentive of trying to make the New Zealand team to visit Australia in Mav. , .

The four leading teams, Marist, Randwick, Waterside, and Miramar, will again field well-balanced sides. All have suffered losses, but to offset these they have numerous recruits. Marist. ’who shared the championship last year, will be without the services in the pack of Coyle, who has returned to Blackball, Connell in Taranaki, Hutson, who has left the district, Walsh now with Auckland Marist, and Weir. The greatest acquisition is L. Morgan, West Coast rep. lasti- season, who is regarded on the Coast as the equal of most of those who made the English tour. Other gains are Holt and Coleman, two front-row forwards from Australia, the latter from Western Suburbs (Sydney), Hobbs from Frankton Railways seniors and Solomon from Waterside; Among last year’s forwards who will be avilable are K. O’Brien. Curran, Griffin, and P. Sullivan. G. Hohaia. a back, may play in the forwards this time. AUCKLAND UPSET Ono of the lowest-ranking teams in the Auckland Rugby League senior 'competition last year. City turned on an attractive display of bright, open football to upset Mount Albert, last year’s champion side, at Carlaw Park last Saturday. Citv played all over the opposition at times, to win comfortably' by' 36 —15. A virile, capable pack ‘of forwards paved the way for City’s victory, and Kiwi full-back Warwick Clarke kicked nine goals to contribute half the winning side’s total. Marist beat North Shore 21—12 in the main match, which produced bard lootball of a less spectacular type than that seen in the first game. Point Chevalier centre Morrie Rich was the top scorer of the day. with eight goals and one try' against Otahuhu on No. 2 ground. Point Chevalier won 40—12. In the early game on No. 2, Ponsonby beat Northcote 10—9.