NAPIER GAMES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 182, 19 August 1937, Page 13

NAPIER GAMES

'Tenalty Corner")

Season Nearing an End

(By

The Napier hockey season is drawing |o * ciose, «nd early in September will probably aeo the end of-the fixtilres. The season on ihe whole has been a ▼ery good oue, with, in most cases, the nsual ajnonnt of in-and-out fonn which t eeems to characterise hockey to some " «xtent eachi season. Kiwi are in a nnassailable position for tbe men's • seuidr chainpioiisiiip. They have won all their games, except ihe game last Saturday when they fortieated to Taradale in order to allow •ome of their players to go to Wellington 1» see the Rugby Test. Taradale occnpy sficond position, bnt they have Bo chance of wixming, and the bther teams are well behind. Kiwi hro a greatly iznproved team this season, and iihey owe much of their success to coiistant practice, so that they have acguired a good comhination. The men's jnnior sectiOfl is still itt doubt. Taradale af6 leading by two A points from Kiwi Bltie, with Kiwi Gold another point fiirther baek; Taradale «dll probably win, tlxoiigk it is by ho means cerfcain that they will, for the three teams are evenly itt&tclied. Scinde is also improving, and althottgh they have no chance of occupying a leading place this season, they should be a force to be reckoned With nest Season. To Awa are leading in the women's lectioh and it looks liko a. win for them and a win wotild be popnlaf. Tliey made a snccessful comineJicemettt, and while they have not improved npon their early Eontt they have lield it, and thcx'e is little Ijkelihood now of tliein being beaten for first place in the competifcion. Napier made a ragged starfc but in later games glimpsed their real form, Wk and they have been a temarkabiy consistent team for several seasons. They play a good and sound game, but rather stereotyped. Like many other teams ihey have yet to learn that a variatlon of tactics sometimes contributes to suocess in hockey, as in Rugby, tennis and other games. Nest season couipetition in the women's section should be much more interesting. Huia are rapidly acquiring a first-class combination, while the two young teams, Taradale and Tui, both show promise, and may give a good account of themselves nest season. Clive have hardly done so well as was expected, but there is not the same keenness with them as ypith some of the other teams, and they " will have to take more interest in the ^ game if they wish to succeed. The visit of the two women's teams from Gisborne last Saturday should do good. They were a couple of good teams, and. the interchange of courtesies between the sports of two teams is always a good thing to encourage. . The Napier team chosen to play for the Lady Carroll Shield at Gisborne is a good one. The selector, Mr C. Cross, has shown a prel'erence for young keen players, and in doiug so he has done what will probably lielp the game a lot. It is a pity in any sport if the idea gets abroad "Once a rep. always a rep." Whatever tlie tesnlt of the game, the girls are cerain to be well treated in "hospitable lisborne."