THERE FOR TWO YEARS

NZ Truth, Issue 1238, 22 August 1929, Page 16

THERE FOR TWO YEARS

New Zealand Selection Committee Should Be Scrapped PLAYER'S EXPERIENCE IS NEEDED (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Rugby Writer). It is the general wish, of the country that there be a complete reorganisation of the/New Zealand selection committee, and that ;somo new, and what is more important, some young blood, be in:fused.into the personnel.

WHEN, the 1924 All Blacks were selected it took seven to carry out the job— Ted. : McKenzie, Norm. McKenzie, Arthur Guy, Lew. Carmine, Arthur Geddes, >"Ranji" Wilson and Harry Davis. ••'*'•' ' i The triumphal tour of that combination elated New' Zealanders ..•• and'- the alike, " v but • despite the great measure of success that came through the latter's efforts, it was agreed that a committee of seven was too cumber-, some. ' " That the New Zealand Union must have thought so, too, was evidenced when the next big tour came along. The committee was reduced to. six — the two McKenzles, Geddes and " Guy, with the newcomers Tom Millike'n and Allan -Adams. : : They combed the country and picked a team that was /expected to wipe the veldt with the South Africans, only to come back home somewhat the worse for wear and tear. •Why this should have been so, after the opinion Ted McKenzie expressed at the completion of the selection, is a\ mystery, and "Big Ted" must be still /fossicking for a satisfactory solution. ) Ted gave it' out that the 1928 team was the best that had ever represented New Zealand, "and I speak with a knowledge of teams! back to 1893." <That was his opinion. It suffered somewhat m the light of later events, but In classing It as better than the 1905 tourists, and the 1924 combination, he was sadly out, of alignment. wi£h those who had the pleasure to witness the three teams m action. It may be by the way, but Billy Wallace, acknowledged the greatest player this country has ever bred, gives it as his opinion that the . 1903 team to Australia, was the daddy of the lot— and "Truth" respects Bill's opinion. This year the selection committee was reduced again — to five. The two Macs, and Arthur Geddes managed to stick to the ship, the interlopers being Alec McDonald and George Nicholson. They picked a team to go to Australia, and though it is easy to say '-We told you so," there is no gainsaying the fact that .representative opinion was that the team would, get licked? 1 It did, but without losing any honor,

for never at any stage did it get a fair go. .-'.. The selection suited some, but was distasteful to most. Forwards were picked when past their prime — their days, of usefulness were coming to an end. With the back, line there appeared to be one glaring case, and the tour conclusively proved that the boy was lucky to be m. One. half-back was picked, and then started a hunt for a second donkeyman. 1 \ At- the last moment Tuck was told to pack his bag. It was a grab from thin air, and when Dalley went out another half had to be sent. Leys was selected, but, as the selectors do not have to furnish any explanations, the public will never know why he was chosen. It was certainly not on his form. All this backing and filling was too .much'- for those m the Union world, and when they .started to complain they, were told that the" selectors had been appointed'/ no,t only for the ensuing season; but' for the next year aiso. . ... The Management 1 Committee of the New Zealand Union had appointed the quintet for two years! With. the English tour scheduled for next season, this wAs a facer indeed, and there are rumblings m the camp. ' Just- whether . the rumblings will grow and action will take their place remains to be seen; but, judging from what is being said about the countryside, [the question will be one of the bones of contention at the next annual meeting. .That there is going to be an attempt to over-ride the action of the executive committee "Truth" can say right now. To the layman, there is too much of a certain "itis"' m New Zealand football these days, and there are any number who demand the use of the knife. In these days of bitumen -roads there should be no need to get into ruts, but that is where the present committee of selectors are. There is too much side-tracking. . In forw&rd play 'New Zealand has gone back, and this m face of the statement made by Ted McKenzie, after the 1928. team was picked — "In forward play we have never been so strong." In failing to qualify, Ted was made to eat his words, for it was not till the South African tour was all but completed that the All "Blacks could claim -anything like equality. This year m Australia it was the same, and the pack had to be taught to stay down. That they proved apt pupils was.no fault of the selectors. Big men, fast men and strong men have been pulling on-black jerseys, but In common they .have had one ambition — to, get away from that scrum faster than the ball. 1 ; ■A/ combination of- circumstances had brought into hping this "forward." The alteration to the kick info touch, with its 'natural '.attendant of acceleration of the game/d emanded more pace, and wb.en.4the : extra call was made on the

constitution, something had to be given the miss. And, to save that energy for the open, the tight stuff was baulked, and here another circumstance was entered on. Publicity. Out m the open paddock, careering round like a back, the , forward carat strongly into the limelight,, and lie received congratulations ' of . the spectators and papers. His name was ever m the public eye and he could not have been more prominent than the white-eyed Kaffir. Which throws one's mind back t( the publicity that came the way of c New Zealand forward m Sydneyin 1920 When the team returned home "Truth" asked Captain Jimmy Tilyarc if was the forward the cables hac made him out to be. , "You want to know my best forward — Alfle West, head down and working all the time." • West, alas, is the type of forward that is the exception not the rule, these days. v England is going to descend on us next season, and they are sending a team . of/ forwards who play the old black cavalry game. There is no suggestion of the forward -cum -back; South Africa pointed its moral, and Alley, one of the locks on that tour wrote, m Mark Nicholl's book, pearls Of wisdom, which apparently are being cast before an unappreciative collection. . "It will be a surprising thing if m next year's football m New Zealand there ,\s not a reaction against the quick-breaking forward. It is certain that New Zealand football, hardy and healthy youngster that it is, will keep on growing, all the better for the lessons learnt m South Africa." Alley, no doubt, will be one of the first to'^admit that this year's football has shown no benefit of that tour. The time is ripe for a change, notwithstanding the tenure given to the present committee. I "Truth" advocates that the task be left to three men. So far as the present committee is constituted, two would be retained — if we had the say — Noman McKenzie and Alec McDonald. The third member would be. a player of recent days, or, better still, one who

is at present participating m the game. And when it comes to naming that player, it is easy. Cliff Porter is the ideal man. His position on the Held has enabled him to winnow the oats from the chaff, when it is a case of measuring up the forwards, and his experience as a rover, with a commission that takes him everywhere, has primed him as to the capabilities- of v the backs to a far greater extent than forty selectors who sit on the line. .Porter knows English • football and English modes of play, and he is fully alive to. what is wanted, and why. A deep thinker at any time. Porter had the opportunity, while m Australia, of witnessing quite a number of games from the stand. The exhibitions gave him plenty to ponder over, and Manager Jim McL.cod told "Truth" that Cliff did some hard thinking. Are" not ' tho 'fruits of that meditation of value to New Zealand football? It may be held that Porter, as a selector, would probably, have to figure as a player also, and that the combination'would be too heavy a responsibility, not to mention the likelihood of the captaincy also, falling on him. Porter is the. type, to be shouldered with responsibility, and the heavier be his load the greater is the incentive to set the lead. His exhibition m that third test at Sydney was too glorious for words, and Cliff was carrying a heavy responsibility that day. The formation of a committee as suggested would inevitably bring up that malignant growth — parochialism. That is only, a theory of a disgruntled few, and McKenzie, McDonald and Porter, m our opinion, are capable of meeting it with an answer that would leave no opening for further comment.